Let's Track Sightings of Police Officer Writing Tickets (Burke: Walmart, money)

[robbobobbo]

Originally Posted by VRE332

Applaud the police for what? You want them to hold your hand while crossing the street too?

Applaud them for trying to prevent people who feel like driving laws are unimportant get someone killed. You know, "little things" like illegal left turns.

One cyclist was hit when he was legally crossing, the car in the front had stopped for him, but some jerk in a hurry decided rules didn't apply to him and he drove around the front car, and hit the cyclist.

[normie]

Originally Posted by robbobobbo

Applaud them for trying to prevent people who feel like driving laws are unimportant get someone killed. You know, "little things" like illegal left turns.

One cyclist was hit when he was legally crossing, the car in the front had stopped for him, but some jerk in a hurry decided rules didn't apply to him and he drove around the front car, and hit the cyclist.

Well, on the one hand, I agree that getting tickets is a royal pain and sometimes officers get carried away. But... the bottom line for me is traffic tickets are the only way I know to get drivers to drive more safely.

I'm a person who does a lot of walking and who crosses a lot of roads. I've seen plenty of accidents over the years. Most times it seems like the party at fault was speeding or breaking a "minor" rule.

I also don't have much sympathy for pedestrians who jaywalk. And don't get me started on cellphone users. I've seen them run stop signs, swerve out of their lane, and do all sorts of stupid things. Just last week I was in a crosswalk and a kid driving by barely missed hitting me. He was busy chatting away on a cellphone, probably didn't even see me.

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by robbobobbo

Applaud them for trying to prevent people who feel like driving laws are unimportant get someone killed. You know, "little things" like illegal left turns.

One cyclist was hit when he was legally crossing, the car in the front had stopped for him, but some jerk in a hurry decided rules didn't apply to him and he drove around the front car, and hit the cyclist.

Did the cyclist STOP before crossing the road? Or did he just go thru the intersection assuming people were going to stop?

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by VRE332

Did the cyclist STOP before crossing the road? Or did he just go thru the intersection assuming people were going to stop?

With the way i see cyclists ride I would think the latter.

[flik_becky]

Ok, I don't live in this state but the thread grabbed my attention. Were I live, people don't sit around and talk about this, except the ones that your roll your eyes about when they get yet another ticket. It sounds like there are major speeding issues in your state and a major crack down to get control of it. Wierd. I'm not saying that I've never been pulled over, but I do my best to obey the speed limit with 5 miles an hour over or under. The first time I ever got pulled over, it was right after getting my license and the first time ever driving after dark. I knew there was a trap up ahead so I tried to use my cruise control, also for the first time. Well I pumped on the button because it didn't want to work. The second I stopped and I gave up on it, it started speeding up and wouldn't stop. I figured it would be fine but kept on speeding up past the speed I wanted it to. I tried a couple times to use the button to make it stop. It didn't work and I was now driving way to fast around a curve to dare step on the breaks. I just kept the car under control and once I was around the corner, I brought my car to a near stop while my heart just about jumped out of my chest. Of course, in less than a minute that cop was on my butt and did not believe me, he figured I saw him. I took the ticket without argueing and paid for it, knowing he could have been way worse, I was taking the middle between both lanes going around that curve ( both lanes were going in the same direction, no other traffic on the road), but a reckless driving ticket could have been issued as well.

I've also been messed with by a couple cops, where two squads pulled up behind me and he and his buddy kept calling me Jessica. My name is not Jessica or even close to it and they saw my license. Started to feel like I was in Super Troopers. After I had corrected them, the guy did again and I caught him smiling at his buddy so I just flashed him a big grin and let it go. I'd probably want to do the same every once in awhile. No ticket or anything, I was slowing down while passing the speed limit sign, obviously not worth their time. The other couple times was because of tail light or head light out and I was thankful that they took the time to let me know so I could get it fixed.

Once, on a long drive, I had my rearview mirror pointed down to deal with kids in the back, speeding up and slowing down, but obviously not intentially speeding. When I did the duck and peek before changing lanes, I saw the car behind me with lights on. I had no idea how long they had been there. I pulled over and was so embarrased but they brushed it off right away with an "eh...no biggie." No ticket either.

But in all my years of driving, I've been helped more by cops than annoyed by them so I don't even look around for them. I give myself plenty of time to get places so speeding isn't something I need to do either.

What gets me going is the stunts of some people and somehow they keep getting away with it, like a driver I know who crams in 6 passengers in her car, 5 of them children 7 and under which is meant to seat 4.

[robbobobbo]

Originally Posted by VRE332

Did the cyclist STOP before crossing the road? Or did he just go thru the intersection assuming people were going to stop?

You still don't comprehend? He was crossing at a marked crossing spot, the car closest to the crossing had stopped for him to allow him to cross, and the car behind that one decided to go around the lead car. The bike was already in the road crossing before the driver that hit him decided he'd had enough of waiting. It's not as if the cyclist darted out into the road and got hit by a car that was in motion.

In Alexandria, the police are pretty vigilant about crosswalks that require cars to stop for pedestrians around the Braddock Metro.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by VRE332

Did the cyclist STOP before crossing the road? Or did he just go thru the intersection assuming people were going to stop?

Originally Posted by Alanboy395

With the way i see cyclists ride I would think the latter.

The cyclists on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail are notorious for this, especially here in Reston. I always stop and look both ways as a RUNNER while some cyclists whirl right by me into the crosswalk, assuming they have the "right-of-way." Being "right" serves no purpose when a beer truck is dragging what's left of your leg and half of your bike down the street!

[themommy]

Just as an interesting aside:

When I lived down in Austin, Texas, the police there decided to try a positive reinforcement tactic to improve traffic safety. They announced that they'd be randomly stopping people who were driving well, so that they could reward them with (if I remember correctly) tickets to see our local minor league baseball and hockey teams play.

All I could think was how ticked I would have been if someone had pulled me over to thank me for driving well. Not that I didn't understand the point of the program, but really, who wants to start padding their schedule so they have time to possibly get pulled over for good driving?

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by themommy

Just as an interesting aside:

When I lived down in Austin, Texas, the police there decided to try a positive reinforcement tactic to improve traffic safety. They announced that they'd be randomly stopping people who were driving well, so that they could reward them with (if I remember correctly) tickets to see our local minor league baseball and hockey teams play.

All I could think was how ticked I would have been if someone had pulled me over to thank me for driving well. Not that I didn't understand the point of the program, but really, who wants to start padding their schedule so they have time to possibly get pulled over for good driving?

A large No Va agency had to do this years ago and the officers working the streets hated it. It wasn't their choice yet they had to follow orders. Fortunately it didn't last for long.

[Zombieshotgun]

Originally Posted by car54

Instead, how bout we track our own speedometers and all the posted regulation signs? Then we don't have to worry about what the cops are doing, or where they're doing it!

BTW, if you're tempted flash your headlights to warn other motorists, think twice....if the cops see you, you get a ticket for interfering with a police officer. You may get off of it, but you will have wasted a morning in court. I remember, during my brief law enforcement career, if somebody P'd me off, I'd charge 'em with something, knowing full well the judge would probably let them walk. It was all to just inconvenience the wiseguy.

All I have to say is that if you used law enforcement like that to settle personal grudges you have against someone then THANK GOD you are no longer in law enforcement. People like you give LEOs a bad name. Maybe if I ever catch you in the hospital I should make a painful procedure even more painful because you annoy me. Maybe an accidental yank to the foley im inserting, that would serve you right.