July 18, 2006

Happy Freakin' Birthday

Traffic School here I come!

OK, technically the birthday is tomorrow, but I got the ticket today so I am pouting about it today.

I have gotten more than my fair share of speeding tickets in my life, not complaining about that, just stating fact. I am a distracted driver with a lead foot (maybe distracted isn't a good word....disinterested?) I pay attention to what is going on around me but not to my speedometer - I just don't. I go whatever speed seems reasonable in most instances; with the traffic when there is some, a comfortable speed when the street is barren (like this morning). Knowing that my speed doesn't always jibe with the posted limit, I got a radar detector. Darn thing goes off every time I drive past a store with an automatic door, but didn't make a peep when it had a radar gun pointed at it. Nice.

I have to say that of all the tickets I've gotten through the years, and all the interaction I have had with various police departments and courts, Glendale is the worst. The cops are major @$$holes - I know you've gotta write me a ticket, but you don't have to be such a dick while you're doing it. The clerks in the court are completely rude and unhelpful - you know, because doing their job is a major imposition on them.

So, that is how my day started.....


BTW: What is the protocol when you are pulled over and you have a gun in the car? Should you tell the cop that you have a weapon in the vehicle? (if I'd have told the guy this morning he'd have had me face down in the dirt, he seemed to have a need to prove what a bad-@ss he was on his big bad traffic stop. I wasn't crying when he stopped me, but I was by the time he got through.) In general, though, is it required/a good idea to tell them?

Posted by Vox at July 18, 2006 08:02 AM | TrackBack | general
Comments

I think you're only supposed to tell them if it's something that might catch them off guard. For example, you open up the glove box to get your license and registration, and there's your gun. You need to tell a cop before that happens. OR, even if it's in plain sight, if the cop hasn't noticed it and your hands are going to be anywhere near it, you should give the cop a heads-up.

As for the broader point, I think a lot of cops (and state legislators) get into the job because they like to bully people.

Posted by: Special Agent Johnny Utah at July 18, 2006 08:02 PM

No doubt the Glendale cops are assholes. Sounds like you had the same one I had a few years ago. They were working on the road and there was a sign that said no left turn but there were two turn lanes and the sign was only in one lane. I was a bit confused if it meant just the one lane or no left turn period. So there was a cop in front of me and guess what? He turned left. So I thought, "ok, then that means in this lane it's ok." so I turned too. Well he stopped in front of me, turned on his lights, got out of his car and chewed me out for ignoring the sign. When we pulled over to a parking lot, he was a complete fucking dick to me and wrote me a ticket. I have NEVER had a police officer treat me shitty. But this guy was a total asshole to me. Not to mention a total freaking hypocrite!

Posted by: Lori at July 19, 2006 08:16 PM

Love me a girl who uses the phrase "complete fucking dick." I really do.

Posted by: Special Agent Johnny Utah at July 21, 2006 07:56 PM