Do you slow down around cops?

[quadwing]

I travel by car a lot. I drove across the US on a permit from CA to NY the entire way with my mother in the passenger seat the entire way. Now that I have my license, I still travel a lot. More than ever. For the most part, I follow laws, although curfew is something which I admit I still break—very often, but I'm never caught on it. Nonetheless, I drive as safely as I can. I'm one of those drivers who goes 5 over on a highway in light traffic, but in medium to heavy traffic, I stick to the speed limit like a nun to the bible. Beyond that, I'm also one of the drivers who always signals and always fully stops at stop signs. But no matter what, when there's a cop around, I check my speed limit, and even if I'm going the speed limit, I slow down.

I'm acquainted with a number of the cops in my town and I doubt they'd pull me over unless there was a serious violation. CHP is a different story as we all know, but that's the basic gist. For the year and a half that I've been driving, I've always gotten very uncomfortable passing by police cars, even though I'm friends with a couple of them and in general support them. I'm insured and licensed, and my vehicle is registered, but no matter how I'm driving, I feel like I'm doing something illegal even though I'm not.

I'm curious as to whether or not any current LEOs slow down around other officers off or on duty. And I'm also curious as to whether or not that paranoia fades with more driving experience. I've had my license for about 6 months, but I've been driving a year and a half total, and if you count pre-permit empty parking lot driving, that would make it two and a half years (as a result, I'm still very good at parking. ).

In short, do any of you guys slow down around other cops?

[PhilipCal]

Sounds like you have a bit of a guilty conscience . OTH, maybe we're intimidating you in a way which can only help your pocket book.

[L-1]

I have multiple responses for you.

First, if an officer is going the speed limit, I am not going to be dumb enough to pass him.

Second, if he is going under the speed limit, I'm inclined to slow and see why. Does it look like he eyeballing a suspicious vehicle or about to make a traffic stop? Is there something going on in the vicinity that could pose a risk to my safety that I should be aware of? Is there something I need to do to ensure my safety?

If everything seems normal, I then need to consider if he is fishing. Around here the speed limit on the freeway is 65. For some reason you can drive the biggest, ugliest black and white, with the biggest light bar in the world, but as long as you drive 55 MPH in the slow lane, for some reason you are invisible to speeders in the fast lane and they will fly by you at 90 MPH all day. Come to think of it, its not fishing. It's like shooting fish in a barrel.

[mdrdep]

If I'm going the speed limit and someone passes me, it draws my attention. If I'm just trolling along looking for someone to jam I'm usually driving 5-10 mph slower than the speed limit. If you're hanging back and not passing me after a while I'm going to get curious as to why. I've had several stolen vehicles, guys with warrants, etc.etc. who didn't want to pass the cop car and their nervousness made them a target.

[Michigan]

I have multiple responses for you.

First, if an officer is going the speed limit, I am not going to be dumb enough to pass him.

Second, if he is going under the speed limit, I'm inclined to slow and see why. Does it look like he eyeballing a suspicious vehicle or about to make a traffic stop? Is there something going on in the vicinity that could pose a risk to my safety that I should be aware of? Is there something I need to do to ensure my safety?

If everything seems normal, I then need to consider if he is fishing. Around here the speed limit on the freeway is 65. For some reason you can drive the biggest, ugliest black and white, with the biggest light bar in the world, but as long as you drive 55 MPH in the slow lane, for some reason you are invisible to speeders in the fast lane and they will fly by you at 90 MPH all day. Come to think of it, its not fishing. It's like shooting fish in a barrel.

+1

[mayburymh]

To be completely honest, yes. I've only received two tickets in my life, with the last one being 7 years ago, so I'm not exactly what you'd call a speed demon. Regardless, I always let up on the gas and check my speed whenever I see a cop and I'm driving my POV. I find that to be especially important if I've just gotten off one of my less dull shifts and I'm still a little amped up.

[VA Dutch]

My answer (strictly off the cuff as a civilian now) is that it depends on where you are.

On a lonely Interstate highway, a speeder is going to stand out like a sore thumb and the troopers generally stick to traffic enforcement - so he's going to be watching you. He is more likely to be doing nothing but traffic, especially in an area that already has a local, county or city police force.

Now, if you are in a busy city with many other cars around, it is likely the city cop has other calls to answer or has bigger fish to fry. Burglaries, assaults, robberies, homicides and vandalism carry more priority than you driving 5 to 7 mph over the limit.

If you drive as carefully as you claim, I'd say you have very little about which you should worry. It is human nature to ease up on the 'go pedal' when you see a patrol car - nothing peculiar about it. Just go with the flow!

