A Cop Tells Me . . .

[DemonGT]

mustanguy...my buddy has a 88gt that looks identical to yours...his has a 347 though

[spyguy]

That is unfortunate that some cop was harassing you when you were just trying to have a good time. Of course you did admit that you were guilty of the offense. But still, messing with you when you break the law instead of doing something useful, like sitting in front of your house in case someone decides to break in. Oh...I guess that does sound a little unreasonable. But COME ON!! Speeding? What kind of stupid law is that? It is all about the money. Of course, speed related crashes cost tax payers over 23 billion dollars a year. But we can spend our tax dollars any way we please! That goes for insurance too. If we want to pay out of the a** for insurance, we will! But then, there are the 1,000 Americans per MONTH who die from speed related accidents. But that isn't us! Those are the other idiot who can't drive. Although, it is true that when we speed, we make other drivers nervous and lessen their reaction time to us. But still, their fault, not ours. Those darn cops should know the difference between the people who are driving like idiots, and those of us who only appear to be driving like idiots but are actually highly trained and skilled individuals at the helm of a well tuned, and clearly phallic machine. That genious who stated ever so elloquently a few posts back that we should fire 80% of the cops is right. Lets just keep the 20% who are not only psychic, but only enforce the laws we want them to enforce. And furthermore......ummm....cops bad.....quota.........doughnut.............. I guess that's it.

R. Eason
(try listening sometime)

mustang guy my buddy has a 88gt thats identical to yours...his has a 347 though

Ah Really? Thas kewl,bet that 347 is fun to drive

[67GTACoupe]

Sup All,

I don't know what some of you are thinking (no offense) i mean yeah there are alot of lil ****** cops out there being a Jacka**s and pulling people over just for the hell of it, but what about the cops that do there job, hell i am probally going to be a CHP and i sure as hell don't back down to anyone and im in highschool, but if you think about it we usually on hear about the bad cops and how many of you have gotten off with just warnings? oh well i guess im just saying that don't group all cops together like that and say they are all ****s


Steven

[84LX89GT]

Here is my opinion based on my friend who was a police explorer (volunteer cop) and is now a volunteer as a county cop while he's in ROTC in the army (did someone mention messed up people being in military/law enforcement parchance ) Anyway, i would NEVER want to be pulled over by him because he's an @sshole and he told me about all the cops and how they bragged about what kind of cars they pulled over and how much they ticketed them for. He also told me about how most of the cops are psychos that he went for ride alongs with (since he was an "insider" he saw alot of shady stuff). I've actually had MUCH BETTER luck with state troopers than with local area police because it takes alot of effort to become a state trooper as well as mental exams and polygraph tests on top of the rigorous physical tests and i believe that state troopers have to either be volunteers in the military or have miliatary background, but i'm not sure. All of this is relevant to washington state.

Another one of my friends was a roommate with a cop who was absolutely psycho, would take him chevy lumina and park like a cop who was radaring (it was dark blue and looked kinda like something a cop would drive) and sit there for hours for no reason other than watch people slam on their brakes. He also would wake up my friend with a stun gun every morning. Really weird psycho.

For me i've never met a city cop that i liked most of them in my opinion are just a step above a security gaurd. County cops mostly ticket and in my opinion are generally useless. State Troopers give tickets on the freeway, but since i've gotten off one ticket for being in a multiple car crash and i got a ticket for 19 over where the cop didn't mess with me i don't have much of a problem with them so far.

What am i trying to say.....well.....i HATE seeing cops sitting with a radar gun and i usually flick them off after i pass (put my finger down where they can't see it) because there's nothing that pisses me off more than when i hear about bad things happening to people and more effort was put into traffic duty than to responding to calls. This, of course, is just my opinion.

