Where's a cop when you need one?

[smockers83]

I'm sure something has happened to all of you out there on the road where someone does something really stupid/illegal and you just wish there was a cop around to pull the person over or wish you were the cop to pull the person over. Happens all the time, right?

Well, I finally got my cop. I was driving along, driving along and came upon an intersection with a green light to me. The road is 4 lanes undivided with the two inside lanes available to turn left. Well there were people waiting to turn left on my side of the road, and I'm still drivin along and all of a sudden this car turning left from the opposite direction begins to turn left. When this started I was at the stop bar of the intersection. I slammed on the brakes, tires squealing, slowing down, it takes her awhile to slow down and I was able to maneuver around her with only a split second to spare with only inches. I think I may have came to a complete stop, not really sure but when I got going again, a cop pulls out of a driveway speeding with the lights on and he turns left to go get her. I was like, "Huh, imagine that, I actually got one."

What had happened and how I avoided the collision, I honestly have to say, I don't think most drivers out there could have pulled it off. It would have taken a lot of concentration and urge to not jerk the wheel right away and to just stop as quickly as possible. There are professional drivers out there who have driven for 10 years and some of them wouldn't have done it correctly. I'm not saying this to toot my own horn, but it brings up an issue that I see a lot in terms of driver's safety. If something is in front of you that you could possibly hit, before you do anything, try to stop before you try to turn. If you try to both at the same time, you're going to break traction. If you turn and then brake, lose traction. Both of these could result in a collision or rollover. If braking as quickly as possible isn't going to help you, but you've already done the braking, then you can begin to turn a little bit and maneuver the car.

Some of you know I've written other posts in relation to driver safety and this can be added to the collection, but it's also what I do for a living.

[audtatious]

Nice

I cuss people daily. The more I drive for a living the more I want a POS to run people off the road with

[kmckis1029]

yep... i had a simular thing happen in my job's parking lot...

this guy was backing out of his space just as im passing right behind him... so what would most drivers do? stop and blow horn as he is backing up and hope he hears the horn and stops... in most cases that would work...

but something told me he didnt see me... and instead of stopping and honking, I speed up... and just as i thought he never even hesitated and backed out... he missed my trunk by less than a foot... if i had just stopped behind him, i would be posting pics of a parking lot T-bone...

but i think its in the way most people are taught to drive... if something happens BRAKE. thats is ok in most cases... but the skilled driver soon learns the brakes can cause you just as much trouble as speed...

another good example is when you need to make a sudden stop because of something in front of you... but most people dont think about the car behind them... while you may miss the object in front of you, the car behind you wont miss you... it would of been better to dodge the object... in most cases i dodge the object and will only do a sudden stop as last resort...

i have had to make one sudden stop in my G35x and i have to say the brakes on the car are GREAT! (dusty but great) the ABS system is loud but it did its job

[Rivalry]

Takes me about 5 minutes to stop from 40 - 0. Gotta love 33" tires...

[pfarmer]

I'm sure something has happened to all of you out there on the road where someone does something really stupid/illegal and you just wish there was a cop around to pull the person over or wish you were the cop to pull the person over. Happens all the time, right?

Well, I finally got my cop.

This was my cop.

I was driving home from Lacey, Wash. on the Rainier Rd. On a corner this girl decides to pass me. In the other lane was a Jeep and I could see that she would not have room so I headed as far as I could to the side of the road grabbing part of the ditch. The Jeep went into the ditch on the other side spitting rocks all over the place and then turned around, it was a cop. He pulled her over about a half mile up the road and I pulled behind him.

After giving the ticket he came to my car and I gave him my name as a witness.

About a month later I get this call asking if I would be willing to go to court to testify. About an hour after I said yes I get another call that said it would not be necessary. She got a lawyer but didn't realize I had stopped and gave my name. Once that was known it was over.

Perry.

[jmcohen23]

good job buddy.... glad someone else is out there keeping dumass drivers in check....

I make it a personal responsibility that when I see someone trying to drive on the shoulder just to bypass traffic, I stick out in that lane to block them. what can they do? they can't get mad b/c they know that what they are doing is illegal....

[zozoka1212]

I think we all have some experience with stupid people. Not sure if it is just me but it seems like there are more and more day after day. Maybe I just full of these idiots and feels like that.

[Rivalry]

This was my cop.

I was driving home from Lacey, Wash. on the Rainier Rd. On a corner this girl decides to pass me. In the other lane was a Jeep and I could see that she would not have room so I headed as far as I could to the side of the road grabbing part of the ditch. The Jeep went into the ditch on the other side spitting rocks all over the place and then turned around, it was a cop. He pulled her over about a half mile up the road and I pulled behind him.

After giving the ticket he came to my car and I gave him my name as a witness.

About a month later I get this call asking if I would be willing to go to court to testify. About an hour after I said yes I get another call that said it would not be necessary. She got a lawyer but didn't realize I had stopped and gave my name. Once that was known it was over.

Perry.

Good story, I like it.

[SVTCOBRA]

Finally!!!! Today!!!

Was on the way home, just coming up to a long line of traffic (2 lane road with a center turn that alternates). There are fastfood/other places lining both sides of the road.Anyway, some jack*** takes off around me in the center lane zipping all the way down to the left turn of the intersection. Dangerous, plus he just jumped at least a half dozen other cars that would be peeling off once they got there.Get up a little closer and stop, I spy that he has just zipped up on a cop!!!

