🚀 go-pugleaf

In rec.autos.driving bigassed@my-dejanews.com wrote:
:   Bentley <bentley@access4.digex.net> wrote:... I don't think I've seen
:> a cop travel under the speed limit this year.

: Asked some cop friends about it long ago. They agreed that they had no reason
: to speed on patrol - they're there 8 hours no matter how fast they go and
: most preferred to go slower than the limit where they could.  Trouble is
: folks like us are afraid to pass them so doing the limit or less soon creates
: a "rolling parking lot" that's more dangerous than a few miles over the
: limit.

It IS a no-win position (speaking about on the job here). I've had the
same conversation; if they drive above the speedlimit, they get pegged by
whiners. If they the speed limit, in effect being the only vehicle out
there on the Beltway that IS travelling below 55, and it creates an even
bigger traffic mess than we already have.

It's frustrating for drivers as well. Ever been in this situation? You're
tooling along, passing a slow-moving truck in the left lane, doing, say,
60 in a 55. All of a sudden the State boy comes up behind you, doing 80.
No lights. He comes up to your bumper, about four feet away. Do you

a) speed up to get around the truck, so that the cop can get by?
b) slow down to 55, matching the truck's speed?

If you pick a, and he's in revenue mode (or doesn't like your face),
you're out a few hundred. If you pick b, and he was just trying to get
down the road like any other working joe, maybe you've just pissed him off
enough to find a broken tailight.

I've been in that situation more than once, and each time I'm baffled as
to what to do. I think in MOST cases a driver will do a, because MOST cops
are just regular guys. However, some have basically spelled out their
prejudices on this very ng, and indicated that they'll hit you for a tiny
infraction if you fall into some demographic category that they don't
like. It's that small (but vocal) minority representing the loser cops
that makes us consider b.

And no, I don't know what to do about it.

-- 
 > B E N T L E Y <     bentley AT digex DOT net
A long frisbee throw from the pungent and lovely Potomac River
www.access.digex.net/~bentley/remove-this-bot-blocking-part