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Residents rebel against ‘hoon riders’

Kawasaki Ninja 1000 residents

Residents on popular motorcycle routes are starting to rebel against what they see as ‘hoon riders’ invading their weekend country peace and quite.

In the latest move, Mt Mee residents in Brisbane’s west have called for concealed surveillance cameras, point-to-point speed cameras, more 60km/h zones, traffic claiming, fluorescent speed signs, TruCAM laser speed guns fitted in police patrol cars and for police to confiscate helmet cameras for evidence of hooning.

This follows one resident placing an elaborate fake speed camera by the roadside to slow riders. The illegal roadside obstacle was later removed by a roadworks crew.

Sat-Cam two-way speed cameras on Mt Mee
Fake speed camera

The issue has now blown up amid claims of “hooning, drifting, speeding, luging and general anti-social behaviour on Mt Mee Road between D’Aguilar and Dayboro” in a letter from local State MP Andrew Powell to the Police and Main Roads ministers.

UPDATE AUGUST 24: The Main Roads Minister’s office has now replied saying the speed limit will not be dropped from 100km/h to 60km/h in the lookout area as requested by residents as it is a “rural arterial road”.

The office also rejects traffic calming and fluorescent speed signs.

Police blitzMt Mee police blitz after residents complain

While the ministers don’t seem likely to bend to the whims of one backbench Opposition Member, police have already started discriminatory RBT and vehicle checks on riders in the area.

Riders who have become aware of the letter have either called for more bikes to buzz the region or for a boycott.

Pit Stop Cafe owner John Alexander says rider numbers have decreased on Mt Mee because of the heightened police presence.

Motorcycle-friendly Pitstop Cafe on Mt Mee sandra Moran
Motorcycle-friendly Pitstop Cafe on Mt Mee

He says he has seen as many as three police bikes and a patrol car in the 7km from his cafe to the Mt Mee school. Some come from as far as Nambour, he says.

“It’s like the bikie laws. It’s just a carpet-bombing approach whereas they should target the areas of concern,” he says.

“It’s not intimidation, but if you go past a policeman it’s second nature to look at your speedo and if you see a few of them then you avoid the road altogether.”

He says the resultant drop-off in riders will impact local businesses as far as Dayboro and Woodford.

Hooning allegationsMt Mee police operation mountains residents

Residents have allegedly complained that motorcyclists, motorists and luge riders block the road and driveways so they can race, ride on the wrong side of the road, urinate in yards and perform burnouts and wheelies.

“The groups are that well organised even sending drones ahead to ascertain of any police presences, and using mobiles and social media t quickly communicate such,” Andrew’s letter claims.

John says he has not experienced any of these “hooning” behaviours that residents have claimed.

“We don’t see bikes hooning all that much, but we do have cars coming up at night and driving past very fast,” John says.

Andrew admits he does not have any evidence or statistics of the hooning activities, only residents’ anecdotes.Mt Mee police blitz after residents complain

He called a public meeting of residents on June 5 at the Mt Mee Community Hall about the situation after receiving about “up to a dozen complaints”. He says more than 20 people expressed concerns at the meeting.

Andrew says that since his letter to the ministers was posted on social media, he has received “a number of angry emails, phone calls and Facebook posts”.

“If riders are operating safely and legally I don’t understand what they have to be concerned about,” he says.

“My complaint is with a small group of motorcyclists undertaking moronic activities that are not only dangerous but create an unnecessary nuisance to many of my constituents. 

“I personally am very supportive of the larger community of law-abiding motorcyclists.”

Police Minister Mark Ryan says they will continue to patrol the areas and deploy speed cameras.

Confiscation of evidenceSena 10C Bluetooth action camera and intercom headset residents

As for the issue of riders having their helmet cameras or SD cards seized, that is already allowed in law, the Police Minister says.

I understand Queensland Police have a suite of powers under the Police Powers and responsibilities Act 2000 which, in certain circumstances, allow the seizure of items that may provide evidence of an offence,” he says.

Click here to read what to do if police want to confiscate your camera or SD card.

Motorcycle Riders Association of Queensland president Chris Mearns has also warned riders about using helmet cameras which can be confiscated by police.

“Our belief is that these can already be access as evidence if the police so desire as is the case on anything that can be classified as evidence and to withhold evidence is a crime in itself,” he says.

  1. About time Queenslanders got with the metric system and urinated in metres …

  2. Simple solutions for the whining residents…earplugs, move, or lighten up by getting a motorbike license, a motorcycle & have some f#####g fun!

  3. This is typical of people who move into an area first then whinge later instead of doing their research. Like the people who buy near an airport then complain about aircraft noise. Doesn’t take much brain power to figure that if you buy a house on a popular motorcycle route then motorcycles will come. Best plan for these people is to move elsewhere and find something else to whinge about. We have the same types at Mount Glorious and Mount Nebo.

  4. Some people are delighted by groups of bikes at the servo, cafe, etc
    & come up to look & talk & talk & talk about bikes until their wife eventually drags them away.
    Usually older males who rode bikes & loved it.

    Some people feel threatened by groups of bikes at the servo, cafe, etc.
    Usually older males who never rode bikes but want to tell you how to ride.

