LONG STORY
I learned the hard way NOT to keep insurance and registration under the seat.
One time a cop pulled me over and IMMEDIATELY demanded to see my certification. Every time I reached for my key in the ignition, he told me to FREEZE, because he figured I was trying to make a getaway. It wasn't until I got my OTHER key from my wallet that I was able to unlock my seat and show him the papers. Ever since then, I keep the papers in my wallet.
We have different methods, Raid. I deliberately keep my registration in a hard to reach place. My logic is that the more time I spend getting the registration out, the more time I have to demonstrate to the cop that I am a responsible person. It also gives the cop time to purge some adrenaline from his system.
When pulled, I shut off the bike, kickstand it, and remain seated on the bike.
When the cop gives his first instruction to me, I say,"Officer, I'm wearing earplugs so I cannot hear you very well. I'm going to take my helmet off so I can remove them."
He gives me the nod, and then I step off of the bike and start degearing. Off come the gloves, the helmet, and finally the earplugs come out. By this time I'm clearly not a flight risk, and he's seen that I am absolutely obsessive about safety gear. All of which works in my favor.
After the earplugs come out we can start talking, but this is at least a minute of time where I'm moving slowly and calmly, and the cop is tanding there watching me and reevaluating his first impression of me. (Pulled for speeding, so the first impression will be that I'm a squid.)
When they ask for the registration, I explain that it is under the seat. I unlock the seat, letting the cop see what I'm doing. I don't want him to think that there is a gun hidden down near the seat lock.
I then remove the seat, holding it with both hands, and set it on the ground. This gives the officer time to look in the underseat compartment and see that there's no weapon in there.
Finally I produce the insurance card from under the seat.
This method works pretty well, as I've gotten out of a number of tickets that should have had me locked up for reckless driving.
Fred
, I will put some woolly gloves under the seat, so when you stop off for a break and hands are cold pop the gloves on to warm hands back up. Of course this must be done out of sight of other bikers
