Author Topic: Sneaky bloody cops (Read 946 times)

Tumor · « **Reply #15 on:** December 12, 2002, 06:46:31 AM »

The last time I got pulled over for speeding was by a Texas Trooper on I-40 in 1987. It was truly a surreal experiance.

1) 1959 Ford F-150, oversized tires so the speedometer was off

2) I didn't think the truck would even do 65mph, but figured it was close, kept the pedal on the floor all the time.

Trooper walks up "Ya know why I pulled ya over boy?"

Tumor: "No Sir.... tail light out?"

Trooper: "Nope.. you military?" (Duffel bags in back)

Tumor: (playing along) "Yep"

Trooper: "You wuz doin 66mph in a 65mph zone"

Tumor: (Blank stare)

Trooper: "Since ya'lls military... here's a warnin ticket.. slow'er down son"

Tumor: (Blank stare... thinking "this is a joke right?)

Wlfgng · « **Reply #16 on:** December 12, 2002, 10:28:59 AM »

there is no problem with most of the radar guns today in picking getting accurate readings when the target and the police car are moving. We've done lots of tests and it works just fine.
Also, don't totally depend on those 'detectors' because that isn't the only way cops can tell how fast you're going

just fyi

H. Godwineson · « **Reply #17 on:** December 12, 2002, 10:37:41 AM »

Three weeks ago I got my first ticket in 22 years...for a busted headlight. Does that count?

Shuckins

funkedup · « **Reply #18 on:** December 12, 2002, 11:22:29 AM »

Vulcan, FWIW none of what you said contradicted what I said.
Doppler gives you relative velocity only. You still have to subtract out the speed of the emitting vehicle to get target absolute speed. This is done automatically by the radar gun, because it also measures the doppler shift of ground reflections to gauge the emitting vehicle's speed.

And the bit about 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, that's what I meant when I said the readings are conservative when they zap you going the other way. Most interstates in the US have a median strip between lanes going opposite directions. About 50 yards of grass. So when they are driving towards you, they usually get a reading at about 10 degrees to 20 degrees. Which gives them a conservative reading, slightly less than your real speed. I don't believe they bother with a calculation to compensate for the angle.

Cops here have instant on Ka and LIDAR too. There's not too many of the automated stationary devices though. They keep finding those machines riddled with bullets.

Swoop · « **Reply #19 on:** December 12, 2002, 11:32:12 AM »

British police are.......

well ok, check this:

I was runnin late.....not for work or anything important, I was just running late so I was putting the hammer down.........it was 8pm on a sunny sunday evening in the middle of July, hardly any traffic around and....as I say....I was late.

My bike at the time was a Suzuki RGV250, twin cyl 2 stroke that always sounded like it was about to blow up. Probably not the kind of bike that you want to ride past Gloucestershire Police Headquarters at 70mph in a 40 zone.

Anyway, as luck would have, there was a patrol car waiting to pull out as I went past.....and he did pull out, quietly, calmly and then put his foot down. Now the mirrors on RGVs are, frankly, crap. I never even saw him. At the end of this road was a slight dip and then some traffic signals, as I came over the rise the signals were just changing to red......so I went straight through as there was no way I coulda stopped in time anyway and there was no other traffic around and no pedestrians.

Still I hadnt spotted this patrol car.

About 5 miles further down the road I reached the turning I wanted, still oblivious to this patrol car behind me, and indicate I'm turning right as there's some traffic now coming the other way.........so I'm slowing down for the turn, still indicating when suddenly matey boy behind me turns the siren on.

SOB. He's about 3 feet behind me and I'm concentrating on stopping for the traffic and suddenly there's this God awful screaming that sounds like it's coming from my rear seat it was so damn loud. So I start looking behind me thinking I'm in the way of a fire engine or something, see this patrol car......then I look back in front and realise I'm not gonna stop in time and the only choice there is is to make the turn.

Which I do, then stop in a hurry and get off the bike. I tell ya, I was so shrecking furious, this numpty could have killed me.

