Posted by HisHughness on 8/7/12 12:54pm
Msg #429644

Coming home from a late signing last night around midnight

I'm on a three-lane freeway access road; no other cars on the roadway until another vehicle pulls in behind me off an intersecting street. He gets up too close for my comfort, so I pull over into the center lane to my left. The other car pulls in behind shortly thereafter, still too close, so I shift back to my original lane. A couple of minutes later, I've got flashing red and blue lights behind me.

I pull into a parking lot. Young cop strolls up, asks for my license. I give it to him, and he says, "I stopped you, Mr. Nations, because you changed lanes without signalling."

I retained enough sense to avoid telling him that he was tailgating, and maybe he should call another cop to pull <him> over for that. I'm sure, considering the hour and that I was a lone male driver, that the kid thought he might have a drunk driver, and I really didn't object to being stopped.

But I'm sure as hell irked that I got a warning ticket for not signalling non-existent traffic that I was trying to get out of the way of HIS tailgating. Like the man said, "There ain't no justice."

All of which is to warn, if you're driving home about the time the bars let out, dot all your driving T's and cross all your I's.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 8/7/12 1:08pm
Msg #429650

So true

I had an ex-cop once tell me that as far as cops are concerned, the only reason anybody's on the road at that time of night (and later) is cos they just got out of a bar and are probably drunk. I think that's an exaggeration, but the point is that they are on hyper alert and the likelihood of one getting pulled over for the least little thing is high.

BTW: Are you telling us the truth about a midnight signing? Or was your "signing" at the Pink Poodle Lounge?

Reply by ToniK on 8/7/12 1:47pm
Msg #429658

Something similar happened to me and when the officer asked why I was speeding (he was not clocking me but riding alongside of me and planning to turn off on a street) I told him I actually wasnt going that fast, he was slowing down to turn and it would seem that I was blowing past him. Speed limit was only 35 mph. He didnt give me a ticket. But if he did Id give the judge that same excuse. He wasnt even clocking me so how does he know what my actual speed was? Lol gotta love when my police knowledge kicks in gear....

Just because you are the law doesnt mean you are above the law....but some will take that as an insult. lol

Reply by CH2inCA on 8/7/12 2:01pm
Msg #429659

Revenue Generators

I tell myself it's not about generating revenue, even if just a tiny bit. But we've experienced some really, really off the wall situations.
My daughter works at the file warehouse for the superior court, and was coming home LATE, LATE one night, she wasthe ONLY one out on the freeway when she noticed lights in her rear view mirror miles behind her. As it turned out it was highway patrol which came up very close behind her. She figured he was running her plates. So she didn't move out of the way, after he'd tailed her for a few miles he went around her and pulled in in front of her, turned on his lights...gave her a ticket for tailgating HIM. She never changed lanes; or speed and she was under the speed limit. She's even still in uniform!! GRRRR

Second incident, older daughter, you'd have to see her to understand my angst. She's very petite, thin, nerdy kid. (atually she's 30yrs old, looks like a high school kid). Has her business a few blocks from her home, an internet cafe sort of place; she's a programmer. A few nights before her car had been broken into and everything stolen, computers, wallet, (registration and info were in bag). But anyway, she's at a stop, on her way to her home from her place of business again late at night. She's pulled over by a city police as she pulls away from the stop, asked for license and registration; all she has is a temp from DMV (lic) but no proof of registration or insurance. She says to the police officer, that it's been stolen and reported to the police and he can probably radio in to confirm the report. He says he can but won't. Now I KNOW that registration and insurance are often verified on the spot!. Anyway he impounded her car, an adorable little mini. Left her on the side of the road to walk home, even though she'd explained that home was just a few blocks away and she had a bunch of computer gear she'd have to carry. Nope dumped them out on the side of the road. Serve and protect my a***.

I've raised my kids to look up to law enforcement...but nowdays ?????

Sadly, there really isn't anyway to fight this sort of thing in court! Guilty until proven innocent!
My daughter tried, the one with the mini; didn't have to pay the ticket. But had to pay to get her car out of impound, 1500 dollars later...

Reply by Karla/OR on 8/7/12 2:25pm
Msg #429663

Oh no! He is lucky something did not happen to her! n/m

Reply by Karla/OR on 8/7/12 2:20pm
Msg #429662

Hugh, since it was so dark out, did he need to be that close to get your license number and run a check on you? Did you not see that it was a cop car (he was so close to you!!) - that's when I am most cognizant of MY driving skills. I'm so glad you were not ticketed and have to face a possible insurance premium increase. been there, done that!

I have to share this with you:

My Hubby had been a charter bus driver for years before landing a desk job with the same company. His professional driving has always impressed me, until recently. He started doing three things that annoy the H#$$ out of me:

1) drives five miles slower than the speed limit, I swear to annoy the cars behind him;

2) when making a right hand turn, he turns into the far left lane instead of the right lane that is closest to him;

3) and he often forgets to use his turn signal.

