Rough treatment by traffic police

Udon Thani - 8th December 2009

Two 16 year old students from the computer department at Santaphol college, informed the Udon Thani police that a traffic police officer caused an accident when he grabbed the pillion passengers jacket. The officer grabbed her jacket in order to stop the motorbike, she fell down on the road and passed out for a short while. The traffic police showed no mercy and continued to fine the rider 200 baht. The rider asked the police if she could she pay later because she wanted to take care of her friend first. The police wouldn't let her. Several people who witnesses the incident said she should report this to the police.

"report it to the police."

Obviously half of the story missing. They did not stop and tried a runner because no helmet/insurance/driver license. Wanna bet?

Sorry, I have seen it happen before, there is always two sides and many times Police just watch the m/c ride off, but if in close proximity they react as this one did, oh well next time they will stop ....I doubt it but one hopes.

Still a dangerous practice...but TIT and not only TIT as similar would happen elsewhere in the world, if been ordered to stop and made a run for it .......i can't imagine that the police do it for a laugh and at random.
Should use stingers...

I remember in days of yore when it was fisticuffs time after 35 "Light and Diamonds" in Hertfordshire on a friday night, if the foe were getting the better, I'd play dead aswell .... normally works

If you have the time it's usually entertaining to just hang around where the police are doing traffic stops.

I've seen motorcyclists try some of the most outstanding stunts when they realize the police are ahead. U-turns without any regard for traffic: Trying to race past the police: Getting struck by the police by whatever the cop has at hand as they speed by: Trying to get their helmet out of the basket and on their head: Having the third and fourth passenger get off while still moving. Laurel and Hardy could have taken slap-stick comedy lessons here.

On one panic u-turn the rider lost control and slammed into the side of a parked pick-up and left a sizable dent in the side. He was a bit dazed as the cop started running towards him. He recovered his "senses" and started kicking the motorcycle trying to restart it. He got it up and going and pulled away within inches of the cop grabbing him. His front wheel was a bit wobbly but he made his escape.

I must be lacking meaningful entertainment.

Not wearing a helmet is a crime. So is evading police.

True, some, including me, are skeptical that the moto ladies are not quite as innocent as the OP suggests.
If they were trying to do a runner on the cop, I personally have no problem with him reaching out and snatching one. It's this lack of respect for any law (including traffic laws) that we all moan about. I say well done to the cop for catching the law-breakers. Now if the cops would only surrender the fine into the appropriate account.

Failing to obey a policeman's instructions will usually get an unfriendly response in any country. In the US it can get you arrested, and if you resist that arrest you will be forceably detained.

I see no difference in people trying to evade a police stop. If you are instructed to stop and fail to do so, the police are justified in using the force necessary to stop you. This seems a reasonable response in any country. In the US the police have no pursuit rules if it endangers the general public, but not if it only endangers the culprit. The culprit has already stepped outside the law and there are consquences for doing so.

The stupidity to do it on a motorcycle is not the policeman's choosing, it is the fool driving the motorcycle. From what I've seen of motorcyclists here, judgement is not high on their list of abilities. But I think it's unfair to suggest that the policeman has put their lives in danger. They chose that danger when they failed to stop.

Whether the stop is a legitimate or corrupt stop is not something the motorcyclists will know until they stop. In fact, most drivers prefer the corrupt solution to the stop because then there are no points against their license. If they insist on paying the higher amount and getting the official receipt they lose points.

In my car I have always paid the tea money rather than insisting on the official payment. 100 baht vs 400 baht and points. Also the official process usually takes longer. I have observed numerous locations where the riders had no choice, all the fines were official. A table with receipt books was set up and everyone had to go there to pay the fine and then come back and get their M/C.

Tea money goes into the cop's pocket. Official fines are split 50/50 among the officers and the police department, according to my wife.

jackspratt wrote:I have no problem generally with what you are saying Expat, except to the extent that the response of the police ought to be proportionate to the "crime".

And I would suggest that pushing someone off a moving motorcycle, for failing to wear a helmet (which 10 minutes later the copper would probably ignore if the "daily sting" was over) lacks that proportion.

I would think at that stage the "crime" has gone from 'not wearing a helmet" to refusing to obey a lawful instruction by a police officer tp stop.