[Stang Runner]

My mom was pulled over a few times by the same Cop And he did not know that she is on a few City Board's with the Chief Well she told him about what he had done well he said he would Talke to him and well.... he dont do it any more Does give a few Nasty looks tho we live about 3 Blocks from the Police Station see them alot here........just this week there is a very road that all most every ones turns left from it they put a No left hand trun up they are doing road work there well They were pulling them over left and right they lined out on the road waiting for people to come...... it is like a 3 miles to the next road the goes that way too..

[Jeb_Bush_2000]

What am i trying to say.....well.....i HATE seeing cops sitting with a radar gun and i usually flick them off after i pass (put my finger down where they can't see it) because there's nothing that pisses me off more than when i hear about bad things happening to people and more effort was put into traffic duty than to responding to calls.

Avoiding radar is part of playing the game. You can drive fast, or you can drive without fear of persecution. You can't have it both ways.

[Unit 5302]

23billion, according to whose figures? LOL. Oh, you mean at least one of the vehicles was moving?

Speeding tickets are REVENUE MAKERS. Nothing else. If you don't believe that, oh well, I don't have time to pursuade you. You can look up the research for yourself.

Traffic enforcement is fine. Doing real work is better (I hope you're not insinuating robberies and theft are not real crimes to be deterred, or solved, spyguy) . Some of my best friends are going to be cops. There are two sides. Great people, if you know them. Jerks if you don't.

[1BAD89]

Great people, if you know them. Jerks if you don't.

I totally agree with that. How's the other site comming along Unit?

[PKRWUD]

It's been my experience that people who go into law enforcement react just like people who go into any profession; If they were pricks before, they'll probably be pricks on the job, and if they were cool before, then they'll probably be cool on the job.

I know that here in Ventura County, the Sheriffs Department has the highest turnover of officers. They train them, break them in, and then they go off and become a cop in some other town.

The first 6 months of a VC Sheriff's Deputies career is spent working 10 hour shifts at the Todd Road Jail. That jail was built with blueprints for a maximum security prison, and is no cakewalk. It houses 2500 inmates, and is usually at 75% capacity. They are put right into the mix of things, and are taught right away that inmates are lower forms of life, that deserve no special treatment. By the time they finish their 6 months, they go for the next 6 months as a ride along partner with a senior deputy, out in the field. By this time, they have become totally accustomed to the concept that everyone who looks mildly different is guilty of something. They also are fresh off of a power trip that even the biggest high school nerd could not have fantasized. This tends to make them hardened asshol*s, with an attitude. They are jerks, whose sh*t doesn't stink, and they are better than anyone else. This is exactly how the Sheriff's Department wants them to be, and is one of the main reasons why they are in such demand by other states and towns. VC deputies are the first choice by most law enforcement agencies that are recruiting. This county can't crank them out fast enough. Still, the ones who were cool going in, tend to be cool coming out. The cop sitting there with the radar gun didn't go to work and say "I don't feel like patrolling a bad neighborhood and looking for burglaries today, so I'm just going to go use my radar gun and eat donuts all day". They are assigned. If you have a problem with the way your town does things, attend a City Council meeting, and voice your concern. Don't whine about the guy doing his job.

It's also been my experience that at least 70% of the rookies were the same guys and gals that got picked on in high school. The nerds. The dorks. The guys you laughed at because their shirt was buttoned up wrong, or who always came to class after lunch with brown stuff stuck to their teeth. They then get to take out their suppressed anger on the same people, or perceived types of people, that upset them so much just a few years before. This is, IMHO, why there really are so many cops out there that are just plain jerks on a power trip.

There are, however, a whole lot of really cool cops too. One of them is a member on this site, although I haven't seen him around for a couple of months.

I'm not proud of it, but better than 3 of my nearly 36 years on this planet were spent behind bars. The longest single stretch was for a year. I also have known many cops on the outside. I know of what I speak.

