when good deeds turn bad

[caloundra]

went fishing up DI on friday, just after I cut through and onto rainbow beach I came across a land rover disco that couldn't find a gear. and after hooking up the snatch strap and started towing him up the beach.I was in low range in 2nd gear draging the disco through the soft sand, after a couple hundred metre's I was greated with red and blue flashing lights.
puzzled as to why he pulled us over (as I was only going about 10k/h) the cop was quick to point out that I had not put my seat belt back on after hooking the snatch strap on.
after a $225 fine and 3 points he sent me on my way
how's that for helping someone in need

then on the way home. coming in to noosa there was an old lady (in her 70's) broken down on the side of the road, wondering what KARMA could do to me now I pulled over and offered help, to be greated with "I don't need your help" slaming the bonnet, jumping in the car, winding the window up and locking the door. acting like I was going to rape of mug her.

and to finish it off I didn't catch any fish

Daniel

[Herm]

Hi Daniel

Not good to hear about you unfortunate meeting with the boys in blue. or the lack of fish! >

If I had been the owner of the Jeep, I would have been paying the fine! You would not have got it with out helping them!

I often wonder whether to stop and attempt to help when I see people on the side of the road, and I heaven't yet. Mostly because I usually have 2 littlies in the car with me - but I know that I would appreciate any help offered if I was broken down with 2 kids under 4 1/2 in the car with me!

Please don't let these bad experiences change your thoughts on helping someone who maybe in need.

Cheers
Janine

PS Just arrived at Caloundra tonight - any tips on where to get a feed??? (I mean CATCH a feed!!!

[Tangles]

All I can say is you wouldnt read about it, would you, unbelievable.

The old lady i can sort of understand in a sense as when alone they can feel vulnerable ( especially with all the news today about the safety of seniors etc) I know my old gran wouldnt trust anybody if she was alone, sign of the times.

The cop i just cant understand as surely he can see the circumstances ( he could of easily just reminded you as you are on a highway and leave it at that), but maybe he's had a bad day and took it out on you by strictly enforcing the code without any give and take in the circumstances, (no excuse i know but it happens), or maybe he was just a "......" making a point.

Thing that really sucks is that the guy you snatched out didnt have the decency to offer to pay the fine. That to me is what really sucks. Anyway you did the right thing, and i know it sucks.

cheers
Mike

[Leigh77]

I have a similar story when Karma turns out be a little bit twisted...

Was walking through the local shopping centre and I happened to see an elderly lady (in a motorised scooter thing) drop her purse...to save her trying to pick it up and possibly fall out. I went to lean down and pick it up for her (I have seen her in the complex before, she must be a local).

She started screaming "theif theif theif" and I was tackled by some big hairy ape...I didnt really know what was going on so I did the first thing that came to mind. I laid the back of my elbow against his cheek (rather quickly!) and that allowed me to get out from under him and get up. I was then grabbed from behind by a security gaurd and pushed up against a concrete pilon thing.

Meanwhile the old duck is still yelling out "thief thief thief"...it was then it clicked. She thought I was knocking her purse off. After the security gaurd didnt believe me, and the cops were called (they got there bloody quick too) here I was still pinned up against the pilon...Everybody looking/whispering as they walked past...To say I was rather embarrassed is an understatement.

It took me nearly an hour to convince them that I was only trying to help the lady by picking up her purse...I think the only reason they let me go in the end was because they couldnt prove anything different.

Heres the kicker part of the story...

A few weeks later I was back at the shopping centre with my family (wife and 5yo daughter)...We were walking along and I saw the same lady in the same scooter thing. She had dropped something yet again...So as Karma treated me like a #$@#% the first time I just walked past. Then I got abused by this woman for not helping.

It was then I turned and let her know who I was (from a few weeks back)....why would I help you, ya cranky old $%^#@?? I asked. She could not apologise soon enough. She ended up saying it was my hat (that I wear backwards when working) that made her think I was robbing her.

Life is a b!tch...and Karma aint that far behind!

[bootyinblue]

All I can say is you wouldnt read about it, would you, unbelievable.

The cop i just cant understand as surely he can see the circumstances ( he could of easily just reminded you as you are on a highway and leave it at that), but maybe he's had a bad day and took it out on you by strictly enforcing the code without any give and take in the circumstances, (no excuse i know but it happens), or maybe he was just a "......" making a point.

Why do we always have to be having a bad day, or didnt get any last night when we go about doing our job and making the community and its members safe?

There are offences for which we have no discretion to warn/advise and must give a ticket for. Seatbelts are one of them. You may have been driving at 10kmh, however the car that loses control and slams head on into you at 100kmh will still catapult you through the windscreen if you dont have a belt.

Seat belt wearing is even more essenstial now in cars fitted with airbags as the seatbelt holds you in position for when the airbag deploys and believe me, you dont want to be any closer than you have to be when an explosion goes off in your steering column and the centre cover of your steering wheel splits exposing the airbag in your face!!

