[MMARSH]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

So you guys don't have the white strobe in the center of the light bar? On the cars, of course, not the bikes. Unless it could be on top of your helmet or something... Anyway, all emergency vehicles up here have one. Cop cars, fire trucks, aid cars; anyone that would respond to an emergency. Our traffic lights have a sensor that picks up the strobe flash to quickly change the light to green for them. Great idea, really. Except that some one also decided that metro buses need them, but that's another story...


Sounds like a good idea, if used correctly. We don't have anything like that down here.

I can see where a cop would have cause to hit the strobe without running lights and sirens. They might still be in an awful hurry to get to a crime scene, and just don't want to announce their approach. But when they do it and pull into a Denny's a block later, with several other cars waiting for them... hard to believe they were responding and a call got cancelled.

I have actually started to respond to a call with lights and siren and then been cancelled, literally seconds later, because another unit chimes in with a closer eta or the situation goes code 4. It seriously happens all the time and I've done it and then had people kinda look at me sideways when I end up sitting next to them at the next red light. In the Denny's situation. doesn't look good.

Oh, and yes, I hate following a cop who is doing the speed limit on the freeway. Everyone is afraid to even match their speed, much less pass them. Talk about a great way to jug up already bad traffic. I'm sure you wish you could tell everyone around you to just get on with it and drive normally. Problem is, most folks are scared to death of traffic cops.

Thats it. But then if I go to fast, someone, somewhere will accuse me of thinking that I'm above the law. I was going to work a few weeks ago and it seemed like traffic was really heavy. I'm working my way thru traffic, expecting to see a broken down car or traffic accident to deal with. I get to the front of the pack and what do I see? A local notorious CHP motor officer doing I swear dead on the speed limit. It looked like he was doing a traffic break on the freeway. Traffic was backed up for miles and was clear in front of him. I got on my PA and asked him what he was doing, what's going on and he said "Nothing" I just shook my head and rode away.