Watching for the police.

[Matrix]

This weekend I was cruising east down coal creek at a moderate pace and passed a fellow biker heading west who gave a half hearted wave. Around the next corner was a cop setting in his speed trap stance. The douche bag I passed didn’t even give me a hint that a cop was there. Lucky for me I was just cruising (5 or 10 over) and didn’t get stopped. While I haven’t seen it much since I moved here in Tulsa and KC guys use to tap the top of their helmet a few times to give others a heads up. Is their a local practice here or is the 'top of the helmet tap' a mid-west thing?

WARN A BROTHA YO!

[455bird]

I picked up the helmet tap for a cop in california and I've given it to a few riders here. I've never seen anyone else here do it, but I've heard it's a local practice.

[King Nothing]

In the past month I have seen a unmarked Malibu Maxx, 300c, Fusion, Trailblazer and a Magnum that actually had a bumper sticker saying something about soccer moms on it. All vehicles were spotted on I-25 between Lincoln and Founder's PKWY in Castle Rock. Just remember, they are pulling people over for speeding. It's for your safety. Douglas County FTL

[DavidofColorado]

People here flash their hi beams at you to signal there is cops running radar behind them. Be on the look out for it.

[Snowman]

Best part: seconds after I snapped this shot she cut in front of me and started to pull over to the side of the road near S/B Sante Fe and south end of the Light Rail. As she pulled to my right I opened my passenger-side window and hollered out to her, "Hey, skews me. Can I pull over and chat with you for a minute!?!" A look of utter surprise came over her and then she said (with a bit of suspicion), "Sure, drive around the corner and I'll meet you after I check on this accident.

Well, she did. Walked right up to me with her helmet in one hand and her right hand on her weapon (I guess I look like trouble, ha). We ended up having a nice conversation about women in motorcycling.

Hanging around you guys must be effecting more than I know. For a moment there I thought this was going to turn out like one of those Penthouse Forum articles…

[DavidofColorado]

He left out the rest of it. I'm sure there was some cuffing and spanking later.

[pilot]

Hanging around you guys must be effecting more than I know. For a moment there I thought this was going to turn out like one of those Penthouse Forum articles…

Working on it

[pilot]

This was from yesterday on Sante Fe near Oxford.



Notice the nice ski rack and off-road bumper!

[SamuraiX]

I saw these fools at Lincoln and I-25 yesterday - side by side riding formation - all up on each others shit.

[PsychoMike]

I picked up the helmet tap for a cop in california and I've given it to a few riders here. I've never seen anyone else here do it, but I've heard it's a local practice.

i also got this in Cali. the group I ride with do it and I have seen a few others.

[FZRguy]

I see more of the palm facing down with the slow signal around here.

[tarded400]

To me the palm down is more for animals and dirt on the road. I tap the helmet.

[dm_gsxr]

I got the helmet tap up at Niwat Road and 287 last week. I was able to see the two cops on the left side of the road but I waved. I helmet tapped for a couple of riders that I passed farther up 287 as a warning.

Tuesday and Wednesday the motorcops were patrolling and radaring on Lowell between Sheridan and Rt 7 (the Anthem area). He sits at the southernmost construction entrance with radar watching for folks coming from Sheridan Parkway. I tapped my helmet for a couple of riders heading south as a warning.

Carl

[dm_gsxr]

To me the palm down is more for animals and dirt on the road. I tap the helmet.

Yea, for me the slow down one is just a generic be careful or slow down. The helmet tap is specific for a cop ahead.

Either would have me slowing down though. The slow down one would have me looking for gravel or a dead animal or an accident.

Carl

[KoryBricker]

Supposedly (coming from a friend that is a police officer), the helmet tap is widely known and accepted signal to warn of police and if seen by an officer, can actually get you ticketed as police interference while a slow down type signal just a generic "warning" and nothing they can do as your just being "helpfull" .

I'm pretty skeptical about it but figure better to be safe than sorry and only do the helmet tap if I know for sure I am out of view of the officer.

[dm_gsxr]

Supposedly (coming from a friend that is a police officer), the helmet tap is widely known and accepted signal to warn of police and if seen by an officer, can actually get you ticketed as police interference while a slow down type signal just a generic "warning" and nothing they can do as your just being "helpfull" .

I'm pretty skeptical about it but figure better to be safe than sorry and only do the helmet tap if I know for sure I am out of view of the officer.

Didn't know that. There was a patrol car in front of the rider in the second incident. It was a divided highway but I suspect it's one of those frustration tickets and not a "real violation" if you know what I mean.

Back in Virginia, some guy was driving his car on the shoulder ($75 ticket ) and was finally nabbed by the cops. Someone else in really slow traffic beeped his horn in glee. Unfortunately the cop wasn't pleased by that and pulled him out of traffic and gave him a ticket for sounding an emergency when there wasn't one in evidence.

Carl

[Cars-R-Coffins]

It's common knowledge that any type of "communication" (i.e. tapping helmet, lowering hand, etc.) between drivers/riders to warn of police is protected by the First Amendment.

With that being said, they could give you a Failure to Dim ticket if they catch you flashing headlights ...but that would be a stretch.

[Horsman]

a LPD biker was shadowing me(with their New BMW bikes). Something told me not to romp on it. As I stopped at the light, he pulled up next to me and said "Ya wanna race???". I told him "I could take him off the line but he would own me in the end" We both laughed and he said "just be safe" and I said 'likewise". I know he wanted to see what his new shiny bike can do...

[66stang21]

Wow. I wonder if that is a special unit other than a traffic unit.

[pilot]

Remind u of anyone from the club?

[tarded400]

I know he wanted to see what his new shiny bike can do...

Judging from every cop I know (which is quite a few) I would bet a pretty penny he knows EXACTLY what that bike will do, and has since 5 minutes after it was delivered.

[denver_whitest185]

today was the first day ive really ridden a bike on the street. i was taking it pretty easy, and guess what, i got pulled over by a lakewood PD cop. the guy followed me for a few blocks, pulled me over, and after i had given him my papers, said he had pulled me over cause i matched the description of someone who they were looking for due to a domestic dispute, that had left riding a dark motorcycle with a black helmet. lol, i don't think he could have given me a more pathetic excuse for pulling me over for no good reason...

[tarded400]

Could be true, you never know...

[denver_whitest185]

Could be true, you never know...

id say a majority of motorcyclists have dark bikes, and ALOT of people wear black helmets. if they pulled me over for just that, than they must have pulled over a couple dozen people for a matching description this evening.

i think he wanted to check to make sure i had my endorsement and insurance, just trying to make the city some money...