Tailgating Cop

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kyleb

Final Approach
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Drake the Outlaw
Driving home from work today, I came up behind a police car tailgating a small SUV. The SUV was in the left lane going ~8 mph over the limit. I was doing 10 over the limit to catch the two of them.

Traffic was moderate to heavy, but there were opportunities for the SUV to move a lane to the right and let the police car pass. The SUV never moved over. During most of this (the event probably lasted 4 miles on the interstate), the police car was within 5' of the SUV's bumper obviously trying to get the driver's attention or intimidate the SUV to move over.

Eventually, the police car's lights came on and the SUV began moving over, with the police car following lane by lane with obvious intent to write a ticket.

The question is.. Who was the bigger jerk - the (oblivious?, texting?, whatever) SUV driver or the Cop who tailgated her at a distance of 5' for four miles? I wasn't happy with either one of them.

Personally, I believe the policeman should be held to a higher standard. If he needs to speed, turn on the lights. Otherwise, follow the laws you're paid to enforce, including the speed limit(s). Beyond that, there is no need to tailgate. I'm tempted to call the local PD and give them a complaint - the officer's conduct wasn't up to standard in my opinion - having a badge and a light on top of your car doesn't make it OK to intentionally drive like a jerk.
 
That is about as minor as it gets from popo abusing the farm animals. At night they will tailgate to get you to speed up then ticket you. During the day who knows his shift was probably over.
 
I don't know the training behind it but it is a common tactic...
 
Reminds me of what happened in my college days. I was driving home late one evening on the NY State Thruway at the speed limit on an overcast night with a full moon.

The overcast broke for a few seconds and the moon reflected off of a windshield of a car that was following me within feet. I tapped the brake pedal and the vehicle swung by me and turned on his lights and sped away. Turned out to be a State Trooper. The only I can figure he was thinking I was going to light up a joint or drink a bottle of booze and he was going to catch me in the act.

There was no way he would have been able to stop if I slammed on my brakes for a deer.
 
kyleb said:
Driving home from work today, I came up behind a police car tailgating a small SUV. The SUV was in the left lane going ~8 mph over the limit. I was doing 10 over the limit to catch the two of them.

Traffic was moderate to heavy, but there were opportunities for the SUV to move a lane to the right and let the police car pass. The SUV never moved over. During most of this (the event probably lasted 4 miles on the interstate), the police car was within 5' of the SUV's bumper obviously trying to get the driver's attention or intimidate the SUV to move over.

Eventually, the police car's lights came on and the SUV began moving over, with the police car following lane by lane with obvious intent to write a ticket.

The question is.. Who was the bigger jerk - the (oblivious?, texting?, whatever) SUV driver or the Cop who tailgated her at a distance of 5' for four miles? I wasn't happy with either one of them.

Personally, I believe the policeman should be held to a higher standard. If he needs to speed, turn on the lights. Otherwise, follow the laws you're paid to enforce, including the speed limit(s). Beyond that, there is no need to tailgate. I'm tempted to call the local PD and give them a complaint - the officer's conduct wasn't up to standard in my opinion - having a badge and a light on top of your car doesn't make it OK to intentionally drive like a jerk.
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I wonder what he would ticket him for? If it local or county they can only write for 10 or more over.
 
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We have a similar new law in Georgia about holding up traffic in the left lane.

docmirror said:
In most states the left lane(s) are for passing only. Failure to drive on the right. I know I've seen it enforced in TX on a long stretch of I-state.
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docmirror said:
In most states the left lane(s) are for passing only. Failure to drive on the right. I know I've seen it enforced in TX on a long stretch of I-state.
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Most probable answer.

Too many folks on interstates are rookie drivers and NEVER look behind them and are completely clueless as to what traffic is doing.
 
EppyGA said:
I wonder what he would ticket him for? If it local or county they can only write for 10 or more over.
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Really. Gonna have to come up with more proof than just an internet say so.

My cop buddies tell me on a good day "9 is fine, 10 your mine". But that is not in stone and depends on the situation. Throw in an attitude to the cop and your fate is sealed.
 
My son got a ticket for 6 over!! 51 in a 45!!:eek: the cop wrote on the ticket, "actual speed 59" :dunno:
Zeldman said:
Really. Gonna have to come up with more proof than just an internet say so.

My cop buddies tell me on a good day "9 is fine, 10 your mine". But that is not in stone and depends on the situation. Throw in an attitude to the cop and your fate is sealed.
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Buddy got a ticket for 31 in a 30. Driving a VW camper bus in Wallkill, NY. It ain't about safety, or serving the public. Although you could argue there is social value in harassing hippies*sigh*
 
kyleb said:
Eventually, the police car's lights came on and the SUV began moving over, with the police car following lane by lane with obvious intent to write a ticket.

The question is.. Who was the bigger jerk - the (oblivious?, texting?, whatever) SUV driver or the Cop who tailgated her at a distance of 5' for four miles? I wasn't happy with either one of them.
Click to expand...

