defecting cars despite no mechanical knowlege.

[computerflyer]

Degga,

> I doubt that you would be pulled over and "hassled" like this for no apparent reason at all.

I don't know what universe you live in, but you (police) seem to do whatever (you) please for whatever reason (you) please from time to time, and there will always be some justification. Whether that justification holds water is in the eye of the beholder, like whether a speed camera primarily generates revenue or saves lives.

In my (much) younger days I drove a clubman as my daily driver and my partner a Lotus Europa. In those days there were but a very small hand full of such cars in Australia, and the former were generally used as club cars not daily drivers.

On a typical Saturday I would be pulled over once, sometimes more. The police would give it a walk-around, ask for the bonnet to be raised, they would ask me about the latest mods, we would have a chat, and off they would go; I got a bit of fun out of it, and it was a day off driving and cost me nothing but the irritation. They obviously just wanted to have a look. Should they have? Don't give me rubbish that they just wanted to do a safety check - every weekend?!! Same police?!! Same city!!

> Simply solution, they get checked out by a vehicle inspector at VicRoads and are cleared without any need for repairs.

Reality is when you do something routine for you, it often unnecessarily costs us time and money. That you seem to dismiss that time and cost for fairly trivial transgressions is not a good look for you (or your police culture).

In general I think most police do a fabulous job, but the traffic part of the job is what it is, and you will not easily win one there.

[Degga]

Just to clarify, police (in Victoria at least) aren't carrying out roadworthy inspections. They (or we I should say) simply can't, we're not qualified. We carry out 'safety inspections'

You had repairs carried out in order to have the defect cleared. Therefore they were justified in issuing the defect notice. Had they given you "just a warning" do you think you would have given the items any attention? I doubt it. We can't just go around handing out warnings, otherwise no one would act on any of their mistakes and/or wrong doings.

Police don't really need mechanical knowledge to carry out a safety inspection. It's usually just a visual examination and the findings are based on their opinion of what may require attention. If the items listed on the defect are fine, then they'll be cleared by VicRoads (or whatever traffic authority applicable for the state).

For instance, I hand out a defect for someones tyres. The driver is of the opinion that they're fine. Simply solution, they get checked out by a vehicle inspector at VicRoads and are cleared without any need for repairs.

These are stories here that have me wondering what the full story is. I doubt that you would be pulled over and "hassled" like this for no apparent reason at all.

[cassie80]

We had a similar situation with an officer. We were pulled over for no apparant reason, the officer asked where we were going, we told him to the servo, he did a rego and licence check, then came back and decided to do a vehicle inspection. He issued us with a canary for one rear tail light out, said the seat belt was not raod worthy and the front left tyre. These were all minor things, the car being a Toyota Camry 2000 model, in great condition.
We took it to the mechanic, he changed the rear lamp and passed the other issues. It cost us over $100 and our time when the office could have just given us a warning. We had 3 other break lights working. There was no reason for being so harsh. We have always obeyed the law.

[Crappedoff]

Yes I understand where you are coming from...and they only have themselves to blame
Take Care

[Chelseaboy]

I don't trust or even assist the police anymore

[Crappedoff]

If you lodge a complaint in writing to the Officer in Charge of the police station requesting a written response, you should always get some satisfaction. If you do not get a response in a reasonable time, forward your letter to the Police Commissioner asking that some action be taken. That usually puts the cat amoungst the pigeons

[Chelseaboy]

sounds like the standard in victoria, and they drive those hotted up highway cars - (look at me see me race)

[CDMS]

South Australia police fate.

[fate]

Please be specific. State, area etc. etc. Not all states are the same. I have never heard of a four week wait to get defects cleared in NSW.
.
Is it the ACT perhaps ??

[mada_3083]

I did make a formal complaint. the process got me nowhere.

[Section52]

mada_3083 why didn't you get the police officers name and number and make a complaint to head office?

[mada_3083]

it's funny now that i have another car (4 week waiting list to get the defect cleared, AND i couldn't drive it in that time unless i got a reciept from a mechanic stating that they had repaired the "faults"... what mechanic is going to bill me for unlocking the door?

but it wasn't funny at the time...

[crapservice]

That's actually a really funny story.
I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to cars but I think even I can work out a door doesn't open when it's locked!
I once had a car with power windows that stopped working (for about 2 years before I got it fixed). Every time I stopped at a red light in summer I would have to open the door so I could breathe (very hot in Brisbane). Everyone told me autoelectricians cost a fortune but when I finally bit the bullet and went it was only about $80.

[mada_3083]

My complaint is twofold.

I was driving an older, luxury car, that came factory fitted with power windows. i was pulled over for a licence check, and the officer tried to gain access to my car without asking permission.

the door was locked, so it didn't open. she immediately started a vehicle inspection.

the list of faults she found were as follows-

Rust in the front 1/4 panel
No passenger side window winder
Drivers door doesn't open from the outside.

i demonstrated to her at the time that the door DID open when unlocked, using the factory door lock mechanism.

the window winders never existed, as the car was fitted with electric windows. i demonstrated how the use of the button in the factory location opened all 4 windows.

the rust was non - structural (as it was in a removeable panel). this means it is not defectable.

when i asked for her to clarify how these items were a road worthy concern, she threatened to arrest me.

this is an outrageous abuse of power.