Posted on 04/12/2024 3:42:01 PM PDT by SamAdams76
One of my walking trails is right by the police station in Brookfield, CT. The parking lot for the police station abuts the parking lot for the walking trail (by the Still River which often floods into the trail).
Once in a while after a walk, I get in my car and leave the walking trail to head home and immediately a police vehicle, evidently going on shift, leaves their own parking lot and slides in behind me.
What to do in this situation?
The roads leading back home are in either 25mph or 30mph speed zones. Ridiculously low speed limits, especially when in good weather conditions, you can safely go 40-45mph.
When this happens, I immediately slow to the the posted speed limit. After a while, the cop gets impatient with me and starts to get right on my tail.
I keep waiting to get lit up because I know the cop is running my plate and looking to see if I have any outstanding warrants or such. Having a clean record, the cop is now looking for me to make any mistake at all. Maybe a "swerve" or a sudden braking.
Now I have my hands clenched to the wheel in the 10 and 2 o'clock position, studying my rear view as the cop gets right behind me, obviously irritated by my strict adherence to the posted speed limit.
I know that if I speed up just a little, say to 33mph in a 25, I will perhaps get lit up and pulled over for speeding. So I'm not taking that chance. But I know the cop behind me is super pissed that I'm going out of my way to stick to the speed limit. They want to pull me over so badly.
I hate these situations. Sometimes the cop will light up and just pass me out of sheer exasperation with my slow driving. They have that right. I obviously don't.
They have nothing else to do. My town (fairly small) has four times the police force they need. I’m not joking. All new vehicles with toys like four wheelers and every thing you can think of. They write tickets all day long. I have no idea what for. Where do they get the revenue for so many cops??? Oh yeah, the tickets.
The cop doesn’t HAVE to “run your plate”. In most cop cars, there’s a camera that scans every license plate it sees and runs a make on them.
No, they don't. That's an abuse of their authority.
Cops who want to see why citizens increasingly hate cops should look in the mirror.
Turn onto another road
Being a professional speeder from Jersey (carried it to Florida but after years, finally limiting it :-D )
I HATE when cops do this. Absolutely stick to the speed limit and all traffic signs, etc. He’ll use it to just teach you a lesson for slowing him down.
OR - you COULD try - if he is illegally and unsafely on your tail, open the window and wave Left hand to motion somehow to get his attention - if he pulls you over - are you bold enough to say ‘I’m concerned you are following me unsafely while I go the speed limit and if a squirrel runs out and I have to jam on my brakes, you will rear-end me at no fault of my own.” (meanwhile take his badge or car number to document what happens next.
I’m probably poking the bear...
My rule of thumb is that I don’t go more than 10% over the speed limit if there’s a cop around or I’m going through a small town.
He committed a traffic violation, there. See also my previous post.
LOLOL!!!!
With the name Sam Adams, maybe they want a happy hour invitation??...!!!
And if the arrogant public servant wants to see why he is hated, he should look in the mirror.
Posted speed limits are ridiculously low in order to entrap citizens and get them to pay fines that add to the town's coffers.
I usually drive signicantly over the posted speed limits when no cops are in the vicinity, because it is actually unsafe to drive at the speed limit. For you will have tailgaters every time.
Once in a while, I get caught in a speed trap, but the WAZE app is very good about warning you about those. But ironically you need to use your cell phone while driving to warn other drivers about the speed trap.
Instead of 10 and 2, just right wrist at 12. And relax by lowering your seat back until that arm is straight and rest your head on the headrest.
Depends on the city. In 2006 I was at my brother’s house in Ventura Calif and he’d listen to police radio feeds on the internet.
They were still using crappy radio tech and calling into dispatch to run plates.
Unions.
ONE advantage of having an older cars is that IF they try to hit you-—THEY LOSE.
MINE are all steel.
Ignore him, and obey the speed limit. No doubt he’ll get tired, and pull out and around you, then speed off.
I once said to a trooper: What is it about your badge that makes it safe to ride at high speed ten inches behind the twenty gallons of gas I just put in the car?
Credit where it’s due he nodded and said “good point”.
Good one
They suspected that you were involved in ripping down that tampon dispenser in the boys room. Go Bobcats !
Good one! The Brookfield HS is not that far away and yes, the good boys ripped down the tampon dispenser in the boys room!
I have had similar experiences. Followed for miles for no reason. I guess some cops just get bored and need something to do.
I moved to Atlanta in the late 70’s. My first time driving the interstate encircling the city, I was driving the speed limit. A policeman pulled me over. Ii told him I thought I was going the speed limit and. He asked me if I lived at the address on my. DL. I explained I had just moved to the city.
He said the reason he pulled me over was to tell me I’d have drive a whole lot faster than the speed limit or I’d get killed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.