Sneaky Smart Cop

[Shep]

Just recorded this today. Cop parked on the right hand shoulder in the dark in a dark car, no lights on at all, with clear visibility for a quarter mile ahead of him. Or if you're lazy, just don't play the video and look at the thumbnail, he's just to the right of the "play" icon

Pleading the fifth on location and speed, even though the cops in that spot typically tag oncoming drivers and whip U turns to pull them over.

No sound because I disable it on all my cameras by default. It would just be blaring music and GPS directions otherwise and just takes up extra space on the memory cards.

 

[kamkar]

I expect them to be sneaky, otherwise they would be bad cops, they should at least 1 up the crooks they are after.

 

[Paul Iddon]

I assume he pulled you over then?

 

[Shep]

I was not pulled over. Helps when you 1) aren't speeding too badly already, and 2) brake quickly anyhow. I think I got down to 26 in a 35 in a quarter of a second more out of being scared of a collision with a group of deer, biker, pedestrian, etc. all of which is a frequent issue in those parts and have weird and widely varying lighting / reflective setups. (I mean it is the national park that I'm driving through.) Instincts by now after a few close calls in my earlier days. I drive two foot automatic for that reason. Until I learn manual, at least.

The prior speed limit is 25, new one is 35 (sign visible around 1:30, just 3-5 seconds before cop is visible I think) but it's easy to accelerate too quickly down that hill and reach 45 or higher, or just not brake and let the car go fast for you. I was in the latter category. They'll tag traffic going my way only if they have you on radar, which is front-mounted on this city's setup and means you have to fully pass them going fast. Oncoming traffic is even shown a sign saying "speed limit radar enforced" to drive home the point.

Even better is they love to tag the idiots coming the opposite direction that see the wide open quarter-mile stretch I'm driving at 1:35-ish and beyond and go 50+ (there's an Audi in the area that does this occasionally). Cop has a clear, unobstructed view the entire time, easy picking. If it's 20 above the limit, it's 2 points on your license and super high fines too, city rakes it all in at that point.

 

[randy]

aaaah Akron huh? Ever run into Lebron James up there?

 

[Shep]

Only his handiwork! I've never seen any other library decked out with multiple recording studios, 3D printers, a silk screener, laser engraver, photo studio, 3D scanner, that's just from memory, he dumped a few million into it and I think the art museum across the street too. From what I hear, the athletes are pretty approachable in these parts, they're not like Hollywood celebrities that have ropes to divide them and the rest of us.

I can always hope though, but I did sneak a picture of his Kia when I bought mine:
[EDIT: hmm attachments aren't working? JPG file just won't show up?]
Two degrees of Kevin Bacon away! Me --> Lebron James' Car --> LeBron James

 

[kamkar]

I did notice a decrease in speed that dident look high to me from where i am sitting, but i am sure situational awareness are higher in the driver seat than from a chair in Denmark.

 

[SawMaster]

I tend to avoid the area but where one busy 4-lane road here drops to 30MPH there are tall shrubs around the house on the next street corner. A Cop with radar stands at the edge of the shrubs, and another jumps out directing the speeder to turn down the side street where as many a 8 other cars are already waiting to get their own nice new speeding tickets from the other waiting cops As everyone drives fast through there they can easily get a hundred people in a couple hours time even when giving them a few MPH allowance which they don't always do Those familiar with the spot know to watch beside the shrubs every time- the others will learn that the hard way

Phil

 

[Shep]

In my area, 5 over is considered "acceptable". I have multiple times driven directly in front of cops from "strict" towns doing at most 5 over and not gotten pulled over yet from that -- once in a DeLorean too just to prove a point, but if they give you a ticket on 1-2 over, it's worth checking the dash cam footage. Sometimes they let you off easy with a 1-2 and fighting it backfires.

But ultimately, if you're in a town that cracks down a lot, just do what anyone passing through Lynndale does. Half the speed limit. Even the Tesla dealership that's here does I'm pretty sure.

I did notice a decrease in speed that dident look high to me from where i am sitting, but i am sure situational awareness are higher in the driver seat than from a chair in Denmark.

HAHA, well, let's just put it this way: back when I was young and stupid, that same maneuver would trip every camera's G sensor on the market, and I'd bitch about the brakes later. Parting ways with an hourly job with strict "exactly 40 hours" pay scales did wonders for my driving habits. Might be on Disability, but still.

I'd say something about cruise control here, but as of 2017, pretty much no one's reliably figured out hills yet in their cruise control, and I manually accelerate before engaging it when increasing speed. Case in point: when my car dipped to 36 after being set to 40 a few days ago, it gunned it to 44 automatically, largely because it accelerated once the incline leveled out. By the time it was downhill, it topped at 44 before it regained control. Not even steep hills either.

 

[kamkar]

Getting a new fridge for my little sister on Friday she mentioned ( me driving as we had a trailer on ) why you have to brake so close to the cars in front, i said well the brake are there to stop not to be applied 1/8 mile before stopping are actual needed and then only used in earnest the last few meters just like i do.
I really hate those long brakers, they put on the brake light way out and then only brake a few % and then 1/8 mile later they finally use the brake like it was meant to be used.

 

[Shep]

It's one thing if you're carrying cargo (I'm moving over the next couple weeks, and very often momentum alone prevents usual braking distances), but when a Prius does it, I'm with you, that's just annoying. Especially when you can't tell when they actually WILL brake!

I was behind a guy who accelerated from 10 to 50 with brake lights on. In a Mustang. Pretty sure he has something broken or was riding the brake.

 

[DT MI]

...Especially when you can't tell when they actually WILL brake!...

You mean like this guy (lady actually)? Brake lights come on 40 times in this clip and best I could tell vehicle only slowed twice.

 

[Shep]

Almost exactly that, except the Mustang was about 90% brakes 5% no brakes 5% flickering in between. I thought it went fast, being a Mustang?

Better than the other way around though. I tailed a FedEx truck once, with dash cam footage of him leaving their local hub in Richfield, and he travelled my route through about four different cities. All while the brake lights never came on once!!! The brake light switch was bad, guaranteed, given it had been upgraded to LED lights. Improper diagnosis and piss-poor test driving led to that one, their fleet was 20+ years old at the time on average.

I called Richfield's non-emergency line to report it, and their answer was "we don't do anything unless we see it". "Even though I have dash cam footage of it leaving the hub in your town?" Her response absolutely floored me. "Your best bet is to call FedEx and report it directly". HAHA yeah sure, so you can wipe it under the rug and prepare the lawyers to sue the poor chap to run into them to oblivion over the value of all parcels onboard, right?

Give him a fighting chance, let the witnesses take his side.

 

[Rajagra]

You mean like this guy (lady actually)? Brake lights come on 40 times in this clip and best I could tell vehicle only slowed twice.

I don't know what vehicle that is, but I'd bet good money that's an automatic, and it's the only way the driver knows to control the speed.

 

[DT MI]

I don't know what vehicle that is, but I'd bet good money that's an automatic, and it's the only way the driver knows to control the speed.

You'd be right. It's a Cadillac Escalade - generally driven by people with an income much higher than their IQ.

http://www.cadillac.com/crossovers-suvs/escalade-suv

 

[Shep]

"Income (in thousands) higher than their IQ" is more accurate -- if my income dipped below my IQ I'd be homeless!!!

I don't think any SUV state-side is manual anymore. It's hard enough to find a pickup truck that's stickshift.

 

[jokiin]

shoe size greater than their IQ is a typical measure applied here

 

[Shep]

Lost me there, do rich people wear big shoes? Biggest shoes I've seen are on literal clowns, but unless their wallets are like their cars...