User Panel
Posted: 1/15/2006 10:58:19 PM EDT
Why do people get pissed off when a Police Cruiser passes them speeding?
My friend made a comment about that when we were in his vehicle recently I've never gotten that......unless they pull into a donut shop or something I don't have any problem with a patrolling unit going over the speed limit As long as they are not driving recklessly that is Off duty is quite another thing, since they "see the hazards of reckless driving" all the time they should not be cut any slack for ignoring the traffic laws when off duty IBTCB |
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Because... It's like this, they'd pull my over for doing the same damn thing they're doing themselves. If you're going to uphold the law, then you'd better fucking follow that law as well.
If there's one thing I hate in this world it's a hypocrite, ~Dg84 |
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The hypocrite thing pissed me off , but on the other hand a cop car going the speed limit will back up traffic sooo bad
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well I guess you have ESP and know when a officer is on his way to a call or not then................
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Agreed. If a situation calls for them to be speeding the light bar should flashing as well. |
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If they dont mind people pacing them, then Im ok with it.
But, like doorgunner84 implied, leading by example is very important also. Guess it depends what kind of mood Im in at the time. |
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Okay, how about looking at it like this
If he remains stationary in the traffic pattern, he is only able to observe the same vehicles for an extended time OTOH If he is moving through traffic he is able to observe a far greater number of vehicles and therefore he would be spending his time more economically, and catching more offenders The stop signs are on a case by case basis, but MOST of the squad cars I have observed were driving safely Again, OFF DUTY COPS should know better |
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Yup. I was driving late at night and saw a cop pull into a left turn lane, and quickly flash his lights. The light instantly turned green and off he went. I found it vaguely irritating 'cause I find it rediculous to wait for a light when there are no other cars in sight, but I do it anyway, since I'm sure a cop would nail me if I tried it... Just another example of the "holier than thou" attitude some people get when put in positions of authority. |
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I work at a dispatch center and get complaints about the patrolmen speeding all the time.
There are many situations where officers are not supposed to have their lights or sirens on, but need to get to a scene as soon as possible. This is especially important at night when city sounds are quieter and noise carries and lights are more obvious. Domestic violence runs - if the suspect hears a siren, he'll often get more upset and assault the female worse than would be otherwise. If there's a robbery or just an alarm at a business, the thiefs will be scared off before the police arrive - causing them to lose a suspect. If there's a narcotics sale in progress - the dealers will take off, ditch, or swallow the drugs before police can get on scene. If one officer is on a traffic stop with a person who has a warrant, an assisting officer will get there as quickly as possible without lights or sirens to backup the stopping officer. This is so the guy dosen't fight, run, or otherwise harm the stopping officer. There are many more situations - don't assume that just because an officer is speeding without lights/sirens, that he's just doing it because he can. |
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Don't forget that in some areas, the motor vehicle code specifically excludes emergency vehicles from speed limits, parking restrictions, etc etc.
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So that's why I've seen some cops flash their lights at the stop light at an intersection, cross the intersection, then immediatley turn off their lights. I thought they just didn't want to be waiting like the rest of us. I mean no sarcasam in this reply. I never thought of it that way. I can understand not having the sirens and lights blaring esp. through residential neighborhoods. |
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How about a cop on a motorcycle giving me a ticket for not wearing my seatbelt?
I mean, if him and I get in a head-on collision, he's going to be the one to die. So he should write himself a ticket to protect him from himself. |
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No, I understand 45calmike. Most....most of the people who call it in understand once I explain it to them. Others, usually speaking with either a very uppity tone, or eubonics, never get the idea.
