25 September 2012

Parking Civic Style

| johnboy
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civic parking

This in from Mark:

From Sunday ..

3 bikes racing for a cappuccino + 2 cop cars (one under-cover) = proof radio waves travel faster than the fastest motor bike, thus fines all round.

Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it in to images@the-riotact.com .

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The Antichrist said :

KB1971 said :

Not such an issue on a car as the vehicle has the electrics to run brighter lights (although there are maximum limits of output) motorcycle electrics are not as reliable or powerful as a 100amp alternator commonly seen on modern cars.

What a crock of ignorant dribble.

Car bulbs are not brighter than m/c bulbs because the car has a 100A alternator – a 15W indicator bulb on a car requires exactly the same amount of power as a 15W indicator bulb on a motorcycle and they will have an identical level of ‘brightness’.

There is nothing unreliable about current electrics on most modern bikes, especially Japanese bikes. The alternator output may be a bit less than a car alternator – but that is to be expected. Reliability though – is the same or better than most cars.

I agree about the wattage of bulbs but if you read my last paragraph I say that they have improved but they are not the same nor as good. Smaller generators & batteries = voltsage drop, especially when the vehicle is at idle and the wiring is generally manufactured lighter which also can have voltage drop. A 15w bulb will only give 15 watts of output if it has the electricity supply to do so.

I also said that ADR19 was one of the older ADR’s, what I meant by that is that it was written in a time that vehilces had older technoology & therefore may not be as reliable.

Anything else you would like me to clarify?

p1 said :

You might find it interesting to search RA for past discussions on foglights, driving lights and their use.

Your idea of “interesting” appears to differ greatly from mine.

The Antichrist7:47 pm 27 Sep 12

KB1971 said :

Not such an issue on a car as the vehicle has the electrics to run brighter lights (although there are maximum limits of output) motorcycle electrics are not as reliable or powerful as a 100amp alternator commonly seen on modern cars.

What a crock of ignorant dribble.

Car bulbs are not brighter than m/c bulbs because the car has a 100A alternator – a 15W indicator bulb on a car requires exactly the same amount of power as a 15W indicator bulb on a motorcycle and they will have an identical level of ‘brightness’.

There is nothing unreliable about current electrics on most modern bikes, especially Japanese bikes. The alternator output may be a bit less than a car alternator – but that is to be expected. Reliability though – is the same or better than most cars.

p1 said :

rhino said :

Is there actually a safety issue with these lights? I strongly suspect the ADRs are just unnecessarily anal about tail lights on a bike…I’m sure the illegal ones on this bike are probably more visible than the legal ones on some other bikes…

A lot of the time it is simply the fact that the indicators are not far enough apart. I tend to think that falls into the “unnecessarily anal” category. Although I have seen some after market lights which were pretty dim, and clearly not as visible as they are supposed to be.

Its about the mixing of the light. If they are too close together the light can blend. The idea of a distance apart is to try to separate the colours.

Not such an issue on a car as the vehicle has the electrics to run brighter lights (although there are maximum limits of output) motorcycle electrics are not as reliable or powerful as a 100amp alternator commonly seen on modern cars.

Having said that, the ADR19 is one of the older ADR’s and electrics have moved on, especially with the advances in LED technology.

rhino said :

Is there actually a safety issue with these lights? I strongly suspect the ADRs are just unnecessarily anal about tail lights on a bike…I’m sure the illegal ones on this bike are probably more visible than the legal ones on some other bikes…

A lot of the time it is simply the fact that the indicators are not far enough apart. I tend to think that falls into the “unnecessarily anal” category. Although I have seen some after market lights which were pretty dim, and clearly not as visible as they are supposed to be.

p1 said :

jayskette said :

This is what happens when you have a territory not enforcing vehicles to have compulsory pink slips for rego!, but having said that, the bikes look fine… I have seen CARS that should be in the wreck that have current regos, now THAT’s what I call revenue raising

In this case it was a non ADR compliant tail light unit which had been used to replace the factory standard one which caused the defect notice to be issued. The replacement of the ADR compliant tail section with one that looks nice is probably the single most common modification on sports bikes in Aust.
.