    Lots of bikes have shockingly loud, awful exhausts which annoy everyone whether they ride bikes or not.
    “Cruisers”
    One lives about a kilometre away from me & I can tell what time he leaves for work.
    They bikes plod along at the speed limit, holding everyone up, so police presence won’t get rid of those annoyances
    & instead their numbers will increase around Mt Mee etc.
    Police never fine those terribly loud exhausts but pick on sportsbikes instead.

    Wonder why.

    1. All this’s irrelevant, because in a few years you won’t be able to drive around Mt Mee on weekends
      because it’ll be taken over by hordes of schoolkids on pushbikes doing fundraising etc
      & speed limits will be droped to 30km/hr
      after the pushbike mob organised meetings complaining about the people who live around Mt Mee.

      You get what you ask for.

  5. I can believe the claim for burnouts. The last time I was there last year a bunch of blokes on new motorcycles with no cares given t-shirts on, were doing burnouts on the lookout parking up there, at midday on a weekday. Haven’t been up there since, but mostly because I don’t want to lose my licence to the police…

  6. Burnouts in a carpark are a pain.
    Slow old Harleys with loud exhausts are a pain.
    Skateboard juveniles racing down a public road are a pain.
    Flocks of pushbikes are a pain.
    Pissing in someones front yard is a pain.

    So, how is police booking people for being over the speed limit going to solve this?
    They’ll probably get the whingers who started it all off & invited them in.
    Revenue!!
    🙂

    So how will police

  7. This story is a generic one that could be, “insert town name” residents furious with HOONS i.e. Motorcycles, Fast & Furious cars, cyclist who talk too loudly at the ungodly hours and on and on and on. FFS people we all have to get along. We enjoy riding motorcycles and if I had to explain you wouldn’t understand anyway.

  8. Several police bikes in a parking bay occupied by another vehicle. Someone should have given them a ticket.
    Where’s a council parking officer when you need one?

  9. I’ve been waiting for the 80 KM/R limit through the area from Campbell’s Pocket Rd and that Rest Area to be lowered down to 60 or dreaded 50 KM/R.
    Dayboro has now a 50 speed in the town, with constant Policing/ Radar and I sure this speed reduction thinking will spread across all the Moreton Bay Villages.
    Woodford next ?

  10. Many years go one woman complained about the asserted excess bread being produced in Brisbane asserting bread prices were too high because of it ,such that the day of baking had to be put on the loaf and unsold bread could not be returned to the bakery. But the prices remained the same. I know this because I was in the business at the time.
    Is this the same ? where one person gets a bee in the pajamas and makes so much noise , based on supposition , that something is done to adversely affect those mostly involved.
    It is difficult to imagine such widespread antisocial behavior as stated in the article.
    Then what about the riders entitlement to use the road according to the statutes? it is after all a public road!

  11. I stay away from Mt Mee and Mt Glorious simply because if the police are going to harass and intimidate, why ruin a good day, plenty of places to ride and have fun away from the jackboots.

  12. Can some one with some legal understanding please explain in plain English.
    The word” ACT ” it seems there are a lot of ACT’s about and there are “LAWS”,
    Now as I understand an ACT has been passed, but needs to be put in the Hansard and passed by our Government to become a LAW!

    So If I am right an ACT is not LAW! If the ACT is only in one state,and not the Commonwealth of Australia then it is an illegal ACT by that state.
    Or am I just ACTing the fool.

    Previous Govt’s have eroded AUSTRALIA’s Constitution for their own means.
    I guess the Brown shirts will be looking at me right now.
    It happened in the 30’s and it’s happening now.(History repeats if we let it happen).
    Our national anthem states a passage ” we are young and free”
    Not any more are we free.
    I remember the days were the Police chased and caught Criminals, now they make criminals of us.
    Happy Trails my friends
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

  13. I think that all road speeds should be lowered by at least 10-20KPH so that the police can be effective in reducing road deaths, accidents, and hooning and receive extra grants of tax payers money for bigger, faster cars fitted with coffee makers and single beds for when they are suffering from exhaustion caused by their diligent pursuit of motor cyclists.

  14. So I’ve been at my current address for 30 years and there is a lot more traffic but I do not object to extra traffic or noisy cars or noisy bikes that pass by once or twice.
    What I do object to is the increasing number of motor bikes and yes cars as well using the mountain road as a race track. I believe there are places you can do this legally but I suppose there is a cost involved.
    It used to be only Saturday or Sunday, now it’s SaturdaySunday and some weekdays.
    Now it has gotten earlier starting at 5:30am on these days only occasionally earlier.
    Recently they (bikes and cars) can be heard speeding up the mountain in pitch black hours do they realise wildlife roam in the dark I hope they never encounter a kangaroo.
    So there are more than newcomers experiencing this activity and why should they check out how much illegal activity is happening in there chosen area to live because in my area as much as we have noisy cars and bikes we are only complaining about the ones who are using the road as a race track and putting not only their lives in danger but the innocent public who realise they are putting their lives and that of their families in danger so now do not enjoy the peaceful, beautiful drive on these country roads.
    We just want a fair go and if anyone out there would love to live beside a race track starting in the early hours of the day or wake up in the middle of the night holding your breath wating for an almighty crash then seek out a beautiful, peaceful country area and you will have found your dream place.
    AND please knock off the police bashing if you haven’t done anything wrong you have NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

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