[grey_inflatable]

well mate i rekon that suks
and as for the cops i would have thought theyd be bit more mellow than that it .must be the noosa keen beans, doing the run up doing the rbt thing. gone the good old days of driving the frby dwn from the camp to fish in the arvy.

[Leigh77]

well mate i rekon that suks
and as for the cops i would have thought theyd be bit more mellow than that it .must be the noosa keen beans, doing the run up doing the rbt thing. gone the good old days of driving the frby dwn from the camp to fish in the arvy.

I would love to hear you say that after one of your family members is struck down on the beach by a drunk driver.

[Poodroo]

Amazing! Can't believe the cops would fine you when you were in the process of helping someone in need. They must have been saving for a Policeman's Ball or something. Even more amazing that a woman who is offered help from a stranger acts so rude. The least she could have done is smiled and thanked you for the kind offer but she had already organized help or something. What the hell is this world coming to??
It's still good to know that there are people like you caloundra who will stop to offer assistance. Well done!

Poodroo

[marshy]

Hey Caloundra, sorry to hear that karma bit you on the arse. With regard to the fine my advice is to fight it, Section 267 of transport operations [ road use managemant-road rules] regulation 1999 . Exemption from wearing seat belt; [1] A person is in or on a motor vehicle is exempt from wearing a seat belt if ; [b] vehicle is not travelling over 25kmh.

Personally I would wear a seat belt below 25kmh but the law is the law & you shouldn't pay the fine. My belief is that most police wouldn't know this & even if they did they would still fine you anyway. Good luck & keep up the good deeds!

Marshy

[caloundra]

Thanks guys

yeah. the cops could have seen that I was in the middle of helping someone out and gone a little soft on m,e but the young lady cop was abit full of her self
My wife thinks I shound fight it and with marshy's helpful information I think I will

Daniel

[choppa]

hey daniel,,,, i read this report when you first posted it thinking that there would be a mixed bag of replies,,, wasn't wrong eh mate

i know it hard to fathom the reasons why the officer passed over the fine so quickly and probably had a smile on her dial at the same time,,, but you are probably more aware than most the amount of media coverage the carnage that is being reported in the Sunshine Coast Daily and relevant s/coast papers over the past few months,,,and like yourself because i work there,,, read every day

the boys/girls in blue do bleed the same color as us,,,, but at the end of the day,,, bootyinblue (has some mad ideas on rodholders),,is true by word,,,,

regardless what speed your doing,,, an airbag in the kosh is painful if you get the brunt of it,,and can leave serious and permanent damage,,

and i know that marshy's reply has merit,,,,,, there are exemptions to seatbelts,,,and if the judge see's your side of the story,,,you may get off,,,or at least redeem your points

i would have hit up the other driver,,,especially whilst the cars were still attached,,,

don't loose your faith mate,,,,,,,it could have been worse,,,,it could have been reversed

choppa

[grenadier]

the cops should start catching the hoods that do 100km plus up the beach instead of people not wearing seat belts

the cops shit me with their catch the innocent people rules

[grenadier]

the cops should start catching the hoons that do 100km plus up the beach instead of people not wearing seat belts

the cops shit me with their catch the innocent people rules

[cooky]

There are offences for which we have no discretion to warn/advise and must give a ticket for. Seatbelts are one of them. You may have been driving at 10kmh, however the car that loses control and slams head on into you at 100kmh will still catapult you through the windscreen if you dont have a be

I guess that's true, but I can't remember a time I've ever helped someone in a recovery / snatch-strap situation and put my seatbelt on. Mind you most recovery situations are no where near anywhere anyone can be doing 100km/h - hence the reason people get stuck. I just find the attitude from the cop unusual and silly. I was pulled up in the christmas break by police who claimed I was speeding - they asked me what the speed was on a road - I correctly answered 70km/h - the male cop thought it was 60 - the female officer corrected him. He then claimed that he had to travel at 100km/h to catch me - I said to him that that was strange, because I would have only been doing 65/70 at the time. He said I must be dreaming, I said he must be dreaming...... anyway they noticed my rego sticker was out of date and fortunately let me go with a warning. They could have been pricks and fined me, but let me go with a warning. Surely the same could have been done in the DI situation.

[caloundra]

There are offences for which we have no discretion to warn/advise and must give a ticket for. Seatbelts are one of them. You may have been driving at 10kmh, however the car that loses control and slams head on into you at 100kmh will still catapult you through the windscreen if you dont have a belt.

bootyinblue
this is on a BEACH not a major highway with cars flying past you at 100+k/hr I agree that some laws must be adheared to at all times but I think this is not one of them, a little discretion should have been used
as marshy outlined further down a seatbelt is not required by law if your vehicle is traveling less than 25k/hr
normaly I do wear a seatbelt but for some reason ( bad judgement )I did not when helping to recover the broken down 4b
I drive a truck 10+ hours a day and see the amount of dickheads on the roads.
I have written a letter to the prosecution unit stating no law had been broken so I will see what comes out of it

Daniel