Is there actually a safety issue with these lights? I strongly suspect the ADRs are just unnecessarily anal about tail lights on a bike…I’m sure the illegal ones on this bike are probably more visible than the legal ones on some other bikes…

> Get “chased” by police

> Neatly reverses into car park

yep certainly a thug

*rolls eyes*

jayskette said :

This is what happens when you have a territory not enforcing vehicles to have compulsory pink slips for rego!, but having said that, the bikes look fine… I have seen CARS that should be in the wreck that have current regos, now THAT’s what I call revenue raising

In this case it was a non ADR compliant tail light unit which had been used to replace the factory standard one which caused the defect notice to be issued. The replacement of the ADR compliant tail section with one that looks nice is probably the single most common modification on sports bikes in Aust.

If a rego check was required every year (as in NSW for example), people would either replace the tail with the factory one for the time it takes to go over the pits (as I imagine many in NSW do) or they would go to a friendly bike shop (probably the one which sold them the tail unit) and they would turn a blind eye (as I imagine many in NSW do).

You don’t seriously thing that all those incredibly loud custom Harleys replace their expensive chrome pipes with legal ones once a year for rego do you?

Yearly checks of cars was great at getting rid off cars with rusted out chassis (as someone said), but for the kind of things people do deliberately (like illegal lights, loud exhausts) or can happen within a year (bald tyres), having cops and RTA randomly (or not so randomly) check the vehicles on the road is a much better use of everyones time IMHO.

jayskette said :

This is what happens when you have a territory not enforcing vehicles to have compulsory pink slips for rego!, but having said that, the bikes look fine… I have seen CARS that should be in the wreck that have current regos, now THAT’s what I call revenue raising

Why? So you can palm the responsibility of looking after your car to the government?

The amount of bombs on the road ATM is pretty small and cars are more reliable these days. The days of ball joints falling out and rusty chassis are gone so its really the odd bald tyre (which isnt that much of a risk until it rains anyway) is all you are going to get.

Most motor vehicle accidents are caused by human failure, not mechanical failure,

This is what happens when you have a territory not enforcing vehicles to have compulsory pink slips for rego!, but having said that, the bikes look fine… I have seen CARS that should be in the wreck that have current regos, now THAT’s what I call revenue raising

p1 said :

KB1971 said :

…..damn motorcyclists are ruining this town.

Fixed that for you. 🙂

Hahahaha, I am actually both but I currently dont have one with an engine in it ATM.

colourful sydney racing identity3:59 pm 26 Sep 12

mimi said :

[Text was from ‘mark’ not JB. Thanks for playing.

Regardless of who wrote the text, it wasn’t as witty as they and some others think. The bikes were neatly parked, hardly possible after ‘racing’ – unless the 3 riders were emulating CHiPS and at the end of the ‘pursuit’ were allowed the time to park their bikes in the said parallel legal fashion.
I listened with interest as this saga unfolded on the day, the riders hadn’t done anything wrong, if anything the visual content before the Police (and public) attracted them to the bikes in the first place. The process and people involved seemed polite but some of the comments made by 1 officer reeked of bad sensationalist syndrome – much like Mark’s original title text. Trying to nail 1 rider for having polished wheels had me questioning the reason why I just put my seemingly illegal chrome hubcaps on the family trailer, seriously, if they could cause a driving distraction, then half the cars on the road might need to tape over their chrome wheels, bumpers and trims. As 1 of the riders has already said, it seems that some logic prevailed on the day and no fines were issued, aside from the obligatory defect that some Police are more than happy to issue for rules and regs that they don’t even understand. Nothing else came of the ‘major event’ that some snoop thought would get him a moment of riotact glory – probably lasting as long as his last sexual encounter, unless of course he used the other hand for seconds. Having 5 officers and 2 cars addressing a non-issue on a nice sunny day is a pure waste of resources and common sense. Having Mark stand about 100m to the East and taking photos on the grounds of the A.B.C flats then posting the images to crimestoppers alerting the other 4 officers standing around of the drug dealing, drug taking & shakedowns going on at that very moment would seem more in line with community interest stories that the riotact should be posting. The bikers deserve a bouquet of flowers from the real criminals and thieves in civic for occupying a good number of Police whilst they were able to finish all their illegal transactions for the day. Mark deserves a new phone – even my Nokia E51 takes better snaps than that image and at the very least, its only ever pointed at the real issues of the day, like what my next facebook self-shot will be.

