Geek squads to upgrade cars that resemble police cruisers

SF Gate ^ | August 25, 2005 | JUSTIN M. NORTON

[Cowman]

Agents of the computer fixing "Geek Squad" wear badges and uniforms and drive black and white cars — a look the California Highway Patrol fears too closely resembles actual police officers.

The Volkswagen Beetles, emblazoned with a "Geek Squad" logo and painted black-and-white, are driven by men and women in white shirts and snap-on ties whose mission, for a fee, is to bring help to customers' homes, repairing and installing computers and entertainment systems.

Best Buy Co. Inc. is now repainting its "Geek Squad" Beetles throughout California to comply with the highway patrol's request that the vehicles not look so much like their patrol cars, the company said Thursday.

"If a new driver or an older driver sees this black and white vehicle they might think it's the police — they've got uniforms on and they've got badges on and could be mistaken for an officer," CHP spokesman Mike Herman said Thursday.

[Cowman]

How could anyone with a reasonable amount of brains confuse a VW bug with a Crown Vic?

I swear there is a black hole out there that sucks up all stupidity and drops it on beureacrats.

[Gondring]

Police don't drive just Crown Vics.

[RandallFlagg]

First 2 cars I owned were old police vehicles. Loved them both.

'76 Fury
'78 Dodge Monaco

Both models can be seen in 1984's The Terminator.

[GOP_Proud]

But you get the point, right?

[Flyer]

[atomicpossum]

"It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what? "

[IMRight]

Police don't drive just Crown Vics.

True... but they don't drive anything that looks like a VW Bug. And if/when they do, it's intended to NOT look like a cruiser (i.e. unmarked cars).

[max_rpf]

You see, the real problem is that it cuts into the state's revenue from speeding tickets. When people see a blank and white car, they instinctively slow down...

[mtbopfuyn]

SF is confused about a lot of things.

[southlake_hoosier]

They could just print a disclaimer on the back bumper

[Old North State]

Get the lighter fixed.

[Jet Jaguar]

72 Ford LTD almost mint.

[R. Scott]

In this area they use PT Cruisers.

[fredhead]

"Fix the cigarette lighter."

[gridlock]

You may be onto something there. You gotta keep the speeds up, or revenue goes down.

[DefiantZERO]

PT cruisers? Cops?

Sheesh, I know Crown Vics can get boring, but they expect to be taken seriously in those things?

[DefiantZERO]

It's California. Nothing there should surprise anyone.

[PeteB570]

As I looked through the story I was going to ask if CHiPs had started driving Bugs.

[fredhead]

CHiPs turned into the Geek Squad???

[HarleyD]

Maybe cops want to get the "look alike" police cars off the road so people will speed up and the real cops in the disguised Coopers can nab them.