Beware of stopped police cars (most all states)

[Herr-Berbunch]

I was on an Italian autostrada with a police car up ahead and two police in the road, one lugging a shed tyre, the other one with his hand up to slow/stop me. I came to a standstill about 20' away from the first one, watched the other one struggle with the tyre, eventually he was halfway across the next lane and the closest one waved me on so I stick it in gear and started to move. All of a sudden the same one jumps in front of me and starts shouting in Italian, I shout back in English he comes to my window and shouts more, I shout more - all the time my work colleague if sat next to me saying 'Tony, he's got a gun'.

Indignant, I was in the right and shouted more until the cop took a couple of steps back and pulled his gun. I stopped shouting. The other cop came over and thanked me for stopping and told me to drive. I didn't need telling twice.

After that we arrived at the 'Grotto di Frassasi' (fascinating caves) and got stuck on a German-language tour.

[eddie]

We've had this law for a bit now, too many troopers have been hit while standing near a car they have pulled over. No big deal, slowing down and moving over is better then running a trooper down!

[Herr-Berbunch]

Originally Posted by eddie

We've had this law for a bit now, too many troopers have been hit while standing near a car they have pulled over. No big deal, slowing down and moving over is better then running a trooper down!

Florida Highway Patrol -



Cleveland Police and Ohio State Troopers -



Texas Highway Patrol -



Not exactly highly visible are they? Maybe if they'd at least meet the drivers half-way on this . . .

[soopaman2]

You touched on something here Herr-Berbunch.

I work on a road construction crew, and am required to wear a reflective vest, even in the cab of my machinery.

The police unions will never agree, it makes the officers look fat, orange and green is so 80s, plus it makes it harder for them to reach their ticketbook, taser or firearm, complete pain in the backside.
Plus it would negate this law, taking another township revenue producer from them. Then how else would the local township commit graft, there's only so many public contracts they can rig.

[eddie]

Flashing lights on the roof of their cars is usually a dead giveaway that they are there!

[Herr-Berbunch]

Yep, you'd think that'd be enough but it obviously isn't.

[soopaman2]

Dark cruisers make it harder for you to see them when they are squatting on the side of the road, reading Screw magazine and manning the radar gun.

I slow down when I see them if I am speeding. But if ya can't see them...Cha ching! Job justification!

So a few get their potatoes mashed. Sad, but their family still gets to suck off the government teat, better benefits than working men get, you know, guys who sweat for a living. I wish I got the same raises government teat drinkers get.

I should have become a cop, shoot people on 5th avenue in NYC, hit civvies and not even get suspended. If someone caps my ass, my wife would get a nice check and be able to sit on her ass all day eating bon bons, playing the sad widow, while Joe Publiq pays more in property taxes to fund this crap.

Then get harrassed by them for going 68 in a 65.

Police bring this crap on themselves, yet they want to restrict us more, because they want to be sneaky or inept.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

<snip>

I agree 100%.

Our local cops just changed the paint on most of their vehicles a couple of years ago (although some still have the "old color"), I don't know what they were thinking...

Old Livery:


New Livery:


Good luck seeing that vehicle parked on the side of the road at night if its lights are off.

[soopaman2]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

I was on an Italian autostrada with a police car up ahead and two police in the road, one lugging a shed tyre, the other one with his hand up to slow/stop me. I came to a standstill about 20' away from the first one, watched the other one struggle with the tyre, eventually he was halfway across the next lane and the closest one waved me on so I stick it in gear and started to move. All of a sudden the same one jumps in front of me and starts shouting in Italian, I shout back in English he comes to my window and shouts more, I shout more - all the time my work colleague if sat next to me saying 'Tony, he's got a gun'.

Indignant, I was in the right and shouted more until the cop took a couple of steps back and pulled his gun. I stopped shouting. The other cop came over and thanked me for stopping and told me to drive. I didn't need telling twice.

After that we arrived at the 'Grotto di Frassasi' (fascinating caves) and got stuck on a German-language tour.

Your lucky you were not robbed, and at worse shot. Italian cops make NYC cops look like boy scouts. I say that from experience, most of them took corruption, and citizen disdain to a new level. But my experiences come in the south. (Messina)

I won't go into detail, but it involved an American 20 bill, and my cigarettes being lifted from my pocket, then being told in broken english to move on or go to jail. (He pointed at the road, said GO now, and strummed his hands on his batman belt, fingers gently kissing his firearm. )

Good thing everything else was in the trunk with my luggage, or I would have been begging an embassy for the money to come back. Something tells me, they wanted more. I am just happy they didn't molest my old lady.
One hell of a welcome back to the land of my ancestors!

Italy is beautiful though, I would have stayed if they were not 1000 times as corrupt as we were, made me grateful for our jackbooted cops.

I agree though, laws should be known, and if new obscure laws are legislated, then they should inform, even if it costs money. After all, they will be recieving tons of revenue enforcing it, they should at least give us a chance to be law abiding, rather than entrapping us.