confused swine

[GRIM_R32]

I have to agree with most of whats been said here, including "whatshisname" in thinking GM has something to do with the police force in some way while still driving an import car. The SA police need to back off more than a few steps. Im sick of having to think about wether or not i should be taking my car somewhere in fear of getting it defected. I had a near miss going through an RBT while on my way home from last weeks cruise, fortunaltely there was a cop there i knew, while he was still reluctant to help me out he let me go with a few warnings, but the fact is when i rolled into the RBT you could see there eyes light up with the possibility's of what they could defect me for rather than worrying about other cars that were driving past while i was the only one in the defect station with 10 coppers staring at my car!

I have no problem with being booked for doing something wrong, but being pulled over because my car "looked to fast while it was standing still" (actually got told that) is freakin ridiculous. The amount of cars that are totally dangerous being rusted out bombs with no break lights that work, bald tyres and rust holes big enough to fit my head in is ridiculous, yet cops will still target a well maintained immaculately presented import over a clapt out VB commodore with no exhaust, bald tyres and more dents than a golfball! Its pathetic and the shear reason is revenue, screw this crap about removing dangerous cars from the road, thats a load of crap, its the simple fact they get more money from running cars through regency.

Cops need to learn more about the cars they are defecting aswell, ive had my car called "some sort of late model commodore" when getting pulled over one day, and these are the guys that are qualified to carry a gun and dictate the law to me?? Atleast know what your looking at. One of the biggest thing they jump on is BOV's because quote "you can up your boost with that".....ah...no....u cant actually. For god sakes if your gona try and defect me for something atleast know what the hell your talking about. What annoys me the most is when they say there going to defect you for a modification and you ask them why its illegal and they cant tell you, they just say we know its not legal.

Having spent an extremely large amount of money on my car to improve and maintain it, it makes me furious to think that it can be so easily sidelined for an extended period if i should receive one of those pretty yellow stickers.

Cops wonder why they have such a bad name in the car scene, its because you pick on us for NO REASON AT ALL! Stop targetting us if were doing nothing wrong and we'll have much more respect for you.

Apologies for the long post but it needed to be said.

[CheekyR32]

Well there is one simple fact here, you break the law, you pay the consequence.. dont winge about it like fairies.

Modifying your cars to a standard not legal by ADR rules is breaking the law.

Its just a shame that those laws happen to be ridiculous.

Is also a shame, like Grim states, that the police force have no clue or knowledge about imported vehicles, but yet seem to think they are qualified to enforce traffic laws.

Those "imports" that are so regularly picked on by SAPOL are put into a dangerous safety bracket because of the number of high speed accidents/deaths that happen as a result of stupid and irresponsible young drivers.. of which I have a nice hefty insurance rating to thank for. There is also the issue of revenue raising, which is quite simple really, if you dont break the law, they dont get your money.

I understand what the traffic coppers are trying to achieve.. but hey, thats politics for ya!

enuff said.. haha..

[GRIM_R32]

We're not whinging about being booked when we break the law, everyone here has stated they dont have a problem being booked if they have done something wrong.

What we are saying is that were sick of being targeted just because we drive imported cars. Fair enuf comment that some of the modifications made might not be legal according to ADR rules, but thats not what were talking about. Were simply saying enough is enough with the "random" stops to check over cars. I used the term random very loosely, random as far as the public is concerned, but its more a case that i think cops know there going to target an import car if they see one while there driving around. Regardless of what modifications are made any import is a target, thats the point we're making.

Heres a perfect example..my 55 year old father drives a stock as a rock R33. His job involves alot of driving. He has been pulled over atleast a dozen times for no reason just because its a skyline, more than one cop has admitted that they saw the car and didnt realise it was an older guy driving it so they pulled him over anyway. When they have seen that he's a business man they breath test him and let him go. THIS IS MY POINT, they targeted him because IT WAS A SKYLINE.

This is not an argument about legallity on the cars we drive, its the fact that we get picked on for driving import cars. I can drive my XR8 falcon all day everyday with its loud exhaust and race body kit and not get looked at, put me in the same situation in the skyline and im toast.

I simply wanted to put it across that its more than unfair that we are targets for having nice cars. I do not intend to offend anyone elses opinions, im simply stating what i feel and what i believe many others will agree with.

[CheekyR32]

Ben,..(Grim) I guess i always look at the legality aspect of every situation because that's what I am trained to do.

