What was I thinking?

[Driller]

Always wondered how normal people get cross threaded with police and the situation escalates.
Driving home on Thursday down I-10, I it’s been a long day and I’m tired. I drive this route about twice a week, set my cruise at 5 miles over the limit (80 mph), and I’m still being passed by about as many drivers as I’m passing. I try not to drive aggressively, but I have a pet peeve about people driving slow in the left lane.

I’m cruising along and all by itself, with no other traffic around, there’s a SUV driving exactly the speed limit in the left lane. Giving him plenty of space I move into the right lane. I can see it is a police car, but it is a Sheriff from Colorado County, not a Texas DPS trooper. I have two options, slow down to 75 and follow, or continue on by on the right. Without taking it off cruise I go by him on the right. He immediately pulls even with me, then falls behind, then the lights come on.

I stop immediately. I won’t bore you with the details. Likely we were both tired. He starts in about my showing him disrespect, I start in about him driving in the fast lane at or under the speed limit. At the end of the day, after about a 15 min. discussion, I apologize for passing him and that it wasn’t meant to disrespect him and I go home without a ticket. I was in the wrong no question.

After driving about 5 miles it hits me how lucky I was. This is the way that kinda thing happens. Starts as a small thing then blows up.

[AsLan7]

Always wondered how normal people get cross threaded with police and the situation escalates.
Driving home on Thursday down I-10, I it’s been a long day and I’m tired. I drive this route about twice a week, set my cruise at 5 miles over the limit (80 mph), and I’m still being passed by about as many drivers as I’m passing. I try not to drive aggressively, but I have a pet peeve about people driving slow in the left lane.

I’m cruising along and all by itself, with no other traffic around, there’s a SUV driving exactly the speed limit in the left lane. Giving him plenty of space I move into the right lane. I can see it is a police car, but it is a Sheriff from Colorado County, not a Texas DPS trooper. I have two options, slow down to 75 and follow, or continue on by on the right. Without taking it off cruise I go by him on the right. He immediately pulls even with me, then falls behind, then the lights come on.

I stop immediately. I won’t bore you with the details. Likely we were both tired. He starts in about my showing him disrespect, I start in about him driving in the fast lane at or under the speed limit. At the end of the day, after about a 15 min. discussion, I apologize for passing him and that it wasn’t meant to disrespect him and I go home without a ticket. I was in the wrong no question.

After driving about 5 miles it hits me how lucky I was. This is the way that kinda thing happens. Starts as a small thing then blows up.

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Great story Driller.

Surprised he (or she) pulled you over --being that they were out of their jurisdiction. Did you flip him off! You must have done something else to "disrespect" them. Surprised he "bothered" you with a pull over.

Like you mentioned, that is also my number one pet peeve....slow driver's in the PASSING lane. If you are not passing, then move over! Don't even get me started on the folks "cruising" in the PASSING lane on their cell phone. It's called the passing lane for a reason--to pass.

Anyways, glad it turned out ok. Great job not letting it escalate. The customer here is never right.

And FWIW, I have great respect for the men and women in blue. With that being said, they can also be one of the biggest violator's of basic traffic rules...(cruising in the passing lane....no turn signal...gliding thru stop signs). In fact, two nights ago, while on my military base, I followed a Security Forces truck that glided thru a stop sign in front of me; did not use any turn signals for his turns AND had a headlight out! Wish I could pull him over. It's one thing to enforce the rules. It's another to be hypocritical about it.

Okay. I'm off my soap box. Back to boating talk.

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[Tuscany]

I guess I'm in "get off my lawn" mode today..

Driller......sounds like you baited there. Cops know that general traffic should travel in the right lane, and pass in the left.
In my younger years of driving truck over the road, I've been a part of a lot of that..

I'm not one of those "blue" supporters in a general sense. In fact, the Blue Lives Matter thing is a freaking joke IMO.
A definite percentage like to stroke one another's egos, but will stick it to a complete stranger that doesn't show proper "respect'..

All lives matter... All lives, and all people should show and give respect to each other, whether you have a badge or not
Give respect to earn respect, and pulling you over while putting your life in danger on the side of the road just so you could kiss his badge proves the point.

I would have passed him, and asked him if he read the sign that says slower traffic keep right, and sent the ticket to my lawyer...

[AsLan7]

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I would have passed him, and asked him if he read the sign that says slower traffic keep right, and sent the ticket to my lawyer...

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you're my hero T!

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[Driller]

He was right, I was technically breaking the law speeding.

I pointed that he was breaking the law driving in the fast lane while not passing and the slower traffic keep right also.

I looked it up and I technically I was in his jurisdiction. I assume that County Sheriffs are allowed to ticket on the Interstate.

In the end, no harm done. I appologized for showing disrespect or at least that I meant no disrespect.

I don't want an enemy on a road that I travel twice a week. At one point I thought about saying exactly that "either write me a ticket or let me be on my way", but I thought better of it and kept my mouth shut.

