Joining recent anti-motorcycle efforts in Jackson, New Jersey and in White Plains, New York, the Police in Oceanside, Long Island are singling out and harassing motorcyclists.

Targeting visitors to Nathan's regular Tuesday night "hang", on Tuesday July 29th, the Hempstead Police installed a checkpoint southbound on Long Beach Road immediately approaching the entrance to Nathan's. This checkpoint was marked by a sign saying "Nassau County Sobriety Checkpoint", but the traffic stop had nothing to do with sobriety and definitely had nothing to do with anything but motorcycles.

Armed with an SPL (sound pressure or "dB") meter, the officers went about enforcing a "local noise ordinance" of 72 dB. Loud cars were ignored, but all manner of motorcycles, including"StreetBikes" and "Harleys",were pulled over wholesale. If you were riding too close to someone with a "loud" bike, you were pulled over too. Guilt by association, and loosely at that! Police pulled over as many motorcycles as they could fit into the parking lot they commandeered for the purpose.

The "local noise ordinance" is an arbitrary figure that has nothing to do with DOT standards, nor any other standard, and the noise tests (observed and photographed by Brad Berson) were conducted unscientifically in an echoing back-alley with the noise meter placed varying distances from the bike and/or exhaust system.

Police at the scene brazenly posed for photographs and boasted that in NY State they have the right to single out any vehicle they please. Mentions of constitutional implications and references to probable cause went un-answered. The Police maintained the roadblock for the duration of the evening.

Jackson NJ - home of Six Flags Great Adventure - recently redirected DOT funds intended for alcohol awareness publicity at motorcycle events in order to pay for its motorcycle-only traffic stops.

Westchester NY's Police Department is currently targeted in a class-action law suit for recently targeting motorcycles travelling to Danbury CT's "Super Sunday". For more information see http://www.moto-mag.com/news/blacksunday.html .

In spite of these motorcycle-harrassment stops, police were only able to issue statistically unremarkable numbers of summonses. This only proves again that their efforts would be better spent sticking to finding drunks drivers and criminals no matter how many wheels they choose to use.

 

F'n cops... grant it I've got friends in the force and I've run into some cool officers, but for some reason (mainly my last college town harrasment from the local PD) I just cant stand cops when they pull **** like this. Makes the whole force look bad and I for one just keep losing what little respect I had for em.

Sorry to the guys on the forum who are PD, more power to ya and stay cool, but work this from the inside guys, stupid **** like this is just another reason why I run.

 

Seems like they are always out to get us no matter what we are doing......I got followed on my way home from work right up till I turned into my driveway by a state trooper.....he was just waiting for me to do something...

 

I HATE COPS....

 

why do thay waste there time doing stuff like this. it is not the guy on the bike with a loud pipe that kills a family of 3. it is the dumb *** that is drunk in the suv.

 

+103424930248302948

 

Fricken Cops ........

 

I get harrassed all the time going into the front gate at the base. I go through year-round on my bike, and this one ******* will always give me some crap,. The navy has a regulation about what gear and such you have to wear, I have read the instuction and am very familiar with it. In short, reflective, brightly colored clothing, sturdy footwear, long sleeves, pants and gloves. I ride in red Fieldsheer gear with my work-boots, steel-toed leathers. Going through the other day, he gives me crap about not wearing a reflective vest. I say the regulation requires reflective, brightly colored clothing...wich my riding jacket fits the bill. He says, are those shoes steel toed? I say yes but they don't have to be....so he gets pissed and directs me off to the inspection lane and gives me crap. I say I'll be back and educate him. I go to my shop, print out the regulation and ask him to show me where I was in violation....he just gives me this ummmmm ummmmm well, you don't have to be uncooperative crap...I say whatever, if your gonna enforce rules you might want to know them first. Maybe I was worse off for it but every time that dude is working the gate he gives me a thourough once over, just lookin for something with this ****-eatin grin on his face. I mean, it's cool if you go through the gate in some POS withone headlight out, bald tires, and no turn signals, seat layed back so you cant see over the dashand your tunes up so loud it shakes the cars in the line, but holy hell, don't be on two wheels! Amazing.

 

shock it's the military man, inform his super...

 

wow 72db[:@] ! here in cali we have a 95 db limit