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Got a chuckle out of this comic strip in the paper this morning. Thought y'all would enjoy it too.

http://www.fminus.net/Comics/comics.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

note: if reading this after today be sure to search for date 12/13/10 within the cartoonist's web site

LOL. I have had a similar experience. I had made a traffic stop and pulled back onto the highway afterward. As I was going down the highway I realized that 3-4 cars had pulled over on the shoulder (2-lane highway) as I approached from behind. As I passed, they would sheepishly pull back onto the highway and slowly follow, but were keeping their distance. I then realized that my light bar must have been running, but the bulb in the switch was apparently burned out and I didn't realized I hadn't turned them off. I quickly sped up and then turned off on a side road like I was going to a call, then turned off the lights when I got onto another side street.

That's a great story, Keith. Betcha everyone of those drivers breathed a big sigh of relief after you drove past them

I always figure they are late for lunch.

And I had something just about the reverse happen. Our little state park police "department" had two patrol cars and several motorcycles. I was assigned the "vomit" which was a Mercury Comet that had all kinds of spastic little electrical problems which would crop up at just the wrong moment.

The whole car was painted black and had white letters on the door that said "NEW YORK STATE PARK POLICE" with no other identifying markings. This was the car that the "chief" used to go out of our jurisdiction to meetings and such, and patrolmen were to use to go to court. The gumball light sat on the roof on a 1/4" phono plug, which was essentially the only thing that held it on, and when going outside the district you were supposed to pull it off the roof and put it in the trunk. This was just before we were granted full peace officer status.

I was on patrol in the picnic areas when I received a radio call, one of the motorcycle officers had just come across a pretty bad wreck and needed a car for blocking. He couldn't get to me on the radio due to low power so he had to relay through headquarters until I got close enough.

I reached over and hit the red light switch and was rewarded with the grinding noise coming from the roof that indicated that the light was at least turning, hit the siren and immediately bottomed the car out on the ditch as I cut the corner too sharp leaving the picnic area.

So here I am doing 45 through the park and I come up behind this station wagon full of kids. I have the siren going full blast, but the guy driving just looks at me in the mirror and keeps on going. I try to pull around him, with all the kids making faces at me, and oncoming traffic just ignores me too. This goes on for some small distance and then I pick up one of the other motorcycles as he comes out of another picnic area, and follow him to the wreck.

Upon arrival I discover that when I bounced through the ditch the "Mars" light bounced off the roof and I have been going down the road with the anemic siren, which was just barely audible above road noise at the best of times, making noise through the internal speaker of the 2 way radio, but due to an electrical problem not going to the speaker under the hood.

No wonder everyone was staring at me.

The light survived its trip into the ditch none the worse for wear and was still there when I drove back up.

haha, thanks for sharing. Too funny.

suthdj wrote:I always figure they are late for lunch.

Donuts! ......... Just say'in......

suthdj wrote:I always figure they are late for lunch.

Or shift change. In Carrollton, I've seen a few flip their lights on before running though the intersection right next the station and then turn into the station parking lot.

But seriously, everyone makes little mistakes like the OP's at one time or another and they are kind funny sometimes.

I thought the one on the 7th was funnier.

C-dub wrote:

suthdj wrote:I always figure they are late for lunch.

Or shift change. In Carrollton, I've seen a few flip their lights on before running though the intersection right next the station and then turn into the station parking lot.

But seriously, everyone makes little mistakes like the OP's at one time or another and they are kind funny sometimes.

Carrollton PD needs a total transplant. From the chief to the newest rookie.

Now now, a LEO is allowed to use their emergency equipment to respond to a crime. It's a crime (ha ha) to arrive late to the station to go home.

C-dub wrote:In Carrollton, I've seen a few flip their lights on before running though the intersection right next the station and then turn into the station parking lot.

I see that so much in San Antonio...must be a nice perk to the job. I wish I could break the law at my job.

I used to live at the intersection right before the SMPD building. I also saw this happen on almost a daily basis. The thought crossed my mind to start videotaping these incidents along with them not using blinkers, not stopping at stop signs, etc., and then rolling the film for the next officer who pulled me over. I decided against it, though I still think it'd be pretty funny.

If I stuck to it long enough I could probably get every single officer committing every infraction, so I could show them themselves breaking the law they wanted to ticket me for. Hehe.

It may seem trivial to some but not to me. LEOs need to be observing the law more than the average joe does. It's kind of like when Michael Vick whines that he never asked to be a role model - you are one like it or not, you migh try acting the part.

I can't count the times I've followed a cop who repeatedly refused to use blinkers. Usually I'll write down his car number then call the PD and ask to speak to a supervisor. They prolly laugh about it, and then find it a total mystery why citizenry don't respect them.

This happened to me while my wife and I were driving a few blocks from our house.

We are on a two lane road approaching a train crossing.

I heard a siren and started to look around to locate the vehicle.

There was a DFD ambulance that turned from an intersection and was coming toward us but did not have any lights on.

I said to my wife something like, do you see where the siren is coming from?

Neither of us did.

As the ambulance approached us at the train crossing, he swerved in to our lane and it appeared to be intentional.

We looked at each other and said, "That was weird".

Then we realized it was he who had the siren going with no lights.

I think he thought we were being jerks and not pulling over for an emergency vehicle, so he was forcing us off road to stop for him.

I hope at some point he realized the error of his ways.