hey guys how is the new year treating us all? well i started mine at 1:am new years day by being breathod coming out of elsternwick 24hr Mcdonalds. now before i tell my story let me just say that i get along with most police and have only had 2 bad encounters, this included. as i came out the drive through i was breathod, all was cool the guy gave me my straw, anyway as i drove off there was a bigger setup just up the road, booze busses on both sides of nepean highway and tmu cars in the service roads, i didnt want to drive around them beause it would look like i was running and there were marked and unmarkeds everywhere. so i drove through the service road, stopped and held up my straw to the officer saying that id already been tested at maccas im fine. sound alright to you so far? well the cop says that i pulled the straw out of my glovebox and that id been hiding it there for the future if i got breathod again, i hold up my maccas bag saying realy do people do that? and nah i was just at maccas i am holding the bag see then the cop replies, "dont be a smartass, think outside the square i am only trying to do my job" so i try to apologise saying i didnt mean to be smart, i was just trying to be friendly and helpfull, and he loks at me and says "if u keep speaking to me like that, i will go from the front to the back of your car, put a little yellow sticker on the window and then ill have your car towed." so i shut up and blew into the straw and waited for my license and to be told to drive away. i wanted to ask his name and number but i thought if i did that he'd call me a smartass and give me a major defect (god knows what for as i try to keep my car as well maintained as possible or affordable, although im sure he would make up something) then have the car towed. so anyway, i drove off counting myself pretty lucky but realy upset and angered by the whole situation. after i took my girl home it was still bothering me so i stipped at the copshop and asked what i should do should this happen again, they recomended read their badge rather than ask for the name and number if you are to intimidated to ask. also they recommended that i shoudl write a formal complaint and take it to the moorabin TMU i worte a complaint that night while it was fresh in my mind and i went in today an had a chat to the seargent who was in charge of the operation on New years eve / day. it turned out that the man in charge was the man who breathod me coming out of maccas. he said that there were 8 officers on that night, taking out himself and the man he was with, there were 6, he said that it would be one of three members of his group and that i had the option to leave it in his hands or the option to send my letter to the ethics commision. i chose to leave it with this man (i won't mention names) as i know he is a fair and just officer and doesn't approach people with predetermined negative and aggresive attitudes. the main issues are that i was threatened, that the officer called me a smartass, and that the officer said he WOULD defect and tow me. even though i stand by the view that if they want to defect you they will, and that all cars are unroadworthy when you put a TMU officxer next to them, it is still innapropriate for him to say he will defect me, until he looks he canot tell if he is able to defect me or not. pretty much i didnt like being threatened when i was doing nothing wrong, and i want to stand up for car enthusiasts who are victims of ar$eholes. so i should know in a wek or 2 what is going on and i will let you all know. just to repeat not all police are knobs but like vl drivers there are enough bad ones to give TMU a bad reputation. hope you had a good read - Mitcham

Well its good to see that you did something by putting in a complaint but I doubt that anything will happen and now you'll probably get a defect notice in the mail or something.

its wierd man...ive had cops complimenting my car "looks good lowered" "nice rims"... im thinking to myself wtf? but good on ya we need more cops like that Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

if i get a defect notice in the mail i will be asking why, and yeah this second guy was a knob but the first was really nice and i have dealt with him a few times now. ijd, the main thing is that this behaviour is broughgt to the attention of the offenders peers. hopefully their workmates will be able to change his attitude, and if in the future this happens again there is a record showing that he has already had one chance. by the way, i find most police will compliment the car, when my bonnet was tagged i swear i had half the station saying how they felt for me, and more often than not i will be pulled over for a breatho and license check, and then be left alone.

i too have had proboems with moorabbin, but with the ones that patrol st kilda, south yarra, prahran ive been fine with

i've had a couple complete assholes down my way in the franskton area really agressive, getting you for every little thing they can, but have however had more complete guns of a cop, been let off for doing a burnout twice, and once for dragracing. luck of the draw really Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

marmo, sounds pretty lucky mate, in future if a policeman is agressive and threatening without reason be sure to take note of his / her name and do something about it! but hey if u r draghging and doing burnouts and they do u for everyt little thing, thats fair enough count yourself lucky for not being towed.

Good to see you followed it up Mitcham. Atleast the superior officer gave you some sort of empathy.