Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins
I'm sorry; I missunderstood. Your initial post certainly indicates an expectation for a "professional courtesy", and dissapointment in not having received one. Maybe I read it wrong.
I have a Snohomish County Sheriff's car pass me several times a month on my way to work. I commute on I-5; he gets on the freeway a couple of miles north of where I do. He never fails to get out to the carpool lane and just fly right on by everyone. Traffic is doing 70+ (in a 60) as it is. He must be pushing 85-90. I'm sure if anyone complained, he would be "on a call". I've seen it often enough, and for long enough, to be pretty darn sure he is on his way to work. They drive their patrol cars home in that department. It's the same guy, in the same car, from the same on ramp every time I see him.
I've now followed State Patrol on the freeway at elevated speeds on two occasions. Once in the 911; once on my Harley. The one I followed in the 911touched 100 mph a couple of times on I-90, westbound from Snoqualmie Pass. I followed him for over ten miles, about half a mile behind him, until he got off in North Bend. For lunch. I walked right in and confronted him and another young trooper that were standing in line with who appeared to be a supervisor or something. Pretty tense few minutes...
The time on the bike I fell in behind a pair of them on their BMW's. Southbound I-5 from Everett to Seattle, in the carpool lane, in rush hour traffic. The only times we dropped below 80 mph were when they caught up to some poor citizen that couldn't get out of their way fast enough. Amazing. I was waving to the cars we were passing, pointing to the troopers ahead of me, and giving the car drivers that "what the hell..." shrug.
Nothing anyone can do about this, in all of its various forms. We've all seen it. Speeding, hitting the strobe to trip the traffic light, etc. One would think departments concerned with their public image would investigate citizen complaints about this behavior and take them seriously. They don't appear to do so.
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Jeff, seriously not tring to get into a debate about this. I know when I'm riding at work, if I do the posted limit on the freeway, the traffic behind me comes to a complete halt. I generally have to go really under the limit before most cars will even pass me. I generally ride slightly faster then traffic for this reason and to somewhat control the environment around me. I do the same thing when riding my personal bike within reason. No excuse for 85-90 in a 60 though.
I've never heard of the hitting the strobe light thing to trip the traffic lights. Seriously I wish we had that, it would make going thru the intersections while rolling code alot safer.