Question on 'cop warning'

[B-Cuz]

You did the right thing OP. When someone gives me the "head tap" I slow down, sometimes it is for nothing and although I get flustered, it is for the best either way.

 

[Sidi]

can you get in trouble for warning someone of a parked LEO, by flashing your lights?

 

[Razel]

To the OP, headlight flicks are sometimes tough for me to see--those xenon headlights tend to look like they're blinking when you hit the slightest bump. Also some people run headlight modulators that flash. A helmet tap is a sure sign that cops are around for me. Lots of times I'll get a tap and a hand movement to slow down together. I always appreciate that and get it a lot on the hill. It's nice to have riders looking out for one another.

But ... helmet taps in a cage? Headlights are the best they got.

 

[Human Ills]

can you get in trouble for warning someone of a parked LEO, by flashing your lights?

For checking your lights?

 

[louemc]

can you get in trouble for warning someone of a parked LEO, by flashing your lights?

Well if you flash your lights right in front of the cop, Two things 1. It's too late for the other guy, but if the cop jumps you, Then 2. tell the cop You were alerting him to one of those God Damn Speeders coming up.

But... get a grip, You know there was a cop because you passed them in there hiding or waiting spot. After you pass them they can't see your headlights, that your switching from high beam to low beam to high beam.

 

[Sidi]

Well if you flash your lights right in front of the cop, Two things 1. It's too late for the other guy, but if the cop jumps you, Then 2. tell the cop You were alerting him to one of those God Damn Speeders coming up.

But... get a grip, You know there was a cop because you passed them in there hiding or waiting spot. After you pass them they can't see your headlights, that your switching from high beam to low beam to high beam.

they don't always hide at night, my truck doesn't have daylight running lights so for me to flash someone in daylight my brake-lights light up also.

 

[B-Cuz]

they don't always hide at night, my truck doesn't have daylight running lights so for me to flash someone in daylight my brake-lights light up also.

High beams perhaps.

 

[louemc]

they don't always hide at night, my truck doesn't have daylight running lights so for me to flash someone in daylight my brake-lights light up also.

Really? Your tail lights are on with your low beams. and when you go from low beams to high beams nothing changes but your headlights, your tail lights remain the same. Your brake lights don't come on, unless you put your brakes on (which your not doing here).

You do have low and high beams in your headlights don't you? This has nothing to do with "running lights".

 

[hophead]

You don't know why the ambo and sheriff were hauling ass. Perhaps an accident blew up 1/2 mile behind you and they were responding. It wouldn't be very fun to come around a corner at 80 into an accident scene and blocked traffic. I also don't know how fast the sheriff was going, but catching up to a LEO with lights and sirens would not make him/her happy.

Either way, if I were them I would have appreciated the warning.

I often wish we had more elaborate hand signals so people could signal more detail, like 'slow ass RV ahead' or 'the road sucks ahead, after the last rainstorm' or, more importantly 'watch out for the farking deer all over the road'.

Just waving at me to slow down has the intended effect, but I have no idea what to watch out for, you know?

werd. op did the right thing, through and through.

 

[AOW]

OP you did the right thing. I've been flashed, helmet tapped, and waved to slow down more times when there wasn't anything around, but the one or two times it pans out is awesome.

 

[Gary856]

I would have let them eat the ticket...80 on Skyline is at minimum double the speed limit. There is no excuse for that speed on public roads.

I agree with this, even though this may be an unpopular position in a motorcycle forum. OK, maybe 80 is not exactly "double" the speed limit on Skyline, and maybe they were not exactly going 80, but you know what we're talking about here - reckless speed. To the people who seem to think two sportbikes going 80 mph on Skyline is "just having some fun", I ask this - what do you think about sports cars going 80 mph on Skyline?

 

[B-Cuz]

I agree with this, even though this is an unpopular position in a motorcycle forum. To the people who seem to think two sportbikes going 80 mph on Skyline is "just having some fun", I ask this - what do you think about sports cars going 80 mph on Skyline?

As mentioned BEFORE there are portions of 35 where 80mph is possible without going over your head.

 

[Gary856]

As mentioned BEFORE there are portions of 35 where 80mph is possible without going over your head.

Dude, as a newbie I've done 120 mph on 680 during my morning commute and it felt like a walk in the park, but that does NOT make it right. Stupid is stupid. Reckless is reckless.

 

[B-Cuz]

Dude, even as a newbie I've done 120 mph on 680 and it felt like a walk in the park, but that does NOT make it right. Stupid is stupid. Reckless is reckless.

That's nice to know, truly means nothing for the discussion at hand.

 

[Gary856]

That's nice to know, truly means nothing for the discussion at hand.

So what is the discussion at hand? That going as fast as you feel like is ok, as long as you don't feel like it's going one's head? That as long as one has the skills to handle high speed, speed limits on public roads don't apply to him? That LEOs are only there to kill the fun, rather than to protect public safety?

 

[B-Cuz]

So what is the discussion at hand? That going as fast as you feel like is ok, as long as you don't feel like it's going one's head? That as long as one has the skills to handle high speed, speed limits on public roads don't apply to him? That LEOs are only there to kill the fun, rather than to protect public safety?

Nope, the discussion at hand is whether the OP did the right thing or not by signaling to oncoming motorcyclists that there was an incident ahead of which to be mindful. Your contribution of "I've done 120 mph on 680" matters nothing. Although, had you left it at

stupid is stupid and reckless is reckless

at least those carry truth.

 

[Brown81]

Dude, as a newbie I've done 120 mph on 680 during my morning commute and it felt like a walk in the park, but that does NOT make it right. Stupid is stupid. Reckless is reckless.

They should have thrown your dangerous newb ass in jail. Take it to the track newb.
mad

 

[Mawg]

So what is the discussion at hand? That going as fast as you feel like is ok, as long as you don't feel like it's going one's head? That as long as one has the skills to handle high speed, speed limits on public roads don't apply to him? That LEOs are only there to kill the fun, rather than to protect public safety?

Well, the discussion at hand has to do with warning other vehicles if it turns out to be unwarranted. To which I'll add, yes, OP did the right thing. Maybe it bugs you if someone is saved from a ticket (more anon), but as others have pointed out it might also save someone from a collision, injury, death, etc (hitting an accident scene at speed is probably bad for more than just the rider, for instance).

Now, "Public safety" is the kind of non-concept that just bugs the shit out of me, routinely used for justifying all kinds of nanny-state interference. In the case of speed, as others have already pointed out, whether it's an issue really comes down to is the speed appropriate for you, given ability, road conditions, etc etc. Which is why it's not only bogus to assert that x speed is inappropriate, irresponsible etc, it's bogus to give tickets based on simply saying x speed is too much for this bit of road, end of story.

T

 

[ST Guy]

Hey, whatever happened to the left hand held down low, palm open, down and horizontal, with a movement down and up to signify slowing down because of whatever reason? Doesn't anyone use that signal anymore? Or am I too old?

 

[B-Cuz]

Hey, whatever happened to the left hand held down low, palm open, down and horizontal, with a movement down and up to signify slowing down because of whatever reason? Doesn't anyone use that signal anymore? Or am I too old?

I got that the other day on Hwy 9, just after the stop light. I thought it was strange given there was a CHiP just ahead.