How is it such a crime for people to use phones while you have an open laptop, typing while you're driving? Sure I agree there's lots of idiots that can't drive worth a shit with a cellphone in their hand, truck drivers face thousands of dollars in fines for even having a phone in their hand, but you're alert and are not a danger to the public with a laptop facing you, typing away????? This reeks of one law for me, one law for thee...
Its a fair question. I'll give you the official answer and I'll give you my $.02.
In IL at least, emergency vehicles are exempted from a host of laws that regulate traffic, parking and the like. Cops can legally talk on their cell phones while driving, operate the laptop (although most agencies have a policy prohibiting this), etc. I would also note that for running license plate inquiries there is voice software now that makes it easy to keep eyes on the road. Kind of like your blutooth phone pairing.
My $.02 now. Statistically distracted driving is more dangerous to highway safety than impaired driving. That said, I dislike government telling me to wear a seatbelt, wear a helmet on my scooter, not use my phone, etc. etc. It just seems like more government intrusion into my life. I pay taxes to use the road, I buy insurance, I own a new model car with all the safety gizmos...leave me the fuck alone UNLESS (here it comes) I kill an innocent while texting. Enhanced penalties. Many will argue that it is too late. A loss of life could have been prevented. I see both sides. The fact is that driving a car carries inherent dangers. No matter how many laws we enact, people will be killed and injured in vehicle crashes. Legislators like to make feel good laws. Its what they do.
Now...why the question? Did you get a ticket?
Last edited by TEN-32; 08-22-2014 at 08:27 AM.
Face your fear, accept your war.
Kinda like the atf, it's breaking the law in the name of the law.
"And how we burned in the camps later thinking, what would things have been like, if every security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain, whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family?"
Its not breaking the law if it is not against the law.Originally Posted by 5.56NATO
And quite frankly there are valid reasons the exemptions are written into the statutes.
Face your fear, accept your war.
Most departments have a policy against typing on your MDT while driving. Then there is your police radio, cellphone, the idiot in the back smashing his face against the glass. Plenty of distractions.
I always used the radio to run anything while driving if I didn't have a partner.
I personally only used the vehicle code as a tool to stop a driver of something that I suspected was involved in something much more serious than traffic violations.
I would argue that it should not be illegal for 1st responders, but unwise and most cops would NOT do it on a regular basis.
I can see trying to check on the status of a BOLO or AMBER ALERT if they see something wrong. Lots of times they need to check something job related right away (crime in progress, tracking a stolen vehicle via plate number, etc), a good excuse us non LEOs don't have the vast majority the time. Most cops I know are really good drivers so I put the trust in that they won't do something stupid and the tool helps them with their jobs. If they're posting on Facebook! (LOL) then fire their ass right away!
The biggest difference is that most (not all) major police departments train in driving, defensive and offensive maneuvers, whereas 99.99% of the general public barely know how to drive in the first place (how many of us have realized that we're surrounded by idiots when we drive anywhere)? Anyway, that's my two cents.
About the only thing I've ever noticed from our PD is doing the dreaded slow and go at stop signs, that's standard procedure apparently.
And dammit, Ready, you never said you were a cop!?! Its bad enough Bleed hangs out here.
Returns June 3rd.
Ex-cop. It's not something I brag about.
One night I saw this cop car rapidly swerving in and out of two lanes of a highway while rapidly accelerating and decelerating, with me on the road obviously in site of each other. It looked like the driver went completely nuts, or a criminal somehow stole a cop car and went for an insane joy ride.
"I'm fucking furious, I'm violently angry, and I like it. If you don't know what that feels like then I feel bad for you"
Ex-cop. It's not something I brag about.
Returns June 3rd.
Ahem...retired, demilitarized, and full constitution rights and freedoms restored thankyouverymuch.About the only thing I've ever noticed from our PD is doing the dreaded slow and go at stop signs, that's standard procedure apparently.
And dammit, Ready, you never said you were a cop!?! Its bad enough Bleed hangs out here.
Face your fear, accept your war.
It's times like that I wish I had a dash cam. They're really common in Russia, which is why we get all those insane traffic videos and clips of METEORS streaming into town.
I wouldn't admit to it either.
Returns June 3rd.
I usually don't but the cats outta the bag around here...I wouldn't admit to it either.
Face your fear, accept your war.
No it just annoys me that I face thousands of dollars in fines for merely talking on a handheld, while I see the enforcers of these laws doing even worse. Kinda like when someone speeds, yet the police went even faster to catch them. Kinda reeks of hypocrisy about these laws supposedly to protect people. No I haven't had a ticket in over 20 years, Been stopped half a dozen or more times, but I'm respectful and polite and not a commie felon douchebag like someone we know, so they send me on my way after I hand them my carry permit and a criminal check even though I don't have to legally disclose I'm carrying.Respect goes a long way usually. Lights not working and speeding are my only crimes.
The guys out there hammering the general public all day everyday with tickets are usually major douche bags looking for a pat on the back from the chief for being a good little revenue maker.
I never understood guys that sit out there and write tickets to hard working Americans on their way to work. People are already struggling to make ends meet.
Sometimes the boss will assign someone to an area that has had complaints or a shit load of accidents but that's a different story.
I wasn't implying anything regarding your character or arrest history. I just figured maybe you got a coupon for the distracted driving issue you inquired about.No it just annoys me that I face thousands of dollars in fines for merely talking on a handheld, while I see the enforcers of these laws doing even worse. Kinda like when someone speeds, yet the police went even faster to catch them. Kinda reeks of hypocrisy about these laws supposedly to protect people. No I haven't had a ticket in over 20 years, Been stopped half a dozen or more times, but I'm respectful and polite and not a commie felon douchebag like someone we know, so they send me on my way after I hand them my carry permit and a criminal check even though I don't have to legally disclose I'm carrying.Respect goes a long way usually. Lights not working and speeding are my only crimes.
Face your fear, accept your war.
Agree.
Face your fear, accept your war.
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