.. 5-0 stopped me on th' way to work..

[Yager E]

Tomheet,

If someone doesn't think cops for the most part are fair, I sure won't change their minds. All I can say is that I've worked side by side with hundreds of LEOs for 28 years and most of them are fair, hardworking family men and women, who just want to do a good job and come home to their families after their shift.

Every occupation has its share of morons and cops are in a fishbowl, everyone sees them. IA (internal affairs) does a pretty good job of weeding them out.

As for the "good ole boy network" if you were a cop and didn't know it was your mother who ran a stop light and stopped her, would you give her a ticket?.......thought so. I also never gave a ticket for a minor offense if the driver was courteous and I thought a warning would suffice. The men and women I worked with in a large (1200 officer) dept were pretty much the same way.

Years after I retired I still receive notes from people I've helped during my career. Sure, some weren't happy going to jail or getting a ticket, but that's what cops are paid to do, with your tax dollars.

[sidthesloth]

I don't envy you that job, apart from the lack of appreciation, you would see a lot of things that no person should have to see, motor vehicle accidents and worse.

[Rianna]

Yes, sid, true and true. And sure, there are good and bad in every profession. Wow. That's a LONG time to deal with the public. Congrats on the 28 years, Yager E!! 

[oswaldters]

And I bet you're glad you got out before the 'every citizen is packing a video camera' craze began.

Hard enough to deal with the public without having to worry about every interaction having the potential of being filmed...

[tomheet]

to Yager, I believe there are plenty of good and fair police officers in action. I have met some of them, and it's a hard, and often thankless job I'm sure. I do respect them. I guess I will leave it at-he was consistent, and I applaud that. I retract my comments about motives.  if he gave you both tickets he would be consistent. And, as a former cop, you knew it was illegal to use the median strip , but, I am guilty (but never charged) of doing that from time to time, so I won't cast stones (-:
   point taken, no I would probably not give my mom a ticket either (unless she really pi%^ed me off for some reason (-: )

[wordslinger]

you knew it was illegal to use the median strip , but, I am guilty (but never charged) of doing that from time to time

..i've cut the median twice...

 

..and once i even meant to do it!!..

..the other time was while driving an old black '61 ford galaxy... with a worn out front suspension and bald tires during a hard rain...

..hydro-planed and did loop-th-loops and out across the grass we went!!

..i gotta say tho, i did one of them re-entries heading in the other direction like y' used to see evidence of all thru the medians...
..where the state troopers would always whoop around to come get you!!

....that manuever works!!

[tomheet]

the other time was while driving an old black '61 ford galaxy... with a worn out front suspension and bald tires during a hard rain...
  Good old detroit heavy Iron! I miss my first car, a 1979 buick limited land yacht more than any  eccono jap/ kraut cars  I've since owned.

[wordslinger]

..olds delta 88!!!!

 

..i miss that car...

..it had this HUGE rear seat....

 

[Yager E]

As for cutting the median, yes I knew it was illegal, and if given a ticket, I would have deserved it and paid it. But, June in Central Fla, (95 degrees) stuck for probably at least 45 minutes in the middle of I-75 on a Gold Wing, with my wife on back, wearing a full face helmet, riding gear (we dress appropriately for riding)  throwing off all kinds of heat, no shade, I made a decision. Either go across the very wide median and risk a ticket, (the median was flat and not a safety issue), very little traffic oncoming, or risk heat exhaustion/stroke. "Sometimes ya gotta do whatcha gotta do."

The trooper did not give either of us a ticket, nor would I if I had been in the patrol car that day.

 

[tomheet]

yeah, that does sound like a pretty miserable condition to be stuck in. Can't say I'd do things any differently. I love Tampa, but not in summer!