Was a the local servo yesterday, filling up when a rather nice looking WRX (I know, but you should've seen it) pulled up to do the same thing. It was night time, and things were pretty slow. Anyway, about five minutes later, a patrol car pulled up and two officers proceeded to check the WRX over. Interested, I hung around and waited for them to leave (about 30 minutes). By the end of it the WRX owner had a list of defects as long as your arm and a rather sizable fine to go with it.

My questions is this. Do we have the right to refuse police the right to look under our bonnets when we have done nothing wrong?? Surely, sitting at a servo filling up petrol would not be just cause for police to search for defects. Wouldn't this be bordering on harrasment?? Any thoughts??

 

cops can be ******... but if they belive that the vechile is defecitve they can inspect the vechile to determine weather it is roadworthy, which means looking under the bonet... they dont have the right to look in the boot and the glovebox... unless they believe your a criminal.... usually the best thing to do is just be polite and dont answer back... i got pulled over for a loud system, i appologised and asked if he wanted to inspect the vehicle... he looked suprised and said no thats ok just dont play that system so loud.
if u think they have put something on the list thats not right go to your local vechicle registry and recheck it.
but if u cop a fine ull pay it no matter what

 

True. However, I think that if the WRX had the same gear under the bonnet, but looked stock, they wouldn't have even bothered. Having a loud exhaust: just cause. BOV: just cause. Filling up a good looking car with petrol: bull****.

Also, having never been defected (touch wood), what are fines handed out for. Isn't the defect enough of a pain in the ****??

 

well thats the way they are... what ever looks done up will cop it.
they are just ******

 

oh man dont get me started on cops, never been defected, but i've seen enough of it to really **** me off. not a defect but i tell you about this guy i knew, he had a v6 magna, some rims bodykit exhaust etc, it was raining, He takes off the lights and looses traction a bit, you know how it is in FWD, the front end slid out a lil bit then pulled it self back in, Cops pull him up for it, and he looses his licence for speeding and dangerous driving, WTF??

 

*Edit* this happened a few months back...

I was driving late at home because I had to pickup my girlfriend from work (About 2:00am).

A cop car was going the other way from me, suddenly I hear the loudest screeching tire noise EVER and the jerk has suddenly appeared up my *** flashing the siren lights.

I pull up and he orders me to do a breatho, show my license, lift my hood and actually ask me what I had been doing!!!

I started to get a bit short with him as we were both pretty damn tired. The jerk spent 15 minutes in total. I got 0 on the breatho, the hood was fine and told him I had picked up my girlfriend.

He then told me to slow down next time (???) and that I was careful he didn't put me in their "book".

 

And what book would that be?! the book of easy targets?!

 

Exactly! It was some young wacka with something to prove no doubt.

It's funny being spoken down to by a young cop no older than you. He was probably my age (22ish)...

 

Funny story i was in my Nissan and i get pulled up for speeding, the cop gives me the ticket, then he sez 'Nice car, be carefull were you park it' my friend leans over and sez 'is that a threat?' im thinking oh man now you done it, where probably on a one way train to defect city! the cop just goes 'huh? whatever, have a good night' and walks off!

 

hmmm, does that mean a cop was actually being nice and was generally saying be careful where you park your car?!

Amazing!

 

strange huh? he jacks me for a ticket when i really was in a hurry, (it was an emergency, JB Hifi was about to close!) but tells me to be carefull were i park it! haha

another funny one i was running late for work, come onto the Eastern freeway, i usually go into the right lane and launch it but there was a cop car there. the guy was doing like 130kms no lights on, so i thought **** it, jumped into the right lane and did 130 as well but kept a bit of a distance, im on the off ramp and the cop car is at a red light right in front of me, i pull up behind him, all of a sudden the driver jumps out and the lights go on. walks up to my window and sez 'I'm on the way to a job, whats your excuse?' im thinking..im on my way to a job too! **** better not say anything, so i just look at him blankley, he yells 'SLOW DOWN!!' in my face so damn loud that everyone in the cars all around us heard! then he turns his lights off and speeds off!

 

Awww **** - now that's embarassing!

Cops - can't live with em, can't kill em!

 

i know!!!

 

haha - I dont think I'd have the ***** to follow a cop at 130. I gotta tip my hat to you bloke!

 

I've had a few bad experience with cops. I had one tailgating me for about 2-3km, so closely that I couldn't see his front fender.

I was really tempted to just break hard and claim I saw a dog run out, then realised it was just a plastic bag or something. (That close, there is no way he could have seen what was in front of me)

But by and large, I support what Cops do on the road. If a cop came and did an inspection on my car, I would be as helpful as possible - both because I know my car will pass, and that they're doing something in our best interest.

Would you like to be on the road near a modified WRX, when the cable to their brand new quad throttle body breaks and the engine just revs itself to death while in 3rd gear? (That's unlikely I know, but you get the idea)

All standards are there for a reason: Either safety, or emissions. It's in societies best interests in general to ensure that cars meet standards.