Author Topic: Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.  (Read 513 times)

Offline Qnm

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« on: June 08, 2002, 01:13:53 AM »
A friend of mine needs some advice from a police officer.
Any suggestions?
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Ok, to sum it up. Last Sat an officer in uniform approached me in a parking lot full of riders (80 - 100) and asked to ride my bike. He took off like he was trying to get a hole shot and went straight into a curb, down into a ditch(with a 30ft skidmark before hitting)... totalling it. He supposedly wasnt "on duty" , but doing detail work hired by a bar/resturant. Now, my question to you is: Is the county sherrifs office liable?!

heres a few things ...
1. i know for a fact that if he was injured, workmans comp would pay.
2. The Sherrifs office is making money also with him being hired by a private party.
3. If he is in uniform, with his cruiser, he represents the Sherrifs office.
4. Since he is in uniform, representing the sherrifs office, he still has the power to write tickets, uphold the law.

I want to get the facts together when i see the attorney Monday. He used to represent the Sherrifs office as an attorney, so he knows who to contact, all the ins and outs. BUT, he didnt make me feel very confident when he said this is going to be a tough one. Now, i want any officers on here who give advice to know, i dont want this guys job... i'm not out to get him in trouble, although im sure he will, i realise he's a good guy who just made a mistake. im not looking to make any money, i just want my bike replaced the way i had it, as it was only a month old. This is my best way to go, ive explored every other way, but they left me out of pocket or increased insurance rates.

Thanks for any help.


Thanks in advance.

Offline hawk220

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2002, 02:15:00 AM »
I can't imagine an officer in uniform doing something like this.. where did this happen? was this in the US? a big city? or some po-dunk BFE town? for one thing, an officer knows that when he is in uniform, on duty or not, he is representing his agency. So it would be galactically stupid to do something like this.. I'd say to double check your facts to make sure it wasn't a security guard or some rent-a-cop type. I'm not saying it didn't happen the way you said, its just that it seems to me that something is missing.

I'm not a cop, but I work for a police department

my .02

Offline Wingnut_0

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2002, 02:24:34 AM »
Well if you work for one you should know that there's alot of block heads out there in uniform.
:)

Offline Qnm

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2002, 03:31:39 AM »
No Hawk, this really happened.
What would you do in his place?

Offline scspook

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2002, 06:01:47 AM »
Only a complete moron would ride someones bike in those circumstances whilst on duty. I find the story a little hard to believe myself.  The job has its share of morons. God knows ive worked with a few.  Cops are like everybody else.

As well as this alleged cop being a moron, your friend (no offence) sounds like one to.  I also ride a bike and noone rides mine but me. Certainly no stranger no matter what his/her occupation.

I dont work in the states but I speak to a few who do occassionally through the net.  Cops are pretty much the same all over the western world. The jobs the same, the legislation differs.

What you have there is a Road Accident. Plain and simple. You friend should lodge it like any other.  Here in Australia we use a tick n flick form at the Station counter.  Both parties share licence details and the Insurance companies sort it out.

If you friend doesnt have insurance, its a case of tough titties or civil litigation in a small claims court.  

First, regardless of how good your friend is to you or how long youve known him, everyone in this world from white collar to blue tends to stretch the truth a little where a Cop is involved.  He better make sure he has his story straight as I understand that in some parts of the States, the Officer can launch his own civil litigation in the case of a false complaint.  Unlike here, where we have to cop it on the chin (no pun intended).

That being said, as stated previously, we have our share of the idiot pool to.  The cop is responsible for a single vehicle road accident and liable for damages through insurance.

Sh*t happens. A million idiots a day have minor prangs and thats all that your friends bike was involved in.  Get him to contact the officer and exchange details.

Of course, if you friend is a bikee, covered in tatts with a long dirty beard and half his prettythang hanging out of his pants, he deserves it anyway :)

LOL.

Im a biker so before anyone gets upset. We arent all like that :)

Offline Qnm

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2002, 07:04:57 AM »
.Three other officers are witness to it.


Simply replacing the bike and its mods anew would cost 13,500$, a professional repair would be ~9,600$ labour+parts, and going the way of his insurance (both his and the cop's (he rides an R1 himself) insurance agree my friend's ins. is the one responsible) means rate increase and three years probation.

Offline Swoop

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2002, 07:23:17 AM »
Hmmm.....well if a rozzer came up to me and asked to ride my bike he'd get laughed at and told to bugger off (I'm fully legal, not even a loud pipe).


Offline Swoop

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2002, 07:26:31 AM »
And further.....

my incredibly intelligent fiancee just said:  write to his senior officer and contact the press.  The police hate bad press so if this is as crappy as it sounds the local press will be all over it.