So, the cop pulls out of line, into a gas station and starts to pull behind Zippy.Zippy pulls out of line and zips into the gas station. (cop has not hit the blues until now). Cop pulls back out of line and pulls Zippy!!!

So, yeah, I immediately thought of your thread!

[pfarmer]

Finally!!!! Today!!!

So, the cop pulls out of line, into a gas station and starts to pull behind Zippy.Zippy pulls out of line and zips into the gas station. (cop has not hit the blues until now). Cop pulls back out of line and pulls Zippy!!!

So, yeah, I immediately thought of your thread!

What year 'G' was it? Was it red or black?

Perry

[LuckyLuke]

here is my story..

I got pull over by the cop..

[smockers83]

but i think its in the way most people are taught to drive... if something happens BRAKE. thats is ok in most cases... but the skilled driver soon learns the brakes can cause you just as much trouble as speed...

another good example is when you need to make a sudden stop because of something in front of you... but most people dont think about the car behind them... while you may miss the object in front of you, the car behind you wont miss you... it would of been better to dodge the object... in most cases i dodge the object and will only do a sudden stop as last resort..

Your intuition may tell you this is the correct way, but it is absolutely the wrong way. If you're able to suddenly stop to avoid an object in front of you and there's another vehicle behind you, the other vehicle should also be able to stop to avoid you. If they hit you, guess who's at fault? The other person for following to closely. On the alternative, with your way, you could roll the vehicle or hit another object or vehicle. You then would be cited at fault for your single vehicle accident or if another vehicle was involved, going to fast or following to closely. However, I do understand that there are a few exceptions where gunning is absolutely the correct maneuver, but hardly ever.

[pfarmer]

Your intuition may tell you this is the correct way, but it is absolutely the wrong way. If you're able to suddenly stop to avoid an object in front of you and there's another vehicle behind you, the other vehicle should also be able to stop to avoid you. If they hit you, guess who's at fault? The other person for following to closely. On the alternative, with your way, you could roll the vehicle or hit another object or vehicle. You then would be cited at fault for your single vehicle accident or if another vehicle was involved, going to fast or following to closely. However, I do understand that there are a few exceptions where gunning is absolutely the correct maneuver, but hardly ever.

The other theory is that the fastest way to stop is sideways, that is as long as you don't end up in a tripping incident.

I usually try to stop, especially after a head on I was in. In the head on a drunk was coming down a hill and I was at the bottom when I saw him. He went up on the bank on his side then into my lane, back out, etc. I was tempted to ditch it, then I thought about going into his lane, but instead I stopped and smack he hit me. My tracks showed I was probably stopped or close enough to it that my skid marks faded. When he hit me he pushed me backwards probably 75 feet based on where my tracks ended and where the car end up. The bad thing is that if I had done what I was thinking he maybe had missed me. Or I may have hit him in his lane or I would have taken a rather bad hit on the side.

This was in a 63 Fairlane. I bent the dash with my knee, the car was about 18 inches shorter but I was ok and was able to recover the value of the car from the guy later.

As far as gunning it, well I have been in three situations where this worked, all being forced into the oncoming traffic lane. Once on a bike, twice in cars (one of which as a passenger. In each of these cases it was a semi truck and it seem prudent to pass the truck quickly rather than trying to back the length of the rig to safety. It worked so at least the decisions proved to at least be a viable option, not telling if they were the best of two.

Perry

[yomeeeesh]

Sometimes I just wish there was cops when I drive around in my town but most of the time I wish there wasn't a cop.

I was leaving a small plaza and I gunned it because I wasn't sure if there were any cars coming. Unfortunatly I went into a lane that merges with the 2nd one and there was this guy riding his bike on the lane. I didn't have time to stop so I zoomed right by him going around 50 with a car on my left hand side. I was too scared to look back. Bad thing or good?? haha

[pfarmer]

Sometimes I just wish there was cops when I drive around in my town but most of the time I wish there wasn't a cop.

I was leaving a small plaza and I gunned it because I wasn't sure if there were any cars coming. Unfortunatly I went into a lane that merges with the 2nd one and there was this guy riding his bike on the lane. I didn't have time to stop so I zoomed right by him going around 50 with a car on my left hand side. I was too scared to look back. Bad thing or good?? haha

Not a haha..........

Perry

[SVTCOBRA]

Sometimes I just wish there was cops when I drive around in my town but most of the time I wish there wasn't a cop.

I was leaving a small plaza and I gunned it because I wasn't sure if there were any cars coming. Unfortunatly I went into a lane that merges with the 2nd one and there was this guy riding his bike on the lane. I didn't have time to stop so I zoomed right by him going around 50 with a car on my left hand side. I was too scared to look back. Bad thing or good?? haha

I would say that's a scary thing and a lesson learned about when and where to not gun it. Be safe!!!

[RichiePoor]

Luckily, my Dad taught me to be a defensive driver. I am always looking out for other drivers. If any of you guys come to Louisiana watch out for state troopers those guys do not play. If they pull you over there is no doubt you are getting a ticket. When my wife and I were dating she had a car accident and the trooper followed her hehind the ambulance and wrote her a ticket while she was laying on the emergency room table. She was not hurt that bad, but she cussed him for everything he was worth. I just stood there and laughed to myself. The ticket was $350.(careless operation)