Rant

[MojoScojo]

Another rainy day here in Seattle, driving home from my son's soccer game, I get pulled over. The officer comes up and tells me I was following too closely. I'm utterly flabbergasted at the hypocrisy. Let me paint a picture here. It's raining pretty hard here as it tends to do on a fairly regular basis, I'm driving up I-5 at the standard 60 mph with maybe 2 car lengths between vehicles as ALL of traffic is doing. No problem. My turn comes and I exit onto Highway 2 where it narrows down to 2 lanes and settle in behind Grandpa who is doing 50 in a 55. Granted, I am probably a bit close, but I'm going slower and leaving more room than people do on the freeway. This cop pulls in behind me and starts following me closer than I am following Grandpa. Traffic in the fast lane clears up ahead of me but behind me there's traffic staying just behind the cop. Now I'm not wanting to jump out in front of them and take off, so I keep my pace 5mph under following grandpa. I'm in the correct lane for my exit less than a mile ahead anyway and I am just chillin because conditions are nasty. I turn on my signal to exit and on go his lights. So I pull off, not having even the slightest clue what I did wrong. He proceeds to give me a lecture about tailgating etc. and I'm just honest, respectful and cooperative. He asks me what an appropriate following distance is, and I reply "2 seconds". He says no, 1 car length for every 10mph. I'm thinking to myself, "yeah, same diff, according to drivers ed class". I understand the reasoning and what not, but come on, It's hardly practical on the highway/freeway when you have the traffic volume we do. Besides, this guy was doing way worse to me, and in essence, put me into the situation. WTF?!?! :S Oh, and THEN he asks me if I've been drinking. EXCUSE ME? Why? Am I being too mellow and cooperative for you?

I guess I should have just been more aggressive and cut off the guy behind and blown by Grandpa like I normally do. It's really dangerous to drive slow dontcha know!

Dork.

I appreciate the service the police provide and have more than one friend who are officers, but come on.

[ou812]

You could have slamed on the brakes while he was tailgating you. You sure don't want to hit that cat that just ran out in front of you.

[Ported&Polished]

You could have slamed on the brakes while he was tailgating you. You sure don't want to hit that cat that just ran out in front of you.

That woulda been "attempted murder" or "assualt with a deadly weapon", sometimes you can't win. I had a moto cop pull me in standing traffic once. I was in the fast lane of a 2 laner, so I got over, turned onto a side street, no parking anywhere. But it was a peacefull deadend street. So I turned left into a empty lot, using my signal. Coper, all 5 foot 4 of him, came raging mad to my window about how I could have killed him by turning left into that lot. I told him I had to park somewhere, and how could he get hit if he was behind me pulling me over? He says "what if I had tried to pass, you woulda run me over by turning left." I said, yea, but I knew you were pulling me over (he was behind me flashing lights and siren). He says "you don't know that, I might have passed you and you would have run me over." I mean really, we doing like 4.5 mph the whole 20 seconds he was red lighting me. Anyhoo, I get the citation goody in the mail, it says must appear in court. I go to court, and they want to put me in jail! One of the codes on the ticket tells them something to the affect that I tried to hit the cop with my rig! I went through a crap load of stuff and several court appearances, it was insane. I paid out the wazoo, and had crazy stupid stuff laid on me. Oh and the reason he pulled me over? No mud flaps.

[AlisoBob]

http://www.bannedcr500riders.com/board/ ... .php?t=847

Cops ( for the most part) are not your friends...

I would have grabbed the "E" brake ( no brakelights) and gave him a little startle if he was on my ass.

I'm always a dick when I get pulled over... their going to write you anyways.... F em'.....

[ou812]

I'll give you a great way to protect yourself in any traffic stop issue. Not that I get pulled over much, been about 9 or 10 years since I've got a speeding ticket. But I do get the usual road block ect. You will see a big differance in the way you are treated by doing what I have done for many years. First alway have a plastic disposable camara in your glove box, second also have a small tape recorder in the glove box. When pulled over begin recording, play very dumb, ask tons of questions. If the officer demands that you turn the recorder off. This would tell you you are under detention and so at the point demand your right to contact a lawyer. This really puts the officer in a positions he does not like but has no other option.

You would not believe how bad some of them look when they get to court and you have a reduced to written version of what was really said. You can make a asshole cop look like a clown if you use logic and a recorder.

By the way once they know you do stuff like that, they will be far more civil with you in the future, yep it will be part of your profile that pops up on there screen after they do the plate check on you.

[Rosco-Peeko]

I've noticed the cops here in Washington will yank you off the road if you are doing 5 over. That has been hard for me to get use to. Kali, your good for 10 over without getting harrassed. At least I did. Knock on wood, I have never been pulled over.

1) The Nissan is not fast enough.....
2) I am sneaky if I am in the family-mobile.

Two car links......thats not too bad, sucks no the less. I hope they can cut you some slack.

People on base get under a car link.....pisses me off. I hate tailgaters! Matter of fact, today I was heading down to Olympia to a buds house. We were in a 70 zone and I was doing 74. This guy gets right up one me....under a car link....I'm not even in the fast lane. I start boiling. I swerve out in the next right lane he blows past me. I romp on the gas (its day time) hit the brights and get right up on him while flipping the bird and smiling. Basically returning the favor and flashing a friendly gesture. The wife was beating on my shoulder to stop. I guess I have road rage......

[100hp honda]

becareful who you pissoff on the freeway. a ton of trigger happy mofo's packing heat now a days. alot of shootings on phoenix freeways for dumb shit

[Rosco-Peeko]

becareful who you pissoff on the freeway. a ton of trigger happy mofo's packing heat now a days. alot of shootings on phoenix freeways for dumb shit

I am packin legally..........

I wont pull, dont care to unless, I my or my family's life is in danger.

[ouch360]

Math
Question: Following distance?

2 seconds & 55 MPH = about 88 Feet

1 car length per 10 mph = 5.5 lengths
lets assume that an average car is 10 feet long

10 feet x 5.5 = 55 feet

So your 2 seconds is:

88 - 55 = 33 feet

The average car takes about 180 feet to stop at 55 mph

you have your 88 feet following distance (2 seconds) - the car in front of you traveling at the same speed takes about that same amount of space to stop - now lets say the old fart his someone and skids to a stop in only - heck 100 feet - the average respond time is .28 seconds (about 19 or so feet) you hit your brakes and you can stop in the distance because you have given room using the 2 second rule.

Accident feet taken = 100 skid feet - your 19 foot response time + your traveling distance of 88 feet = 169 feet

however because cars arnt 10 feet long and more like 8 feet long lets use the cops idea

Accident feet taken = 100 skid feet - 19 foot repsonse time + your traveling distance of 55 feet = 136 feet


2 second rule = 169 stopping feet

5 car lengths at 10 feet per car = 136 stopping feet

5 car lengts at 8 feet per car = 125 stopping feet

So short answer to long story:
2 second rule WORKS - heck put 3 seconds and even 4 in there and live to tell everyone the story the next day.

[Ported&Polished]

Sheesh! That math is to much for my head, gave me a headache.