Why not to run from the police

[mwdbruno]

A while back there was a discussion about running from he cops.  I remember a couple of members talking about how it is fun to run and I perceived a sense of immortality in the comments.  I welcome all to look at the article below.  I spoke with one of the CHP officers involved and contrary to the news report a chase never ensued.  The CHP unit saw the bikes, started following them as they were stunting on Sunrise.  He was awaiting another unit in the area before he stopped them.  Aparently the riders thought the chase was on and once they got around a corner goosed it...and you can see the aftermath.  


http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/2827388/detail.html

Hopefully something to think about next time anyone thinks about running from the cops for a simple traffic infraction...

[Maniac]

...

Running from the police is STUPID!  :x  :x  :x

Just a few weeks ago, a man here in orlando ran from the police. They were setting up a sting operation, they knew this wanted murder would be somewhere at a certain time (or so they thought). Man who looks similar shows up, and takes off when he sees the police. They give chase, he leaps out of the car and runs towards a house reaching for his pocket. They shoot him.

It's not the guy they were after, it's just some guy who didn't have his license, so he ran. It was his house, his wife was in the car with him. But because he ran, he ended up dead, the cops thought he was going for a gun because he matched the description of the guy they were after.



If thats not enough...

In October 25th, 2003, my cousin Daniel (I've mentioned his 250 Ninja on here) was about 30 minutes from the end of his shift as a Ft Myers Police Officer. It was his first night without a superviser in his squad car. Early that morning, some fuckhead at a bar tried to run over a cop, and rammed another cop car. The call went out for backup, since he was running. My cousin responded, as well as several others.

We recieved a phone call that morning, he'd been struck by another police officer and instantly killed. He was 21 years old, engaged to be married in the spring, and was living his childhood dream of being a cop. But because some moron decided to run, we had head down to Ft Myers for a funeral instead of a wedding.

So next time you think of running from the cops, remember, it's not just some 'fun' thing to do. You could be killed, or someone else could be killed.

The guy who tried to run over the cop and ran, the one who resulted in my cousin's death, they are charging him with homicide. If he'd just not run, it would have been reckless endangerment and DUI, max. But now he's looking at serious prison time because the new list of charges contains 'Homicide'.

[mwdbruno]

Maniac,
Sorry to hear about your cousin.  I hope the criminal justice system serves his memory well and the guilty party is punished as he deserves to be.

[pizzleboy]

When I was younger, my sister's BF at the time, decided to try to outrun a cop that was going to pull him over for speading.

He actually managed to outrun them, but then crashed his bike in a hedge.  Lost license for 3 years.

Smooth move, laxative boy.

[Frost]

well...this just means that it's POSSIBLE to runaway from a cop...
althought getting killed is also very likely...

[oldsport]

First off, I've never run from the cops and think it's a bad idea.  

Small World:
A story about Chris (aka Red), a friend in California.  In '78, (when he was a much younger man), he had a GS750 which was about the best all-round performing bike available.  He also ran a machine shop and one of his clients was the CHP.  

One Sunday evening, Chris was returning on Hwy. 58 from the Mojave area and was cruising around 90-100 mph heading west through the Tehachapi mountains.  When he finally got to the flats, he came up to a road block. They were looking for a motorcycle that had been chased through the mountains until the pursuer's Dodge blew up.  After playing dumb and lying about where he was coming from, he was let go. He says he never realized that he was being chased.

Back at work on Monday morning, a tow truck pulled in with a CHP car in tow with a blown engine.  The driver told him that it was chasing a motorcycle out of Tehachapi the night before when it let go.  Small world.

OS

[JLKasper]

Small World:
A story about Chris (aka Red), a friend in California.  In '78, (when he was a much younger man), he had a GS750 which was about the best all-round performing bike available...   ...Back at work on Monday morning, a tow truck pulled in with a CHP car in tow with a blown engine.  The driver told him that it was chasing a motorcycle out of Tehachapi the night before when it let go.  Small world.
OS

Vintage GS750s had two characteristics that partially illustrate how far  motorcycles have progressed:  a weak headlight and blurry mirrors at speed.  I doubt if your friend even saw the cop in the mirrors unless it was really dark and the lights were prominent.  Aso, you didn't want to be out on a curvy road at night with a stock 750 light.  Halogens didn't come along until the '80 GS750E.  

Another moral to the tale is that you can't outrun a police radio.

[Rich500]

Contrary to most people opinions, I agree with running from the cops, and expoloit the opporitunity whenever given the chance.  I have no respect for the police however.  Probably never will. My $0.02.

[JeffD]

wow,  So Rich500 You'd rather endanger my life because you dont want to get a speeding ticket.  

Thanks.  

[mwdbruno]

Rich,

I hope your riding skills stand up to your determination to run, for your sake.
I've always enjoyed your humor and up-front approach to most subjects...but disagree with your blanket dislike for cops and your willingness to make a simple situation deadly based on your perception of law enforcement.  I pray your actions won't endanger others...though I know they do.

Ride safe...and smart!

[JohnNS]

I wonder if you would feel the same way Rich, if your family got wiped out when the car they were in got smoked buy some moron like yourself trying to avoid a ticket....think about it for a minute.

I sincerely hope you just say stuff like this to draw attention to yourself. It would be frightening to think that you really ARE as stupid as you come off as being on here sometimes.

