Ok, wasn't going to, but I do have a couple of little stories where I can only say the police were more than fair!!
First story relates to when I shifted to the Gold Coast for work (about 1979) and was living in a motel temporarily at Southport. I had a big night at the attached hotel and when I walked to my room, had to walk past my bike (Honda CB750) and thought it'd be a good idea to give it a quick spin along the esplanade. Anyway, went some way and turned around to go home and getting close I gave the old Honda a big fist full. I had forgotten I was having a few electrical issues and redlining it subsequently blew a fuse so I coasted to the side of the road. I could barely walk and couldn't see much but in the fog of my brain I knew I needed to find an old cigarette packet to get some silver paper and so I was on all fours crawling around on the grass looking when vehicle lights lit the place up and then I heard this voice asking me what I was doing? I was not really coherent and told them I was looking for something. The 2 coppers guided me back to the road and sat me in the gutter while they tried to work out who I was, no license on me. One bloke went to the cop car and eventually came back and asked me if I had ever been to Dysart which surprised me and I said, Yeh, I had just shifted from there, how did he know? (Apparently alcohol makes you stupid, who knew!!!)
Eventually I also managed to explain that I was living at the Pacific Hotel which was about a km away just over the hill.
By this time it must have been 2.30 or 3 in the morning and they just simply told me to leave the bike there and walk home and they took off.
I was a bit cleverer than that and with their lights I had noticed where a bin was, so as soon as they took off I found the bin, took some silver paper from a ciggy packet and fixed the fuse, gave them enough time to clear the area, started the bike and rode home without a headlight on in deference to my fuse issues!! Kudos to good natured and understanding police...............
2nd time was a number of months later, I was working down at Coolangatta and after work got on the grog at various pubs with some mates. Had a big night on the rum and was getting close to midnight when I took off home on the always ready Honda. Not much traffic at that time of night and was having a ball, giving the bike free reign across the bridge at Currumbin/Palm Beach. Just after there was a bit more traffic and had to slow down, but as I was coming in to Miami a car lit up with flashing red and blue and an older cop with a younger partner pulled me over and gave me a grilling, getting up me for speeding etc etc eventually giving me a ticket for 110 in a 60 zone (KPH) but thankfully decided to ignore my drunken state and strong smell of rum.
As they were about to leave I remembered my tail light wasn't working and in my drunken logic I thought I'd best not push it so walked casually over to a nearby car yard and pretended to look at cars while they took off. Once they were gone, I jumped on the bike and headed home. As I was nearing Surfers Paradise there was a set of traffic lights which were red stopped there was a ford panel van. It was well after midnight by this stage and I could see clearly no other cars at the intersection so I moved into the right lane and straight past the panel van and through the red light. Of course, you can guess, the van was a police car so they lit up and followed me through the red and quickly pulled me over. A couple of young blokes this time and I didn't even have a chance to get off the bike and they came over and seemed quite upset over the whole thing.
At this stage the cop car that had pulled me over prior turned up, alerted by their radio and suddenly I had 4 coppers around me suggesting my behaviour left a bit to be desired. The old copper asked me why I had walked away from the bike when they went to leave and I mumbled about looking at some cars.
I just assumed I was a goner this time and would be lucky if they didn't lock me up. After a bit the 4 coppers all walked away and had a bit of a meeting. Then the original two took off and the 2 young blokes came back and gave me a ticket for 95 in a 60 zone and told me to get home. I couldn't believe it and as the 2 coppers were about to get in their car, one jumped out and came back and I thought Oh Oh, here we go but all he said was "almost forgot about the red light" so wrote another ticket for that. Clearly the older bloke had told them to let me off, fine by me. Upshot of all this was 2 tickets at 3 points each and 1 losing 4 points, so 11 points all up and all issued within a 10 minute time frame!! We had a total of 9 points back then and coupled with any other fines which eventually come through I was well over. When you exceed your points you get a letter telling you to report to the local cop shop to "show cause" why your license shouldn't be suspended. I duly rang the Southport station and booked an appointment. When I showed up I was met by a cranky old Sarge who wasn't in a great mood. He started looking down my history and of course stopped when he came to the 11 points and demanded to know what went on there. I told him I was in a hurry or some such but he kept going on how bad it was. I just wanted to tell him, look mate, I was blind out of my head what do you expect, but "time and place" not quite right so I just started arguing that it actually wasn't that bad. My reasoning was that I just had one night of madness which surely wasn't as bad as someone who attracted fines every week or month. He didn't agree with my logic and he was getting crankier and crankier every time I tried to push my point and he eventually said he was going to recommend I lose my license for 3 months and I could piss off.
Not much else I could do so started for the door, but I had one more question for him. I turned and said that it hadn't come through the system yet but a week or so ago I had picked up another speeding fine out near Blackbutt and I wanted to know if he could include that in his list so it was all taken care of?
I thought he was going to have a stroke and he just said in a rather loud voice something along the lines, do not tell him anything else I have done and just get the F out of there!!
A few days later I received a letter in the mail telling me I had to surrender my licence for 2 weeks!!! (you beauty). The cranky old bastard must have liked me after all....
I wasn't sure what this actually meant but took my licence along with the letter, they receipted it and said come back in 2 weeks and collect which I did - that was it, full licence back, points wiped (well those on the list) away we go - bloody good system if you ask me.
Now for those that feel I was let off too lightly, I do believe in Karma and it wasn't that far down the track I had another mishap and that particular license was indeed consigned to the garbage bin of history but those are all other stories.................
I have had numerous encounters with police, some not ending so well, some as amusing as the ones above (well hopefully some find them amusing
) but I have to say, generally all brought about by my own doing.....................
and she stormed off!
emoji, thinking they all want me back.