Vigilante cops.

[Ryan]

Have any of you had a regular joe try and pull you over to yell at you for your driving habits? I have, twice now.

First guy was an off duty cop who heard my tires squeal around a corner near his house. It was 5 year old tires on 5 day old asphalt, they squeal when I back off a driveway, but the dude didn't want to hear any of it, he was just having a s--- fit that I was going to run over a baby or something.

I've got into the habit of not taking off my cruise control for yields between highways. Car can do it just fine, saves time and gas.

This dude waited for me to come back and then blocked off the entire road so I couldn't easily pass him, and then got out and came and threatened to get my license pulled, because he has the power to do that, and if he ever catches me doing it again he'll do everything in his power to make sure I never get my license back.... blah blah blah.


Now, I agree with them both. There is a risk in everything. I could blow a tire, I could hit a recently spilled gravel patch, anything, and if I lose control because of it, I could possibly put them in danger, and I don't have the right to do that.

Now on the other end, I am NOT a speeder. I'm that A-hole that drives 10 under on the one lane. I know my limits, and the limits of my car, and I drive safely. I'm not an unintelligible moron, I have more education than 75% of the adults in my area, and I'm a reasonable person.

Now if that dude gets my license pulled, I can no longer work, I can no longer continue my education, and I become a sit-at-home gamer and eventual pothead with no life and no future. Yeah douchebag, you're really making the world a better place. Its so much better with one less engineer stopping people, even you and your kids, from being killed by strangers or you killing yourself via your own innate incompetence.

But I'm trying not to be upset about it, I just have trouble drawing my lines when I know there's paranoid pricks out there who love their power trips, including cops.

Should I drive 40 around the yield as well as 90 down the highway? I betcha he's the douche cruising at 110.

I didn't break any laws, my car was within its limits, I was under the speed limit, what else do you want? Are you so damn perfect that you have the right to tell me how to drive?

[Daninski]

Hmm, if you think he now has a personal vendetta against you file a complaint against him first. If he blocked the road that could be a safety issue. I wasn't there and we only have part of the story but I think his line about getting your licence pulled is complete BS. Careless driving is 9 points here and it doesn't sound like that's the case. Personally I wouldn't piss on most cops even if they were on fire.

[muttpower]

I would have asked for his name and badge number....then went to the local station and filed a complaint of harrassment with the desk seargent. Most of the time, if a cop is harrassing you, or is just completely full of sh*t, asking for their badge #, etc will get them to simmer down...worked for me plenty of times.

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Ryan: right now, you have 2 big problems: you're a kid, and you look like a kid. All that compounded with the fact that you drive a small sports car, instead of a Volvo. Believe me, more or less, we've all had to go through the same treatment.

I agree with Muttpower and Dan. Next time, get a piece of paper and a pen, and ask him for his badge number. He can not refuse to give it to you, but if he does, write down his license number, and file a complaint. That should get him off your hair for good...

[Nd4SpdSe]

I have people complaining, but never someone who claims they have authority.

I had a women get out of her car at a light to yell at me because I was on her a-- because she was literally barely doing 60 in an 80 zone.

I had a lady at her car angrilly motion at me to slow down, because I accelerated to 50km/h going through an intersection, in a 50 zone.

If I'm not doing anything illegal, I just tell them I'm not doing anything wrong and drive away, they're not worth my time to argue against. I may drive in a manner that people don't like, but I try to keep it 100% legal. I'm not stupid, and I also know the rules of the road, and I'll push them to the limit. I used to hate upsetting people and getting yelled at, but I just got sick of people being upset because I'm doing something they don't agree with, but that I'm not actually doing anything wrong. I wouldn't worry about it, it's hard not to, but there are some crazy people in this world, bes to ignore them and go on your way, and it couldn't hurt to report a cop if he's harassing you like that.

[_-Night-Shade-_]

Another rant? Jeez man.

[Sleeper6]

Its a pig. Did you expect anything less?

[Daninski]

Another rant? Jeez man.

Ryan Igor is right, this topic should be moved to the Offical Rant Thread.

[wytbishop]

I'm going to make a point Ryan but first I want you to know that I know you (as much as two people from different time zones can know each other on the internet) and I know you're not a jackass.

Having said that, the question of "optics" is an important one. If I saw a guy doing 100kph around a cloverleaf on ramp my immediate impression would be..."what a douchebag". What you're doing isn't morally wrong or even necessarily dangerous but consider what people see when they watch you do that. It gives people the impression that you don't have a lot of respect for the other people on the road and they react to that.

Right or wrong people are going to pass judgement on you for doing things like that so you have to ask yourself, is it really less trouble to leave the cruise control set or should I just not do that and save the hassle? Part of the argument I had with my motorcycling friends was that I have a responsibility to not be part of the problem when it comes to the general negative perception of motorcyclist. I think I have a responsibility to show that not all import owners are tuner douchebags.

Just my $.02.

[Dragon1212]

The person Who cut you off you should have slowed down and passed without stopping and if they give you trouble over it say how do I Know my safety wasn't compromised by me stopping. I could have been shot or beat on the side of the road.

Don't Respond to it.
Write their licence number down, their name make and Model of car.
Report them. But if you do something they call you on own up to it.

Or do as I plan to. Record everything you do with video, and when they try to get you on crap say I will see you in court (if it gets that far) and show the video. They will shut their mouth.

(Rant Section Ready)!

[mitmaks]

Tell him to go solve a murder or beat up a pimp/crackhead.

[Ryan]

This guy wasn't a cop, he was just a dude, who made it sound like he had some sway with the cops (which I would think is illegal).

Worst comes to worst, its my word against his. I'd just say I wasn't going that fast. He doesn't have a radar, no proof, he's just a dude, I'd mention how he blocked the road and harassed me with no proof of me doing anything illegal, and I'm pretty sure vigilante law enforcement is illegal.

I'm 20 now, still a kid, but I was asked if I was a haldemon (mennonite, but more socially closed) by a stranger the other day, because of my beard.

I'm still going to drive within my limits. I could blow a tire going straight down the road, someone could rear end me at an intersection and I could get the ball hitch of his truck in my forehead (I hate douches who leave their hitches in).

My main problem is I can't think of my feet in an impromptu argument. I'd rather just be polite so he'll shut up and leave.

[Dragon1212]

This guy wasn't a cop, he was just a dude, who made it sound like he had some sway with the cops (which I would think is illegal).

Worst comes to worst, its my word against his. I'd just say I wasn't going that fast. He doesn't have a radar, no proof, he's just a dude, I'd mention how he blocked the road and harassed me with no proof of me doing anything illegal, and I'm pretty sure vigilante law enforcement is illegal.

I'm 20 now, still a kid, but I was asked if I was a haldemon (mennonite, but more socially closed) by a stranger the other day, because of my beard.

I'm still going to drive within my limits. I could blow a tire going straight down the road, someone could rear end me at an intersection and I could get the ball hitch of his truck in my forehead (I hate douches who leave their hitches in).

My main problem is I can't think of my feet in an impromptu argument. I'd rather just be polite so he'll shut up and leave.

well that is a smart way to handle it but I Still say you shouldn't stop. humans are the cruelest species on the planet. He could Kill you this reminds me about the guy I saw who was slowly getting closer to a elderly lady. (looked like he was gonna rob her) I slowed down so I could hit him If he tried thankfully he didn't. I would have parked my car on him after had I hit him. Lol off topic