Cliff’s anyone?

KB1971 said :

…..damn motorcyclists are ruining this town.

Fixed that for you. 🙂

mimi said :

. Having 5 officers and 2 cars addressing a non-issue on a nice sunny day is a pure waste of resources and common sense. .

Yet people say they dont do enough.

Something caught the police’s attention wether it be a loud exhaust or a dodgy lane change showing off to your mates (yes I have been there) if one of them had hit a car & speared off through a window in the Canberra Centre everybody would be screaming “where were the police, there should be more of them about, damn motorcyclists are ruining this town”.

Weather the issue is serious or not, this sort of policing is the best as it shows people that they are watching, not like a speed camera.

Jungle Jim said :

HenryBG said :

I recently did an amateur survey of about 200 vehicles travelling along Adelaide Avenue after nightfall.

Why on earth would you do that?

Why wouldn’t you?

You try keeping a running count of vehicles in multiple categories. Good brain exercise. Lord knows enough of you lot need a bit of that.

Weaselburger1:00 pm 26 Sep 12

Sorry should’ve mentioned that brake lights, tail lights out etc the charge ( I was told is about $180) for driving a defective vehicle. If you argue with them then it,s yet another fine they can ping you with on top of whatever else they pulled you over for.

Weaselburger12:49 pm 26 Sep 12

Didn’t get fined, but got a caution, I was told that it is called the “dickhead test” so if you’ve got a breaklight out and you get pulled over then remember to be nice.

Parker4 said :

Hey post pics & write comments but at least get your facts straight…

Umm, how exactly did you expect him to fact check that photo?

[Text was from ‘mark’ not JB. Thanks for playing.

Regardless of who wrote the text, it wasn’t as witty as they and some others think. The bikes were neatly parked, hardly possible after ‘racing’ – unless the 3 riders were emulating CHiPS and at the end of the ‘pursuit’ were allowed the time to park their bikes in the said parallel legal fashion.
I listened with interest as this saga unfolded on the day, the riders hadn’t done anything wrong, if anything the visual content before the Police (and public) attracted them to the bikes in the first place. The process and people involved seemed polite but some of the comments made by 1 officer reeked of bad sensationalist syndrome – much like Mark’s original title text. Trying to nail 1 rider for having polished wheels had me questioning the reason why I just put my seemingly illegal chrome hubcaps on the family trailer, seriously, if they could cause a driving distraction, then half the cars on the road might need to tape over their chrome wheels, bumpers and trims. As 1 of the riders has already said, it seems that some logic prevailed on the day and no fines were issued, aside from the obligatory defect that some Police are more than happy to issue for rules and regs that they don’t even understand. Nothing else came of the ‘major event’ that some snoop thought would get him a moment of riotact glory – probably lasting as long as his last sexual encounter, unless of course he used the other hand for seconds. Having 5 officers and 2 cars addressing a non-issue on a nice sunny day is a pure waste of resources and common sense. Having Mark stand about 100m to the East and taking photos on the grounds of the A.B.C flats then posting the images to crimestoppers alerting the other 4 officers standing around of the drug dealing, drug taking & shakedowns going on at that very moment would seem more in line with community interest stories that the riotact should be posting. The bikers deserve a bouquet of flowers from the real criminals and thieves in civic for occupying a good number of Police whilst they were able to finish all their illegal transactions for the day. Mark deserves a new phone – even my Nokia E51 takes better snaps than that image and at the very least, its only ever pointed at the real issues of the day, like what my next facebook self-shot will be.

