Before you start,,,this IS NOT  a cop bashing thread. It is more of a "we`re fucked " economic thread.

I live in a small town outside of Dallas. This morning , as per the plan, my son and I took off for Dallas early on a mission. Along the way on a major highway during rush hour we encountered typical lurch and lunge traffic. I`m in my truck. He is in his immediately behind me. The car in front of me suddenly slammed on his brakes and I was able to swerve to the right and miss him. The traffic started to move and I straighened up and began to move forward again. All is good right? Nope. There was a Dallas County Deputy walking on the side of the road who waved me over. I stopped. He then waved over another driver. And then another.

Here is the deal. Dallas County , like many large counties nationwide are suffering big budget problems. I watched while he walked up to my truck as another officer was doing the same thing behind me. When he got to me he didn`t say Hi Bye or anything else. He just asked me for my license and ins. Nothing else. No questions. No "do you know why I stopped you". Nothing. He walked back to his car and wrote me a ticket. When he got back to my truck he said" you are being ticket for avoiding a traffic control device".

You see, when I swerved my right front tire went over the marked white line on the right side of my lane  about two inches. He explained to me that He was there today to keep people from having accidents AND THAT I HAD AVOIDED A TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE (the white line).. In my opinion since the cops were all parked nose to tail and out of their cars they are the ones who caused the fraffic flow disruption and did so knowingly. While I sat in my truck I saw consevatively 15-20 other vehicles pulled over by officers directly in front of me in the same exact manner.

Back to the economics. These governmental agencies (Dallas County or similar nationwide) are hurting so bad that they have been relegated to stealing from us. I almost felt sorry for the guy. When He came back to hand me the ticket I could see it in his eyes. Somebody somewhere up the chain of command had ordered this procedure. He looked ashamed. I saw what was going on and didn`t berate the guy.
Now keep in mind guys this was stop and go traffic and I hadn`t been over thirty mph for three or four miles. I`m an instrument rated airplane driver and was in complete control of my vehicle.   What say you?

I'm sure if you read the citation it states you have the option to address the matter in court.

Exercise that right if you feel so inclined.

I always try to follow speed limits anyway, but, these days I think lots of municipalities are adding to their revenue this way.   So, I am extra careful now.  I think there is a court case about someone crossing the line and getting pulled over.  Drugs were found.  Drug evidence was tossed because one brief jaunt over the line doesn't mean careless driving because certainly everyone is going to drift once and a while.  This may have happened in TN.  

I'd rather get fired then do crap like this. Nothing but organized theft and he was [unwilling or not] their agent in the field.

it sucks, but what else are they going to do?  If they were following orders then sorry for your luck.

This.

Highwaymen

Oh and good luck with that.

His boss told him to steal, so he stole from you.  But now if his boss told him to violate the 2nd Amendment...whoah, no way, there's no way he would do that, he would stand up to them!

Or so I've been told.

Some cops deserve to be hated.  Man up and hate that cop.  

Were you in the far right lane, and swerved into the breakdown strip?  Is there a pattern of drivers using the breakdown strip to avoid waiting in traffic and get to the exit ramp?  It's possible that the Police Department was enforcing a zero tolerance policy on this behavior (That'swhy the officer was on foot?)  

I agree, it's bad PR just to hand out citations, in fact, in my old department, we were required to inform the motorist the reason for the stop even before asking for DL/registration.  What's the damage, and are there any points involved?  If the fine is low, with no points,  I'd probably pay it and move on.  If there are points, I'd go to court, and explain myself.  

I'm sorry that a officer left a bad impression. That's what sucks when you have to enforce zero tolerance policies, although in this case, sounds like you were just avoiding a collision. (Of course, if you collide with a vehicle in traffic and rear end them, you are always "vehicle 1" and could be cited for that)

I see this as part of a trend to divide us into Government/Supporters/DominationPowers and Ordinary Normal Americans/Gun Owners.

Make us hate the cops by forcing them to do "Revenue Enhancement" or Internal Border Checkpoints, or "Gun Owner Harrassment".

More than half the elected officials don't listen to the majority; they favor themselves and their kind over us, the constitution, and common sense.

It's going to get worse.

"This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it."

But liberals won't be so lucky.

