Blazing past cops in Bali

When I first came to Bali in 2003, cops were pulling people over like crazy on the road. Their favourite hangouts were 4 lane roads, giving them enough space to use 1 lane for stopping people, while not blocking the whole road.

The roundabout in Kuta, Sunset Rd, the loop at Jl. Legian & Jl. Melasti etc. I’ve been stopped at all these. In the last couple of years its dropped off dramatically. The cops out here are always looking for easy cash though, and if you linger too long, sometimes they’ll try to grab you. Yesterday afternoon I was heading down to Kuta on the Sunset Rd. A dump truck was in front of me doing about 30km/h, the traffic in the fast lane flying by. I sat patiently behind the truck thinking it was better to be careful than try to pull inot the racetrack to my right.

Looking in my mirror, I saw a police SUV cruising along 50 yards behind me. After a couple of minutes he pulls next to me and one of the 4 cops inside says “Okay Sir you pull over.” “Look Mr. nasty policeman.” I yelled “I’ll be damned if I stop, because I have done nothing wrong, and suspect you will try to hit me up for money.” I responded. Punching the brakes, I allowed the SUV to pass, then hitting the gas, went around the back of him, into the fast lane and off into the sunset, waving at him with my middle finger. I half expected him to follow, but they knew as well as I did, it was just an attempted shake-down and nothing more.

Generally I do not get pulled over, but one tactic I use, is to screen myself from he cops using other riders. When coming through an intersection, or actually stopping at one, I try never to make eye contact, as that can lead to a request for me to pull over. You can screen through a roadblock too if you have to. They generally position themselves on the hard shoulder, with 1 or 2 guys in the center divider, to catch runners. By tailing a fast local, I am able to block an outstretched arm and change direction fast. Try it, you might enjoy it.