Granted, he is ticket and accident free!

When I am behind someone that does not use their turn signal, it raises my blood pressure. I use my signals at all times, even if we are on a drive out in the country and no one around for miles. For me, it is a habit thing. If you don't use it every single time, THAT can become a habit. JMO

Reply by CJ on 8/7/12 3:59pm
Msg #429678

That's horrible about leaving the girl behind!

It really upsets me that they took that girl's safe transportation and left her on the side of the road to get kidnapped.

We have a town called "Fillmore". I call it "Fill more ticket books". The main highway goes through town and so you have to slow down to 35 mph to get through town, then you are back up to 65 mph. The cops are just WAITING for someone to come flying through there.

One time we were coming home late from a halloween party. I get to Fillmore and I am doing the correct speed limit. A car gets behind me and is TOTALLY tailgating me. I can barely see his headlights because he is so close. I said, "I am not going to let this car bully me into speeding, so I'm pulling over to let him pass". I turn on my indicator to pull over and it's a cop and he puts on his lights. He said he stopped me because "your tail light is ALMOST to go out".

Later, I was telling my sister, and she said it is because I drive a clunker ('86 hatchback turcel) like the tweekers drive. The cops watch the clunkers, but she has a fancy car (new SUV) so they leave her alone. When I upgraded my car ('95 escort), they quit bothering me.

Reply by jba/fl on 8/7/12 7:54pm
Msg #429719

What is a tweeker? n/m

Reply by CinOH on 8/7/12 4:10pm
Msg #429681

Judging from these stories it seems like they're going banoodles everywhere.

I was coming home from a 11:00 p.m. signing last month and drove past a large call center. The shift at the call center must have just ended because cars were pouring out of the call center at a steady rate.

I was driving in the curb lane and people were flying past me at 45-50 mph. The speed limit on that road is 35 mph. I keep to the right until the flow of speeders slows up and I can get over to the left lane. I need gas and there's a gas station on the left side of the road. This was a four lane road with a turning lane and traffic lights every 1,000 feet or so. When the light behind me caught some of the call center cars I work myself into the left hand and then into the turning lane. All of a sudden I see flashing lights behind me.

I pulled into the gas station parking lot and turn off the car. The cop comes up to my window and he's red faced. Just furious. He asked me if I saw him behind me before I got into the turning lane. I said no. I did not see him behind me before I changed lanes either time.

He asked me why I was driving so slowly back there and why I switched lanes when I did. I told him I was driving the speed limit--35 mph. I told him I needed gas and the gas station was on the left so I had to switch lanes to get there.

He said he didn't believe me and said that I was "blocking" for the speeding call center cars. He told me he was aware of the games "you people from that place play every night." I told him I do not work at the call center and do not know anyone who does. He demanded my license and registration and then gave me a verbal warning not to interfere with officers in the line of duty.

Huh??? I was just trying to get some gas. I would not know how to "block" for speeders to save my life.

All I can figure is the cop was behind me, though I did not see him, and he wanted me to go faster so he could catch up to some of the speeders? He was mad that I was doing the speed limit and was convinced I was a part of some massive call center speeding clique.

Reply by Q_in_Sac/CA on 8/7/12 5:43pm
Msg #429695

Or was your late night excursion more likely some extra activity @ Hooter's? lol

Reply by Buddy Young on 8/7/12 6:40pm
Msg #429710

If an officer was tailgating me, I would have the inclination to slam on my brakes.

Reply by Karla/OR on 8/7/12 7:45pm
Msg #429716

Remember, too, that cops have supervisors they report to. I complained once to a supervisor when a cop pulled me over in downtown Seattle rush hour traffic. The cop was so unprofessional and literally yelled instead of remaining calm to discuss the matter.

The copy and I had been in a three-lane left turn waiting for the light to change (he was to my right). As we proceeded to turn left, he thought I got too close to him and he was unbelievably upset. If I did in fact come close to him, I never touched him!

I was shocked that a cop would act so rudely. It wasn't like I caused an accident or worse, ran over somebody!!!

The supervisor took my info, discussed it with the cop, and then called me back to discuss it further. My only satisfaction is that the cop didn't get away with treating a citizen that way.

Reply by ikando on 8/7/12 9:51pm
Msg #429740

Having been married to a cop, and also working with local police in various activities, my perspective is that "they're just bored." If you've ever seen a crime scene where it appears half the force is there, it's because it is. Most of the time they are driving around with nothing specific happening, so if there is potential action, they get excited. They're only human, and just drawing a paycheck for a job...MOST of the time.

Glad they're there when something tragic happens, though.

Reply by rolomia on 8/8/12 3:01am
Msg #429758

Whoa! You SCARED him. He got a good talking-to from his supervisor. Way to apply the pressure. He may even quit the police force. Brutal....LMAO