+1

I often wonder how how the LEO's who participate in this kind of crap can justify it in their minds, I know I coudn't

Cop got ran over a year or so ago in Houston at a speed trap.  The I-10 feeder road near highway 6 in houston had a speed limit of 35mph (freeway speed limit is 60 i think), and the cops would hide behind a fence with their radar guns.  If they saw someone speeding, they'd run out onto the feeder road in front of oncoming traffic to stop the speeder.  Cop got run over, guy went to jail, and was convicted for some charge involving running over a cop (i can't remember the charge, probably manslaughter).  People shouldn't be speeding, but it doesn't make sense for cops to run out into oncoming traffic either.   When I heard of the incident, i knew exactly where it happened.  Now the spead limit is 45 or 55 on the feeder.

Good luck in court!

Acoording to TXDOT regs I have the authority to avoid a traffic control device to avoid an accident. Less than one percent of the people caught up in this will know that. I spoke with the judges secretary about this this morning and asked her to to have the Judge call me before this goes to trial. Right now in Dallas County we have a big hoodah going on about Dallas Constable owning the storage facilities that THEY use to impound vehicles. It`s a minority thing. I explained my options of video, news reporters and my cash position and she immediately got me on the phone with ANOTHER secretary who assured me that the Judge would find this very interesting and would absolutely " want to help me ferrot out corruption" in the system. It was MY suggestion that the judge and I team up to ferrot out corruption. As I`m retired and have absolutely NOTHING BETTER TO DO we`ll see where this goes.

Get a lawyer, ask the lawyer to ask the cop to be present on your court date..cop will not show up because he is walking up and down the highway giving tickets ...ticket gets thrown out...pay lawyer

I was in the far right lane. There is a merging lane coming in from the right. I do not drive in that area often at all. It is possible that there was a zero tolerance policy in force. There was zero traffic merging from the right. The merging right lane has historically low traffic. I, as a rational well educated law abiding guy, can draw no other conclusion other than revenue enhancement.

Fight it.   You swerved to avoid impact with the vehicle in front of you.

Tagged to see the reaction when the phone does not ring.

I agree with you... up until you said you were in complete control.  If you had to swerve out of your lane of traffic to avoid a collision... you did not have assured clear distance.

As far as damage there will be a fine, "points" and the possibility of putting my pilots license in dander of being suspended. Like I mentioned, I have no issue with the officer. He`s just doing what he is told. This may a small line in the sand but I`m drawing. BTY,,,I was the First private pilot allowed into New Orleans after Katrina and on my gas, my plane and my ticket I hauled several LEOs out at no charge to reunite them with their families. I will continue to help if I can If I don`t get my ticket yanked over this deal.

I could have stopped , I believe but why take the chance? It was clear to my right.

Yeah, I am sure the judge will give you an honest hearing, since he doesnt work for the same government, lol.

Why would someone who wasn't following too closely need to swerve to avoid an accident?  

Not attacking OP...just posing a question that a DA may ask at some point...

$10 says he thought you were heading into that area to pass, you then saw him, and went back into your lane to save your ass. It sounds like you had no opportunity to tell him you were avoiding another vehicle / near accident and if you didn't skid I bet he didn't know either. Go to court.

Rob

I don`t care if it rings or not. Twenty grand to his opponent in the next election will solve the problem. If the judge APPROVES of these kinds of operations he needs to go and I AM THE GUY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Multiple swerves by other drivers witnessed by my son and addressed in the affidavit he signed earlier. Cop saw them to. I spoke with him AFTER he handed me the ticket and he agreed. THIS IS BIG GOV STEALING AND THAT`S ALL THERE IS TO IT.

I probably could have stopped, coffee in the cup holder, no traffic on the right side,,,,reasonable action on my part

Thanks for putting another brick in the us v. them wall.  

Take it to court, make it cost them even though it will end up costing you more.





Strangely, Pennsylvania is in a budget crisis and I expected the same. But the exact opposite seems to be happening. I just hardly see any Troopers anywhere.

So they had a bevy of officers out there ticketing everyone? Were they one of the reasons traffic was in stop and go mode? If they were, wouldn't that be a form of entrapment on the officers part?

I hate to tell them but they`ll run out of money before I do. This kinda of shit is un-American. That`s enough of a reason to battle it out.

