Sunday, August 9, 2009

Who'da thunk

A couple of weeks ago I was doing some traffic enforcement along one of our roadways notorious for people going just a little too fast. It's a four laned roadway with raised center median with a posted speed limit of 30 MPH. The road has business parks along both sides and has some fairly moderate to heavy pedestrian traffic in the morning and during the lunch hour.

While I'm posted up at this location I see violations for the usual speeding, but also seatbelt and cell phone violations. I happened to see this car coming towards me and it changes lanes where it quickly passed the vehicle it was following. So I'm thinking the car is traveling at about 45 mph. I use that wonderful laser radar and lock in the cars speed at 47 mph.

At the time I witnessed this, there were numerous pedestrians as well as bicyclists on or about the roadway, totally unsafe speed for the conditions. Needless to say, I stopped the vehicle and cited the driver and sent her on her way.

I like to move around to different locations, kind a keeps the drivers on their toes not knowing where us evil two wheeled traffic enforcement devils will show up.

I moved over to one of our local boulevards near the north city limit. I see this SUV haulin' ass just as I was parking beneath a nice shade tree. I was able to get my laser radar out after the SUV had passed my parked location. POW!, 52 MPH in a posted 35 MPH roadway.

By the time I get my laser radar in its holster and onto the roadway, I see the SUV make a left turn into one of the business parks. I was able to catch up to the SUV as it pulled into one of the local auto shops. The SUV parked with me behind it and all of the pretty flashing lights.

The driver exits where I got his attention before entering the office of the auto shop. Of course he has no idea why I stopped him as he handed over his driver license and other paperwork. We have the usual conversation, "Do you know what the posted speed limit is on XYZ Boulevard?", "Do you know how fast you were going?" Of course he answered no to both questions which I was happily able to give him the answers to.

I walk back to my motor and began to scratch out the rag for his speeding. I see the driver throw his arms up as he was looking over my shoulder. I turned around and saw the driver I had cited previously in my shift as mentioned above. Of course she didn't recognize me although it had been only 20 minutes since I had cited her.

She laughed as she told her husband whom I was now citing, "You're getting a ticket too!" So I get the driver to sign the citation and gave him his copy. The wife looked at me and asked "Are you the Officer who gave me a ticket this morning?"

I know, we motor officers all look the same, helmet, sunglasses, uniform and boots. Of course I asked her, "Was it for speeding down ABC Avenue and you stopped in the parking lot of 'such and such' fast food restaurant?" She nodded her head yes. "Yeah, that would've been me."

There's a first time for everything and this was my first for ragging husband and wife on the same day about 20 minutes apart. Talk about a ko-ink-e-dink.

Being the thoughtful, compassionate motor officer that I am, I gave them both the same court date. Does a couple that gets cited together stay together?

5 comments:

  1. Hahahahaha...this cracked me up! If only they had carpooled that day, they would have saved some money! :)

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  2. Funny how you can remember their faces AND violations and they can't even remember your face.

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  3. I've never cited them 20 minutes apart, but I have done a two car stop and cited husband and wife at the same time...

    I guess there's a little more skill involved in doing it your way though...

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  4. Officer "Smith", yeah I've had a similar stop, except is was mom and dad driving the lead car (speeding), followed by their teenaged son who was also speeding.

    Just pure luck on my part and bad luck on theirs.

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  5. That is hilarious. Nice of you to give them the same court date.

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