Take care,
-Chris

[Unit 5302]

True about the city council and mayor deciding on what to enforce, but not true on how to enforce it. While there are technically laws in place to prevent "quotas," the quota is really a tool for the promotion to higher levels. Don't pull enough people over and write tickets, don't get a promotion. The St. Cloud, MN State Patrol office chief, and the State Patrol were recently named in a lawsuit by a deputy who was passed over for promotions because of his low ticketing rate.

By the way, Chris, since cops pick on people who they know the average Joe Blow doesn't care about (Sports car drivers etc) going to the city council meetings and complaining doesn't do a damn thing for ya. If anything, it makes you a target.

The Hennepin County traffic violation ticket has gone from $72.50 in 1995 to $105.00 in 2001. Over double the rate of inflation. There are way more unmarked cars on the road than ever before, and these cars specialize in pulling people over all day, every day. The city isn't going to do anything about it, they make a killing off of all the tickets. When you go to traffic court, an arraignment officer of the city sits you down, has a look at your ticket, then offers to let you off with the DMV, and reduce the charge to something that doesn't go on your insurance in turn for you pleading guilty and the money then goes to the city. I see people pulled over all the time here on the highway that runs through town. Might as well label it "Revenue Strip Road." Write 5 tickets a day and you've paid your own salary, the car payment, and paid for the operation of your department. Course, there are so many ticket writers and cars that they HAVE to write tickets to pay for it all, otherwise it wouldn't be in the budget. It's a catch-22. Write more tickets to pay for more officers, and more officers and better equipment means you have to write more tickets. Sickening. The cops don't give a crap about most crime. They're out writing tickets so they can justify an overpopulation in their workforce that doesn't do much of their job.

As the years have gone by, it's gotten more and more ridiculous.

Hey 1BAD89, Kat Finley's site is really nice. It's not super busy at the moment, but more traffic has been flowing through in general. Very good people there, and no flaming. www.themustangnet.com If you feel like checkin it out, give it a look.

[ArcticLS1]

Im sorta with the cop on this one. he souldnt have lectured you on your car being modded. But he let you off the hook, knowing you had 2 prior tickets that day!?! Most cops would have written you up. That was nice of him. Im putting myself in the cops shoes on this one and i would have written you a ticket, then slapped your mom upside the head with the night stick for saying something so stupid. Most people just beep the horn and wave when they want to say Hi. not go WOT.

[mean81GT]

nothing against you sky, but this is typical. everytime someone does something against the law, and the cops catch him, the cops are all of a sudden jerks, and are good for nothing. i come from a long line of police officers, and for years i had to deal with wondering if my father was coming home from work that day. he had to deal with people everyday that did alot worse than gratuitously spin their tires to make someon look. so before you scream foul that the cops gave you a bad rap, look at the tv, and look what they did september 11th. that day was an example of what they do every day. sure, there are a few bad apples, but their numbers are far far far fewer than the real heroes of this country.

oh, and pkrwud, when you got busted those few times, and went to jail those few times, did you break the law, or was some cop being an ***$hole?

[Unit 5302]

Originally posted by mean81GT
nothing against you sky, but this is typical. everytime someone does something against the law, and the cops catch him, the cops are all of a sudden jerks, and are good for nothing. i come from a long line of police officers, and for years i had to deal with wondering if my father was coming home from work that day. he had to deal with people everyday that did alot worse than gratuitously spin their tires to make someon look. so before you scream foul that the cops gave you a bad rap, look at the tv, and look what they did september 11th. that day was an example of what they do every day. sure, there are a few bad apples, but their numbers are far far far fewer than the real heroes of this country.

oh, and pkrwud, when you got busted those few times, and went to jail those few times, did you break the law, or was some cop being an ***$hole?

Oh yes, they did do their jobs on September 11. Let's all have a party. the cops did their job one day. Doing your job doesn't make you a saint. I suppose I could say, and look at all the professionalism they showed when they got into the cops vs firefighters brawl.

It's a cops job to serve the public interest, not harrass the public. If there are more important things to do than sit back and harrass the crap out of people, then they should be doing it.