Ambulances are the same way here. Sometimes we'll request them on something and ask them to go without lights or sirens - say a barricaded suspect or other situation that could be escalated easily. They're always supposed to go lights and sirens, but sometimes it's just not a good idea. There are reasons for a lot of the police actions you see complained about commonly. I'm not trying to excuse truly bad LEO behavior, but many are quick to judge. |
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I'm paying him to catch criminals, I don't WANT him to be sitting at traffic lights like the rest of us |
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Haha, I agree with you. I'm not a fan of motorcycle patrol. But don't tell the bike bobbies - they're proud of themselves. |
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In the old car I used to drive I would only use the siren if I had no other choice. The siren itself was mounted in the light bar which is directly over my head. When that thing ws on, I couldnt hear anythign inside the car, especially the radio. I remember halling ass to what was quickly becoming a barricaded subject call and all I could hear over the radio was the ocassional "got a gun"... "not going to jail tonight".... "cover". I thought for sure the supect and officers had gone to guns prior to getting there. |
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I have not waited for many a red light to change when no one was around friends have gotten caught doing it, apparently there WAS someone around I just don't see why people have a problem with them moving through traffic |
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I think he's saying he's upset because the officer used the special transmitter in the light bar that makes the lights that he's facing turn green. Damn cops and their nifty toys. |
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A lot of the newer traffic light systems have a setup that detects the flash from strobes and will automaticly change the light to let the vehicle through, so if he used his ights to make the light pattern change without reason other than not liking waiting at the light that would be pretty crappy. Cool thing is some of those systems detect the light in the IR spectrum, so it is possible to rig up a strobe behind an IR flter that will change the light but never be seen....... |
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I had a Trooper do exactly that, fly by me doing about eighty, and then pull into a truck stop, park, get out and stretch and saunter into the restaurant. I was working as a bonded courier, driving the same route every night, the speed limit was 55 and I needed to go a fair bit faster to meet my deadlines. The funny part is that this same trooper had pulled me over and given me a warning a couple days before....he had been pretty cool and friendly when he gave that warning. So I didn't get angry about him speeding to his lunch break.....but I did drive by and give him a look.....and a nod, as if to say "Caught you!" He smiled back. That same trooper later gave me two additional warnings, stating that sooner or later he would have to cite me... |
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I know when I was a teen flashing your highbeams on and off in strobe light fashion used to work. Had to be careful that no other cars were across you because it may have been a car full of thugs thinking you were calling them out. I've tried doing the high beam thing here, doesn't seem to work anymore.
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Let's see: Under the assumption that he used his lights briefly to trip the light so he didn't have to wait for it: Yup. That I would get a ticket for blowing a stop light in an obviously deserted intersction: yup. I understand the reasoning for not using the siren, but the lights should be used at least until it's necessary to turn them off. |
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Fair enough. When it comes to the lights I will often flip them on unless it isnt sound to do so...however once they go on, I have to be even more careful during the drive. People around here become instant tards when they see lights behind them. I've had people come literally to a screaching halt right in front of me. Thats why I'm often slaloming my way through traffic |
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+1 Not all depts allow their officers to run code (lights and sirens) to calls even though it probably warrants it. The officers at my dept have to get us to ask a Sgts permission for them to run code, unless it's a 3 tone(officer fighting, down etc). |
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www.sportsimportsltd.com/trlich.html |
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Exactly. The law applies to everyone. The thing I see locally that really bothers me is when the city cops park in the parking lot at work to stop people for seat belt violations. Only rarely do I see one of the city cops with their seat belt on. I asked a relative of mine who is the uniformed patrol captain about it, and he said that most of his officers don't wear seatbelts since they get caught-up in their duty belt. He's left handed, and I've seen him fall flat on his face when trying to get out of a car quickly after his holster got caught in the seatbelt. So that is true, but it's extremely hypocritical to stop people for breaking the same law that they break for convenience.z |
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So an intersection that is normally controled in this manner will have a solid arm with the lights suspended under them?
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Cops complain all the time about a general disrespect for the Law. And quite rightly.
OTOH, some cops contribute to this disrespect by their actions. Case in point is every time someone sees a cop "getting away" with an act that would be patently illegal for the non-cop citizen. I would think that the correct attitude for a cop who sought citizen respect and help would be to always be seen as setting a good example, not cutting corners simply because it was possible and personally conveniant. I understand that there may be some rare instances where lights and siren are no-go. Note the word "rare". |
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It really isn't rare.