There's sure a lot more he could have done. Held me on the road while he called for a drug dog backup (just to be mean), put me in his car, wrote me a ticket for not running a front license plate etc. In the end, I think he just wanted to let me know that he didn't like me passing him when he was driving the speed limit "on a calibrated and certified speedometer". No harm done, but point is that I have always said I didn't understand how people get into a confrontation with the police, and then I get into one over something that certainly seems trivial to me.

[Big Block Power]

It's funny you brought this up. As I was going to work the other day and the same thing was going on with me. State trooper making a line of traffic behind him in both lanes on the hwy I use everyday and really the only real hwy where I live. I think it must have been police go the speed limit in the left lane day
We fix a bunch of there vehicles so we get along with the troopers and they tell us stories about this. They have competitions with each other's on doing this. It's there personal joke.

[Tuscany]

So, 2 years ago I get a ticket about 20 miles from home in a speed trap. 53 in a 45..
OK, I get the town has to raise money somehow, so ill play. My turn to get a ticket....
I go to court.....with 400 other people.. yeah..true. Court was held in an old elementary school, and the hallways held the line.
After waiting in line for a couple hours, a sheriff walks the hallways telling everyone waiting and talking to quiet down because the judge is in a bad mood. Really?... OK, she isn't in a worse mood than the rest of us.

Patience LONG gone now. Three hours total, i sit down with one of the prosecutors in the room. I never plea guilty (CDL), so of course it always runs about a $200-$300.. no problem. Who do I make the check out to?. Let me pay and lets part ways..
Then, then...they will only agree to reduce it if I pay another $75.00 to go to their safe driving school. NFW..
Line crossed... No longer caring..
I told him that this was a good lesson on wasting my time to save a buck, and ill have my lawyer contact them, because i'm all done with the process today.
They ask who my lawyer is.. I tell them.. Oh, we know Tim, have him call me and we'll get it straightened out. Then they ask about me, and where I work. I tell them, and suddenly things change. The rest of the prosecutors pipe up about the meats, sandwiches..etc.. Now they love me...and now I'm ready to throw up ..

Food, and the clout it brings gags me.. We seem to be the hot spot for our men and women in blue. Most very respectable men and women. I've had cops give me their cards in case I need a 'favor" with a ticket. One hand always washes the other in our police and court systems.

It's just the way it is I guess..

[cmattj]

Unfortunately... I have had my share of police aka law enforcement making emotional.. and not justified desicions toward me.

In my years of building cars etc let's just say I was never popular with them as I was always pushing the limits of street legality.

My license plate says it all..

it's been on many of cars through my life and will be ready for the next one!!

[AsLan7]

Unfortunately... I have had my share of police aka law enforcement making emotional.. and not justified desicions toward me.

In my years of building cars etc let's just say I was never popular with them as I was always pushing the limits of street legality.

My license plate says it all..

it's been on many of cars through my life and will be ready for the next one!!

Wow

And I thought having a unique colored Porsche was bad. That's just askin' for a ticket, Matt!

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My dad and son getting ready to elude the cops:

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[Big Block Power]

That's funny. How often do you get picked on for that plate.lol

[cmattj]

That's funny. How often do you get picked on for that plate.lol

The wife.. they smile Me ..not so much.. I'm ok with that!! Ha


Only once was it awkward as I was taking 2 spots in my corvette and with no front plate blah blah.. he wanted to have me towed ?? I walked up on him mid ticket and tried to apologize for taking to much space. " no prob.. gonna tow it" he exclaimed

I asked did he call a tow truck? He said "not yet but that's my plan ol bye officer "

ooooh.. I made nice. Told him I was an idiot and was sorry for the usage of 2 spots...and he let me go with just a fix it for no plate.

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[cmattj]

Unfortunately... I have had my share of police aka law enforcement making emotional.. and not justified desicions toward me.

In my years of building cars etc let's just say I was never popular with them as I was always pushing the limits of street legality.

My license plate says it all..

it's been on many of cars through my life and will be ready for the next one!!

Wow

And I thought having a unique colored Porsche was bad. That's just askin' for a ticket, Matt!

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My dad and son getting ready to elude the cops:

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Nice Porsche .. they just say bye bye!!

[Bfun220]

I pass cop cars running in the left lane all the time. Never been pulled over for it. And the average person going the speed limit in the left lane I always figured had some sort of vileganity thing going on. I wish everyone would watch this.
https://youtu.be/4oqfodY2Lz0

[AsLan7]

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Man , that should be mandatory viewing for all drivers , bfun!

Thanks for posting.

[Tuscany]

Unfortunately... I have had my share of police aka law enforcement making emotional.. and not justified desicions toward me.

In my years of building cars etc let's just say I was never popular with them as I was always pushing the limits of street legality.

My license plate says it all..

it's been on many of cars through my life and will be ready for the next one!!

LOVE it!