Police Clocking Speeders From Bicycles!

[Shooter Grrl]

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.

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Anybody else check his profile to see where he "works"

[driver8M3]

...the threat of a ticket is the only reason people don't break more traffic laws.

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i'd dispute that. the threat of a ticket might keep my speed a little closer to the posted limit, but the threat of injury or death (self preservation) keeps me from doing many other things (cruising through red lights, driving drunk, driving the wrong way down an interstate) that might lead to a ticket. believe it or not, lots of us can take care of ourselves, and dont need the govt looking over our shoulders keeping us safe.

couple of weeks ago, on a 600 mile trip to a match...the interstate goes through a small town. prior to the town, the limit is 65. through town its 40. immediately after the town its open highway again, but for the 1st mile or so the limit is 55, then 65 again. guess where the speed trap was? that's right, a couple hundred yards before the 65 zone. yeah, we're all a lot safer b/c of that 55mph zone...

a speed limit of 55 or 60 mph on a big interstate highway is too low. to many, it seems that the limits are kept artificially low to keep revenues high.

one thing i've always wondered (for you law inforcement types out there): i dont think i've EVER seen a speed trap set up in the rain...which is obviously a much more dangerous time to speed. is there some kind of policy against it? do the guns not work in the rain?

[.40AET]

"What Next?" I got a good one. Last year when I got off of the highway onto the 35mph road that my office is on, I noticed a guy hitch hiking. He wore shorts, a Hawaian shirt, and was bare footed. One hand was out with the thumb, and when you got close, the other hand pulled a radar gun out and checked your speed. Over the hill there were 4 marked cars and 4 busy patrolmen. I had to absolutely laugh my ass off. That was the best setup I have been through. The guy flashed a great big smile at you when he pulled out the radar gun too.

[carinab]

but I never see anyone stopped by an unmarked car.

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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???

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In San Diego there was a CHP officer who was pulling over single women onto a dark off ramp during his evening shift. Eventually he murdered a girl. The creepy thing was he happened to be the cruiser that was assigned the TV news ride along to talk road safety while the investigation was going on. After the broadcast nearly a dozen women came forward saying that that particular officer had pulled them over on that exact off ramp. A few CSI bits later, the guy was charged. The CHP changed their policy about where to pull folks over and decided that they could not do so in unmarked cars.

[folsoml]

one thing i've always wondered (for you law inforcement types out there): i dont think i've EVER seen a speed trap set up in the rain...which is obviously a much more dangerous time to speed.  is there some kind of policy against it? do the guns not work in the rain?

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Ths range on my particular radar unit was cut way down in the rain.

[folsoml]

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.

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Anybody else check his profile to see where he "works"

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Your reading about all these tricks and camoflage cops are using, and you want to know where I will be parking my marked car on the side of the road?? You'll see ME from a half a mile away!

[Ted Murphy]

They had a nice dukes of hazzard speed trap in my town where the 35 became a 25.

They pulled over a county lawyer (solicitor I think) one day and ticketed him. He was not happy. He returned with a tape measure, then returned with a news crew.

Turns out they had distances wrong on the speed trap, they had it too close to where the speedlimit changed. (by law speed trap had to be no closer than "X" amount of feet from where it went from 35 to 25 and they were several feet too close)

Made the "undercover" expose in the news and the court had to refund 7k worth of tickets IIRC.

Ted

[Rifter]

There is a town near the Idaho/Oregon border, on the road down into Nevada that has a MAJOR speed reduction... and it is a famous spot to get nailed.

On another note, there were 8 officers this morning, a city over writing speeding tickets, no seat-belt, and failure to move over to let the people on the on-ramp merge... well, inside of an hour, the officers were very busy, and traffic was backed up miles in all directions. It's one thing to do these things... but man, don't screw up the traffic that bad. Even the traffic reporters were bashing them.

In the middle of Boise, is Garden City. It is really one main thouroughfare, that is the fastest way to go from one part of the city to the other. It is wall to wall businesses, on the road. Well, the police there got to the point that they were busting people going 5mph over, and people quit going down that road. It is faster, but not THAT much faster. The local businesses created such a racket that the police became much more lienent.

One thing that is convienent, we have the Boise training center across the street for our house, so there doesn't tend to be much going on in our neighborhood... though, waking up one morning to the bombsquad truck parked in front of the house, was pretty disconcerting. :-)

[Shooter Grrl]

Your reading about all these tricks and camoflage cops are using, and you want to know where I will be parking my marked car on the side of the road??  You'll see ME from a half a mile away! 

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My plan is to altogether avoid areas where I might possibly SEE YOU

[gl]

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."

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I make this same point to law enforcement folks in regards to my right to carry a firearm..........you may need me someday!

Guy Hawkins

[titandriver]

There is a town near the Idaho/Oregon border, on the road down into Nevada that has a MAJOR speed reduction... and it is a famous spot to get nailed.

Kevin --- there WAS a famous spot in Jordan Valley, Oregon (pop. 200 or so) but it has been shut down for years. Seems as if the "speed enforcement" officers were working on a commission only basis and made damn good money for a few years before the howls became so loud they were sent packing.

Come on out to Emmett or Nampa sometime to shoot an IPSC match! Be sure to look me up, I'm the fast old guy!

