I almost thought cursing was bad to do to around an officer, but words can fly without thinking.. But intentionally wanting to annoy them? Im speechless at your lack of consideration.

 

It can't really be called "free" if it is limited in any way Can it?

 

Not only disorderly conduct, but im sure they can classify it as intimidating an officer.

 

Are they being more considerate by breaking MY states laws just because they are in a patrol car? Officers should be setting the example. If the speedlimit says 55, then they shouldn't be exceeding 55.

Our highway patrol and county drive similarly colored cars so I can tell if they are local and might be justified in speeding without the lights on.

 

Thank you for clearing that up for me. I will continue to follow my own personal approach and use words like Yes Sir, and No Sir and Sorry Sir and leave it at that. You are just trying to do your job and I cant gripe about that. If nothing else, I should say "good job" cause thats just what the cop is doing, his job!!

 

Officer discretion indeed! Years ago,I just so happened to have fallen in behind the cheif of police of the town I grew up in. He was a friend of the family and we knew each other well, my mother was the city clerk and signed his paycheck!

I followed for a a mile or so at a distance and noted that at every intersection he failed to signal and failed to come to a complete stop. He did not have takedowns lights on and was driving the speed limit. I follwed him to his destination and got out of the car. I told him what I saw and his reply was "Justin, do you know how many times a day I have to use those signals?" I said "Yes sir, the same as I do. EVERY TIME." I went to city hall and filed a complaint.

The next afternoon he showed up behind me at an intersection. I turned my signal off and negotiated my turn and waved at him. He never pulled me over!

 

Jeff in TD- I admire your ability to show some restraint and let the words of idiots roll off you. It seems you are a good role model and I wish you would have pulled me over instead of some of the others i've encountered.

From my experience with many officers and corrections officers; they behave just like other people; some are outstanding peaceful and honest people, and others are dishonest and antagonistic people. Many will not antagonize until someone starts it first.

My intention of this thread was not to slander officers or learn how to get away with anything, only to learn what the actual law said. It seems the words of the law don't matter as much as how it is interpreted in the courts. Some people do not realize that an officer can arrest for any reason, even made up ones. It is the job of the courts to evaluate the officers judgement.

It's also great to hear from an officers perspective what speed they tend to consider excessive. Often I will travel 7mph over the limit when in a hurry, but this seems to be with the flow of traffic in Oregon. Good news for you Jack Thorpe, you will never see me in your state.

Thank you to all the law officers that have responded. I have learned some things today. One more question: do officers still get tickets when they are off duity? Just askin.

 

Here, they do. A while back we had an off duty officer who hit a parked car. The officers who responded detected there was a problem, and asked the state police to come to avoid any conflict of interest, and the (now former) officer went to jail.

We also had an officer who had slept during the day, but still fell asleep while driving on a graveyard shift, and he ended up with a citation.

A few years ago, our department Chaplin took a temporary position working in uniform for downtown parking during the holiday shopping season, and he told me he had been crossing the street (with no traffic) when someone chewed him out for not crossing inside the crosswalk (something we wouldn't generally bother with).

Anyhow, there is a double standard in that people expect a higher standard of behavior from public officials, not that they should get special treatment (though I can't say that it never happens).

 

Do lawyers get free law advice from other lawyers? Do Doctors get free medical treatment from other Doctors? Do employees of a lumber yard get a break when they buy some lumber?

Most people get some kind of advantage over others because of the nature of their job or where they work. Naturally, most police officers don't write other police tickets if they are allowed the discretion not to. Is it right? Probably not. That is just the way it is. Come join a law enforcement agency and you can have that perk too.

 

They may be responding to a hot call of some sort...(not hot enough for red lights and siren)....but need to get there. And, they can't pass you so you think they are thinking about you..........and in reality they are just trying to get where they are going to try and help somebody. So now they have to put up with you "annoying them".......just so they can get to their call and hear from the person who needed help...."I sure wish you could have got here 5 minutes ago"..."where were you when I needed you". Hope it made you feel better to "annoy them".

If it was me.......I would have pulled over to the right as quickly and safely as possible to give them room to pass me. But, that is just me.

 

are you trying to tell me cops lie?
no way, never in my life would such a thing happen!
i have never heard of such terrorist, unamerican things said in all my life!

 

If they are responding to a hot call. blip their lights, I will pull over.
Like I said in my other post, the county and state drive similarly colored cars. I have had cops from Arkansas cops follow me like this in Oklahoma. Aint no way they are responding to a hot call out of their city, county AND state.

 

This is why i give 15 over, I speed, granted not much but I do, I am human, i cannot justify to myself being late to work and having to speed to make it on time and then go out and write a ticket to someone for the same.

I dont do 15 over, but that is another reason for my cushion.

 

It seems sometimes that everytime you are trying to get somewhere, the people in front of you drive under the speed limit.

Pulling off, though well intentioned, might not be the best thing. I think most police go "hmmm" when they see a car in front of them pull off, then pull out behind them. Not that it's illegal, but I think anytime someone seems to be avoiding police, it's bound to make the officer wonder why.

If we send someone out of town on business we try to use an unmarked car. Here, everyone drives 7 over on the freeway, and if you drive the speed of traffic in a marked unit someone will call and complain. If you drive at the speed limit, you will create a rolling traffic jam of cars stacked up behind you, afraid to pass...

 

Redpoint5,

"I figured it would considering they know when you are on probation, and sometimes even tell you to call your PO even after you are off probation."

"I realize that what I am sharing below could have landed me in jail, but I love a good chase. Because I cannot be on the law side of a chase anymore, I decided to be on the unlawful side this time."

"A cop passed in the other direction and I noticed I had accidentally got up to 70. I watched him slow down so I decided to get on the gas and get away before he had a chance to light me up. As I'm leaving him behind, I realize a few things working against me. 1. I don't have much gas left for a high-speed chase. 2. I don't know the area. 3. I'm approaching a small town with a reduced speed which could potentially put people in danger if I speed through."

If you are still on probation, I see a VOP in your future. If you managed to finish your term, how long do you think it will be until you pick up a new set of charges? If you have a long history of traffic violations, why would you deserve a break on a ticket? How about selling the bike and slowing down? If you could keep your nose clean for a couple of years, your driving record/criminal history would look alot better the next time you get pulled over. After reading your posts, its appears that you spend alot of time blaming other people for your own bad choices. Grow up, you sound like an old criminal who is mad at the world when he only has himself to blame.