Went out for an hour today on my bike, pulled up at the front of a set of lights not 1/2 mile from my house to turn left. Lights went green, away I went, nice wide road, uphill , long right then down hill to a set of lights, they turn green as I get there so around the one car at the front and nicely onwards. Come to some shops and a McDonalds etc so slow down and approach a traffic lighted junction, look in my mirror to see a silver BMW 5 series, blue lights and headlamps flashing :w00t:. I’m almost stopped behind the cars in front so I move to the right on the hatched area in the hope he’s going to whizz right past me but lights are red and he pulls alongside on my left.
Anyway, to cut a long story shortish he tells me he has a bike himself and can well understand that its the only dry day in about 6 months and the suns out etc etc but one really shouldn’t be riding at that kind of speed with a police car behind. Now what really bothers me is I had no idea a police car WAS behind me and I cannot think when he would’ve appeared. I certainly checked my mirrors when I stopped to turn left but its a good mile before he pulled me, why oh why did I not see him before? I’m really troubled by this and am going to make a double conscious effort to check my mirrors more. Just wanted to get this off my chest!!! I did thank the officer concerned for his understanding then rode the rest of the journey enveloped in a huge feeling of foolishness. 
Hehe… does that mean it’s ok to ride at that speed if you don’t have a police car behind you??? 
I guess you gotta feel lucky that he was a biker and not a jobsworth 
I find most of the “older” police are not jobsworths… and met loads of them that were coppers…
Nothing beats being a women in that situation…:w00t:
do, cos its all you can do…
he may have ‘heard’ you, if you have a pipe, he may have been down a side road you passed??
either way you got away with it…
This is very true 
He was lucky it weren’t my brother pulled him over - he’s a c*ck
No really - he IS a real c*ck.
Sounds like blinkin good coppering to me!
What the copper said / done has made me think about my riding more than a ‘bo**ocking’ and points would’ve so in turn surely this has made me a safer rider. Couldn’t thank the fella enough cos he obviously had me bang to rights! Still puzzled about where he joined me and there are NO side roads he could’ve sprung from!!!
As you say it looks like you’ve been given an opportunity to reconsider your use of your mirrors.
One of the lessons you have to learn in advanced riding is always knowing what’s behind you - and it’s easier said than done. Typically when you are being observed (and tested) your examiner will be behind you but you have to take your directions by watching their indicators in your mirrors. Radios make it too easy! This means that on the approach to every junction (side road, turning etc) you are looking to see what they are doing and, in so doing, learning the habit of knowing exactly what’s going on behind you. Of course this is in addition to assessing the junction and what’s ahead etc!
If you want to try and improve your mirror technique try following a random car * whilst in front of them* i.e watching their indicators and position in your mirrors. It’s really hard to do (particularly if they don’t indicate!) but it will force you to be ‘aware of your rear’ (so to speak)! Be careful not to fixate on them though and miss what’s ahead!
As a rule of thumb you should be checking your mirror every 7 - 10 seconds; but more frequently if there is a hazard developing there.
Hope that helps
Doug
Absolutely right - always keep on top of your mirrors if you don’t wan’t to get pulled - try and suss the cars you are overtaking - e.g. beemers, subarus, volvos and jags with a couple of blokes in them could all be unmarked traffic police - Jimshoes every 7-10 seconds mirror check is de-rigeur and should become second-nature both for safety (e.g. there could be some guy on a sports bike coming up very fast on your inside/outside just before you decide to change direction) and for checking for rozzers.
I dont got mirrors on my main bike and I dont get caught out like this (why did I have to go and say that!:pinch:), as the man said, there was a summit lacking in his observation at the time and the copper nailed it. Its summit we’ve all done and we’ll all, in time, do again. Its a reminder to us all that we’re human.
I got caught out about 18mths ago on Farringdon Rd. I took up a road position to control my inside so I could concentrate on the traffic to my right until I could find somewhere safer to be. I didnt bother with shoulder checks on the nearside cause I knew (read I thought I knew:blush: ) that no one would be stupid enough to try to stick a car between me and the curb…It turned out the I was the stupid one!:doze:
At least it was a good bit of ‘old school coppering’ - quick clip round the ear and on yer way sonny. I’m forever checking my mirrors as I’m paranoid of being pulled over. Can spoil a nice ride sometimes when you see a nice bit of road but feel the need to take it easy in case of plod standing by. Oh well, safety first eh.