As an active member of a North East of Scotland off road motorcycling club I thought I'd share our experiences of police behaviour this weekend.
Our club was hosting a British Championship Enduro round over the Easter Weekend. We hold this event every 2nd year and it attracts the best riders in the country and they travel from far and wide to attend. Below is a copy of a post I submitted to an off road forum.
While not an official spokesman for EEC, I am a member and have been involved with the running of the event. As has been stated the club has been in close communication with the Police, the Forestry Commission, local Council and all relevant agencies. This event has been well over a year in the planning and every box has been ticked with regard to officialdom. There were no grey areas! The road section was agreed with police, the police were aware that due to the nature of the event full size number plates were wholly impractical. As in the past it was understood that this minor shortcoming would be overlooked. The law in Scotland allows for this. Elgin has a long history of off road motorcycling with Woodside circuit and various other local venues for Scottish Enduro & H&H championship rounds as well as BEC rounds. Until now we have had a good working relationship with the local police who have supported the club as they saw how giving people a chance to ride legally reduced illegal riding.
What took place on Saturday was a complete breach of trust and is beneath contempt. Riders were basically ambushed as they left the forest to ride the agreed road section by what would appear to be Elgin traffic police. Several vehicles were used including an unmarked car. What promised to be a great event was very close to becoming a disaster. The second test at the end of the road section had to be cut out after weeks of preparation as it was clear that the police were going to harass riders to the extent that no semblance of a schedule could be maintained. This special test was a major part of the event and being forced into scrapping it through stupid, heavy handed policing is not acceptable. When the club secretary attempted to reason with the police he was threatened with arrest as were fully legal riders. This is Britain not North Korea! The riders, as always, are the stars of these events and they made the most of the drastically modified schedule with good humour and resignation. Lossie forest which is the main venue has more than enough scope for putting riders through their paces and the day will probably go down as a qualified success. The club would like to extend our thanks to all riders and crews for their support. The clerk of the course worked frantically to extend the course within Lossie for day 2 which took place wholly within the forest. Day 2 ran smoothly but the loss of the 2nd test was a very bitter pill to swallow.
Many local businesses actively support the club and our British Championship Enduro as the event brings a lot of revenue to hotels, B&B's, restaurants, garages, skip hire, toilet hire etc.. People who come from all over the UK and beyond to race see what a beautiful place North East Scotland is and many come back not just to race. This irresponsible and over the top policing will have an impact on these businesses. The cost to riders and teams of travelling to and competing in our event is also very high.
The fact that what appear to be thugs in uniforms can disrupt a completely legal well organised British Championship Sporting event to the extent they did is not acceptable. The police had every opportunity to conduct themselves responsibly if they had concerns, but it would seem that their only objectives were to dish out £60 fines and try to ruin our event.
Elgin Endurance Club, its members and other Parties will be pursuing this matter.
Remember Doug an old woman can report you for riding up a byway legally and the plod will come running but if you tell them the woman is walking her dog off a lead on a public highway they drive off go figure that one we all saw it
Makes the police look like a bunch of chumps if they previously have overlooked this and had agreed in principal that its acceptable.
It is not up to the police to make the law up as they go along. If a bike is illegal no matter how petty the offense, turning a blind eye just because its an event in the past puts their integrity in doubt. To apparently sanction it and then turn up and dole out fines is despicable.
Really I don't quite get it, if its an enduro event and public roads are used in the event then why is it impractical to have a full size plate? I have ridden for years with a legal plate both trail and road bikes, whats the problem with having a full size legal plate
So, what is needed in some thought about having a quick fit release number plate system, how hard can it be ? Corect me if i am wrong but in the past enduro,s had service area,s on the course and in the middle of nowhere so there is no excuse for not doing plate changes in the field.
-- Edited by doug9270 on Monday 1st of April 2013 06:19:28 AM
__________________
Took the Queens Shilling and disappeared for 23 Years !!
We was stoped yesterday at the end of a lane after a dog wallker made a call, The police officer was as good as gold and smiles all round and did not check our plates etc, may be the law can say if you dont wont to put a big plate on, where a bib and have your registratoin on your back.
Quite a few different ways to mount a plate so it does not get mullered if you bin your bike.
One way is simply to partially cut through the plastic bolts so they snap if you hit the plate hard. Need spare bolts of course
Another is bolt the plate to rubber sheet, bolt the sheet to the bike in the centre and bolt the plate to the sheet near the outside edges.
Alternatively use long bolts with washers and springs with the springs on the back along the shaft of the bolt, even better slot the holes so it has more give.
Method 4 is don't fall off
Would be helpful if the BS standard did not specify bend resistance and thickness of the plate then flexy plates could be legal.
So, what is needed in some thought about having a quick fit release number plate system, how hard can it be ? Corect me if i am wrong but in the past enduro,s had service area,s on the course and in the middle of nowhere so there is no excuse for not doing plate changes in the field.
-- Edited by doug9270 on Monday 1st of April 2013 06:19:28 AM
There is one quickrelease mechanism I appear to be good at but it can get quite expensive.
I've known heavey duty velcro used to secure plates, and them mounted in clear view on hydration packs or rucksacks, and when pulled by police for the later two, the response was to avoid having clean them at the end of each muddy lane, and to stay within the letter of the law with a clearly visible number plate, this explanation was accepted by the officers concerned on numerous occations, but weather it is completely legal I could not tell you.
UK number plates have to be in accordance with The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001
Part II, Regulation 5 states:-
5.(1) This regulation applies to vehicles, other than works trucks, road rollers and agricultural machines, first registered on or after the relevant date. (2) A registration plate must be fixed on the rear of (a) the vehicle, or (b) where the vehicle is towing a trailer, the trailer, or (c) where the vehicle is towing more than one trailer, the rearmost trailer.
So technically any plate fastened to the rider or his pack would not be in accordance with the law.
Martyn
__________________
You're never too old to learn something stupid.
TTR250 but now a mobility scooter Budleigh Salterton
but if you tell them the woman is walking her dog off a lead on a public highway they drive off
we all saw it