[spyguy]

23 billion according to N.T.S.A., UNIT (a fitting moniker if ever I heard one). Speed releated accident implies that one or more vehicles involved in an accident were driving above the posted speed limit. For most people that would be self-explanatory. And for you to make the statement that traffic enforcement is strictly a "revenue maker" displays your ignorance of municipal budgetary process. The average traffic citation only generates 3-5% above the cost of issuance, which includes manpower, equipment, administration, court fees, and departmental rebates. This excludes state funded programs, such as "STEP". Municipal "revenue" comes from taxes, as any homeowner can attest. As I stated previously, the small town or municipality that does use traffic enforcement as a major revenue source is the exception, not the rule. These towns, as we all know are situated away from major metropolitan areas adjacent to interstates where motorists are "passing through" and are not expected to return to fight the citation. Their property is not valuable enough to generate sufficient revenue to support the municipality, so they must supplement with this unfortunate practice.
And of course robberies and thefts are important issues, as is any crime (um, like speeding? yes, that too). But guess what; if you report a theft, robbery, or burglary in your neighborhood, can you guess what the local police department will do, besides investigating whatever evidence is available? (tick tock tick tock tick tock...) That's right; increased traffic enforcement! One of the best deterrents of residential and business area crime is increased visibility, ergo, lights and sirens!
But of course, just as you do not wish to attempt to convince me of your unsupported theories and conjecture, I will not try to convice you of supported facts. We all need someone to be pissed at. But remember, every kind of peaceful cooperation among men is primarily based on mutual trust and only secondarily on institutions such as courts of justice and police. Albert Einstein said that. You know; the rilly smart dude wit dat funny hair.

[crewzin]

Thats right cops suck ***. For those who are cops on this board. Next time you see a fellow cop being an *** to someone, remind him that his people skills is why you are hated. Try listening sometimes instead of using STREET JUSTICE with a ticket book or harsh words to the public. If you dont like being lumped in with the rest then dont lump us with the punks who are doing crimes.Doing the public justice by doing a good job ONE day does'nt mean the other 364 days you get a reprieve. If I do a bad job and treat people like crap I get the axe. Just remember you work for us.....

And everybody else the next time you hear ZERO TOLERANCE, vote against it. If this country keeps going the way they are zero tolerance will be imposed everywhere. Just remember what good for the goose........

[Jeb_Bush_2000]

Just remember you work for us.....

And...what other occupations are you aware of where you could be killed by your boss for little or no reason?

[Mr 5 0]

I decided to re-visit this thread, and I find the old 'good cops/bad cops' debate as interesting as ever. This subject comes up every few months here, mostly due to a lot of our members being receipents of traffic tickets, deserved or otherwise.

I offered my overview in an earlier post but wanted to comment on the more intense stuff posted, concerning bad cops and revenue enhancement.

In my state, there was a big scandal a few years ago over traffic ticket fines that had exceeded $405. for a 20 mph-over speeding ticket! People were enraged and were clogging up the courts with 'Not Guilty' pleas, so the legislature dropped the fine to around $220. or so, maximum. The reason for the fine increase was simply to raise more money for the state. Of course, like raising cigarette taxes since cigarettes are unhealthy for you, the politicians can hide behind the fact that 'If you don't break the law, you have nothing to worry about' pose. Right.

As noted by others, the State Troopers (at least in my state) are the most professional and courteous, even when giving you a ticket (I know this from experience). Local cops are usually so-so; the 'good ones' (not head-cases on a power trip) tend to get promoted to detective or at least Patrol Sargent, so, unfortunately, the public sees mostly the bottom-rung-level officers on the street.

On the cop's side, it's a crappy job. Dangerous and dealing with scum, most of the time. If I were a cop, I'd consider traffic duty to be a joke, compared to chasing bad guys down an alley, breaking up bar fights and trying to intervene in often-dangerous 'domestic disturbances'.