That is part of my point. THEY were the reason for the traffic disruption. They created the circumstance for their own benefit.

Go to court!

What does that have to do with following too closely?  Perhaps the violation should have been for wreckless driving, or following too closely instead of "avoiding a traffic control device"...
Again, I am playing devil's advocate here, I hope you win this one...

SOunds like you are sticking it to them and thats great. I am burnt out on so called safty enforcement only to pad the pocket of the .gov.

You might just be onto something here....


We have the man sitting around here on corner lots, and parked on the side of the road.Looking for the evil shit stain seat belt violators.  I was pulled over one night because I entered the flow of traffic without putting my seat belt on. I did put it on I just put it on as i pulled on to the road. The man zipps in behind me and pulls me over. Gives me the speech. I asked him if he thought that was a little petty because I was putting it on. He said yes. He also told me that his sole purpose for the night was to write seat belt tickets.

I sometimes swerve based on the vehicle behind me and it's reaction to a sudden stop.

edit to add that I have been seeing a huge effort on the roads lately for whatever reason.  My guess is to bolster revenues.

I had the same thing happen when I WAS violating the law to get to the feeway onramp early.

Officer walked  up to my car and kinda held his hand upto tell me to stop.

He got me for no DL or Ins (cant remember) and the crossing the line violation.

I think my comment was to him

"no real criminals out ther for you to stop?"

He pointed out to his CHP badge that he was a traffic safety officer....

Fast forward to court a few months later, officer pulled out his ticket book and read verbatim what I asked him...

HAHAHAHA

It was worth it. I was young at the time and dont act that way anymore...

Then you violated a traffic control device unnecessarily.  Had you done so to avoid an accident, you would have a good chance of getting it dismissed.  But by your own admission, it wasn't necessary.  So they have you dead to rights.

OK, I'll bash these cops.

A$$holes, AND their bosses.

Same shit happens here too. Except our motorcycle State Troopers like to sit under bridges in the shadows, in the daytime.  They nail you with lazer , AND WALK RIGHT OUT INTO TRAFFIC to pull you over. One of these days one of them is going to end up a greasy spot on the road.

We also have the move over or slow down law here. The State Super Troopers will pull someone over and straddle the white line and open the door as wide as it goes. I'm sure you can imagine the havoc this causes.

I did swerve to avoid an accident. That`s the whole point. TXDOT 545.059-7 Specifically gives ME the option to avoid a traffic control device to avoid an accident.

"Following orders"... where have I heard that before...

Besides, the judge could still throw out the ticket.

That sounds like "click it or ticket". The feds pay overtime for ecxlusive seatbelt enforcement.

If you probably could have stopped what are the chances that the officer saw you go into the lane then go back where you belong  and never thought you were trying to avoid an accident since there was sufficient room.

So there is a good chance you looked like every other person who pulled into this prohibited area then pulled back into the correct lane after seeing the cops.

The cops were probably ordered to go there and issue violations for people driving in this probibited area due to accidents and it most likely had nothing to do with revenue generation.

How is the judge not calling to "fight  ferret out corruption" us vs. them?

You can beat that one in court.
The shoulder is for emergency use and you were avoiding a collision.

I got lit up by a toll cop on I-95 after travelling on the shoulder to make an exit.
Traffic was backed up on the highway and there were dozens of people traveling on the off ramp trying to cut back into traffic all of which were violating the solid white line divider.

The cop was an Officer Neckvein type. He screamed at me.
"What are you doing driving on my shoulder?!"
I told him I was exiting the roadway and the vehicles ahead were blocking the ramp.
(In MD it is legal under some situations to travel on the shoulder)

I pointed ahead to the dozen vehicles failing to yield and maintain lane discipline and disregarding the "traffic control device".
He ran me, huffed and puffed a little more and let me go.

Sometimes it pays to know what your state laws are. Cops don't always know.
I also had the ability to demonstrate that he was essentialy ignoring the other actual violators to hassle me for something that upset him but wasn't really illegal.

unless you are convicted of dui, i doubt there is a snowballs chance in hell that this will jeopardize your airman's certificate.  if chickenshit traffic citations grounded pilots, there would be none left to fly.
-bad_frank, atp & atlanta "super" speeder

Well, take that to the court and plead your case.  That's what the court system is for.