BDH Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Check this out..... In the Cincinnati Enquirer yesterday, they ran an article saying that police on bicycles are now using lasers to clock driving speeds. They highlighted some women that noticed a 'bicycle rider' stopped on a bicycle path that ran through a park near the road, and she commented 'I saw the cyclist and figured that he was just taking a break. It wasn't until I was waved over that I realized that it was a police officer using a handheld laser to clock my speed'. I realize that if you are ticketed then you were breaking the law.... but this just doesn't seem fair...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TriggerT Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 In Chicago they had a cop pose as the "Flagman" (the one with the SLOW sign) as you were entering the construction zone. Had the slow sign in one hand, and a laser gun in the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuildSF4 Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Here in Mesa they use Photo Radar Vans parked on the side of the road. I don't agree with using these either. Red light photo does help stop people from running lights until they figure out which ones the cameras cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 --- snip ---I realize that if you are ticketed then you were breaking the law.... but this just doesn't seem fair...... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Don't do the crime if you can't do the time... In LA, they had Santa Claus crossing a street in a marked crosswalk with chase cars to get people that didn't stop. Last Easter, they repeated the trap with a guy in a 7' bunny suit. They caught quite a few people who "didn't see" the 7' bunny or Santa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
folsoml Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 You don't have to use all those costumes. I sit in my marked patrol car pulled up to the road so I can shoot laser out either side window to get traffic coming both ways. Cars coming either way can clearly see the markings on the side of my car (reflective even at night). People don't even slow down for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 I sit in my marked patrol car pulled up to the road so I can shoot laser out either side window to get traffic coming both ways. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> One of the red-dot sighter makers (Ultra Dot?) showed it as being mounted on a cop's radar gun while he pointed into traffic claiming that would allow him to "pick out" the car accurately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dajarrel Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 In Chicago they had a cop pose as the "Flagman" (the one with the SLOW sign) as you were entering the construction zone. Had the slow sign in one hand, and a laser gun in the other. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> They do the same in Mobile. However, they didn't start that until some.....body, came through the construction zone doing 80 or so in a 45 and hit and killed a construction worker. FWIW dj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDH Posted June 4, 2005 Author Share Posted June 4, 2005 I sit in my marked patrol car pulled up to the road so I can shoot laser out either side window to get traffic coming both ways.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well, in the same article they were interviewing police and they said that they HAD to use this tactic because as soon as people saw a patrol car, they hit the brakes. I certainly know that I check my speed on seeing a radar/laser trap. And of course, another pet peeve are the drivers that slow down to 10 MPH UNDER the posted limit once they see a cruiser (which seems much more dangerous because it stacks traffic up), but that is another topic..... __________________________________________________________________________________________ While of course I NEVER exceed the posted speed limit.... If they want to use disguises, maybe we should too. How about all of us put light bars and markings on our rides? I'd love to see the the look on the face of the Trooper that works my area of I-71 if he had hundreds of 'marked cars' coming at him while he was trying to figure out who to hit with the laser... JUST KIDDING GUYS!!! I know... I know... he is just doing his job, and dressing up your ride in police markings would be a 'big NO-NO!' Then again.... Santa Claus..... Easter Bunnies... Just seems like there might be better things to focus on than someone driving safely but a few MPH over the limit..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wakal Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 Now, now...we all know that citing folks for "speeding" over an arbitrarily assigned number has nothing at all to do with the revenue collected and everything to do with safety, right? Which is why Texas added $30 to every speed tax...err...safe driving award...err...traffic ticket with the money going into a "slush fund", right? Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robomanusa Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 Sometimes when Im out on a motorcycle ride, I notice officers checking me with radar as im coming and when I pass they turn and hit me again with it, my bike must be hard to pickup on the radar guns or something, cause its like they concentrate hard on there aiming skills. I've also seen smalltown cops stop and write my tag number down while the bike is parked.....I guess just incase they need it at a later date....hmmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 I've also seen smalltown cops stop and write my tag number down while the bike is parked.....I guess just incase they need it at a later date....hmmmmm <{POST_SNAPBACK}> If you see one doing it, walk up to 'im and write down 'is badge number. Don't say a word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robomanusa Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 I've also seen smalltown cops stop and write my tag number down while the bike is parked.....I guess just incase they need it at a later date....hmmmmm <{POST_SNAPBACK}> If you see one doing it, walk up to 'im and write down 'is badge number. Don't say a word. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> LOL......I know a few of the cops around here pretty good, likewise, they also know Ive been known to ring out the RR in a few select places around here where I dont have any crossroads to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 If you have traveled to foreign countries, it can be a lot worse. For instance, Taiwan only has ONE major freeway that links the entire island. Every kilometer or so has a speed camera. You never know if it is on or not. Radar dectectors used to be banned but not anymore. When they have these things going, within 10 minutes the roll of film would be used up. In the event you evade the permanant ones, they have portable units also. What they do is get a junk car and park it on the shoulder of the freeway with the hood up. They place the camera either under the hood or between the car and the guard rail. Pretty sneaky. Oh one more thing, the cameras are set up to take the picture of the back of the car unlike in the US. This was done politically. The politicians didn't like their wife to open up the ticket and see the husband and his girlfriend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidwiz Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 I don't know what brand of laser guns most cops use in the US, but in the UK, there is a big uproar over the lack of accuracy in the 2 models that the UK cops use. The BBC, IIRC, used one of the laser guns and got a reading of 55mph by just sweeping it across a wall. And there was a case in the UK where a person got clocked w/ a laser doing ~155mph in a car that was later shown to have a top speed of only 104mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robomanusa Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 I don't know what brand of laser guns most cops use in the US, but in the UK, there is a big uproar over the lack of accuracy in the 2 models that the UK cops use. The BBC, IIRC, used one of the laser guns and got a reading of 55mph by just sweeping it across a wall. And there was a case in the UK where a person got clocked w/ a laser doing ~155mph in a car that was later shown to have a top speed of only 104mph. