Was having the odd round brown Ale sandwich with some mates the other day, and talk got around to how old were you when you 1st got booked for speeding
We had all sorts of responses as some of my mates (and yes I DO have some
) were farm boys - they seemed to pulled by the plod fairly early in life !!
The earliest was 16 & 11 months. I, it seems have to have hit the jackpot- I first got pinged at 14 & some months !!
I was coming home from school with a mate on the back of my treadly (push bike) and was caught behind a smokey old school bus going up Roberts Ave in Peakhurst-Sydney -and was a might miffed sucking in the diesel. Got near to the top of the hill where the Bus was crawling and started to make my move-had to go round the outside as we (mate who I had on the back) thought the bus might pull in to a stop. Roberts Ave going down the steep side in about 1-1.5 k's long and straight as !! LOL So we started to go round the bus. We had now reached the top of the hill and were on the way down-the bus accelerating slower than me with the 3 speed Sturmie Archers on the bike. Didn't know it when we started to pass the bus, but we were starting to get bit of a leg along, and there were 3 cars in front of the Bus and we were going faster than all 3 cars & the Bus.
We-OBVIOUSLY
-didn't see the Police car, which was 2nd in the queue-and the reason everyone was being good
Well as we went past the Bus and the 3 cars my mate Ray said-Geez Rog that's a Cop car
Nothing I could do but keep going at it. I had just gotten a speedo on my bike and, well, you just gotta see how quick you can go-and I did. I reckon that we hit about 50 MPH-........maybe...
(well I was 14 +/-) just before we hit the bottom on the hill and had to go up the rather steep BUT short other side- I know I didn't have to peddle much going up that side, but we did get passed but the Police car !
When we got over the top, you might have guessed that, yes we were pulled over and asked if we knew how fast we were going ?
Now if you can recall being 14 or so and a cop asks how fast do you reckon you're going you're likely to talk it up
Which I did ! ' Oh dunno I was trying for 55 or 60 !' ' didya clock me ??' " Yeah- about 50"
' No Mate I reckon I was going faster than that ' at this time the Sgt got out of the car
where upon Ray tells me to shut up !
Being really smart as most 14yo's are & being quick off the mark thought wise - it begins to sink in Hmmm this might not be all that good!
Sgt. to constable " get his name and address " ME ' what for ?' "Am I talking to you Son? " ' No sir
' Now truth to be told I thought they may tell me to just behave myself- so when the plod said "what's you name and address?" I thought they were joking! Err it seems not. So I told them. Not good enough- had to show them my school bus pass etc.
Got a spray from the Sgt too -that, it seems was no extra ! Anyway of course by this time the bus had passed us- with all our mates hanging out the windows shouting lots of encouragement etc. We were then told to be on our way and to of course behave. Followed up with-' Did you know there is a speed limit for bicycles? ' I think my response was something along the lines of 'Yeah sure & Hitler won the war too !" I think my ears are still ringing from the clip the Sgt gave me !!
Off we went, obviously got stuck behind the bus again and couldn't pass it even if we wanted too 'cause the gentlemen from the constabulary decided we needed to be followed.
Well we were only 14 or so- and we had a good laugh about it all the way home
Lets face it at 14 you are either thinking about food, having a quick toss, the sheila with the cute smile or the biggest tits !
A month or maybe two goes by, which is a life time at 14, possibly even two. Then one Saturday morning a letter arrives ( yes saturday mail, well it was a while ago) from the NSW Police Traffic Dept. My Dad looks at it and says to Mum ' Margret have you been booked ?' 'Now really Ross, you know I haven't been booked !' "well I haven't" ' why don't you just open it and read it?' Oh the logic of Mothers! About this time I thought--Hmm maybe time to .....duck out
About now Dad says " don't you go far WE are cleaning out the car & the garage." ****-no escaping this. Anyway my father & I have the same initial 'R', so he opens the letter-reads it quickly. Then says to Mum, "seriously what's wrong with the Police Dept?" ' Why?' 'well it says here that I was booked on Wednesday 2nd May at 3.25pm. for exceeding the speed limit by 25MPH ! That's ..what umm 55 in a 30 zone!?! Look I am always doing 35-40 but 55 that's a bit rich!' Mum '"Ross- A Wednesday ? You would have been at work and I would have had the car-think about it? " No points for guessing that Dad then re-reads the letter looking for the number plate of said speeding vehicle.
Of course he can't find and he still hadn't read ALL of the Bluey-has he. I reckon I got about 5 minutes before I'm summonded to the kitchen. He had finally re-read again, and this time all of it and got tp the part where the charge read " Exceed the speed limit on a bicycle but 25mph! "
Parents are great interregators you know. Seeing as I was the only one in the house who had a bike, you think it would be obvious that I would know something about this wouldn't you?
" Do you know what this is about Son ?" ' No-what Dad' Rule #1 at 14 when interragation starts to become serious .
Plausable denighability-" This speeding fine ?" ' Dad you know I'm not allowed to drive that car on the road!' " You're not being a smart Alex are you?" ' No Dad but it's a speeding ticket !' " Be that as it may Son but #1 It's not mine 'cause I was at work, #2 It's speeding on a pushbike ! #3 I HAVE NOT ridden a pushbike in (lets put it this way for fear of offending some) a very (substitue any rude word used in the early to mid 60's) long time! #4 YOU I believe are the only here with a pushbike-is that not correct ?" 'Err yes Dad' " then you'd better tell me what the story is, and be smart about it !" ' do you mean....' " stop right there!" ' Yes Dad- well it was like this ......'
Dad actually thought it was really very funny- so end result was Yes I had to pay the fine. It was 10 bob ( $1 to all you young blokes)- a lot of money when you only got 5 bob pocket money a week.
Truth to tell I was a legend at school for about 5 minutes I think !
It didn't end there. I didn't know, but Dad happened to know the local SGT really well, and the Sgt knew who I was when I was booked, but didn't say anything-THEN. He did however talk to me when I went and got my license at Hurstville Police Station a couple of years later-" now son I've already booked you for speeding once-DON'T let it become a habit !" 'Ohh no Sir, I'll be good ' .
Okay-Now I've told my story it's time for the rest of you to 'fess up !
Rog