Cops suck, and then...

[Vanilla Gorilla]

We've got one guy who heads up the dive team here, and he's got lights in his POV. Since he runs a dive shop in BR I can totally understand why he might want the lights.

I go to school in Hammond, and there's been once or twice I would have Liked to race in to work to help out, but I'm not in charge of anything so I really don't see why I (or any other officer not responsible for others) would need some.

Racing to work to help out is dumb **** best leafy to Volunteer Foremen.

 

[jmcrawf1]

I didn't know any cop even put emergency lights in their personal vehicle. I guess I'd never seen it in use, if so. The only personal vehicles I've seen with lights are fire fighter types. I can't think that I saw an obviously-private vehicle with blue lights. Who does that?

Gung ho reserves who aren't issued units. See also volunteer firefighter.

These guys are asking for big time liability problems, both for them and the depr from running code 3 in a POV.

This generally happens in small rural depts.

 

[returningliberty]

Uh yea. You can't just be flicking on lights and blowing red lights all willy nilly.

Not a big deal for me since my town doesn't even have a red light . But we did get training on usage, I just never knew the statute. I should have, training failure on my part.

 

[JNieman]

Yea, back when I lived in rural Missouri, I don't think they had reservists LE. Small towns had cruisers for their cops and no reservists went hauling ass to help out gung-ho.

We did have volunteer FD though, which meant often times a suburban or civic hauling ass down the road with red lights. They knew they had no legal backing to use lights or expect people to pull over, or to run red lights - it was more of a "for the better of the community, we'll let them go put the damned fires out and stay out of the way" situation. So people pull over, they don't have to wait for green, and we don't have to wait longer than necessary for fires to be put out and services arrive. Sounds like that's how it is down here, from the way y'all talk.

 

[Jack]

A couple of years ago there was a stink in waggaman about a volunteer fire fighter riding around with lights for no reason, on the speaker yelling at people etc.

If I was a LEO I wouldn't do it, too much temptation to make up for sleeping late

 

[MOTOR51]

Ha, when I'm off work the thought of rushing back never enters my mind. Not turning on emergency lights at all is usually better to get through traffic anyhow.

 

[thatguy]

I try and use my directionals in the rear as often as I can. The slower pattern (than the random flashing pattern) seems to be more bearable.

The directionals don't activate the MVR either.

 

[Vermiform]

Volunteer fire up here and keep a pumper truck on the property. From what I understand I can let her rip and buzz through whatever stop signs and intersections I want to, but I am responsible for liability. Also allowed to have lights on personal vehicles but same applies.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Emperor]

Ha, when I'm off work the thought of rushing back never enters my mind. Not turning on emergency lights at all is usually better to get through traffic anyhow.

In my personal and highly speculative studies of traffic in an around Louisiana, I have noticed that flashing lights (particularly those attending the sides of roads), are one of the biggest causes of traffic jams. I would hold the first-responders and investigators safety in the utmost regard, but can't we figure out a better way to clear the highways of minor wrecks and breakdowns?

Speed write tickets if necessary, and call the tow chains in for fast extraction. Hell, I would be for the state buying a Sikorsky Skycrane if it would speed the clearing process up.

 

[MOTOR51]

The wreckers are on their own time schedule. I am a BIG advocate for clearing a roadway as soon as possible. I have pushed cars out of the roadway with a unit that was badly damaged because its already wrecked. Some surrounding agencies will leave a minor crash in the middle if the interstate until they are done writing it up. I do not understand why and if given the opportunity I will have them exit the interstate and pull into a Parking lot.

 

[Emperor]

The wreckers are on their own time schedule. I am a BIG advocate for clearing a roadway as soon as possible. I have pushed cars out of the roadway with a unit that was badly damaged because its already wrecked. Some surrounding agencies will leave a minor crash in the middle if the interstate until they are done writing it up. I do not understand why and if given the opportunity I will have them exit the interstate and pull into a Parking lot.

You ARE one of the good ones! Thank you!

 

[JNieman]

Is it against a law to obstruct traffic if your vehicle is able to move off the road?

I've heard it both ways.

I've seen cops pissed off that you wouldn't get your car off the road after a minor fender bender, and I've seen cops stand around completing the entirety of the write up before letting both vehicles drive off under their own power.

Recently, at the intersection of University and Pinhook, a couple got into a fender bender where the worst damage was some paint scuffs. The lady in the front wouldn't move and she was in the turn lane, turning right from Uni onto Pinhook (a merge lane with curbs on both sides, in this case, so extra bad) and I was trapped between a car behind me that wouldn't move (likely not realizing there was an accident) and the cars in front of me. I was about to mount the curb and drive around them when a cop walked up and told them to pull into the parking lot. Thankfully the wreck was right in front of the Laffy PD and someone noticed...

They woulda sat there for however-long, blocking a horrible amount of traffic all for what? Ignorance? Not expecting a cop to know who was 'at-fault ' with a paint swap from front-bumper to rear-bumper?

Pisses me off. Lafayette traffic is bad-enough - and yes, after working and staying in Baton Rouge, I say it's /worse/ than Baton Rouge most times!

