I was pulled over today.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

Yeah I think that's exactly it.

Also I'm annoyed at CPS just from reading this thread. I think that organization has a serious public relations issue... that they probably don't care about it but it must impact the ability of cops to properly do their job.

Odd to have an ongoing PR issue given the entire purpose of the institution.

Why do people become cops in the first place? To serve & protect people/society, no?

Concerns me that some are getting into it for the wrong reasons these days (cool job, authority, perks the general public arent privy to).

I've run into many great officers in my time though so not to paint them with the same brush. There are great people out there providing an invaluable service.

It's just better to see a good relationship there are opposed to a healthy distrust.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by cKy

What if you and your wife are separated or something along those lines? If the cop thought you were travelling too fast he should have pulled you over earlier - not potentially violate any privacy laws calling someone else. In the amount of time he was on the phone (probably while driving in unsafe conditions) he couldve just pulled you over and spoke with you personally instead of complaining he had to drive faster just to pull you over.

I was driving way to fast on a side road in the summer, and an RCMP was coming towards me - he just flashed his lights at me as he passed me - and I took that as a hint to slow the F down all the way home. He had other options.

That happened to me once as well. This was on Deerfoot and I was in the left lane accelerating. Went by an unmarked car and he flicked on his lights to slow me down, but didn't pull me over.

I was thankful, but as I slowed down and gave him a polite "thank you"-style wave he gave me an angry look, shook his head disgustedly and wagged his finger. Like, fk off with that. You're not my dad. IDK why that type of thing just pisses me off so much. They shouldn't be emotionally invested in upholding fricken speed limits. You slowed me down, you were really nice not to give me a ticket, but why do you have to flex your authority and treat me like a child? It's just so lame and Cartmen-like in the "ReSpEcT mA aUtHoRiTy" way.

[zamler]

Police should ping your phone with an ear piercing emergency alert when your spouse drives by a patrol car going slightly too fast.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Good all-seasons aren't even bad in these conditions so long as the driver knows how to operate safely with them (if we're talking an AWD vehicle of course).

White knuckling, sudden breaking and or turning is what gets you into trouble.

If you're coasting to stops, giving yourself stopping room, and easing into turns then things usually go fine.

It sure is a good thing you can predict with 100% accuracy when you might need to suddenly brake and always have the luxury of coasting to a stop and sudden turns are never required, right?

Anyways, winter vs all seasons aside...

I got a phone call once from a cop several years back when I unintentionally drove off from a gas station without paying (somehow it didn't go through) and they politely told me to get there by e.o.d. before it became a problem.

This situation is pretty strange all around though. Why would you call the registered owner when the car is speeding? What if the registered owner was actually the driver, are they even going to be able to answer? Threatening over the fact the wife was 'rude'? 5:30am phone call from a private number? They're lucky she even answered the phone. So many headscratching things.

Odd to have an ongoing PR issue given the entire purpose of the institution.

Why do people become cops in the first place? To serve & protect people/society, no?

Concerns me that some are getting into it for the wrong reasons these days (cool job, authority, perks the general public arent privy to).

I've run into many great officers in my time though so not to paint them with the same brush. There are great people out there providing an invaluable service.

It's just better to see a good relationship there are opposed to a healthy distrust.

Yep, and it's getting worse. Who in their right mind nowadays would say "I want to be a cop!" for the right reasons when they have such a bad reputation?

[kipperiggy]

Is he within the law to give you a ticket for going too fast for the conditions? Sure, but that could be difficult to prove in court if you decided to challenge it since you were going the speed limit.

He didn't actually give you a ticket for your wife's tone because that's completely absurd. I'm sorry, but we all deal with rude people in our day jobs, just because you're a cop you're going to be butthurt about it? Sounds like a misogynist to me. From the OP: "Tell your wife how to behave" Um, no.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Torture

Yep, and it's getting worse. Who in their right mind nowadays would say "I want to be a cop!" for the right reasons when they have such a bad reputation?

You'd be surprised. Most of the young cops I'd worked with are incredible people, intent on changing that image

[zamler]

Originally Posted by kipperiggy

Is he within the law to give you a ticket for going too fast for the conditions?

Ultimately what is lawful is not dictated by the officer, but yes they can issue you a ticket for unsafe driving.

This was a retaliatory stop plain and simple. It happens.

[TorqueDog]

^My friend in Winnipeg joined the force with exactly that intent. She is very quickly seeing the problem with that from the 'other side'.

Originally Posted by zamler

Ultimately what is lawful is not dictated by the officer, but yes they can issue you a ticket for unsafe driving.

