Defense for LEO tailgating?

[Soup DeVille]

Yet, if a civilian breaks the speed limit because he needs to be a certain place for work or has a turtle head popping out, an officer will ram a speeding ticket up his ass...

Actually, I've been told more than once (by cops none the less) that the most effective excuse they hear is "sorry officer, but I really have to take a shit, like right now."

[rohan]

Yet, if a civilian breaks the speed limit because he needs to be a certain place for work or has a turtle head popping out, an officer will ram a speeding ticket up his ass...

That's against policy too.  If you'd have said broom stick handle or night stick then it would be permissible. 

But in general what are you saying?  Police should never drive fast to a call?

[TurboDan]

That's against policy too.  If you'd have said broom stick handle or night stick then it would be permissible. 

But in general what are you saying?  Police should never drive fast to a call?

Haters gon' hate. 99% of cops are stand-up dudes. A few clowns make everyone look like assholes. Sucks.

[Catman]

Just call the police station and report it.

[r0tor]

That's against policy too.  If you'd have said broom stick handle or night stick then it would be permissible. 

But in general what are you saying?  Police should never drive fast to a call?

I've been told by cops the laws are there for safety.

So if a police officer needs to break the speed limit, then he should have his flashing lights on.  Otherwise, suffer like the rest of us.

[Eye of the Tiger]

In fact, nobody should ever break speed limits for any reason. Otherwise, the entire idea of speed limits is flawed. Oh wait, it is.

[Raza]

Haters gon' hate. 99% of cops are stand-up dudes. A few clowns make everyone look like assholes. Sucks.

99% seems really high.  Maybe something more like 14% and like 71% are in the middle, and like 15% are total assholes. 

Actually, if you extrapolate using the pigs this forum, something around 25% are really good guys, 25% are okay, and 50% are major, racist, homophobic assholes. 

[Eye of the Tiger]

99% seems really high.  Maybe something more like 14% and like 71% are in the middle, and like 15% are total assholes. 

Actually, if you extrapolate using the pigs this forum, something around 25% are really good guys, 25% are okay, and 50% are major, racist, homophobic assholes. 

[S204STi]

lol

[Catman]

99% seems really high.  Maybe something more like 14% and like 71% are in the middle, and like 15% are total assholes. 

Actually, if you extrapolate using the pigs this forum, something around 25% are really good guys, 25% are okay, and 50% are major, racist, homophobic assholes. 

LOL, there's only four on here, three if you consider Hounddog and Rohan as clones. 

[dazzleman]

99% seems really high.  Maybe something more like 14% and like 71% are in the middle, and like 15% are total assholes. 

Actually, if you extrapolate using the pigs this forum, something around 25% are really good guys, 25% are okay, and 50% are major, racist, homophobic assholes. 

You left out sexist or mysoginistic.  It's always obligatory to include that when you mention the other two.

[bing_oh]

99% seems really high.  Maybe something more like 14% and like 71% are in the middle, and like 15% are total assholes.  

Actually, if you extrapolate using the pigs this forum, something around 25% are really good guys, 25% are okay, and 50% are major, racist, homophobic assholes.  

I'm just trying to figure out which percentage I fall into...

[bing_oh]

I've been told by cops the laws are there for safety.

So if a police officer needs to break the speed limit, then he should have his flashing lights on.  Otherwise, suffer like the rest of us.

And, then, we would get bitched at because we took too long responding to your calls...probably accompanied by some comment about having to finish our donuts. Lose/lose. I'll just continue to do things as I already do them and you can bitch about my speeding. I'll take the grief if it increases my chances of getting to an important call a little faster and maybe helping somebody or catching a shitbag.

[rohan]

99% seems really high.  Maybe something more like 14% and like 71% are in the middle, and like 15% are total assholes. 

Actually, if you extrapolate using the pigs this forum, something around 25% are really good guys, 25% are okay, and 50% are major, racist, homophobic assholes. 

So 78% better numbers then the general public. 

[MX793]

I've been told by cops the laws are there for safety.

So if a police officer needs to break the speed limit, then he should have his flashing lights on.  Otherwise, suffer like the rest of us.

Police officers have been through intensive driving classes that make them world-class drivers on par with the likes of WRC and Formula 1 drivers.  You, Joe Public, have not, which is why there are safety laws like speed limits in place to protect you and the rest of the public from itself.

[bing_oh]

Police officers have been through intensive driving classes that make them world-class drivers on par with the likes of WRC and Formula 1 drivers.  You, Joe Public, have not, which is why there are safety laws like speed limits in place to protect you and the rest of the public from itself.

Well above average drivers, probably. World-class might be pushing it a bit, though. Appreciate the compliment, though.