[Rich500]

Im ammused by the rebutle.
Id never run in the city. Only time I ever have was from the RCMP near my cabin in the middle of nowhere Alberta while going through the Indian reserve on a short cut to get to the lake. No one else for 10 km either way besides me, the cop, and a nice twisty ribbon of ashphalt.
You know, I have thought about endangering others, and I  am not a fan of doing so, thats why, like I said, Id never run when in a populated area, or anywhere even remotley busy. Only when its empty, and I know I have a damn good chance of getting away.
Im quite unimpressed with your calling me a moron John. I rather resent that in fact. How about you pass judgment on whether or not Im a moron in the unlikey scenario that you actually meet me. Okay? Im sure that if you and when you did meet me, youd change your tune.
Lastly, my dislike for cops is well founded. Getting into the details would be sensless.
So all in all, I would never run if I knew what I did put anyone in harms way besides me and the lousy cop. Nor would I in a populous area, or anywhere where my actions but adversley affect others. So dont worry, and so you know, my riding skills can definatley back up my comment, without question.
Hope this sheds some light on my oversight in explanation.

[vtlion]

Rich, I can see your point, even though I don't agree.  I'm not a huge fan of dealing with cops... but cops themselves, I'm glad they are there.  I've had my share of bad experiences with cops, but that's limited to a few of them and they have all come because I was speeding or acting like a jerk and I brought it on myself to some degree.  I can't make a generalization about all 250,000 cops in the USA based on my experience, that would be unfounded.  So when I see one on the road, I wave and pass on by (because I'm usually doing the speed limit and have nothing to fear).

JohnNS's inflamatory comment aside, I think what everyone here is concerned about is that you seem to think that you KNOW whats around the next corner.  The longer you live, the more you will begin to realize that no matter how smart or prepared you are, there is no telling what (or, more to the point, who) will be waiting at the next bend.  It seems an awful risk to take even in the middle of nowhere, and of course, any terrible thing that may happen will be your fault in the eyes of the law.

Running will at the very least add to the attitude that motorcyclists are reckless, and at the very worst it will leave blood on your hands.  If you must run, be careful!!!  

[Rich500]

/\---Thank you VT. Well, I am young, and being so, of course there is a certain air of arogance that goes witht he territory. For sure Ir ealize Id ont know whast around the next corner, but do any of us when carving up the canyon roads? or attemting wheelies, or seeing how fast our meager bikes will go? Of course not! Risk is inherent no matter what we are doing while riding beyond the law.
For 99% of my aggressive riding, I leave it to the track, but sometimes that one percent decides to sneak out, and usually it does so where Im most comfortable on the lonley roads of central alberta.What Im saying is none of us know whats around the enxt bend when pushing the limits, so I may be wrong for finding ammusment from running from a mountie in his crown vic on some all but abandoned road, but everyone here is just as guilty for charging through corners at ridiculous speed, or stunting in a populated area, or speeding through traffic. So, I may be wrong, but int he end, anyone who has broken the law while riding is just as guily. Perhaps those who run slightly more for putting the cop through hell, but none the less, we have all done it.

So say what you like John NS, as long as inflamatory comments about fellow forumers is what gets you off.

[mrslush50]

A friend of mine ran from a police officer once.  Same situation Rich500 described.  No one else around except him and the officer, good twisty road that he knew well, and a 600 supersport below him.  So he went for it.  Just about made it too.  The cop told him later, after he had spent the night in jail, that he had had his car sideways in the road two or three times, and that had he come around one more corner and not found my friend on the side of the road he was going to call off his pursuit.  My friend hit a small patch of gravel and low sided.  He was unhurt, and the bike almost undamaged.  Make no mistake; this guy is not some stupid squid.  He is a very smart man (physics grad. student) and always wears the best gear, and (usually) rides with in his own limits and at least close to the limits of the law.  But for just an instant, he listened to that little voice that we all hear occasionally.  He will tell you now that it was an extremely stupid thing to do.  That he was lucky to not be seriously injured, and especially lucky he didn't injury anyone else.  He has since started taking his "need for speed" to the track.  Something I would encourage Rich500 to do, if he doesn't already.  

And Rich, while I have no experience with Canadian cops, I'm pretty sure they are much like American officers and I would hope you could see fit to give them the benefit of the doubt.  Much like many people have bad opinions of all motorcyclist based on their experience with a few idiots, I suspect you may have a bad opinion of officers due to a bad experience with a few of them.  Remember that these are the men and women who work and die for us every day.

[BanannaMan]

There's always the alternative.....

You can hide but you can't run!
Turning off and hiding your bike from sight for a little while works well if he isn't on already your tail.
Not that "I" would know anything about that.....

Running is felony in VA too.  

[Rich500]

/\---Your story does a good job pointing out that not all who go witht he little voie int heir heads are stupid. Your friend a physics grad, Im a year away from a mechanical engineering degree, and a minor in economics.
You are right about the police being those who die for us everyday. And again, you are correct that I should give them the benefit of the doubt. I have just had a good half dozen experiences that have left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Regardless, I still dislike cops, but will attempt to give them more respect... at least untill they do something stupid again.

[JeffD]

Thanks rich for the clarification.

I too have done stupid things but I would stop if I had cherries behind me.  Nothing but flat open roads down here in FLA and wide shoulders (enough for a car on either side of the highway)  I'd just be asking for a body bag or a while in jail.  

Yes I had read the threads about "black out switches" (search if you must) and it intrigued me but I never actually thought about doing it.  

Do what you must but dont hurt anyone else...

[Blueknyt]

I have all the respect in the world for cops, my father was a Miami cop for 27 years, but, Assholes and thugs wear Uniforms and badges too. i will respect a Police officer.  how ever once the line is crossed, respect ends.

[john]

I will say that if the choice is going to jail/losing your llicense for a long time or doing a quick squirt and a few turns thus losing your persuer there is no choice.  In many cases doing high speeds are not necessary to avoid the po po.  

I have a friend who would have lost his license twice had he not run/avoided the cops.