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I know for certain that when Im running at 65mph Im actually only doing 58mph and at 185mph im actually doing 172mph(that actually got me out of a speeding ticket, but I got one hell of a lecture) Speedo is on a 99' CBR 900RR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 " If you see one doing it, walk up to 'im and write down 'is badge number. Don't say a word." What good does THAT do? People ask me for my badge number all day long...I give it to them right along with their ticket for speeding, handicap parking violation, parking out of space, expired inspection/registration etc..etc...etc... Besides...walking up on an Officer close enough to read the little number on the badge isn't the brightest thing you can do. The key here is don't speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuildSF4 Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 The key here is don't speed. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think the objection is all of the tricks smack of big brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 " If you see one doing it, walk up to 'im and write down 'is badge number. Don't say a word."What good does THAT do? People ask me for my badge number all day long...I give it to them right along with their ticket for speeding, handicap parking violation, parking out of space, expired inspection/registration etc..etc...etc... Besides...walking up on an Officer close enough to read the little number on the badge isn't the brightest thing you can do. The key here is don't speed. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> So Chuck - exactly what is the legal approach distance for a TAXPAYER ("civilian") to a local, state or federal employee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
folsoml Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 I have no actual "badge number." I have an ID number, but it no where visible on me. I have a name tag anyone can come up a look at (at least I do when I wear a uniform--not often anymore). I read about people thinking there are better uses of resources than issuing tickets. Another thread (that was closed) that was more anti-law enforcement than this one suggested we focus our energy on "real criminals." Believe me, we have people that focus on every type of crime you can think of. Violent Crimes Unit Detectives work Violent Crimes, Vice guys work narcotics and undercover stuff, my current unit forcuses on burglaries and other property crimes, Traffic guys pay attention to (guess what) Traffic. So if you see a bunch of cops working a DUI checkpoint or something, it is not like the other things are being ignored--these are just the traffic unit guys. No one likes a traffic cop. It's not really fun to be one. When you become one, you end up basically dealing with good people who drove too fast. Who among us has not? This may be the only contact they've ever had with the law. But on the flip side, the threat of a ticket is the only reason people don't break more traffic laws. Imagine the chaos if there was NO chance of a ticket for anyone. And a little on Radar and Laser units. Scanning a radar against a wall will induce a false reading, that's why you are trained (you have to take a course and get certified) not to do things like that. A radar unit will NOT distinguish between two cars--even if you mount a red dot sight on it. A LASER unit will. A Kustom Pro 3 laser has a heads up display--kind of like a C-more sight--so you can single out an individual car from a pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robomanusa Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 so you can single out an individual car from a pack. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yeah, the bright red Ferarri in the middle. Most of the traffic cops I know give an awful lot of leadway when it comes to speeding. I got pulled over once for racing only to get let go cause the officer liked driving fast with his lights on, although he did make sure to give the florida racing laws lecture about 6 months in jail, loss os drivers license and 2000.00 in fines. This was back in 1989 in Port Orange Florida. We knew we had been caught redhanded at the racing, so we just went ahead and pulled over and waited for him to finally pull up behind us a few minutes later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
folsoml Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 I rarely ever stopped anyone who wasn't going 20 MPH or more over the limit, and still plenty of busy days. I figure anyone can "accidentally" go 5 or 10 over without realizing it. 20 takes a little effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 I figure anyone can "accidentally" go 5 or 10 over without realizing it. 20 takes a little effort. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Unless you're driving on the NJ Turnpike --- then at 20 over the limit you're just keeping up with the flow of traffic....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 It would do a lot of folks some good to remember that cops don't write the laws - they're just the bearer of bad news. Go vote the jerk out who made the law you consider stupid in the first place (and the judge that upheld it). It's those same jerks that set the quotas, etc, that some departments are under (some might call these revenue targets). This likely has something to do with the fancy costuming we're discussing here.... That said.... you won't find me complaining about the presence of traffic cops, but I *would* rather see them in unmarked cars trolling for idiot drivers that are actually driving *unsafe* (cutting people off, weaving through traffic, etc) and harassing those folks a little more. They threaten to do that around here every once in a while, but I never see anyone stopped by an unmarked car. Someone doing 12mph over the limit will have a slightly longer stop, and slightly less evasion ability than someone at the limit, but they're not doing anything *overtly* dangerous like the jerks mentioned above... Just my opinion For the record, I appreciate the work done by the cops who are truly out there looking out for everyone. We should be paying you guys more (and should be firing the bully types....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robomanusa Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 but I never see anyone stopped by an unmarked car.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> The way I understand it, here in Ohio Unmarked cruisers are not allowed to make traffic stops....that may be the case in other states as well??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
folsoml Posted June 5, 2005 Share Posted June 5, 2005 There are plenty in unmarked cars. And about the bullies: I was watching one of those scariest cop video show (which I rarely watch because it is like being at work) and they were showing an in-car camera shot of a traffic stop. This cop was not being rude per se, but he was being very short with the guy...telling him where to stand, asking if he'd been drinking (and not believing him). Well this other car comes along and hits the cop. He falls down and the guy he originally stopped helps him by calling for help on the radio and covering him with a blanket. He ends up thanking him on the show and I was thinking, "I hope you see how you were treating this guy and learn that, hey, you might need this guy to save your life some time." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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