I see what your saying, but still stand by my comments and dont feel i need to justify them.

[GRIM_R32]

And i stand by my point that i dont have to do anything wrong to get unwanted police attention because i drive a skyline.

In that case maybe you can help me out with the correct legal way to set up a harrassment case against the cops? lol

[EnricoPalazzo]

The thing is thou what we get defected for here is legal over in other states like NSW and QLD. So whats up with that. If i could, I would get my car engineered so i would never have to worry about a defect again. I could spend all my money to do it, only to have regency laugh at it basically. Im just lucky that my car isnt really that modified.

[Steve]

yeah, its funny, I rang up qld to see about getting my mods permitted there (due to the rediculous cost involved in SA - then there is no guarantee they will pass it) only to be told that I dont need permits for any of my mods (ecu, boost, turbo, sus), as you can change all that without permits/engineering reports.

maybe the cops there are too busy chasing theives????

The police here make press releases about targeting old bombs, and getting rust buckets off the road - what a feed of hot c0ck! If the govt was so concerned about old cars, why is it that a car can run out of rego for up to 5 years without needing an inspection to be re-registered? Mr Tim Ireland, the head of regency told me if I want to modify a car, modify a pre 1972 one, as no emissions requirements apply and I can do pretty much what I want. (such as twin turbo V8) - now that really reflects the interests of the community.

My wife has had her bag stolen out of the car, whilst the car was in the driveway, and whilst she dropped the kids off at daycare - saw the guys that did it, got rego number of the car, descriptions etc. Even followed them and saw one of them go into a bottle shop (where he attempted to use a credit card, so he would have been on CCTV as all bottle shops have them these days).

Cops just took a statement, said they didnt have the resources to chase theives. While she was there (waiting to make her statement) she discussed the whole defect situation with a cop, who told her he will always pull over an import to defect it - nice.

Neighbour had her car broken into, smashed every window and trashed the interior - cops took a statement.

where are the priorities in this society? protecting the public? It just so screams of hipocrasy.

[Steve]

PS, I know not all cops are like this, but under the road traffic act, you have no rights, so cops can abuse the power. Criminals at least are innocent until proven guilty.

[whatsisname]

Erica, what you've said is of course completely correct, if we don't play by the rules (ADR's) then we can expect to get defected, no argument there. But if the law enforcers want to they can play those rules at hard as hell... and they can quite literally defect almost ANY car on the road in SA. Search the fine print hard enough and there will always be something to defect. Even if it isn't a defectable item, so what, the onus is on YOU, the owner, to prove it IS legal.

Pray you never piss off the wrong police officer, because they can, have and WILL make your days driving the Cheeky mobile living hell. I've seen it happen in NSW. Sure you can put it back to stock as a rock, but as I've said above, it won't stop you being defected for a "suspected" non-compliance to ADR's.

As for police stereotyping of imported car owners/drivers.... "Don’t blame the gun, it's the bastard who pulled the trigger!" Hence my comment about police discretion.

I don't disagree with the need to police vehicle compliance on South Australian roads. What I DO disagree with is the obvious targeting of certain vehicle and owner types.

Why is there such as large Defect Station presence on Adelaide roads?

Why don't we have MUCH harsher penalties for dangerous driving on the states roads? This latter point would help stamp out a large amount of the idiot behaviour that has given modified vehicle owners a bad name in the first place.

Why don't the police actively work with the community, workshops and the Transport Authority to improve the standard of cars on the states road?

I'll tell you why... because NONE of these points will generate revenue over the long run, it will only cost it! Make the general public "think" you're doing something about a problem and then work out the cheapest way to do it. Lots of defected cars ='s cash and the average Joe thinking the roads will be a safer place - complete rubbish!

[whatsisname]

No damn it, I'm not finished yet!!!

ADR's are there to give guidance as to what can and can't be done legally to a vehicle on "ALL" Australian roads, yes? So why then is it that one state can have one interpretation of these rules (such as QLD's relaxed policy) and yet other states differ markedly? Does this mean that QLD has higher levels of road related accidents due to massive amounts of “potentially” defective vehicles? Not bloody likely! But I'll bet they don't rely on as large a percentage of budget income from defects either.

Right, I’m driving home now……GRRRRRRRR………….repeat to self - “don’t drive angry”

[Garage Menace]

First, I am not a police officer or do not have any affiliation with them. I am a soldier and I guess have a slight affinity with those who serve others without thanks or appreciation.