My view on cops has gotten tainted over the years. Now that camera/video phones and the like are becoming more prevalent and more and more stories are coming out about abuses by cops, there are a lot more rotten apples than I ever thought there were, so I'm usually pretty critical of cops.

That being said...I believe drivers who hog a left lane are some of the most contemptible people out there, so I'd be cheering a cop on who pulled somebody over for it and ticketed them, regardless of if he was tailgating them or not. Same goes for people who never use a lane change signal, weave in and out of lanes, and drive at night without their headlights on (that last one REALLY makes my blood boil). If I was a cop, I'd pull over and ticket every idiot I saw doing those things.
 
N747JB said:
My son got a ticket for 6 over!! 51 in a 45!!:eek: the cop wrote on the ticket, "actual speed 59" :dunno:
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I have seen many Officers do this in my area. Here the fine and points are based on how much over the limit you speed, so he gave him a ticket for 14 over, but only the fine and points on his license for 6 over.
 
As someone who sees the carnage the stupid brings, there is ZERO reason to tailgate.

A cop should know that all to well, I'd file your complaint, you might save that cops life or someone else's
 
kyleb said:
Driving home from work today, I came up behind a police car tailgating a small SUV. The SUV was in the left lane going ~8 mph over the limit. I was doing 10 over the limit to catch the two of them.

Traffic was moderate to heavy, but there were opportunities for the SUV to move a lane to the right and let the police car pass. The SUV never moved over. During most of this (the event probably lasted 4 miles on the interstate), the police car was within 5' of the SUV's bumper obviously trying to get the driver's attention or intimidate the SUV to move over.

Eventually, the police car's lights came on and the SUV began moving over, with the police car following lane by lane with obvious intent to write a ticket.

The question is.. Who was the bigger jerk - the (oblivious?, texting?, whatever) SUV driver or the Cop who tailgated her at a distance of 5' for four miles? I wasn't happy with either one of them.

Personally, I believe the policeman should be held to a higher standard. If he needs to speed, turn on the lights. Otherwise, follow the laws you're paid to enforce, including the speed limit(s). Beyond that, there is no need to tailgate. I'm tempted to call the local PD and give them a complaint - the officer's conduct wasn't up to standard in my opinion - having a badge and a light on top of your car doesn't make it OK to intentionally drive like a jerk.
Click to expand...
I have no problem passing a cop while I'm doing the speed limit, but I don't think I would do 10 over the limit to catch one.
 
I got a ticket last year for 30 mph in a 25 mph. This is one of those 25 mph zones that really should be a 45 but because there is a college a mile down the road it's ridiculously slow.

I have yet to spend another penny in that city and no longer drive through it. I waited until 11:50 pm the night before my court date to pay the ticket online.
 
kkoran said:
I have no problem passing a cop while I'm doing the speed limit, but I don't think I would do 10 over the limit to catch one.
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On the section of I-75 where I commute, unless you're driving like a huge jerk or have some other extenuating circumstance, 10 over will not generate any attention from the police.
 
N747JB said:
We have a similar new law in Georgia about holding up traffic in the left lane.
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And it's a good law, and I'd love to see more left lane squatting knuckleheads pulled and ticketed.
 
There are many sides to every story.

And for those of you who believe the 10 over BS, try that entering Ohio from Michigan on I-23 going 9 over. It will be a fast and expensive lesson in what the legal definition of "speed limit" is.
 
Bill Jennings said:
And it's a good law, and I'd love to see more left lane squatting knuckleheads pulled and ticketed.
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I am occasionally a left lane squatting knucklehead.

Reason? There seem to be many times when the road surface varies from the left to the right lane, and often the right lane is appreciably rougher.

Then again, I'm usually pretty close to the speed limit, and do try to pull over when I see someone approaching from the rear. But sometimes I miss them, being human and all that.

BTW, I do not see cops tailgating as endemic. I can't recall the last time I saw it happen, so this may be a case of "the exception proves the rule".

Oh, and this was not a technique taught at the police academy I attended.
 
EppyGA said:
I wonder what he would ticket him for? If it local or county they can only write for 10 or more over.
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I don't know where you got that idea. Near Flint, MI there is a small town that will write you for one over. They even have warning signs at the city limits. It's not about safety, it's about generating revenue for the town coffers.
 
Dr. O said:
And for those of you who believe the 10 over BS, try that entering Ohio from Michigan on I-23 going 9 over. It will be a fast and expensive lesson in what the legal definition of "speed limit" is.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I got to know some state patrolman when I was working in Cleveland and they always told me that their unwritten rule is to give you 14 over in Ohio...being that the speed limit is 65 instead of 70.

My response was YGBSM! There's no way I'm going to run over 9 over.

I've probably driven over a million miles across United States and I've never had them look twice at me for running 8 over...which is where I usually set the cruise control. They have a lot bigger fish to fry.

But that's state patrolmen only. Get some local yokel out on the interstate trying to make money for his municipality and it's a whole different ballgame.
 
Norman said:
I don't know where you got that idea. Near Flint, MI there is a small town that will write you for one over. They even have warning signs at the city limits. It's not about safety, it's about generating revenue for the town coffers.
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It's the law in Georgia, where the OP lives, only the State Patrol can ticket you for less than 10 over. It was a response to speed traps. County and locals can issue warnings for less than 10 over but cannot write the ticket.