Offline Qnm

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2002, 07:40:52 AM »
Most people are suggesting this.
Thanks Swoop.

Offline scspook

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2002, 08:23:36 AM »
Yeah Swoop great idea. Write into his senior Officer and get the bloke in strife all over an idiot decision to lend him the bike and his idiot decision to ask for it.  Forget this bloke may be called to place his life on the line to save yours or your "intelligent" girlfriend.  Forget the BS he has to put up with on a daily basis from lifes a-holes to ensure your day is a happy one and peace free. Most cops go into the job wanting to make a difference and to put some emphasis on their own lives so that one day they can look back and think they didnt waste it all, pi$$ing it up against a wall or climbing the corporate ladder stepping on other peoples toes. It takes about 4 years on average before a Cop starts getting cynical about why he/she chose the job they did.  In 6-10, most have left the Force as people like your "Intelligent" girlfriend prefer to screw them rather than use plain ordinary God given common sense.  At 10 years and over, those of us who remain rarely give 2 hoots what your problems are as you all start to sound the same.  Throw in people like Swoops "intelligent" girlfriend and you see why the Cop who has you by the short and curlys on the side of the road, doesnt really give a damn why you were speeding, or how hard you have it in life that you had to take that item without payment.
 

Its a simple Road accident. Not Murder 1.  Your friend is insured and he's just as responsible for it happening as the Cop was. Why did he get insurance in the first place?

Tell your friend that a Cop in Australia thinks he should start acting like a man instead of some pansy wuss out to screw some bloke over a simple irrelevant prang cause the easiest thing to do is threaten his livelihood.

Fill in the insurance papers. Speak to the Cop in person, not act like a Big girls blouse or some hissy fitting female and start taking some responsiblity for his own stupity.

Im sure, that if your friend does things the right way instead of that shi**y way described above, he will get what he wants or a satisfactory result without having to screw some bloke out of a job that you yourself wouldnt want on a good day.

Offline Qnm

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2002, 09:38:43 AM »
This is impolite, but it'll be the only time I do it.
When I read the agressive tone of what is suposed to be advice, I want to skip the entire post. You would do the same, the same way I skipped the part of your earlier post that was useless since all it did was say "I don't believe it - show proof - your friend's an idiot etc" in a few different ways.

Now on the subject.

[correction btw, the cop owns a 929 , not R1]

I am a bit tired so bear with my defective memory and therefore obligation to do this the long way (you asked for it):

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Yeah Swoop great idea. Write into his senior Officer and get the bloke in strife all over an idiot decision to lend him the bike and his idiot decision to ask for it.

It's an idiot decision to lend the bike, even considering the cops were making rounds for supposed stolen parts etc at this 80+ riders' meet, but incidentaly incomparably idiotic to take a civilian's bike he was suppposed to only "try" and not throw into a ditch (at least for his own sake).
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Forget this bloke may be called to place his life on the line to save yours or your "intelligent" girlfriend.

That has nothing to do with it.
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Forget the BS he has to put up with on a daily basis from lifes a-holes to ensure your day is a happy one and peace free.

Same thing.
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Most cops go into the job wanting to make a difference and to put some emphasis on their own lives ...

Yes...
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...so that one day they can look back and think they didnt waste it all, pi$$ing it up against a wall or climbing the corporate ladder stepping on other peoples toes.

That's the cop's responsibility, not my friend's.
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It takes about 4 years on average before a Cop starts getting cynical about why he/she chose the job they did. In 6-10, most have left the Force as people like your "Intelligent" girlfriend prefer to screw them rather than use plain ordinary God given common sense.

Ok , that's understandable, but o/t too, and when common sense is something we consider (can't remember the adjective for this Zzz), the officer is the one with the bigger deficit. Forget letting an officer in uniform that you do not want to provoke (as you pointed to and common sense implies, you don't want to make any bad assumptions at the wrong time) onto your 10k$+ bike in the middle of the night with plenty of witnesses if something did go wrong to defend your truth.
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At 10 years and over, those of us who remain rarely give 2 hoots what your problems are as you all start to sound the same. Throw in people like Swoops "intelligent" girlfriend and you see why the Cop who has you by the short and curlys on the side of the road, doesnt really give a damn why you were speeding, or how hard you have it in life that you had to take that item without payment.

pff.. Paranoia or biased belligerence, now it's both off-subject and personal & undue grudge. You apply generality to a specified given case.


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Its a simple Road accident. Not Murder 1. Your friend is insured and he's just as responsible for it happening as the Cop was. Why did he get insurance in the first place?