watto23 said :

There are foglights and there are driving aid lights (which is what most cars have and are not illegal to use). I see alot of people driving with driving aid lights, but rarely with fog lights which actually you’d notice cause it would cause you to look away causing a hazard, just like high beams do.

You might find it interesting to search RA for past discussions on foglights, driving lights and their use.

Fact is, unless those “driving lights” on the front of your vehicle were engineered as conforming to the ADR standard for low beam head lights, then they must be used in accordance with the rules for either high beams (if they are head lights), or else in conditions of reduced visibility due to fog, rain or falling snow (if they are fog lights).

I have yet to come across a vehicle where the “driving lights” have been designed specifically to be ADR compliant as low beams.

TL:DR turn your fn fog lights off.

Hey post pics & write comments but at least get your facts straight…

All your doing is giving people a misleading judgement because of your poor assumptions!! you know what they say about assumptions hey?

And my mistake.. Johnboy/Mark?? whoever has so much time and such a boring life!

watto23 said :

There are foglights and there are driving aid lights (which is what most cars have and are not illegal to use). I see alot of people driving with driving aid lights, but rarely with fog lights which actually you’d notice cause it would cause you to look away causing a hazard, just like high beams do.

Sureley you are joking?

Please explain more about these “driving aid lights” as ADR13 doesnt mention them…..

Parker4 said :

…but they were respectful to us and we were the same to them! Jokes were made and no one will pay a cent.

That is good to hear. A defect notice must be one of the very few things the ACT gov’t will dispense and process for you without a fee – I was pleasantly surprised when my bike got one a month ago.

You will need to get a rego inspection done though to prove roadworthyness, and mechanics charge for that.

colourful sydney racing identity11:45 am 26 Sep 12

Parker4 said :

Hi everyone

Just to clarify I’m the guy receiving the “fines all round”. This is typical of another idiot putting their business into affairs that don’t concern them!!

We pulled into civic for coffee yes but firstly We didn’t have cappucino we had short blacks! Secondly No fine was ever issued. The police stopped me because I have integrated tail lights and apparently by law they must have a specific distance between them. Due to the nature of our riding the police officers who were very polite did not hand out any fines!! I was issued with a defect notice for the lights.. That’s all!!

As far as the second vehicle, the first didn’t have the necessary paper work.

Why does one fool have to make a big deal of nothing johnboy??

We’re the police wasting time? That’s not my call to make but they were respectful to us and we were the same to them! Jokes were made and no one will pay a cent.

Thanks for the BS story though johnboy…

Text was from ‘mark’ not JB. Thanks for playing.

The process is pretty simple. Readers send in pictures and words. If the pictures and words are interesting we run them.

But sure, take it personally if that floats your boat.

HenryBG said :

Weaselburger said :

2 weeks ago I was followed by a marked car from north borne in Dickson until he pulled me over on parks way outside the Hyatt. What for ?…….my right brake light was out… these guys really must have a revenue problem.

I recently did an amateur survey of about 200 vehicles travelling along Adelaide Avenue after nightfall.

11% of them were committing an offence relating to their front lights (eg, headlight out, high beams on, but mostly, of course, foglights on in no fog). I didn’t survey rear lights, but I imagine at least as many cars with bad headlights are going to have bad rear lights or bad brake lights.

So, I estimate that if the AFP had “a revenue problem”, then pulling over 10,000 cars on Adelaide Avenue (a day’s-worth of traffic?) would net them 1500 fines for reason of bad lights alone, almost 1,000 of those fines being for idiots with their foglights on.