I sound like a scratched record but again, I agree with most of your points. I am just putting a side across that no-one seems to heed, which seems to be totally falling on deaf ears.

[whatsisname]

Oh I've heeded it, and it's not falling on deaf ears at all. I completely understand the points you've made. I too can see it from the others perspective, as I am in the RAAF. You'd be surprised just how many enlisted Defence Force personnel there is on SAU.

I think in the big scheme of things we do tend to "shoot the messenger", and quite a number of them probably deserve it! But yes there are those that don't.

The policy makers and those that push the police to enforce defect "blitzes" (and choose the focus of said blitzes) are the ones that I have zero respect for. Police Officers that get on a power trip and take it upon themselves to “rid our roads of these young smart arse idiots and their cars” aren’t much better.

[TIMMMAYYY]

matt?In your view, am I right in saying that the ones who make these rules and tell others what to do, are the fat suit wearing slobs, in cushy chairs, that really need to go down to street level and see what actually goes on?

if so i couldn't agree more.

[Garage Menace]

Oh I've heeded it, and it's not falling on deaf ears at all. I completely understand the points you've made. I too can see it from the others perspective, as I am in the RAAF. You'd be surprised just how many enlisted Defence Force personnel there is on SAU.

I think in the big scheme of things we do tend to "shoot the messenger", and quite a number of them probably deserve it! But yes there are those that don't.  

The policy makers and those that push the police to enforce defect "blitzes" (and choose the focus of said blitzes) are the ones that I have zero respect for. Police Officers that get on a power trip and take it upon themselves to “rid our roads of these young smart arse idiots and their cars” aren’t much better.

Cheers.

Fair point.

[whatsisname]

Tim, Yeah... in a roundabout way that's who I mean mate.

Cheers GM. I think we share some common ground on this topic.

Still on the topic of road rules and there enforcement, notice that 50km/h speed zones are about to be extended across Adelaide. Naturally the statistics have shown the 50kay zones are working.... they're pulling in the bucks big time!!!

[Nightcrawler]

yeah but has the road toll gone down? NOT BLOODY LIKELY!!!

The 50km/h zones are costing people on the road all day like myself (and a gazillion others like taxi drivers, couriers etc) tons of money in lost time - I have had to add 1/4 hour on to each job due to driving anywhere near the city .... maybe I should put in a bill for lost income to the govt - surely they are getting more than enough income from hidden speed cameras. (Note - most other states have BIG FAT signs in front of even mobile speed cameras - as a WARNING not to speed, which is what the cameras were originally intended for).

/end rant

[TIMMMAYYY]

err there's hidden cameras in adelaide???

[CheekyR32]

Still on the topic of road rules and there enforcement, notice that 50km/h speed zones are about to be extended across Adelaide. Naturally the statistics have shown the 50kay zones are working.... they're pulling in the bucks big time!!!

Juust great... in a few more years the speed limit will be 30kms an hour everywhere, ..... why dont i just walk to work..

Id probably get defected for my hand bag!!

[Miss*33]

err there's hidden cameras in adelaide???

I'm thinking he means "hidden" as in the cars/cameras parked on the side of the road with a sign warning you AFTERWARDS that you've just passed through it.

In NSW they have plenty of signs BEFORE all of their fixed speed cameras to warn you... "SPEED CAMERAS OPERATING THROUGH NSW", then "SPEED CAMERA OPERATING 24 HOURS", then "SPEED CAMERA AHEAD" and then the actual camera. Gives people plenty of a chance to slow down

[GRIM_R32]

Thats the trouble with most of the camera's over here is they usually try to hide wherever they can, most often in trees etc so that u cant see the car, which is totally bullshit in my opinion. Im sick of seeing bike cops hiding there bikes behind trees and bus shelters while peaking around the corner with there laser guns. They should atleast give you a chance as they do in NSW as shannon suggested with warning signs before the camera, the difference being of course that over here they like the revenue too much to give the public a fair go. 50km/h streets are not safer streets, there bigger revenue raising streets. Stopping from 60 and stopping from 50 is not a huge difference if your car has decent brakes, so rather than get all the old bombs of the road with shit brakes they think its a better idea to drop the speed limit, that way its "safer" in the publics eyes while still making them shit loads of money from all the poor pricks that are doing 55.