We dispatch roughly 150-400 runs a night - depending on the night.. At least 40 of those are runs that require no lights, no sirens, but fast response. Alright. Just did the numbers. It's sunday night, 0320AM. So far, we've dispatched 173 runs. Of those, 33 required no lights or sirens, but quick response - domestics, family disputes, prowlers, etc. Still have 3.5 hrs to go. |
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I know Greensboro and Fayettnam have them, not sure about anywhere else in NC yet. |
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I rarely go that way. Only time I'm in fayetteville is when pasing through while enroute to Salemburg or if I stop there to go to Edward McKay's or the Lightfighter shop. |
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Problem is that everyone has seen a cop bend the law for his/her personal conveniance, and automatically assumes every instance is such, even if it is justified by circumstances unknown to the citizen. Sorry, but enough cops have tainted the well by their own selfish acts to cause most people to automatically conclude every instance is just another example of cops behaving hypocritically. |
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That not really true. Most calls to dispatch requires the officer to get there quick and running code can slow them down more the helping them get there faster, sometimes. The sheeple really freak out when they see the flashing blues behind them, (think of a pothead with a joint on him/her) The fact is that fewer accidents are caused by cops speeding to calls thant cops running code. Few people freak out when beeing passed but they will slam on the brakes the first flicker of blue. Side note: I think that some of the LED lightbars on police cares are way to bright. At night, the new style strobes blind the fuck out of me as I drive by some one who got pulled over. |
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Where is that statute? I can't find the exemption in 20‑135.2A, and back home the state troopers seem to think it only appiles when actually responing to a call, or so they have said as we left in the big red truck. |
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This statement is both flagrant and BOGUS! I could be responding to a robbery/burglary in progress. If I roll code, then everybody with a gun pointed at a cashiers head is gonna know I'm coming for them 2 blocks away. A quick, but stealthy approach can save lives. I could be hurrying to catch up to a speeder or someone driving unsafely up ahead. I could be responding to any number of calls that don't require a code 3 (lights and siren) response. I could be pacing someone that is speeding nearby (we don't have Radar/LIDAR in all of our cars). etc. For those who disagree with the above or still have their doubts...I guess this is how I should respond... Citizens want you to come to their aid in an instant - but complain if they think you are driving too fast elsewhere. Citizens want you to write motorists for 5 over the speed limit in front of their house, but when they are the motorist in front of someone else's house, they want a "break" Citizens expect you to be stonger than the bad guys, faster than any criminal, and know more about law than a judge. The bottom line is that they want you to actually be more than any person should be expected to be - and if you fall short - they want you fired, "they" pay your salary, they call you some jack-booted Nazi. Welcome to my job. I LOVE IT! |
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no, it is a small circular device that would hang just below the bar, kinda looks like side-by-side jet engines. I the light on the light bar of the car flashes at a certain frequency and activates the sensor and giving the aproaching vehicle the green light, usually only in the direction the vehicle is coming from, the other direction does not get to go. This is how they are around cleveland, don't know about anywhere else
EDIT: response to NCPatrolAR's question. |
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OK, then. In the interests of Public Safety, take all the lights off, and let the officers run with the same equipment as the rest of us . |
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We had a city officer running up the interstate lights-and-sirens, 80+. A state trooper joined in to back him up. Radioed the cop to see what the call was, and where they were going.
Oops. Ah...Ummm....Uh...he was going to lunch or something, didn't want to wait in traffic with the little people. He was righteously spanked by the department, very publicly. I think that helped cool a lot of people's ire. |
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Maybe he does, but I don't...I usually rely on the blinking lights....but 9 out of 10 times, I don't see them on. All too often do I see a Mass state trooper go whizzing by me doing well over a 100 mph...judging by our relative motion. And you can't tell me that Crispy creams are THAT good. So I say, SLOW THE F*CK down! |
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You mean flagrant and BOGUS like a family member who is a Georgia State Cop saying to me "what are some perks to your job." My reply... "I get to shoot a gun that fires 4000 rounds a minute." His reply "well one of my perks is being able to drive home after shift at 110." sincerely, Citizen Doorgunner84 |
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Cinnabon's are that good though |
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Look past kid's in truck beds and PDF file on seat belts |
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Rookie... its Krispy Kreme |
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However, in Ca, you are only exempt from the rules of the road when your emergency lights are activated. And things like reckless driving laws still apply. But I would agree that following the letter of the law may be unworkable in the real world. |
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Better first post than many I have seen....... Welcome to the board, glad you love your job |
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Assuming he is going to a call, Lights and Siren scare bagguys off. Funner to catch them in the act.
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