Had a visit from the police.

[stomachmonkey]

I live in a very tight knit exclusive subdivision of a 3,000 plus home community.

Yesterday was the Spring community garage sale. There are 2 per garage sales per year which brings a fair amount of traffic for the day. Part of the problem is outsiders driving too fast trying to hit as many houses as they can before all the "good stuff" is gone.

There is only one street in/out of my subdivision.

Around 11 I'm sitting in my driveway watching the madness, fair amount of people, kids, cars all over the street when a silver Isuzu cames flying around the corner, does not even slow down for the stop sign and blows thru it doing 15 or so.

I jump up and start running out to the street screaming at them to slow down, they take their foot off the gas and then step on it again going down the block at at least 40.

Driver covered the 150 ft from the corner to my house before I could cover the 20 feet from my drive to the street.

I don't recognize the car and assume it's a garage saler. I turn around and run around the block to the entrance of our subdivision and wait for the person to come back out from the other end.

10 minutes or so goes by so I start walking down the direction that they will be coming from. Assumed they stopped to look at someones junk.

Get half way around the loop back to my side of the block and the car is parked in front of a house. Go to the door, ring the bell a few times but they don't answer. Start to leave and I bump into the neighbor who tells me the driver lives there. A family that is renting the house.

So I go back home where I'm told another neighbor had also gone down to have a word with them but no one answered.

It was my friend Johns birthday last night. John lives 3 houses up from the speeder. Speeders car is not there.

Standing in front of his house waiting to leave for our dinner reservations and I see the Isuzu coming home so I walk out into the street and motion for them to stop and talk to me.

Young girl, teenager, ask her to roll down window and she declines. Ask her if she was driving this morning. She nods. So I give her a piece of my mind. She says nothing, no I'm sorry, no I'll slow it down. She just drives off and parks in front of her house.

So I stroll over and as she's going to the house ask her if her parents are home, she says no. So I tell her I'll be coming back to have a conversation with them. The only thing she is saying is "why are you bothering me?" which really pisses me off, I drop a few F bombs and leave.

I never threatened her, never set foot on their property.

We are at dinner and my phone rings, don't recognize the number so jokingly say to my friend Kharl, It's probably the kids parents. They leave a voicemail. When I play it back I hear "Hi my name is Melissa, I believe you are the person who verbally assaulted my daughter tonight....." I don't listen to the rest and go outside to call her back.

I keep my cool with her, was actually a jovial conversation. Her only concern is how I treated her daughter. She could care less that her 16 year old was driving recklessly. Tells me I handled it wrong, that I missed the opportunity for a "Learning moment". I offered that I had not squandered the opportunity and that her daughter "learned" that her reckless behavior may result in some unpleasant encounters.

I suggested her daughter needs to loose her driving privileges for a while to which mom responds, "she's a teen, that's how they drive, you can't stop them"

She tells me her husband wants to talk to me and I said I would love to speak with him as well.

So today I'm waiting to hear from him. Was outside a lot and see them pass by a couple of times but they don't bother stopping.

So tonight we are eating dinner and the doorbell rings. My daughter answers and it's the police. 3 of them. The one who did most of the talking was a nice older mature, calm, seemingly rational guy. The one standing a few feet away had an attitude.

Needless to say I was pissed. Asked the officer what the allegations were. He responds they are trying to determine if there is a crime here.

Hmm, well no offense but we are not having a conversation. I'll call my attorney and if there's something to discuss we'll take it up later.

He gives me his card and leaves.

So now I'm second guessing myself because I'm not sure what she told the Police.

The f'd up thing is earlier today I was outside talking to another neighbor when the parents drove by.

I said to him, "I get it, I yelled at their daughter, I'd be upset if someone yelled at my kid but I'd be more interested in what my kid did to push someone to that point."

Said maybe I'll give it a couple of days to let everyone cool off and go down with a peace offering, bottle of wine, welcome them to the hood. Forget about that now.

[Rick Lee]

Too bad. First person to call the cops is usually viewed as the victim. You should have called the cops first and asked them to run speed control in the neighborhood for a few days to make sure everyone gets the message.