[MX793]

And, then, we would get bitched at because we took too long responding to your calls...probably accompanied by some comment about having to finish our donuts. Lose/lose. I'll just continue to do things as I already do them and you can bitch about my speeding. I'll take the grief if it increases my chances of getting to an important call a little faster and maybe helping somebody or catching a shitbag.

If it's an important call, turn your flashers on.  Safer and every bit as effective at getting a vehicle out of your way when you're in a hurry than riding their rear bumper.

[TurboDan]

If it's an important call, turn your flashers on.  Safer and every bit as effective at getting a vehicle out of your way when you're in a hurry than riding their rear bumper.

As explained, state laws/guidelines plus insurance company edicts prevent them from doing so in many situations.

[rohan]

If it's an important call, turn your flashers on.  Safer and every bit as effective at getting a vehicle out of your way when you're in a hurry than riding their rear bumper.

And potentially a violation of department policy or state statute or both.  Like I said earlier most departments out there have pretty strict guidlines about when and why officers can use their lights.  Then there's the calls that you "can't" run lights and siren because you don't want the bad guys to know your coming like alarms- domestics- robberies and break ins in progress- or if another officer is asking for assistance but is not in "immediate" danger- etc.

[rohan]

Well above average drivers, probably. World-class might be pushing it a bit, though. Appreciate the compliment, though.

Was he serious?  I took it like he was ribbing us.  I would say the average police officer is better then above average but that's my opinion.  I do think officers who work outside cities or towns like sheriff deputies and township officers drive much better at a lot faster speed then their city-bound counterparts.  On the other hand the guys working in cities probably do a lot better in real confined typed driving.

[bing_oh]

And potentially a violation of department policy or state statute or both.  Like I said earlier most departments out there have pretty strict guidlines about when and why officers can use their lights.  Then there's the calls that you "can't" run lights and siren because you don't want the bad guys to know your coming like alarms- domestics- robberies and break ins in progress- or if another officer is asking for assistance but is not in "immediate" danger- etc.

Hell, Randy, you know people think we can run lights and siren whenever we want to and do so to every hot call. They don't get that we're restricted by policy and state law, not to mention tactical considerations.

[rohan]

Yeah I know.  They come in to our office every so often to complain about their local fire trucks running lights and siren to calls.  Or state law doesn't let them run lights without sirens but no one cares about that when their getting woke up every few nights. 

[bing_oh]

Was he serious?  I took it like he was ribbing us.  I would say the average police officer is better then above average but that's my opinion.  I do think officers who work outside cities or towns like sheriff deputies and township officers drive much better at a lot faster speed then their city-bound counterparts.  On the other hand the guys working in cities probably do a lot better in real confined typed driving.

I took it straight-faced...I'll take whatever compliment I can get, damnit!

Anybody can drive fast in a straight line, even you county black shirts, but you need mad skillz to work the tight corners and traffic we city cops do with ease!

[rohan]

Brown. 

[bing_oh]

Brown. 

My apologies...baby poop brown. "Black shirt" is a general derogatory reference to deputies in Ohio, since they all wear black shirts and gray pants because of the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association guidelines.

[Colonel Cadillac]

I find it to be especially dangerous at night when I'm being blinded by the LEO's lights.

I had that happen to me on a windy road at night. It was very irritating and if I hadn't known the road like the back of my hand I would've been terrified as well.

Yeah man, when cops are driving near me let alone right on my bumper my heart rate is typically at least 40 BPM higher than normal. Cops scare the crap out of me on the road.

I am fundamentally against breaking the law to catch people breaking the law on the road. There are no excuses for that behavior at all in my book. You have to find a reason to pull me over 2 seconds behind me buddy.

Also, tailgating to drive quickly for a non-emergency call that "is important" is a load of shit to me. Either it's an emergency or it's not. In the latter case, you have to stick to the damn laws like the rest of us. We civilians need to be places quickly too sometimes.

[Rupert]

Indeed. If it's so important you have to break the law to get there, then it's important enough for the light show (unless it's a tactical thing), damn the regulations and other excuses.

Not like tailgating people is an effective way to get somewhere faster anyway.

[Raza]

Hey, if cops didn't spend 90% of their time eating doughnuts and giving speeding tickets to people driving completely reasonably, people wouldn't slow to a crawl every time they saw a cop on the road. 

[TurboDan]

Indeed. If it's so important you have to break the law to get there, then it's important enough for the light show (unless it's a tactical thing), damn the regulations and other excuses.

A government agency and its employees cannot pick and choose which state laws and policies they follow. If a cop throws on the light show and sirens when he's not supposed to and an accident occurs, you're facing millions of dollars in civil liabilities, plus the cop probably risks losing his job and entire career.

[Rupert]

First sentence runs contrary to the rest. And what if an accident occurs when the cop is tailgating and speeding instead of using the lights? Don't you think that's more likely?