[D4D]

Before I tell you what happened, I recommend all fellow two-wheeler riders to wear helmets even if you're a pillion. That's what I do and I wish more people also would do.

This incident happened to me today when I was riding pillion with my friend. We had just exited college at around 1230 pm today and cops stopped us at Hosakerahalli cross(in Bangalore). We got down and removed our helmets.
They asked my friend to show his DL, registration, tax receipt and insurance. My friend promptly showed them all and the policeman didn't find anything out of order.

P(Policeman): Where are you both working?
M(Me): Sir, we're college students. Just now left college, after writing an exam.
P(pointing to me, the pillion): Why are you wearing helmet?
M: Safety sir. I believe that a pillion must wear helmet too.
P: You know why we stopped you? We always (read as=make it a point) stop a two-wheeler in which both rider and pillion wear helmets (I was like- ) as we assume something fishy like chain snatching is going on.
M: Ok sir.
P: Show me your college Ids
<We show him our Ids>
P: We're leaving you because you are college students. Normally otherwise, you would be called to police station and the inspector decides what to do.

What happened next was surprising:

P(to me, the pillion): Don't wear that helmet. Carry it in your hand.

We drive off without me wearing the helmet.
Ask me friend to stop after a 300 meters, and put on the helmet. After all, I'm not breaking any law.

Why should policemen discourage people from wearing two helmets?

[msdivy]

Probably that policeman has seen or heard a crime that was committed with a pillion rider wearing helmet. So he is jumping to an wrong conclusion here. It is faulty generalization fallacy. Just ignore.

[commonman]

Last year,when I was in Guwahati,Assam ,I had a similar experience. I was riding behind a friend and I asked why are you not wearing helmet? Then to my surprise he told me that if he wears a helmet then police will stop them as normally terrorists wear helmets!!!. I didn't believe it in the beginning, then later on i saw everyone keeping the helmet on the handle bar and riding bikes. So there was some truth in this.

I find so much in common here.

The police being extra cautious as chain snatchers wear helmets and coming on two wheeler is not new .This time they would have been given an update keeping in mind the forthcoming festive holidays.

[Horizon81]

I'm okay with the incident till the quoted part below happened. Nothing wrong with checking on a couple of motocycle riders, both wearing helmets, especially since almost 90% of crimes done by motorcycle duos tend to use helmets to avoid detection.

But the last part, below is totally unacceptable. He's giving a veiled threat that if you wear helmet you will invite trouble and goes on to advise you to remove it!

Originally Posted by D4D

P: We're leaving you because you are college students. Normally otherwise, you would be called to police station and the inspector decides what to do.

What happened next was surprising:

P(to me, the pillion): Don't wear that helmet. Carry it in your hand.

[D4D]

Originally Posted by Horizon81

He's giving a veiled threat that if you wear helmet you will invite trouble and goes on to advise you to remove it!

That's the reason for this thread.

In the worst case when both rider and pillion fall, why should the rider only be safe? The pillion also has an equal right to safety.

In places like Bangkok, two-wheeler taxis have a separate helmet for their customers.

[roy_libran]

Whilst I can well imagine the difficulties that the police face, due to crimes perpetrated by Motorcyclists with Helmets, it is equally a huge Safety Risk for both the innocent riders and pillions, not to be wearing one!
As, perhaps, a Middle path, the police would do well to issue directives for Rider's to wear a Open Face helmet as against a Full Face Helmet, in such troubled areas.

[Samurai]

This is really ridiculous. Please report this on the FB page of Bangalore Traffic Police.

https://www.facebook.com/BangaloreTrafficPolice

[arunphilip]

And in other news - white collar criminals wear seatbelts

[anshul26]

Originally Posted by Samurai

This is really ridiculous. Please report this on the FB page of Bangalore Traffic Police.

https://www.facebook.com/BangaloreTrafficPolice

I must say the cop is doing his job sincerely. He should not have been frank enough to tell him the reason they stopped for checking.
Complaining on FB for his frankness or lack of tack will put a sincere cop in trouble.Such trivial things needs to be overlooked.

[Octane_Power]

Extremely ridiculous but true. It is the common mentality of not only cops but also people in general; if the rider and pillion both have their helmets on, they are looked at with suspicion, cuz till date they have never seen good or normal citizens wearing helmets as pillions.

Only case where they have seen both of them wearing helmets is in case of biker thieves.

I have experienced this once. While, we weren't stopped by cops, but yes, other motorists did look at us with suspicion. I thought I was the only one to experience this pathetic behaviour, but no.

-Bhargav

[kookaburra]

Car with sun film: Illegal because it hides the faces of the occupants of the car
Helmets for bikers: Legal even when it does the same thing above?

[JASMEET MATTOO]

This is completely unacceptable.Police telling pillion rider to carry helmet in hand and not wear it.
They have complete authority to check the documents and they should do it too whenever they feel suspicious. Wearing a helmet should always be encouraged especially by the Police.

[D4D]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

As, perhaps, a Middle path, the police would do well to issue directives for Rider's to wear a Open Face helmet as against a Full Face Helmet, in such troubled areas.

But the "middle part" is not exactly the best path here. In case of a fall, injuries are maximum in the facial region.
Please check the third image in this: http://www.team-bhp.com/safety/open-...l-face-helmets

Originally Posted by Samurai

This is really ridiculous. Please report this on the FB page of Bangalore Traffic Police.

https://www.facebook.com/BangaloreTrafficPolice

Ah yes, reported this. Thank you.

[saket77]

Whenever I go on a long ride with gloves, jacket, helmet (always while riding), elbow & knee guards, every time I cross a policeman, I have a feeling that I will be asked to pullover. The way they stare is like you are inviting some trouble instead of taking precautions and being safe. Probably donning the safety gear also gives the policemen a feeling that you are racer or a fast rider who is all set to pull some stunts on roads.

However, the bottom line remains that if you are not breaking the law and have all papers of your vehicle in order, then you should not feel scared. Always put on the protective gear. All you may have is some hassle of showing all your documents. Much better than sustaining injuries when the gear was lying packed at home.

[tharian]

Absolute nonsense.

In the first scenario, the cop can stop you and check if there are pending cases against the vehicle registration number. He cannot stop you randomly to check papers.
If the pillion was wearing a helmet which made the cop suspicious, why on earth did he ask him to not wear it after clearing his doubts?

This is nothing but screwing around in my books and I would do what Samurai suggested.