I generally set the cruise for five over. I will run the right lane as long as it is clear, but will move to the left to pass trucks and the 60 MPH idiots that should stay off the interstates. I always love it when someone in a bigger hurry pulls up behind me and rides my bumper. I usually wave at them.
 
EppyGA said:
It's the law in Georgia, where the OP lives, only the State Patrol can ticket you for less than 10 over. It was a response to speed traps. County and locals can issue warnings for less than 10 over but cannot write the ticket.
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Living in GA, I'd love to see a link to that State Law!
 
FastEddieB said:
Then again, I'm usually pretty close to the speed limit, and do try to pull over when I see someone approaching from the rear. But sometimes I miss them, being human and all that.
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And pulling over is appreciated. Annoying are those in the left lane who ride doorknob to doorknob for miles on end while traffic piles up behind. Then the hairball right lane passes start happening and any semblance of politeness and courtesy goes out the window.

Sometimes I wish it was legal to have roof rack mounted missiles and cull the dim ones from the gene pool.
 
come to nj and see what those pricks do! fly down the highway at 90 on the phone, tailgate you till you almost crash!
 
If you drive down the left lane and are not passing people you are a crappy driver, period. If you drive down the left lane with a line of cars behind you and don't pull over to let them go by you are a crappy driver. In both these cases you should be ticketed, I applaud this cop.
 
Maryland law is 1mph over for cop tickets but 11mph for cameras tickets.

Years ago I was in court and a lady was arguing a 3mph ticket. She was going downhill and the car accelerated. The judge asked if her car had brakes, banged the gavel and told her where to pay. Not cute.

I beat my ticket with that same judge that day. Apparently (unbeknownst to me) I got caught up in a ticket writing sting and the judge didn't like their antics. She had words for these cops and as I began to tell the story of what happened she was very interested in knowing that others were going faster and I was braking for a left turn. Didn't listen to the whole story before giving a not guilty. Whatever I said, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
 
I should add: the ticket I got was tailgating and speeding.

The cop jumps out in front of me in an unmarked car while another tailgates from the rear. They pulled me over in unison.

When the judge dismissed the tailgating charge she threw out the speeding too. I really had no idea if I was over the speed limit. Maryland does not allow a "flow of traffic" defense.
 
Amusing story (to me)
Was driving to visit a friend in Fla. on the Fla turnpike - right at dusk. He had told me they allowed 5 over. So I dutifully set my cruise for exactly 5 over. Going around a shallow right curve with me in the right lane (notice my courtesy) there sits a trooper in one of their special hot rod Mustangs, backed into the brush with only the bumper protruding and barely clear of the pavement. I am looking in his eyes as I come even to him. He flips the headlights on and comes blasting out almost practically polishing my rear bumper. So I'm toast.
I shrug and just stay on cruise control waiting for the blue flashers to come on - no point in denial. Instead he powers around me with a chirp of the tires as the Stang shifts, down the road like a bullet until he is just twinkling tail lights disappearing in the distance.
Must have been a donut or booty call (shrug)
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Well, OK. Sarcasm aside, more likely one of those domestic dispute calls every officer just loves.:D
 
I love it when cops pull over left lane hogs and ticket them! We need more of that in the US. I was once driving with a buddy who kept doing that and hogging the left lane only slightly faster than the speed limit. I just bit my lip. Then a cop car pulls out, lights go on and we get pulled over. Cops says I pulled you over because you are not supposed to be in the left lane unless you're passing.

:lol::lol::lol:

He just lectured us then let us go with a warning.

This was in Texas.
 
Marauder said:
Reminds me of what happened in my college days. I was driving home late one evening on the NY State Thruway at the speed limit on an overcast night with a full moon.

The overcast broke for a few seconds and the moon reflected off of a windshield of a car that was following me within feet. I tapped the brake pedal and the vehicle swung by me and turned on his lights and sped away. Turned out to be a State Trooper. The only I can figure he was thinking I was going to light up a joint or drink a bottle of booze and he was going to catch me in the act.

There was no way he would have been able to stop if I slammed on my brakes for a deer.
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Been there for that stunt too.

Dark, rural 2 lane state road. Who knows how long he was pacing me from close behind with his headlights off, but he figures out I'm not speeding, flips them back on, and passes me.

He goes dark again and accelerates to well above the limit to try the same game with the pair of tai lights a mile or so ahead of me.

All I could think of was what would happen if someone pulled out in front of this idiot. I'd have bet my paycheck I knew who'd get the citation.
 
They are running your license plate and waiting for a return on the computer or radio. They also now have you tagged with the dispatcher so they know where to send help to. If the driver was so oblivious that a cop was on his tail and not moving over, he/she deserved a ticket.
 
What about the cops' practice of racing along at 90-100, not in pursuit of anyone, just having fun speeding? They're not going to catch the speeders if they both go the same speed. Slow down (maybe speed limit + 8) and let the speeders catch up.
 
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