Dave: Here's the link to my article that appeared in today's edition on the Mercedes SUV police cruiser. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/wheels/000526/4164661.html


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Black 2000 SC short-box XLT. 4.2V-6, 5-speed, 3.55 limited-slip. CD, remote entry, factory side steps, FORD box liner.

My third F-series: '73 F-100 Custom 240-cube 3-speed, '98 F-150 XL-SC 4.2 5-speed, and '00 F-150 XLT-SC 4.2 5-speed. GREAT trucks!

 

I got the following news story today by e-mail from my friend, Senior Constable Eric Booth of the Ontario Provincial Police. As one who has "fought the law and the law won", I think there's a lot of truth in it and I thought I should post it out of respect for some men and women who have a very tough job to do:
___________________

Printed in the Lindsay (Ontario) "This Week" newspaper.

To: the Editor

Well, Mr. Citizen, it seems you’ve figured me out. I seem to fit neatly into the category where you’ve placed me. I’m stereotyped, standardized, characterized, classified, grouped, and always typical.

Unfortunately, the reverse is true...I can never figure you out.

From birth you teach your children that I’m the bogeyman, then you’re shocked when they identify with my traditional enemy...the criminal! You accuse me of coddling criminals...until I catch your kids doing wrong.

You may take an hour for lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point
me out as a loafer for having one cup.
You pride yourself on your manners but think nothing of disrupting my meals with your troubles.

You raise hell with the guy who cuts you off in traffic but let me catch you doing the same thing and I’m picking on you. You know all the traffic laws...but you’ve never gotten a single ticket you deserve.

You shout “foul” if you observe me driving fast to a call but raise the roof if I take more than 10 seconds to respond to your complaint. You call it part of my job if someone strikes me but call it police brutality if I strike back.

You wouldn’t think of telling your dentist how to pull a tooth or your doctor how to take out an appendix, yet you’re always willing to give me pointers on the law.
You talk to me in a manner that would get you a bloody nose from anyone else but expect me to take it without batting an eye.

You yell something’s got to be done to fight crime but you can’t be bothered to get involved. You have no use for me at all but of course it’s okay if I change a flat for
your wife, deliver your child in the back the patrol car, or perhaps save your son’s life with mouth to mouth breathing, or work many hours overtime looking for you lost daughter.

So, Mr. Citizen, you can stand there on your soapbox and rant and rave about the way I do my work, calling me every name in the book but never stop to think that your property, family, or maybe even your life depends on me or one of my buddies. Yes, Mr. Citizen, it’s me...the lousy cop!

The author of this article was Trooper Mitchell Brown of the Virginia State Police. He was killed in the line of duty two months after writing the letter.

 

Shifter,
THANKS, THATS THE WAY I FEEL SOMETIMES...BUT WE GO ON....ITS A GOOD JOB AND FOR THE MOST PART ITS 75% CITIZENS THAT BACK US AND THANK US..ITS THE 25% THAT DO THE RANTING....THANKS TO YOU 75 PERCENTERS..DAVE

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1998 F-150, SC/Flairside,oxford white 4x2,4.6,auto,3.55s,nerf bars,cls 111 towing,bed liner w/mat,atlas polished wheels w/285/75 R/16 BFG A/Ts (black side out),all plastics guards/bug shields,air raid/k & n filter, superchipped, duals out the back corners, flow master 3 chamber, snug top lid, f-150 online sticker back window-honk if you see me!!! Fabtech 3 1/2 lift .coverking dash cover, Lumi Logo's (front and rear), clear front corner lenses, muth mirrors,3" bullseye spindles, dash mounted CB, (TX Chapter requirement,lol),personalized license plates, Superlift traction bars,Image tail light covers (painted).

San Antonio
DWESSELS89@AOL.COM

 

Hi Shifter,
>>>>I have a copy of that as well. I pulled it off of CopsOnline's message board. A little interesting sidenote to that literary piece. I work for the VSP and in a recent article in our Dept. newsletter they addressed that poem. It turns out that they never had a Trooper Mitchell Brown employed in our agency and of course since there was never one employed he wasn't killed in the line of duty. The department was very interested in how this poem got it's start and who the actual author is. I think they don't want to be officially linked with the poem, allthough it bears to mind what many officers feel it's not quite politically correct and feel it might be bad for public relations(just my guess). Personally I like it, thanks for the post. I think this was printed in a Denver newspaper as well...later Patrick

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99 F150 XLT SC 4x4 4.6 liter Deep Wedgewood Blue

Westin Nerf Bars , Lund Bug Deflector , Kenwood 10 disc CD changer, Extang Black Max soft bed cover, Bodyguard Bed Liner

 

Thanks for the info, JPF. I sent it to my OPP source, Eric Booth. He sent me back the following "one-liners" made by law enforcement officers. I don't know who compiled them:
__________________

Your life is not my fault.

Take your hands off the car and I’ll make your birth certificate a worthless document.

If you run, you’ll only go to jail tired and sweaty.

That sign on the car says POLICE, not taxi.

So you don’t know how fast you were going. I guess that means I can write anything I want on the ticket, huh?

