PAZIENZA OR COMMON SENSE?

I have just seen an extraordinary thing: a policeman was standing at the roadside, waving the red "lollipop stick" at motorcycle riders without crash helmets. All of a sudden a young, helmetless lad on a motorbike travelling at speed saw the policeman from about 100 yards away, reared up on the bike, did a u-turn in the middle of the main road at the busiest time of the evening and hurtled off in the opposite direction. The policeman half-heartedly stepped into the road and waved the lollipop in a perfunctory manner, then shrugged his shoulders, lifted his hands in the pazienza gesture and resumed his conversation with a friend. He made no attempt to give chase [although he had his police car at the ready] radio someone else to do so or to take the number of the motorbike. Perhaps he knew the boy and will catch him next time; perhaps he just couldn't be bothered; or perhaps he felt there were more important fish to fry. I don't drive but I am pretty sure the young man would have been pursued in Britain.