There are foglights and there are driving aid lights (which is what most cars have and are not illegal to use). I see alot of people driving with driving aid lights, but rarely with fog lights which actually you’d notice cause it would cause you to look away causing a hazard, just like high beams do.

Hi everyone

Just to clarify I’m the guy receiving the “fines all round”. This is typical of another idiot putting their business into affairs that don’t concern them!!

We pulled into civic for coffee yes but firstly We didn’t have cappucino we had short blacks! Secondly No fine was ever issued. The police stopped me because I have integrated tail lights and apparently by law they must have a specific distance between them. Due to the nature of our riding the police officers who were very polite did not hand out any fines!! I was issued with a defect notice for the lights.. That’s all!!

As far as the second vehicle, the first didn’t have the necessary paper work.

Why does one fool have to make a big deal of nothing johnboy??

We’re the police wasting time? That’s not my call to make but they were respectful to us and we were the same to them! Jokes were made and no one will pay a cent.

Thanks for the BS story though johnboy…

Some people bird watch, some train spot, others stand in the median strip fantasising about fining people.

HenryBG said :

I recently did an amateur survey of about 200 vehicles travelling along Adelaide Avenue after nightfall.

Why on earth would you do that?

p996911turbo10:06 am 26 Sep 12

HenryBG said :

I recently did an amateur survey of about 200 vehicles travelling along Adelaide Avenue after nightfall.

So you’re the one who was standing in the median strip dressed completely in black freaking out the drivers in the right lane? I thought that was a photographer, or maybe an ACT Government ninja scoping out a site for a new public artwork…

Ozi said :

Weaselburger said :

2 weeks ago I was followed by a marked car from north borne in Dickson until he pulled me over on parks way outside the Hyatt. What for ?…….my right brake light was out… these guys really must have a revenue problem.

Was your car registered?
Were you fined?

NO to both, I suspect. Stop whinging.

Can almost guarantee he didn’t get fined and he was just informed about his defective vehicle and advised to get it fixed. Of course he could’ve defected the vehicle AND given him a fine, but then he’d really have something to whinge about.

Oh, and the 10 minutes taken to type out those five tickets would easily pay for all their wages for the whole hour.

BTW – unmarked and undercover don’t mean the same thing.

Weaselburger said :

2 weeks ago I was followed by a marked car from north borne in Dickson until he pulled me over on parks way outside the Hyatt. What for ?…….my right brake light was out… these guys really must have a revenue problem.

I recently did an amateur survey of about 200 vehicles travelling along Adelaide Avenue after nightfall.

11% of them were committing an offence relating to their front lights (eg, headlight out, high beams on, but mostly, of course, foglights on in no fog). I didn’t survey rear lights, but I imagine at least as many cars with bad headlights are going to have bad rear lights or bad brake lights.

So, I estimate that if the AFP had “a revenue problem”, then pulling over 10,000 cars on Adelaide Avenue (a day’s-worth of traffic?) would net them 1500 fines for reason of bad lights alone, almost 1,000 of those fines being for idiots with their foglights on.

wildturkeycanoe9:53 pm 25 Sep 12

p1 said :

spleenville said :

Excessive accelaration…?

There is no such thing. 🙂

I disagree – some 20 odd years ago I was threatened with getting a ticket for over accelerating by NSW police. There was no tyre smoke, no loss of control, it was just a Datsun 180B hitting redline when taking off. I told him that I didn’t realise there was a law against using a car’s engine to its capacity and tachometer range. Verbal warning received I continued my merry way feeling justified.

aceofspades said :

How much in wages for five police officers (one working and four standing around) was spent to book motorcyclists for taking up a space that doesn’t even look like a car could park in.

A) The police dont usually book people for parking
B) That is a motorcycle parking area

Woody Mann-Caruso7:13 pm 25 Sep 12

How much in wages for five police officers (one working and four standing around) was spent to book motorcyclists for taking up a space that doesn’t even look like a car could park in.