Despite the denials from some, I believe that traffic ticket revenue is a factor in some traffic law 'enforcement' as we've all seen the 'speed traps' and if you'll notice, most of these appear near the end of the month, when the always-denied 'quotas' are coming due.

Let's face it; most roads have speed limits about 10 -15 mph below what is safe and reasonable and that's for a reason. On almost any local road in America, you can be charged with 'speeding', simply because you're doing a reasonable 35 mph on a road marked for 25, probably around World war II. The town and city authorities know this. It's a game.

When the local police department wants to increase revenue or look like it's 'doing something' about 'speeders', usually due to citizen complaints or a few fatal accidents in a short time span, the radar comes out, the unmarked cars go into service and 'everybody' gets a ticket, it seems.

Of course young people driving flashy, loud 'performance' cars are going to be noticed and singled out by the traffic police This has always been the norm. Drive a beige Honda Accord and you won't be noticed much, but drive a red, loud, Mustang or whatever (even a ricer) and you're probably a target, or at least you're going to be 'noticed'. That's unavoidable. Radar doesn't discriminate at all, although the officer can set the 'tolerance level' where he wants and can stop whomever he chooses. No avoiding the human factor.

Finally, unmarked cars are B.S. Any one who drives knows that a clearly-marked patrol car sitting on the side of the road, visible to all, is going to slow people down for a mile in either direction. Guaranteed. When you go to an unmarked car to 'catch' speeders, it' may be quite legal, but it's a form of entrapment in the sense that everybody 'speeds' - goes 5 or 10 over the posted limit - and an unmarked car simply denies a otherwise reasonable driver the chance to slow down a tad and be 'legal', so he/she is now vulnerable to receiving a 'speeding' ticket.

But, hey: "If you weren't breaking the law you wouldn't have had anything to worry about and noooo, there's no ticket quota in our town, no Sir. Just doing our job, Sir. Have a nice day, now."

As I stated earlier; the cops have most of the power in these situations and the courts back them up 99% of the time. Understand your vulnerability to law enforcement when you're on the road and don't be shocked at a nasty, power-tripping cop harrassing you or getting a ticket for doing an 'illegal' burn-out in front of a cop. C'mon. If you were the cop, you might do the same. Often though, a calm, respectful approach to the cop can get you off, as most cops expect young guys (especially) to be snots, and when you treat them with respect (deserved or not...we're talking survival here) they'll cut you some slack. Worth trying and it's often worked for me.

[Unit 5302]

Originally posted by spyguy
23 billion according to N.T.S.A., UNIT (a fitting moniker if ever I heard one)....

Alright, you've managed to arouse my interest in making you look stupid. Not really all that hard. You've just made the claim that accidents related to speed cost the American people over $90 per individual ALIVE in the country. Not drivers, not people of legal driving age, but per person. When you consider car ownership, that's nearly $200 per year, per car owned in the United States. What's the average person pay, per car in insurance? Maybe $700/year. That leaves $500 left to cover insurance companies (who make a VERY tidy profit on automobile insurance), and ALL other reasons for insurance pay outs. From theft, to vandalism, to hail, to accidents not relating to speed issues (VAST MAJORITY). All the sudden your numbers don't hold any water anymore. The NTSA isn't exactly who I'd trust for accurate reporting. They have their own agenda.

Actually, the $23billion you quote can be manipulated to ridiculous levels since 99% of the time no police officer is on the scene clocking somebody while they cause an accident. It's a cops favorite little write up to cite speed at the scene of an accident. Know why, Professor? REVENUE. Not to mention the insurance companies love it too. That way they get to figure out who's at fault immediately, and charge more money. That's right, give me an R, E, V, E, N, U, E, what's the spell? FLAWED NUMBERS!!

[Unit 5302]

If you still think tickets are not a revenue source, might want to take a look at Phoenix, and their ticket happy stoplight camera's.