Rant about drivers and police officers

[Gempress]

Okay, pet peeve of mine. Why does it seem that EVERYONE in this area slams on their brakes when they see a police car or motorcycle?? Seriously?? The speed limit could be 65 and no one could be speeding, but everyone on the road will STILL stomp on their brakes and slow to 55.

It annoys me to no end. Nothing like bottlenecking the entire friggin' road because OMG THERE'S A COP CAR!! It's even worse if the cop is traveling down the same road. That means that for the entire distance, we're crawling along at 10 miles below the speed limit, because heaven forbid we drive the speed limit with an officer in the vicinity.

I feel sorry for the police in this area. It must take them forever to get anywhere, because everyone around them slows to a snail's pace. Anybody else have this problem?

 

[zoe08]

That happens all the time here too. I hate it, and my husband is always complaining about it.

 

[Renee750il]

I've heard -- on numerous occasions -- the cops here (city and state) laugh about going out into traffic at the busiest times and bottlenecking traffic on purpose because they KNOW everyone's afraid to pass them. Face it, if the cop says you're speeding, you're speeding, whether it's true or not.

 

[eddieq]

Ah, the good old "Smokey Pokey". I get some odd looks when I keep right along in the left lane traveling right at the speed limit and passing everyone, as if they are saying, "Are you nuts? There is a cop!" I've waved at the police as I pass them. They often wave back. I got the waving "naughty finger" one time, but that's because I was truly speeding.

 

[bubbatd]

I usually slow down to the limit or a little above . Or match the speed of the cop !

 

[HoundedByHounds]

I think the cops probably think it's pretty funny. LOL. They might even speed up and slow down to see who follows their lead...hehe.

*YOU WILL RESPECT MAI...AUTHORITAI!"

 

[Tankstar]

Ive noticed it here too. its annoying

Or match the speed of the cop !

Hopefully not when their racing as fast as they can to a call lol.

 

[eddieq]

Grammy is our own "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" :rofl1:

 

[Criosphynx]

Cops call it "black and white fever"

I don't get it...if I can I ussually drive around the slow pokes

 

[smkie]

i admit i am so scared of getting a ticket that i break even before i check my speed. THere is no way i can afford a ticket, it would destroy us. I don't if i see one on the road but if they are speed trapping it is just reflex.

 

[bubbatd]

Really ??? I thought those lights meant " Follow me ! "

 

[96 GTS]

I almost rear ended someone the other day when the pulled into the left lane to pass a semi, and then slammed on the brakes for the cop sitting in the median. Soooo annoying, not to mention the officer is going to have your speed on radar before you can even see them, so it's pointless.

Although I do have a friend who got pulled over for doing 59 in a 60 because he passed an officer that was doing 50. The cop tried to give some excuse about how the speed limit wasn't safe in the current conditions, even though it was a bright, clear, dry day

 

[Romy]

My uncle is a cop and he HATES when people do that. Hates it with a passion. Some times I can see how they might be tempted to turn on the ol' lights and escape those people, lol.

We're pretty lucky around here, the majority of cops are really nice guys. One time my mom got pulled over at 2 am for not using her turn signal. The officer strolled up and she said, "slow night officer?" he laughed and they joked and chatted for a while, he didn't even check her license thanked her for the chat and sent her on her way with a little "drive safe now ma'm".

 

[Buckshot]

Its sad that the public is so afraid of the people (and I use that term loosely)in charge of their safety.

 

[BostonBanker]

if they are speed trapping it is just reflex.

Exactly. I think it's just instinct. If I see a cop car (or, occasionally some other white car with a roof rack that fools me for a second), I immediately tap my breaks while I check my speed. I'm not a huge speeder, so I'm generally not going more than 5 miles or so above the limit, so it's not like I'm slamming to a sudden stop.

If I'm driving behind/in front of a police car, I set my cruise control to 1 mph under the limit. No need to tempt fate.

Its sad that the public is so afraid of the people (and I use that term loosely)in charge of their safety.

I'm not afraid of them...I'm afraid of the money they can charge me if, in the process of protecting our safety, they find I am being dangerous.

 

[smkie]

THat's about what i do, i certainly don't slam the breaks.

 

[Buckshot]

I'm not afraid of them...I'm afraid of the money they can charge me if, in the process of protecting our safety, they find I am being dangerous.

90% of the tickets that I have heard of/seen had nothing to do with public safety, they were generating revenue. They were taking money from honest hard working people and changing the infraction so they would not get argument. IE a 6 mile per hour speed violation plea bargained to a broken tail light...wth is that? I have gotten a ticket for a chip in my windshield because I looked at a cop while he was turning, that made him suspicious and he cant just stop me because I look suspicious. Frankly, I despise anyone that makes their living harassing the very people who provide them with an income. If people refused that type of work it wouldnt exist.

 

[GipsyQueen]

:lol-sign: We don't have that problem here. You just get a pretty little picture taken when you're speeding. Of course there are areas (especially on a very specific autobahn overpass which has bitten me in the ars once.) where everyone KNOWS that they control the speed limit so everyone slows down.... and then they speed up again My car tends not to go much fast than 130km/h so I don't have a problem most of the time.

 

[Izzy's Valkyrie]

:lol-sign: We don't have that problem here. You just get a pretty little picture taken when you're speeding. Of course there are areas (especially on a very specific autobahn overpass which has bitten me in the ars once.) where everyone KNOWS that they control the speed limit so everyone slows down.... and then they speed up again My car tends not to go much fast than 130km/h so I don't have a problem most of the time.

That reminds me, someone the other day told me there was no speed limit on the autobahn, I said that was probably only a certain part... Which is it? Or is there like a crazy high speed limit for the whole thing?

 

[perla123]

Over her is the same thing, but usualy people let other persons know when there is a cop around by flashing their lights. Over here cops are a bunch of a$$es. They sometimes follow you throught the hole neighbor hood. once a friend of mind was in the drivethrough of a BK and the cops where parked in the lot checking to see if the people on the driveway had their licence plate expired and giving tickets to the ones that were.