[dajarrel]

In San Diego there was a CHP officer who was pulling over single women onto a dark off ramp during his evening shift.  Eventually he murdered a girl.  The creepy thing was he happened to be the cruiser that was assigned the TV news ride along to talk road safety while the investigation was going on.  After the broadcast nearly a dozen women came forward saying that that particular officer had pulled them over on that exact off ramp.  A few CSI bits later, the guy was charged.  The CHP changed their policy about where to pull folks over and decided that they could not do so in unmarked cars.

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That is the very reason that I have instructed my wife to drive the speed limt to a well lit and populated place such as a gas station when/if an unmarked car attempts to stop her. I'd rather the police officer be a little miffed at her than not have her for him to be miffed at!!!

dj

[GuildSF4]

In San Diego there was a CHP officer who was pulling over single women onto a dark off ramp during his evening shift.  Eventually he murdered a girl.  The creepy thing was he happened to be the cruiser that was assigned the TV news ride along to talk road safety while the investigation was going on.  After the broadcast nearly a dozen women came forward saying that that particular officer had pulled them over on that exact off ramp.  A few CSI bits later, the guy was charged.  The CHP changed their policy about where to pull folks over and decided that they could not do so in unmarked cars.

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That is the very reason that I have instructed my wife to drive the speed limt to a well lit and populated place such as a gas station when/if an unmarked car attempts to stop her. I'd rather the police officer be a little miffed at her than not have her for him to be miffed at!!!

dj

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Interesting, I'll have to let my wife know about that.

[Chuck D]

Merlin:

How close could a TAXPAYER get to me to read my badge number (or anything else for that matter) ???

How about a wee bit more than an arms length away. Besides, your taught to let NO ONE walk up on you for obvious reasons...taxpayer or no taxpayer. You have an absolute right to request a badge number when your receiving a ticket (in most jurisdictions it's already written on the ticket). Walking up on an Officer with no other intentions other than "breaking their balls" isn't the smart thing to do.

No one likes their personal space invaded, especially by someone angry over getting a ticket or better yet...walking up on a traffic/radar detail to "stick their two cents in" where it doesn't belong.

Long before the State of N.Y. provided my current employment opportunity...I received my share of speeding tickets. Sometimes I was caught in plain sight...sometimes caught by an Officer who was hiding and laying in wait.

One fact remained the same...I was Speeding.

[folsoml]

My plan is to altogether avoid areas where I might possibly SEE YOU

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And we could have been such great friends.

You needn't worry about me anyway. I work strictly property crimes now; no marked car, no uniform, more importantly: NO LASER!

[XRe]

And his name isn't "Alan Parsons" and he doesn't have plans to use "Preparation H" on you.....

[Shooter Grrl]

My plan is to altogether avoid areas where I might possibly SEE YOU

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And we could have been such great friends.

You needn't worry about me anyway. I work strictly property crimes now; no marked car, no uniform, more importantly: NO LASER!

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We still can be great friends, just bring your firearm, not your laser gun

[SiG Lady]

I believe there was a 'City Confidential' documentary about the cop in San Diego. Gruesome ba**ard.

The latest from OUR area: Cops in Coburg, Oregon (7 miles north of Eugene) have been trolling the I-5 for speeders in the more-or-less Coburg turnoff area--distinctly illegal--and been supplementing the (corrupt as it turns out) city budget with the resulting revenue. The issue is hot right now and so they're busted. They don't have the right to stop people outside their city limits for this sort of thing on an Interstate. It's been a thorn in everyone's paw since it began and finally I think it's about over with. Serves 'em right.

[lynn jones]

[robomanusa]

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hehe.......that one wouldnt last long around here, the kids doing the baseball bat drive-by's would have it torn up in one night.

[lynn jones]

[robomanusa]

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2 MPH my ASS!

[bgary]

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???

Wow, its not true here in Washington State. At least along I-5, the state patrol has a [seemingly] never-ending stable of "cloaked" cars. There's the tan Yukon with the Mariner's stickers in the back windows... there's the dark blue Camaro... there's at least one Mustang... my personal favorite is the white Volvo station wagon. Have seen all of these at the side of the road, red-n-blue lights merrily flashing from behind grillwork and tinted windows.

My all-time favorite I-5 trick, though, was the two non-descript cars on the shoulder. Front one had the hood up, and a couple of people standing at the back corner. If you sped past, you learned that the rear one was an unmarked cruiser, and the people at the back were "extras" bearding the guy leaning on the trunk lid with the radar gun.

Sheesh.

Bruce

[robomanusa]

Ohio laws state that all cop cars enforcing TRAFFIC laws MUST BE marked with the agency marking and have a visible light bar on top. There are even stipulations as to the minimum height a lightbar can be.

[diehli]

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???

Wow, its not true here in Washington State. At least along I-5, the state patrol has a [seemingly] never-ending stable of "cloaked" cars. There's the tan Yukon with the Mariner's stickers in the back windows... there's the dark blue Camaro... there's at least one Mustang... my personal favorite is the white Volvo station wagon. Have seen all of these at the side of the road, red-n-blue lights merrily flashing from behind grillwork and tinted windows.

My all-time favorite I-5 trick, though, was the two non-descript cars on the shoulder. Front one had the hood up, and a couple of people standing at the back corner. If you sped past, you learned that the rear one was an unmarked cruiser, and the people at the back were "extras" bearding the guy leaning on the trunk lid with the radar gun.

Sheesh.

Bruce

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You can bet your ass that I'd be on the phone to 911 if one of them tried to pull me over.