You can’t outrun a police radio.

Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don’t think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I am the shift supervisor?

Someone, somewhere is practicing. If you’re not and someday, if you and I should meet, you will lose.

Warning! You want a warning? Okay, I’m warning you not to ask that again or I’ll give you another ticket.

I’d rather have the gear and not need it than need the gear I don’t have.

If it’s worth stopping, its worth writing.

Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on roller-coasters, eat cotton candy and step in monkeypoop.

Please listen with your ears, not with your mouth.

Some people are meant to be the cops, and some people are meant to call the cops.

God made tomorrow for the creeps we don’t catch today.

God must love stupid people, ‘cause he sure made a lot of them.

Life’s tough. But it’s way tougher if you’re stupid.

Just how big were those two beers?

No, sir, we don’t have quotas anymore. We used to have quotas but now we’re allowed to write as many tickets as we want.

Law enforcement is not a spectator sport.

I’m glad to hear the chief of police is a good personal friend of yours. At least you know someone who can post your bail.

You might beat the rap, but you can’t beat the ride.

We don’t hire cops in this department, we hire common sense and make cops from it.

I don’t believe they should use the electric chair. They need to use electric bleachers.

There are no dress rehearsals. This is the big time.

You catch ‘em. You arrest 'em. You clean ‘em.


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Black 2000 SC short-box XLT. 4.2V-6, 5-speed, 3.55 limited-slip. CD, remote entry, factory side steps, FORD box liner.

My third F-series: '73 F-100 Custom 240-cube 3-speed, '98 F-150 XL-SC 4.2 5-speed, and '00 F-150 XLT-SC 4.2 5-speed. GREAT trucks!

[This message has been edited by Shifter (edited 07-28-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Shifter (edited 08-03-2000).]

 

stutter, sorry.

[This message has been edited by gofish (edited 07-28-2000).]

 

Davensa,

Saw the beginning of the thread and the query about 'posted vs. unposted' U-turns. I didn't look thru the entire thread but it didn't look like there was a firm answer.
Dunno about TX law, but in CA U-turns on the street are legal anywhere not posted and business districts. 50% businesses in the 'immediate' area constitutes a "business" district.

 

DAVENSA, this is gonna be a litt-err-very well could be offensive, so please bear (bare) with me. I do not think it has been posted.

What percentage of cops would you say are 'on the take?'

I have seen my step-mother do this when I was younger, and in L.A. I do not plan on doing this, might as well tie my own noose (rope).

2nd. Please forgive my grammar, I detest english classes.

[This message has been edited by Tundra (edited 08-03-2000).]

 

None that I know...You would have to be a very stupid officer to do that.....hummm How much is my job and family worth...Do I want to go to jail ? Nope I dont know any that stupid......Dave

 

My dear Offi-Sirs:

In your state (or area of knowledge), what is the maximum speed limit for Joe Public towing an RV?

According to the State Police, it's 55 here in Michigan -- and, while it appears that nobody on the highway knows it.

Tks,

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Y2K™ Jim Gorka

Toreador Red, Keyless XLT SC SB 5.4L E4x4 4wDisc/ABS, 3.73LS, Skid, HD 7700# Towing, LT-245's on Chrome, Tube-Steps, Captain's, 6CD, Tonneau, named: "Nick"

 

speed limit is what ever is posted here in Texas.......Whats the difference between towing something with a personal vehicle verus a commercial 18 wheeler.....DAVE

 

Thanks Dave, I had to be sure.

 

Hey Dave, can I pick your brain?

Was cited for 50/35 radar several months ago. Confused as I knew the zone was heavily patrolled and I religiously set cruise at 35 when I go through it 4 or 5 times a week (and had done so this time as well). The officer said he got me just as I was passing through some construction, a place a lot of those vertical reflectors were set up to trim the road to one lane. Me, I'm just a dumb old fighter pilot, but I think the radar got some bad doppler returns in these reflectors, especially since his ref. speed was 26, a little too close to the self spike (we were closing on each other). Am I totally out to lunch? I see the city attny. in three weeks and plan on presenting this theory to him to avoid a trial. My word vs. the radar, I know but what the hell. If it doesn't go my way, I am still way ahead for times I didn't get caught doing stupid things, but still, principle, you know? Thanks for the time.

CAT

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97 F250LD SC 5.4 4x4 White, Astro cap, nerf bars
piston slap, driver door crack, no gutter cracks, anything else?

 

Dave:

Posted speeds here in MI are 70 cars; 55 trucks.

Are trucks in TX limited to something less than 70?

If so, do you consider an F-150 with a trailer to be a Car or a Truck.

(You're kidding about the difference between a pickup and a semi, right?)

 

Y2k,

Tx has a vehicle towing trailers speed of 55 statewide. That being said, I got PASSED by state troopers twice this summer towing my boat around 80 and didn't get stopped (see above reference to not getting caught for stupid things).

BTW, looking to upgrade to your truck on the end-of-model sweeps in the next two weeks. If not, might just have to order a '01!

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97 F250LD SC 5.4 4x4 White, Astro cap, nerf bars
piston slap, driver door crack, no gutter cracks, anything else?