Not enough.

Weaselburger said :

2 weeks ago I was followed by a marked car from north borne in Dickson until he pulled me over on parks way outside the Hyatt. What for ?…….my right brake light was out… these guys really must have a revenue problem.

It sounds like you have an attitude problem. How dare the policeman pull me over to inform me my tail light isn’t working.

Weaselburger said :

2 weeks ago I was followed by a marked car from north borne in Dickson until he pulled me over on parks way outside the Hyatt. What for ?…….my right brake light was out… these guys really must have a revenue problem.

Was your car registered?
Were you fined?

NO to both, I suspect. Stop whinging.

Weaselburger said :

2 weeks ago I was followed by a marked car from north borne in Dickson until he pulled me over on parks way outside the Hyatt. What for ?…….my right brake light was out… these guys really must have a revenue problem.

Did they fine you?

p1 said :

spleenville said :

Excessive accelaration…?

There is no such thing. 🙂

Agreed lol

Weaselburger4:13 pm 25 Sep 12

2 weeks ago I was followed by a marked car from north borne in Dickson until he pulled me over on parks way outside the Hyatt. What for ?…….my right brake light was out… these guys really must have a revenue problem.

spleenville said :

Excessive accelaration…?

There is no such thing. 🙂

Looks pretty tame unlike the time an extremely agro harley rider was pulled over by a ‘green’ cop outside the cab rank in Bunda St. The bikie pulled up in the middle of the road and refused to move so back up was called and after much yelling and cursing re an excessively loud exhaust on the bike they finally let him go some 15 mins later and he roared up the road at speed with the cops looking on shaking their heads.

I think Mark (the OP) got it right. Their parking is fine but the way they made their way to the said legal parking spots is probably under question.

Loud pipes..? Lane splitting…? Excessive accelaration…? Loss of control through waving their front wheels in the air….? All commonplace when you own one of these bikes (…I really miss mine!)

The “boxing in” by the cars suggests some sort of low-key pursuit.

PoQ said :

Mr Griffiths – you’ve blown the cover of two unmarked cars – a white Falcon with a rear spoiler and ugly mag wheels, and a silver-grey Cruze. They’ll never be able to work again! Or should we be as suspicious of white Falcons as we are of white Commodores?

They also have a maroon Mazda 6, a maroon Aurion, two black territories and a black Commodore in the City area. Not to mentioned at least a couple of purple utes to match the marked purple ute.

Is it a loading zone or a set down zone?

These jokers could have been out booking the nutters speeding and almost smashing into other cars swerving between lanes going through the road works on Parkes Way. The kind of things they should know are happening and putting people at risk.

PoQ said :

Mr Griffiths – you’ve blown the cover of two unmarked cars – a white Falcon with a rear spoiler and ugly mag wheels, and a silver-grey Cruze. They’ll never be able to work again! Or should we be as suspicious of white Falcons as we are of white Commodores?

It’s not silver-grey, it’s just grey. And it’s not a Cruze, it’s a Commodore station wagon. Otherwise, a totally worthwhile comment.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd1:43 pm 25 Sep 12

Why aqre they being booked? surely not for parking? or is it a loading zone/no parking zone?

Mr Griffiths – you’ve blown the cover of two unmarked cars – a white Falcon with a rear spoiler and ugly mag wheels, and a silver-grey Cruze. They’ll never be able to work again! Or should we be as suspicious of white Falcons as we are of white Commodores?

How much in wages for five police officers (one working and four standing around) was spent to book motorcyclists for taking up a space that doesn’t even look like a car could park in.

… + 2 cop cars (one under-cover)….

They are both un-marked… so which one is undercover?

two unmarked police cars to write up some parking tickets … they must be bored.

Now if we could just get those same police to book the jerk-offs who frequently park their cars in that motorcycle-only parking area…

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