pulled over-"Erratic Driving"???

[reelrazor]

So, fine spring day yesterday, went ahead and paid the EPA tax on my GF's Ninja 250(pulled carbs and richened up pilot and needle=-made HUGE difference btw-ohh and forgot how much working on stone stock bikes sucks!!)

In the evening I was riding it around..seemed like everyone was out-it really WAS a very nice weather-finally! P{eople were crusing Main Street (yep we still do that here)

Southbound on main, I watch two Harleys pull out in front of me-northbound....one sets off two car alarms... The cars are being stupid-moreso than usual....and well, it's spring here...the grrls are out walking and people aren't used to looking for bikes..an SUV headed at me crosses the centerline by a foot or so...so I start doing the 'tire warming weave' (which is supremely fun and pretty much a mental exercise on the 'lil Ninja).The SUV jerks back into his own lane.

A few cars behind him is my buddy Walt, driving his new (to him) '02 Trans-Am, so I keep the weave up, and wave.

A few cars behind Walt, is one of our city's "finest".

Yeah, he's swerving to the side of the road and hitting his cherries before he is even past me....I point at my chest and give the "me?" gesture, brake and pull over...heehee the Ninja stops from 25mph in about 8 feet. The cop (in his completely overkill Tahoe) cannot even complete his U-Turn without hitting me....has to three point it to get to the curb behind me.

I don't even look back, kickstand, shut off, remove helmet and gloves, pop seat, remove registration and insurance from taped to bottom of seat ziploc, turn to face the cop and point at my front left pants pocket where my wallet is and slide my fingers in and retrieve it.

He's walking pretty quickly at me (an aside: he's one of the City's young bucks-raring to go)...and I hold out the required and

I say: "what the hell are you pulling me over for??"

In retrospect, that was a poor choice of words.

He says: "you can't be doing that" as he weaves his hands back and forth,

Me: "WHY NOT??!!It's MY lane".

"is there something wrong with your bike?

" it's fine, it likes that" .

"You can't be doing that"

"You said that already. WHY NOT??"

"Well, it attracts attention"

"perfect, it got the SUV that was coming at me over the centerline back in his own lane. "

" we see that, we think the person is intoxicated"

"Do you ride?, I'd pay to see a drunk try that. What's the violation?"

" That's 'Erratic driving' "

" 'Erratic driving' is a vio?? ticket EVERYONE!"

He rolls his eyes, and asks:

"how's your driving record?"

"one 5mph over, two years ago"

He takes my legals, goes back to his car (excuse me- Mobile Enforcment Unit). Runs my sheeit, most likely talks to my lodge brother who does evening dispatch. If not him, one of the others who checks me into the jail to host a weekly pre-release class, and who know me pretty well.

Comes back and hands me the paperwork....

"I'm not going to write you for this"

" 'Well, thanks officer. 'Erratic driving', eh? I think I woulda beaten that one"


He grit his teeth and retreats to his unit.

I stowed everything, suited up and drove away.

AND THEN REALIZED I HAD MY CONTOUR CAMERA ON MY HELMET ON THE BIKE'S MIRROR AND DIDN'T TURN IT ON!!!!

Gaaaaahhhh!!!











,

[chefen2006]

Bugger, that would have been a funny video

[reelrazor]

I guess I kinda wanted feedback from the board here as to whether I was, in fact, doing anything wrong.

I mean, "erratic driving"??

Is that really a charge?

Seems extremely subjective..especially from a cop who wasn't born when I was riding on streets.

[kilika2]

In Missouri there isn't a law against the weaving since it's considered a defensive driving technique. However sloaming the dashed line is a no no. Obviously you weren't doing that. I think you were ok. Then again I have seen people get pulled over for standing on their pegs to stretch. It's just that some of the officers don't know all the motorcycle rules I guess.

Two things stick out in my mind here as to why the cop might have pulled you over. First a guy your caliber on a 250, he probably thought you looked funny. And then he knew you had a tuning fork tatooed on your arm and you were driving a kawi. Haha just kidding.

Chris.

[reelrazor]

However sloaming the dashed line is a no no.

Well, I DO that, too...usually on open road out of sight of other vehicles

First a guy your caliber on a 250, he probably thought you looked funny.

That's funny!

But I will say that the street bike that taught me the MOST about riding was a Kawasaki AR80.....two stroke cafe bike! It was YSR KILLER, and it sat on full size wheels.

[yamaha_george]

RR,
weaving like that will get you pulled over and breathe tested, I have done that to warm a brand new on the bike set of tyres just to heat them and get the mould juice off them before they slid on a couple of tight curves going home that you cannot go slower thro as some yee haw will pick you up and toss you in the hedges.
I explained it to the nice man in uniform showed him the mould juice I was on about said yes he was aware how dangerous it was as he had dropped his 'blade with anew rear tyre. So away you go and be safe.

[reelrazor]

RR,
weaving like that will get you pulled over and breathe tested, I have done that to warm a brand new on the bike set of tyres just to heat them and get the mould juice off them before they slid on a couple of tight curves going home that you cannot go slower thro as some yee haw will pick you up and toss you in the hedges.
I explained it to the nice man in uniform showed him the mould juice I was on about said yes he was aware how dangerous it was as he had dropped his 'blade with anew rear tyre. So away you go and be safe.

That's all well and good.

But, if junior Officer had any kind of thought that I was impaired, he should have followed that thought and not gone on about "erratic driving"

I'll take a PBT(preliminary breath test) at ANY time. It's been 11 years since alcohol entered my system, I'm pretty sure I'll blow 0.000.

[yamaha_george]

[

That's all well and good.

But, if junior Officer had any kind of thought that I was impaired, he should have followed that thought and not gone on about "erratic driving"

I'll take a PBT(preliminary breath test) at ANY time. It's been 11 years since alcohol entered my system, I'm pretty sure I'll blow 0.000.

RR.
just lay off the cough mixture is all I can say. Seriously a pal of mine got tugged for taking his cough mixture just before getting in his cage and he had been seen raising the bottle.

[haunter]

everyone does that hear, lots of long boring roads.

[greenonion]

http://www.dot.state.wi.us/safety/motor ... eaving.htm

Stupid!