SuperCop then made the huge mistake of trying to tell me I almost fell off on that last turn and I should learn how to ride a bike. HUGE argument then takes place at the side of the road, the red mist had decended on me and I wasnt taking prisoners.

Wont bore you with the details but I managed to talk myself into a charge of Dangerous Driving (probably this >< close to an Assault on a Police Officer charge as well considering the finger jabbing). However, it never went to court and I got let off easy with 3 points and a 40 pound (GBP) fine.......all because the dopey cop actually put in his statement to the court that I was indicating my intention to turn right.

Anyway, to finish my initial statement: British Policemen are mainly meat headed clots straight outta the army, no wonder we dont allow em to carry guns.

Hawklore · « **Reply #20 on:** December 12, 2002, 11:35:12 AM »

*crying* *wiping screen of tears*

Im so sorry...so sorry

Wlfgng · « **Reply #21 on:** December 12, 2002, 12:01:41 PM »

hehe.. nice story for me.. sorry for Swoop..

Swoop.. sounds like me in my younger days..

FWIW radar guns are even accurate at oblique angles.
tested and proven.

the 'other' way they catch you is so simple that no technology will stop them.. doesn't matter what fancy electronic detector you have.

They time you over a pre-measured distance.

Mickey1992 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 12, 2002, 12:07:08 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by funkedup
And the bit about 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, that's what I meant when I said the readings are conservative when they zap you going the other way. Most interstates in the US have a median strip between lanes going opposite directions. About 50 yards of grass. So when they are driving towards you, they usually get a reading at about 10 degrees to 20 degrees. Which gives them a conservative reading, slightly less than your real speed. I don't believe they bother with a calculation to compensate for the angle.

That is true. The only time this "cosine effect" will hurt the driver is if the radar is not pointed in the exact same direction the police car is going. This would cause the radar to indicate a velocity that is greater than that targets vehicles velocity. All other instances of this discrepancy benefit the target vehicle's driver.

popeye · « **Reply #23 on:** December 12, 2002, 12:15:18 PM »

In Michigan the limit is 70 and if you're not going 80, you're obstructing traffic.

Vipermann · « **Reply #24 on:** December 12, 2002, 12:19:49 PM »

Quote

the 'other' way they catch you is so simple that no technology will stop them.. doesn't matter what fancy electronic detector you have.

ie. Vascar

Easy to spot and remember where the traps are though.

fd ski · « **Reply #25 on:** December 12, 2002, 12:25:49 PM »

Valentine detector.
Accept no substitudes.

4 Conventions attended, over 5000 miles driven, 0 tickets

Swoop · « **Reply #26 on:** December 12, 2002, 12:28:39 PM »

The cool thing about Vascar in GB is that in rural police forces they dont have the manpower to have the system calibrated more than once a week......and by law if the system wasnt calibrated that day then it's inadmissable as evidence.

funkedup · « **Reply #27 on:** December 12, 2002, 12:54:56 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by fd ski
Valentine detector.
Accept no substitudes.

4 Conventions attended, over 5000 miles driven, 0 tickets

AMEN BROTHER, PREACH ON.

Vulcan · « **Reply #28 on:** December 12, 2002, 03:09:18 PM »

Funked what I mean't was they don't use internal speed devices from the vehicle (ie speedo), as you said the dar uses background objections to establish a base speed.

Mickey the cosine effect only ever gives a lower reading so it always works in favour of the driver.

They don't use vascar here, it was trialed and found to be to difficult, the only other method is the track you for 1/2 km in their car. And if you don't see the cop coming up behind you then you deserve a ticket.

Valentine? Bah the Bel 980's and Escort 8500's piss all over the valentines in performance and sensitivity.

StSanta · « **Reply #29 on:** December 12, 2002, 05:09:41 PM »

So how do laser jammers work? DO they work?

And how about beating those damned photo traps? We have vans here with toned windows. Got some device and a camera sticking out and you get flashed if you're driving too fast. Father got ticketed this way - they just plop a fine into your mailbox.