The other night driving home, I took the long way because it has an on-ramp with a nice tight 270 degree followed by a long straight, taken at as sporty speeds as I dare. However, shortly before said on-ramp, a police officer has someone pulled over with the red and blue flashing. This got me wondering:
If you see someone pulled over, does that make you feel like you are in the clear regarding police and take a little extra spicey liberty, or do you go on alert, and drive extra safe assuming there are more nearby?
Stupid question, but was curious, anyway.
I stay alert. You never know if the police is on their car when passing and they can still radar you and radio, or others can be near by. Cameras are everywhere on this guy's.
Some speed traps involve a pair (or more) LEOs working together. One to tag the speeder and one to chase and write the ticket. Might also be a bear-in-the-air.
When I see someone pulled over, it reminds me....that could've been me.
Back up always rolls up shortly afterward if they are in the area and not previously engaged...at least in our area.
To be honest, when I see an officer already engaged with a driver, I feel as though the chances of another police car being nearby is slim. Maybe it’s where I live, but it seems as though traffic enforcement is given short shrift. The drivers on the road here seem to ignore most laws with impunity, rolling through Right Turns on Red at full speed, (maybe that’s why my state leads the nation in pedestrian fatalities), weaving through traffic at high speed, making turns at red lights as though the light is green. And I always ask myself, ‘where are the police’? And then I’ll see one, parked deep into a parking lot, totally ineffective at actually catching a speeder from his position. And every night I can hear motorcycles and those little rice burners screaming down the nearby roads, with no intervention from law enforcement. In fact, I was told that the local police do not even attempt to stop speeding motorcycles as “we can’t stop them anyway, we’re not allowed to chase them”. I’ve even seen a driver go up on the sidewalk to go around traffic at a stop light so he didn’t have to wait. And the ’use of signals’? Fuggedaboutit. Even the police don’t use signals. What a great example for the driving public. Quite frustrating.
As others have noted there could be other officers working in tandem, but it’s unlikely. However, I wouldn’t pass a scene like that aggressively, no sense in tempting fate. Most drivers see that circumstance and all the sudden they’re driving a pinto to church. In fact, I saw that play once when my cousin flipped a badge at a guy being a Richard, all the sudden Mister Rodgers was that the wheel and it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Nope, no difference because there's always another unit out on the job.
"Bears come in pairs!" is my watch-phrase. ;-)
I’ll admit to being a bit surprised with the unanimity of opinions on this. I initially took it as an opening for freedom, but sure enough, there was another flasher not too far away. Probably fortunately I was stuck behind another car.
So apparently, yeah, bears come in pairs.
