Drivers In Front of Me Slow to Just Below the Speed Limit

"lonestranger" (lonestranger)
11/21/2014 at 14:45 • Filed to: None

... more than they used to, and I think I've figured out why. My local police department has recently gotten a few slicktops. They've always had "ghost" cars, completely unmarked cars in various colours. They've also had marked pickup trucks for many years, albeit with light bars on the roof.

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Now, they have at least one each of a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and Silverado in slicktop configuration - fully marked, but without a rooftop lightbar. Seeing a white American-branded vehicle in your mirror, one might assume it is a cop car, even if it is my 11-year-old Sierra.

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DISCUSSION (13)

Sweet Trav > lonestranger
11/21/2014 at 14:48

Good lord I wish the Mounties could train and replace all the cops in the USA.

Sam > Sweet Trav
11/21/2014 at 14:53

Aren't the real Mounties more of a SWAT-esque group?

As Du Volant > lonestranger
11/21/2014 at 14:54

I never understood this logic.

"OMG A COP IS BEHIND ME, BETTER GO SUPER SLOW!!"

9/10 times the cop is trying to get somewhere and you're just annoying him. If you're speeding, the cop already knows and would've lit you up by now if he wanted to.

Cops know everyone is speeding. If you're going fast enough to attract attention they'll already be getting ready to pull you over by the time you notice them. Tiptoeing past them at 5 under the limit doesn't accomplish everything.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Sam
11/21/2014 at 14:57

Mounties are the federal police and most cities have their own police forces. Rural areas are all policed by the Mounties.

OPPOsaurus WRX > As Du Volant
11/21/2014 at 15:02

i saw an idiot pass a cop on the highway. the cop was probably going exact speed limit and the other dude couldn;t have been more than 5 over. Yea he got pulled over. Probably didn;t help he was in a rice-mobile

As Du Volant > OPPOsaurus WRX
11/21/2014 at 15:08

Probably should've clarified, I was referring to either slowing down to below the limit when a cop pulls up behind you, or passing a parked cop checking radar.

Passing one in traffic while speeding is a different story- in that case you want to be sure you aren't exceeding the limit. Especially if you're driving a car with a high likelihood of questionably legal mods- if he truly was going 5 over I bet that cop was more interested in a roadside inspection rather than speeding for 5 over.

But yeah, when people do the sudden slam on the brakes dropping from 10 over to 5 under the second they see a cop... yeah, the cop knows what's up.

lonestranger > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
11/21/2014 at 15:39

Sort-of, but not quite. It depends where you are. In Ontario and Quebec, they have Provincial Police, so the RCMP really only have Federal duties there. All other privinces contract with RCMP for provincial policing duties. In Newfoundland, the RNC polices major cities, and RCMP does rural areas and smaller cities.

Most cities in Alberta have their own civic police force, but the opposite is true in B.C. Outside of the Lower Mainland and Greater Victoria, Nelson is the only city with its own police department. Most B.C. cities, including some in the Vancouver and Victoria areas, contract with RCMP for city policing services.

Most rural areas are also policed by the RCMP, but so do Tribal Police, Sheriffs, Provincial Police, Peace Officers, etc. depending on the area.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > lonestranger
11/21/2014 at 16:04

I did forget about Ont and Que's provincal police. I came from BC which is pretty much all RCMP and now in Alberta I see RCMP, city police, sheriff, and peace officers.

The point I was getting at above is that RCMP isn't SWAT.

jariten1781 > As Du Volant
11/21/2014 at 16:36

I haven't seen this behavior in a while, but back in the late 90s the OKC PD was notorious for this obnoxious tactic. They'd select a random car then rapidly pull up on your back bumper. Then if you sped up they'd pull you over. If you switched lanes they'd stay right on your ass or pull you over if you did it without a signal. After a while, if they couldn't induce you to speed they'd pop a U-y and go pull the same shit on a car going the other way. Usually they'd do it in an unlit area at night too so if you weren't familiar with the Caprice and Crown Vic headlight profiles you'd just think they were some asshole tailgating you since you couldn't see the light bar.

There were a bunch of local news stories about it and everyone started going 5 under if a cruiser or an unknown car pulled up on them from behind them at any time.

thebigbossyboss > As Du Volant
11/22/2014 at 23:16

Yeah but you can't break a law in front of the cops. They'll pull you over man. I have 7 tickets. Ask me how!

thebigbossyboss > lonestranger
01/20/2015 at 13:21

You on the east side of the city? stayed on on castle towers if you know it. view looks similar.

lonestranger > thebigbossyboss
01/20/2015 at 13:50

That's from my Aunt's house on Thor Dr., which is geographically in the same area as Castle Towers Dr. Both are in the west side of town.

thebigbossyboss > lonestranger
01/20/2015 at 14:09

Oh damn it. Hard to figure out east west when you've only been once haha. I have never been to the east side of Kamloops. It shall remain a mystery what the view looks like from over there haha.