Yep. And then you have to challenge the ticket in court. You don't get paid to represent your side, but the officer does, and even gets overtime if it is their day off. It is not exactly a balanced system.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Yep. And then you have to challenge the ticket in court. You don't get paid to represent your side, but the officer does, and even gets overtime if it is their day off. It is not exactly a balanced system.

And they know it. I'm betting the % of people that go to court over a citation is nearly zero.

^My friend in Winnipeg joined the force with exactly that intent. She is very quickly seeing the problem with that from the 'other side'.

Friend is in Winnipeg right now doing the RCMP training thing says he wants to make the system better. I think the system will change him.

[CliffFletcher]

I’m surprised people don’t know about the unsafe speeds thing. It’s been in the driving act and in driver training since forever. And winter tires aren’t magic. They provide better traction than summer tires, but they don’t remove the need to drive more carefully in winter conditions.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

And winter tires aren’t magic.

Last night my tires reached the limits of traction while driving on John Laurie, just before rounding the bend onto McKnight the car wanted to go straight. If I was going another 10km/h doubt I would have made the turn.

Was I going too fast for the conditions? Yes I was.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by zamler

And they know it. I'm betting the % of people that go to court over a citation is nearly zero.

I've gone to court twice to fight what I thought was an unfair traffic ticket. Both times the RCMP officer wasn't there and the judge dismissed the case.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I’m surprised people don’t know about the unsafe speeds thing. It’s been in the driving act and in driver training since forever. And winter tires aren’t magic. They provide better traction than summer tires, but they don’t remove the need to drive more carefully in winter conditions.

It's two things that we're discussing, though:

1. The way the cop handled things was ridiculous for a public servant (or anybody, for that matter). It was just too invasive with the phone call (to the wrong person, no less), then speeding on icy roads to pull a guy over (last place I want to be on crappy roads is stopped on the side) for not(?) speeding.

2. It's too vague/subjective. JonDuke wasn't speeding. If he was going too fast then let's make a rule that speed limits change when there is ice on the roads or something and have signage to reflect that. I don't want it to be up to some grumpy power-tripping cop's judgement. We need to work to eliminate vague rules to give cops fewer opportunities to go around startling some poor woman in bed and then speeding on bad roads to nab a guy for not speeding.

We all know winter tires aren't magic. They're just better than the alternatives.

Who says JonDuke wasn't driving in a more cautious way due to the roads? I usually go over the speed limit. Yesterday I drove around the city about 100kms. Most was under the speed limit, tbh, but probably 30% of the time was the speed limit for sure. That's me being cautious, but my wife could get a phone call and I could get pulled over for that? And lectured? Fk that.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Sliver

It's two things that we're discussing, though:

1. The way the cop handled things was ridiculous for a public servant (or anybody, for that matter). It was just too invasive with the phone call (to the wrong person, no less), then speeding on icy roads to pull a guy over (last place I want to be on crappy roads is stopped on the side) for not(?)

That's why he tried to call first


I agree with the rest of your post but the phone call isn't weird or ridiculous

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Dion

I've gone to court twice to fight what I thought was an unfair traffic ticket. Both times the RCMP officer wasn't there and the judge dismissed the case.

I fought my yellow light ticket and lost.

Apparently the law says yellow = stop. That's the whole rule. It's why I lost. I don't even know why we have yellow lights since that's the exact same thing red means.

Only consolation for me was the cop did show up to fight me and he was dressed like a cowboy for Stampede. He asked/bullied me before our appointed time to try to pressure me into not fighting the ticket. I didn't relent so this dude had to go change out of his little costume and into his uniform. I think he was more pissed about that than I was for having to pay a whole bunch of money because I went through a yellow light instead of slamming on my brakes on ice.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by btimbit

That's why he tried to call first

I agree with the rest of your post but the phone call isn't weird or ridiculous

I completely disagree. I find it invasive. My phone is for people I give my number to. Not for cops to look up in a database only to get the wrong number and call the wrong person.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I completely disagree. I find it invasive. My phone is for people I give my number to. Not for cops to look up in a database only to get the wrong number and call the wrong person.

You did give them your number, when you registered the vehicle.
That's who they called, the registered owner

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by btimbit

You did give them your number, when you registered the vehicle.
That's who they called, the registered owner

I didn't give the cop my number. I was required to give it to the registry and the cop had to go look it up in the database.

And of course he pulled the wrong number and disturbed the wrong person because the database can't tell him who is driving.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Apparently the law says yellow = stop.

Rule says stop unless it is unsafe to stop. Which can mean anything, so you're screwed if you get a ticket.

[btimbit]

Block all numbers you don't know then I guess? I'm not saying you're weird for not wanting the call, I'm just saying him making the call is normal and happens all the time