Mass Transit Railway and police

Tue, 09/23/2014 - 00:39

Just a general picture for interest to show the Traffic Police and MTR inspection Officers as the public would see us on the road. The bike is the Yamaha 750 electra start police special from Japan and the Sergeants and PCs would try to get it and ride it if I was out the office as they were issued the 250cc. 

Date picture taken
1970s

Comments

My first car in HK was a very distinctive, bright yellow Ford Consul Reg. No.  AB1100.

For months afterwards, whenever I approached a police controlled junction (the norm in those days) traffic was stopped in all other directions and I was immediately waved through.

Every time.

I later discovered the previous owner was Chief Inspector Traffic, Kowloon.

Many years ago - in the early 1980's I was in Mong Kok when I heard a crash. A traffic policeman had stepped off his bike and thinking he had put the stand down - he stepped away from it and it crashed to the floor!

He then made several attempts to pick it up, getting no help from the rapidly growing crowd of onlookers! He was getting himself and the street covered in petrol, so I offered to help.

It was one of the bigger bikes - a Triumph I think? Between us we managed to put the front wheel on full lock and heaved it up! The policeman, who was condiderably smaller than me, was very grateful, but he certainly would not have managed it by himself! I wonder if he remembers that day!?!?!?

One after noon there was a police armed incident in Nathen Road near to the ferry terminal. I was on a police bike and had just met up with Ian Gilchrist (IP) Traffic on his. Together we switched on everything and went to the scene meeting lots of traffic so the least congested route was the Nathen Road footpaths /pavements so we took the bikes down there and arrived quite quickly, scattering all as we went. When the incident was nearly over I was standing with Ian, both of us in full uniform, at the Star Ferry Terminal with about 1000 on lookers and tourists trying to see what was going on..... Now for the devilment....as there was nothing else going on....and the crowd were waiting for something to happen.... For some reason I looked up at the tall shopping building, raised my arm and shouted out "Dont jump" Ian followed on pointing upwards and shouting... (THERE WAS NO ONE THERE).... this was then followed by all the onlookers following our example and straining to see the jumper. Some of the audience could see and describe the jumper ???? who was standind on the building edge to others in the crowd (STILL NO ONE THERE) and the crowd got bigger still until so jam-packed no one could move. Us? we removed our crash helmets, ducked down and made our way to the rear and away. Even the South China Morning Post couldn't make a story out of that and an excited crowd made their way home that evening having been at 2 police incidents at the same time. We certainly entertained the crowd that day.