'Mini heart attack': Motorcyclist gets pulled over by traffic police, only to be given goodie bag

This motorcyclist was pulled over by police — not for doing something wrong, but for doing things right.

A motorcyclist was pulled over by traffic police and was given a goodie bag for donning full protective gear, according to Instagram user Ohthesecircles in a post on Saturday (June 29).

"Who else gets scared when you get stopped by an officer even though you know you did nothing wrong?" The user, Russell Yeo, wrote on his post.

Yeo, a 31-year-old motorcycle salesman, was driving along Tampines Expressway (TPE) on his way to work when he was stopped by a traffic police officer on a motorcycle.

Coming to a standstill on the white chevron markings dividing two merging lanes, Yeo briefly talks to the officer, who instructs him to head to a bridge in front of them.

Once there, both dismount, where the officer reveals the reason for flagging him down.

"I stopped you because you're wearing your full [protective] gear," the officer explained, praising Yeo for additional safety measures taken. 

The video then cuts to the officer handing Yeo a goodie bag, opening it to point out its contents to the motorist.

The officer then snaps a selfie together with Yeo, before the two get back on their motorbikes and leave as the video ends.

In comments on his post, Instagram users expressed surprise at Yeo's encounter with the officer.

"Gave bro a mini heart attack over a gift bag," one netizen humorously commented.

Another said: "So lucky, whenever I get stopped it's only to go visit Ubi (where the traffic police headquarters are)."

"I need to start wearing full gear already," a user also said.

The Reward the Riders campaign was introduced in 2019 to encourage motorcyclists to adopt good practices of exemplary riders and it has rewarded more than 700 people as of 2023.

According to the Singapore Road Safety Council, motorcyclists should don appropriate protective gear which includes a properly-secured helmet, tight-fitting gloves, jacket, and closed footwear. 

'Wondering if I did something wrong'

While the encounter might have been wholesome to many online, being in that moment was certainly nerve-racking for Yeo.

Speaking with AsiaOne, Yeo laughed as he recalled: "I knew I wasn't speeding, but being pulled over by an officer always makes me nervous, I was doubting myself and wondering if I did something wrong."

However, Yeo was thankful and relieved to find that the officer was "very nice and professional".

Although he is aware of the Reward the Riders campaign, Yeo never expected to get a goodie bag out of it, he said. 

Inside this bag Yeo received was a raincoat set, a banner and a customised EZ-Link card from the police.

He added: "I got into an accident in April wearing full gear. I made it out alive because of what I wore, if not I may have lost my life or had severe injuries.

"I am happy with the reward. However, I want this to be an encouragement to all riders out there to wear full gear — for us and for our loved ones at home."

'He really had me there'

This isn't the first time that a motorcyclist was left in shock after being pulled over by a traffic policeman, only to have their expectations completely flipped.

In June 2021, Lee Joonmin described how he was riding along Woodlands Road when he was pulled over.

"To my horror, I saw the officer was gesturing at me to pull over," the then 23-year-old said in a Facebook post.

His worries turned out to be unfounded after the officer revealed that Lee had been stopped so that he could be rewarded.

In his goodie bag was a mask, hand sanitiser, surface sanitiser, wet tissues, an EZ-link card and a pouch.

"I never expected this to happen to me," he said. "[The officer] really had me there."

ALSO READ: Road referee? Traffic marshal dishes out 'penalty' cards to passing vehicles in Kaki Bukit

khooyihang@asiaone.com

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