[Catfish56]

I don't worry about slowing down. I just hang out the window with my badge in one hand and waving my gun around in the other. All while yelling, " I'm a cop "!

[hopperja]

I usually slow down around cops, unless it's in my jurisdiction. We've had two incidents in the past few years that highlight how stupid other cops can be.

1- a Pierce County deputy wrote an on-duty narcotics detective who was undercover and driving 35 in a 25. Yes, before the ticket was written, the detective identified himself, and seargents were called to the scene. The detective, of course, lost the vehicle he was tailing. I'm sure that deputy would write me if I was speeding and off duty, but I'm also sure most PCSO deptuties aren't that stupid.

2- a WSP trooper attempted to pull over (ie, lit up) an on-duty patrol officer (one of my colleagues who told me the story first hand) returning to the city, speeding and while in uniform and in a fully marked patrol car, headed to a potentially hot call with no lights and sirens. The trooper lit him up on a state highway inside the officer's jurisdiction. The officer turned his lights on and continued. The trooper didn't pursue.

Moral of the story: even some cops don't have common sense, so I don't rely on that while off duty.

[jcioccke]

This is me on my last trip out of town

[VA Dutch]

I think the concept of "discretion" is entirely lost on some folks.

[Ocifer]

A few weeks before I started working for a local PD I was driving home in my POV. At that time I was still employed as a CO in a state prison. I got pulled over by highway patrol for speeding. I increased my speed approx. 100 ft before the speed limit changed from 25 mph to 35 mph. Trooper was driving the opposite way and clocked me at 37mph. I was speeding though and I knew it. When the trooper came up to my window, his first question was if I work for the local PD or Sheriff here in town. The reason he asked this was because I had a subdued law enforcement decal on the back window of my truck, that one can only see when they get close enough. I told him no, but I will be starting at the local PD soon. I also told him that I actually work at the state prison. He tells me he pulled me over for speeding. I tell him I know I was speeding and understand he has to do his job. I told him I hope he lets me off with a warning though. I ended up being sited for 5 over posted speed limit. In other words he gave me a break. Haven't had a ticket for 5 years before so that sucked still.
After I started working for the PD there was an accident close to my town and I ended up going to the hospital to get a witness statement from the victim. I do my thing at the hospital and as I'm getting ready to leave here comes Mr. Trooper (yes the same one) and we run into each other in the hallway. He was there to follow up on his investigation in regards to the same accident. It was awkward, however we both acted professionally, shook hands and he said that he was glad to see I got hired. Whether he meant it or not I don't care, but we see each other often since I started working for the PD.
Its still awkward for me every time we see each other while on duty. I still am a little upset at him even though I was speeding that time. I will not act in any other way but professional towards him in any encounter we have.
I wanted to hear your guy's opinions or thoughts about this. If I ever am on duty and just by chance see him speeding I'm not sure how I would handle it. Issuing a citation to another LEO would be hard to swallow for me, unless its something more serious like DUI, reckless driving or speeding way over the limit.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated because I'm still very new and have so much to learn.

[Iowa #1603]

Its still awkward for me every time we see each other while on duty. I still am a little upset at him even though I was speeding that time. I will not act in any other way but professional towards him in any encounter we have.

You have no reason to be upset.

#1 You were speeding
#2 He did his job

The Troop gave you a break.......................probably cut the fine nearly in half.



The only time I have been ****ed was not because I got a ticket.....................but once because the officer was a real jerk (and yes he knew I was a deputy)

THAT officer probably wouldn't have ever been given a break..............others if I knew who they were I wouldn't have had a problem letting them off

[L-1]

As an officer you have discretion regarding whether or not to cite. I probably gave 20 warnings for every cite I wrote.

You can cite him or not. However, if your sole reason for denying the trooper the benefit of discretion is to retaliate against him for having done his job, then perhaps you are in the wrong profession. I would suggest that you have a chat with your supervisor about this and get his feedback. It might help you get a more relevant perspective on the matter.

[Ocifer]

You have no reason to be upset.

#1 You were speeding
#2 He did his job

The Troop gave you a break.......................probably cut the fine nearly in half.



The only time I have been ****ed was not because I got a ticket.....................but once because the officer was a real jerk (and yes he knew I was a deputy)

THAT officer probably wouldn't have ever been given a break..............others if I knew who they were I wouldn't have had a problem letting them off

I forgot to mention one thing. After he handed me the ticket he said "hey don't you like these new printer thingies we have? Now we don't actually hand write the ticket, they just print after you sign on the screen" I thought that was a little arrogant.