Posted on 06/09/2005 9:44:22 AM PDT by Millee
Beginning this fall Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputies will be pulling over teen drivers who haven't broken any traffic laws.
As part of a new program, deputies will be pulling over teens for safe driving and rewarding them with free movie theater and movie rental certificates.
Uniformed deputies driving unmarked cars will follow the drivers and give out the certificates.
"Deputies will follow them for a short distance, down a thoroughfare and we will watch their driving," said Sgt. Glenn Luben, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. "Once we identify a good safe driver, we attempt to follow them to their house or open shopping area."
Some parents think it's a great idea to reward teens for safe, responsible driving. However, while most agree the reward is nice, some parents are concerned about this method of identifying safe drivers.
"I'd be concerned whether they'd think it's a real police officer pulling them over," says Jennifer Zeitler, parent of a teen driver. "It's scary for parents too. There's so many kidnappings and other things going on; I'd be concerned for my child."
The program was started by an Oldsmar, Fla. man whose son was killed in an accident involving a teen driver. After the program begins this fall, there is a possibility it will spread to other communities.
Simply send out the movie treats to everyone who did not get a ticket or be invoolved in an accident in a specified period. No need to pull overer drivers without cause. So why don't they do this?
...Can anyone think of a more egregious waste of teens' and police time?...
No. But watch them whine that they are understaffed but "doing all they can" the next time they get a high media profile case to solve.
what's so good about making teen drivers vulnerable to police hassling? ever heard of the cop who kept ticketing drivers with bad tail lights? they were fine until he stopped them.
the Contitution is supposed to protect us from being harassed by police looking to up their quotas. feeding then kids, or encouraging them to target kids is a good idea?
Just make sure that you weren't being pulled over for doing your hair at 70 mph.
Then they don't get a good driving citation, silly!
Ah,this idea just gives you a warm fuzzy feeling does it not.
Stupid idea!
Then get an amendment passed that permits involuntary seizure without probable cause in order to reward safe driving.
Maybe they can give them a good conduct Tazering to boot.
This is detainment by law enforcement without probable cause of a crime being committed plain and simple. Let's suppose for a moment that you are driving all nice like, and you see the blue lights but you have better things to do and keep driving. You would certainly be cross checked in a computer database, and may very well be ticketed or arrested for "not cooperating". The free movie tickets and certificates are supposed to make the Gestapo pill go down easier. There is no way in advance for a motorist to know the nature of the traffic stop beforehand. Orwell is getting a lot of mileage out the US these days.
Aaahhh that's the only way I can get it to poof up. Killjoy! :-)
lol
Exactly. Its a good excuse to stop kids for no reason and bust them for any sort of inane violation. Say a Butter knife in the floor of the back seat.
god help the poor kid if he has a partially eated hamburger in the seat, OR a cigarette!
If the kid is under 18 he will lose his driver's license for having a cigarette in florida.
I remember reading about a similar program a few years ago (I think it was in Arizona or New Mexico). Unfortunately, when they tried to pull a car over, its driver panicked and jerked the steering wheel the wrong way, sending her car right under the wheels of an eighteen-wheeler.
Teen drivers are horrible drivers. 43,000 dead people per year is a Vietnam each 16 months on the highways. It is a serious issue that is ignored by everyone.
well, let's give the flori-duh police an excuse to search for one, shall we?
I live in Pinellas county. This is the first I heard of this (not surprising, since I don't bother reading the local rag-sheet). What a stupid idea. The Sheriff may mean well, but this is intimidation.
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