I did this once when I was almost hit several times by speeding cars blowing off the often occupied pedestrian crosswalk from the Metro to the parking lot. It took two emails and then one day the cops were out there on foot running radar and flagging cars down for the tickets. The problem went away for a while after that.

[szyzygy]

lame.

Product of "every gets a trophy" mentality

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Too bad. First person to call the cops is usually viewed as the victim. You should have called the cops first and asked them to run speed control in the neighborhood for a few days to make sure everyone gets the message.

I did this once when I was almost hit several times by speeding cars blowing off the often occupied pedestrian crosswalk from the Metro to the parking lot. It took two emails and then one day the cops were out there on foot running radar and flagging cars down for the tickets. The problem went away for a while after that.

Exactly.

Do NOT go over with wine.

DO get a copy of the police report.

Make that call re speed control now, or even better get a neighbor to make it.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by mikester

Setup a camera in front of your house to start capturing video of the poor driving. Surveillance camera should be easy to get going...

also an xlnt. idea

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Too bad. First person to call the cops is usually viewed as the victim. You should have called the cops first and asked them to run speed control in the neighborhood for a few days to make sure everyone gets the message.

Yeah that's what's getting me.

I can't imagine what they told the Police that they thought it was necc to send 3 officers by.

The young guy was doing the joe cool in his shades hand on hip near spoon intimidation pose.

Last year TX made some minor changes to the way tickets are written. It was not worded properly and resulted in the Police not having any authority to enforce speed limits in incorporated communities like ours. They are legally prohibited from doing it.

They amended the legislation but it still required a petition from the community with at least 50% of the residents signing. We got that done but are still dealing with the red tape.

[szyzygy]

I feel kinda bad now that I like to drive fast. Never in neighborhoods though, just on the highway/freeway.
I've never gotten a ticket, ever. I do 100mph on my way to work in SoCal all the time, I do blow by people. Is that wrong?

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by RWebb

Exactly.

Do NOT go over with wine.

DO get a copy of the police report.

Make that call re speed control now, or even better get a neighbor to make it.

I had considered dropping of the wine BEFORE the cops showed up.

That's clearly not happening now.

[szyzygy]

Originally Posted by mikester

Hate to break it to you but that kind of speed (in my opinion at least) does not belong on public roads especially the roads we're talking about (405, 110, 105, 5, etc) around SoCal. Now you start heading to Vegas and there isn't anyone around and you're only endangering yourself - have a good time. Otherwise - take it to the track.

It is very startling to be driving at speed on the highway and then get blown by so fast that it literally shakes the car substantially. It's not a small car either - full sized Volvo wagon.

I am guilty of driving up to about 80 myself on occasion but past that is just way over the line in my book.

I know its wrong. But it feels so good!

Maybe I need to go to vegas more often...that is a sweet drive. maybe it would satisfy my need for speed.

Not that it's an excuse for my behavior, but it irks me being stuck being slow pokes doing 35 in a 45, that when I finally get to break free when the road opens up, it's almost impossible to resist the urge to open it up a bit. Or when a-holes take up all 3 lanes all going the same speed....can't help wanting to blow by them to let them know they are holding up the rest of society.

[masraum]

The kid lied to her parents about what she was doing. Cursing at her made you look like the bad one. I'm sure the description from the daughter had her looking fairly sweet and innocent and you looking like a crazy, dangerous old man.

Now, the parents aren't going to listed to you no matter how calm or sane you seem. Honestly, cursing at the kid was probably a mistake. I understand, but that doesn't change it.

[Evans, Marv]

You missed your chance when the police were there. You no doubt explained why you did what you did and why you were upset. Then you could have pointed out people always seem to feel threatened whether it's justified or not and use it as an offensive tactic. Take for example the young police guy making you feel uncomfortable and slightly threatened by his demeaner and suggestion of aggression as demonstrated by his apparent behavior.

[diverdan]

Truth: lose your coolk you lose. Learned that from my ex. Somehow she continues to lose. Too bad she didn,t learn herself.
Dan

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by mikester

I am guilty of driving up to about 80 myself on occasion but past that is just way over the line in my book.