He is responsible for giving permission as asked to an officer in uniform to take his bike for a try. Asked officer if he was serious, told yes. Cop goes screaming off, few seconds later people (cops and riders) are running to over there, he does too and sees the bike wrong side up. Cop had no helmet, thrown ~15ft, uninjured.
Who is more responsible? Don't be biased, don't look at your badge but instead put yourself in his place.

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Tell your friend that a Cop in Australia thinks he should start acting like a man instead of some pansy wuss out to screw some bloke over a simple irrelevant prang cause the easiest thing to do is threaten his livelihood.

That's not it. He talked to the cop, and finds him an ok guy that's against the wall, at least, but wants his bike back. Is that wussiness?

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Fill in the insurance papers. Speak to the Cop in person, [...

done...
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not act like a Big girls blouse or some hissy fitting female and start taking some responsiblity for his own stupity.

ignoring the first sentence half, it sounds like taking some responsibility for the wreck means letting the person (cop or not) who himself made the bike go from normal condition to totalled off with no responsibility. And this because he deserves sympathy. That's not the question. He is reponsible for wreckless  driving (for example) but obviously the officers that were on the spot and witnessed it did not and will not write him a ticket. That would be fairness. So we are already on the side of the officer as to fairness and responsibility.
The question of what the insurance will do, how much a repair or replacement would cost is already quoted above, now the question of how to get his bike back without (if possible) having to pay with probation and rate hike that are from someone else's accident, or wait forever while the guy who rode the motorcycle into the ditch has to pay the reparations and also his own life's costs, like everyone else on this planet.

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Im sure, that if your friend does things the right way instead of that shi**y way described above, he will get what he wants or a satisfactory result without having to screw some bloke out of a job that you yourself wouldnt want on a good day.

He's not trying to screw the cop, etc. I repeat myself.

If there is more flaming on the way, forget this whole thread; it is not worth typing on this keyboard forever like this uselessly.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2002, 09:41:11 AM by Qnm »

Offline scspook

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2002, 09:52:26 AM »
Well it sure sounds like your gonna try and screw him anyway cause thats the easy option.

I have no apoligy for my post. I stand behind every word. Quote it as often as you like.  You asked for advice. I gave it.  When I hear knuckleheads like swoops girlfriend post idiot advice, I say so. No good popsicle footing around with that type.

What it sounds like to me, is that you have already made up your mind to tell your friend to seek out the Cops employer and use his occupation against him to seek his own personal ends.

Not even sure why you asked in the first place.

I said it before. I'll say it again.

popsicles choose that option.

I didnt say the Cop was right. He sounds like an idiot and my reaction is not to your simple enough and innocent question.  Its in response to the fools post above it from Swoop.

Your friend did make a bonehead decision whether you like to hear it or not.  The Cop was irresponsible and damn right stupid in getting into that situation.  

But I wonder if you would contact a Postmans employer in order to seek financial compensation from him?  Or a Dustman, a shop assistant or a nurse?

Would the title of your thread have read..."Uniformed Postman trashes civs bike."

I doubt it.

You like the idea of contacting the Cops boss cause we know how that system works.  Attack the Cops integrity despite knowing nothing of his service record cause thats the easiest way of achieving your means.

Anyway you look at it, Its a popsicle Option for rutabagas.

At the end of the day, you decide on what advice to give your friend.

Going to his Officer in Charge, wont get you the money any faster than doing it by Small Claims court or Insurance.  It'll just make the Cop mad, get him in trouble and turn a workable solution, unworkable.  Even if they were to access and deduct his pay. They arent going to do it without a Court order.

Something you could do in the first place and avoid all the unpleasantry.

The Cop no doubt will still be out there at 4am in the morning, freezing his prettythang off making sure you sleep well in your bed that night.

For that matter.....so will I.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2002, 10:08:10 AM by scspook »

Offline Sandman

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #12 on: June 08, 2002, 09:59:47 AM »
Before your friend starts running this up the chain of command...

Has he talked to the officer?
sand

Offline Swoop

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #13 on: June 08, 2002, 10:14:52 AM »
People are people.  Just cos someone's got a badge doesnt mean they cant be a jumped up little avacado pretending to be Hitler.

Forget that he's a cop, that doesnt matter, it all comes down to respect.  If I wrecked something that belonged to someone else I replace or repair it cos thats just what ya gotta do.  Anyone who would quite happily refuse to do so is a no honor wank stain and deserves anything they get.


Offline capt. apathy

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Officer in uniform trashes civ's bike.
« Reply #14 on: June 08, 2002, 10:15:49 AM »
In most states the owner of the vehicle is the primary person liable in an accident (unless it was taken without his permission) so actually if he had no insurance of his own the cop could have a case for suing your friend for any injuries he received while trashing your friends bike.