 

[thatguy]

LARS 32:141 says if you are not prevented by injury or disabled vehicle, you MUST move the vehicle out of the travel lanes. A lot of agencies seem to violate this law.

 

[Emperor]

Is it against a law to obstruct traffic if your vehicle is able to move off the road?

I've heard it both ways.

I've seen cops pissed off that you wouldn't get your car off the road after a minor fender bender, and I've seen cops stand around completing the entirety of the write up before letting both vehicles drive off under their own power.

Recently, at the intersection of University and Pinhook, a couple got into a fender bender where the worst damage was some paint scuffs. The lady in the front wouldn't move and she was in the turn lane, turning right from Uni onto Pinhook (a merge lane with curbs on both sides, in this case, so extra bad) and I was trapped between a car behind me that wouldn't move (likely not realizing there was an accident) and the cars in front of me. I was about to mount the curb and drive around them when a cop walked up and told them to pull into the parking lot. Thankfully the wreck was right in front of the Laffy PD and someone noticed...

They woulda sat there for however-long, blocking a horrible amount of traffic all for what? Ignorance? Not expecting a cop to know who was 'at-fault ' with a paint swap from front-bumper to rear-bumper?

Pisses me off. Lafayette traffic is bad-enough - and yes, after working and staying in Baton Rouge, I say it's /worse/ than Baton Rouge most times!

Sounds like Louisiana is LONG over due on some "No-Fault" Auto Insurance. Tough sell though, when your Representatives are Lawyers.

 

[Cat]

Racing to work to help out is dumb **** best leafy to Volunteer Foremen.

Don't get me started on that little gem.

We have very few full time FD in the area. I think Alexandria does. And maybe Pineville. But the outer areas? No. There are a handful of Volunteer fire departments that I accept at scenes because they do operate a rescue unit. The jaws of life, trauma unit and so forth… A general call out without knowing the details, etc. Understandable.

But OUR Vol. department? Phffft. And yup, they raced to the scene when our daughter was killed. I wasn't home and my first comment when I learned the FD was here was a very nasty wtf are they there for? I was pissed. That, above everybody, else felt invasive. The news station came out, without cameras, and they didn't bother me as much as learning about the race-to-the-scene idiots in our area.
)

 

[sandman7925]

I have been pulled over more times and was just told to "slow the hell down" than I have been pulled over and actually been ticketed. I don't know why, I don't have a nice rack I swear.

 

[dantheman]

I sat on the old bridge for an hour this morning because the driver of a wrecked vehicle would not let a gang of bridge painters move her car . She told them she wanted an ambulance . When the Paramedics got there , they checked her out and left without transporting . By then , the painters had gone to work and we had to wait on the wrecker to clear the mess from the far end .

 

[tim9lives]

I can't help it, every time I see someone following the zombie craze I think they are a stoner. For what it's worth it's not him specifically, its the whole group.

Oh, and Rick, I think my answer was pretty straight forward. Why no reply?

Yea....you may be right Jack. And every-time I hear or read someone who is so very judgmental and critical about "weed heads" and "stoners," I always envision a person who drinks like a fish. I don't smoke weed...don't drink alcohol either....yet at the same time...I have done both in the past and I can assure you....Alcoholics can be the some most bitter and arrogant drug abusers I have run across.
Theres nothing worst than a bad drunk....the kind that comes home after work, kicks their dog and beats their wife and kids.

FWIW....I saw an article a while back. It was from a retired police chief. He said he had polled many police in his lifetime..And then at a Police Convention, he also did the same poll.
He would ask them...Have you ever been to a domestic call where the only drug present was weed?
No one raised their hand.

When he asked them if they were ever on a domestic disturbance call...and alcohol was present....All RASIED THEIR HANDS.

So...just because someone may be a stoner...that doesn't make them a bad person. I'd take a stoner any day over a drunk.

 

[charlie12]

Not a big deal for me since my town doesn't even have a red light . But we did get training on usage, I just never knew the statute. I should have, training failure on my part.

Just think if you worked in East Feliciana Parish I think they only have one red light in the whole Parish. La. 10 @ La. 68

 

[jmcrawf1]

Yea....you may be right Jack. And every-time I hear or read someone who is so very judgmental and critical about "weed heads" and "stoners," I always envision a person who drinks like a fish. I don't smoke weed...don't drink alcohol either....yet at the same time...I have done both in the past and I can assure you....Alcoholics can be the some most bitter and arrogant drug abusers I have run across.
Theres nothing worst than a bad drunk....the kind that comes home after work, kicks their dog and beats their wife and kids.

FWIW....I saw an article a while back. It was from a retired police chief. He said he had polled many police in his lifetime..And then at a Police Convention, he also did the same poll.
He would ask them...Have you ever been to a domestic call where the only drug present was weed?
No one raised their hand.

When he asked them if they were ever on a domestic disturbance call...and alcohol was present....All RASIED THEIR HANDS.

So...just because someone may be a stoner...that doesn't make them a bad person. I'd take a stoner any day over a drunk.

Yea we see how that worked out for you.