I've never gone less than 80 on the 405 except when it was a parking lot. I'm usually on a bike in the carpool lane doing over 80 and still getting passed like I'm standing still by other bikes lane-splitting past me. 80 is nothing in that neck of the woods. And there's certainly no danger to pedestrians there.

[LeeH]

I live in a subdivision at the bottom of a hill and cars come down it at 40mph - sometimes more. When nothing is coming I have to commit to backing out of my driveway. I'm amazed that the drivers who are speeding get pissed off like we've chosen to block their path. My daughter has never been allowed to play in her own front yard due to the speeds on our tiny street.

Was backing out one morning when a silver Audi came down doing it least 40. Sorry, but I'm already here. As I start forward, she passes me on the left. I'm only 5 houses away from the end of the street. We were going the same way. Once on the major road, I pulled beside her and she wouldn't look at me. I honked - still no eye contact.

When I got home I called the police. When they arrived I asked for their advice on how to handle this. Backing out of ones driveway should be dangerous. Cop starts quizing me on every car that comes down the street - is THAT one going too fast? What about that one? Meanwhile, here comes the silver Audi back up the street, but now at about 10mph. I point out that this was the car that passed me and they do nothing. Just couldn't believe that they didn't at least stop her and ask her to slow down.

I guess my point is that the first to call is not always considered the victim. Guess I'm lucky she didn't claim to "feel threatened" and blow me away.

[Rick Lee]

Mrs. Lee and I were driving home from Sunday brunch a while back and also detoured to a neighborhood with several garage sales on the way home. Near the end of the street some folks had put one of those scarecrow-like crossing guard things in the middle of the road. Two kids were sitting on the curb, one bouncing a ball and the mom in the front yard. I was driving exactly 15 mph, which was the posted limit and the woman jumped up out of her yard and flagged me down like I was doing what Stomachmonkey described of this teenager. I just dismissively waved her off and kept going. I wish she had called the cops on me. There has to be a law against installing your own speed barrier or sign in the middle of the road.

[Moses]

You're a grown man who cussed out a teenage girl. Ridiculous. The girl needs to learn about safe driving and you need to learn to control your temper. You owe her an apology.

Had you done that to my sister when she was a teen there would have been no saving you from an ass whipping from my dad.

[mossguy]

Maybe he thought she was a car dealer.

[Kraqus]

You could have gone to the House and asked to speak with the owner of the Vehicle instead of talking directly to the young teen.
Or You could have a 3rd party (Cops) handled it for you. This option will not make you Popular. You will be tag the "Old Man that does not have a life"...

I am a civilized man, I believe in talking to people first. I would have talked to the parents right away and stay the hell away from the teenager. The way I see it, the PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE.



Benny

[krichard]

Obviously you should have shot her, she was driving and threatened your attempt to back out of your driveway..... j/k

I live in a subdivision at the bottom of a hill and cars come down it at 40mph - sometimes more. When nothing is coming I have to commit to backing out of my driveway. I'm amazed that the drivers who are speeding get pissed off like we've chosen to block their path. My daughter has never been allowed to play in her own front yard due to the speeds on our tiny street.



Was backing out one morning when a silver Audi came down doing it least 40. Sorry, but I'm already here. As I start forward, she passes me on the left. I'm only 5 houses away from the end of the street. We were going the same way. Once on the major road, I pulled beside her and she wouldn't look at me. I honked - still no eye contact.



When I got home I called the police. When they arrived I asked for their advice on how to handle this. Backing out of ones driveway should be dangerous. Cop starts quizing me on every car that comes down the street - is THAT one going too fast? What about that one? Meanwhile, here comes the silver Audi back up the street, but now at about 10mph. I point out that this was the car that passed me and they do nothing. Just couldn't believe that they didn't at least stop her and ask her to slow down.



I guess my point is that the first to call is not always considered the victim. Guess I'm lucky she didn't claim to "feel threatened" and blow me away.

[futuresoptions]

You're first mistake was making contact with the driver. You should have written the license plate number down and the address of the driver. Filed a report about reckless driving and then the three officers would have been knocking on their door instead of yours. Very simple rules of taking care of a situation (Considering that is what the police get paid for) but sometimes in our everyday lives we forget how we should actually deal with things.