Your Traffic Enforcement Pet Peeve
Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com
As I sat trying to figure out what this blog should be about I got a phone call from a buddy of mine in Los Angeles. His truck had died on his way to work and he was sitting at a traffic light with his four-way flashers on. In spite of the hood being up and his flashers being on, people were still pulling up behind him without noticing that he was broken down. He identified this as his pet peeve: people who are so oblivious to what’s going on that they sometimes cause more problems than they avoid or solve. This led me to think about my pet peeves and which one bugs me most.
As a police officer I have seen plenty of stupid driving maneuvers: people who make right-hand turns out of the left lane; people who pass other drivers on the shoulder of the road; people who back up on exit ramps. These are just a few examples of things drivers do that are not only unsafe and inconsiderate but can often be qualified as just plain stupid.
But what stupid driver action absolutely aggravates me most? Hmmm…
I guess it would have to be the talking-on-my-cell-phone-eating-while-I-try-to-drive individual. Inevitably these folks go ten to twenty miles below the speed limit and have a hard time keeping their vehicle in a single lane. When someone actually honks at them in the hopes of avoiding an accident, the preoccupied driver has the audacity to look at the honker as if THEY did something wrong. After all, don’t we all know that THEY own the road?
What else… how about the uninsured motorist driving down the road on a suspended or revoked license who gets upset when their car is impounded? Of course, this usually occurs after they’ve caused another accident while driving illegally.
So, I ask you the readers: What’s YOUR traffic enforcement / driving pet peeve? I encourage you to be polite in your responses (watch your language) but share what ticks you off.
The ones that infuriate me the worst are the drivers who insist on braking hard before they turn and then, as an afterthought, applying their turn signal as they enter the turn. Oh yeah, tailgaters incur my wrath as well.
People not yielding to pedestrians, especially when a pedestrian is in a cross walk, with a valid crossing signal, and someone turning nearly runs them over then honks or produces an even more offensive gesture.
Oh, and people that don’t turn into corresponding lanes.
Unrestrained children. (no seatbelts or child safety seats)
My peeve is when people pass my marked Highway Patrol cruiser driving well over the speed limit while I am driving. Our speed limit is 55mph, our “patrol speed” is 65-69mph.
Improper turns from the wrong lane (left from a straight lane), and conversely motorists that use the turn lanes to get to the front of a row of cars at a light and cut in front.
How about the drivers making the improper turns? What I am talking about is the driver making a right turn onto a multi lane highway and instead of turning into the curb lane they turn right into the center or median lane. Man I love writing that ticket!
Actually my pet peeve has to do with us as officers. John’s post from January 25th is a perfect example. Why is it okay to break the law by driving 10 to 15mph over the speed limit for “patrol”? In Oregon the maximum speed on the freeway is 65, but officers both on duty and off duty habitually drive 10 to 15mph over the speed limit. Why does a police officer think it is okay to break the law, especially when we should hold ourselves to a higher standard and set the example. I have had several conversations with officers I work with and supervise about this issue. I have been told that driving over the speed limit is necessary so you pass more cars. If you slow down, more cars will pass you and at the slower speed you can really observe more. Before we worry about the public breaking the law, why don’t we move the bar up and hold each other accountable for breaking the law?
Following Too Closely and throwing lit cigarettes out the window.
Twice in the last week I was about to report a drunk driver when I discovered it was woman putting on eye makeup in her rearview mirror while driving on the freeway. On the flipside, the only tag I ever issued for distracted driving was to a guy who was combing his hair when drove through a red light and nearly hit an old woman in downtown Minneapolis.
The folks that double park, leave the flashers on (which obviously makes it lawful) and go into a store. The next thing that aggravates me is when they give me an incredulous look when I write them a moving violation for obstructing traffic.
Not using the turn signal. I even know a lot of cops that think it isn’t a big deal, but I think not using your turn signal ANYWHERE, ANYTIME can cause MUCH bigger problems than speeding 10-20 over the limit in a 55, for example.
My traffic-related pet peeve is drivers who insist on talking, texting and doing whatever on a cell phone/PDA while driving. They often travel slower than normal, veer into the next lane, and run through red lights while focused on their distracted driving task. I am glad we can cite people for that here($100 ticket).
Equally, I cannot stand it when people tailgate my patrol cruiser. It burns me up to no end! And course, I hit those drivers with a “Following too Closely” ticket.
Well after 22 years of service, I’d have to say it is the distracted driver who has absolutely no idea of his/her surroundings, including the existence of other drivers, as well as the “Why aren’t you catching bank robbers instead of harrassling me?”, at 0200 hrs. attitude. Really, tho, aren’t we all complaining about crappy motorist attitudes?? I see the same ‘winners’ blocking a store entry with their obese bodies while yakking with their homies or doing the cell phone dance oblivious to civilization. Hey, it guarantees a living for us all, no?
Definitely one of the biggest peeves for me is people who don’t slow down or vacate the outside lane when we’re on traffic stops (move over law). And in response to Kirk’s comment above, is there the possibility that patrol vehicles travel 10-15 mph above the limit because we are responding to calls for service?? Sounds like yet another supervisor who forgets where he came from. Glad I don’t work for you.
Kirk, where I patrol we are REQUIRED by POLICY to patrol the highways at 65-69. If our boss catches us (observation or GPS) going 55mph we get chewed out. They don’t want us “leading a parade”. I don’t think I’m wrong patrolling 65-69 and we are permitted to do so in our Vehicle and Traffic Law
Those drivers that make a right turn on red, but forget that you have to STOP on red before turning.
People who drive with a small dog on their lap. Drives me nuts.
Drive While Control Obstructed - 138 bucks, thank you very much.
But I guess that isn’t as serious as officers speeding by 10 mph … wow, Kirk, I bet you’re popular.
My pet peeve is the the guy who speeds past me and then pulls out a PBA card when he gets stopped.
Here Here Ray!! I’ve seen more close calls due to people making a right on a red signal w/o stopping. They must think that it’s a green arrow! In my area some intersections are “No Right Turn on Red” and are displayed with large fiber optic signs that are 3′x 3′ right next to the red light itself. More driver claim they never saw the sign but when asked about the red light they say that they saw that, but not the other sign. It’s 2′ away! DUH!
How about the intersections where there is a left turn arro, or for that matter an intersection where the green for oncoming is delayed…
When the turners loose the left turn arrow, or the light for oncoming turns green, I’ve noticed that lately a lot of drivers figure “one more car won’t hurt”. Soon you have a conga line of “just one more” turning in front of oncoming traffic. Grrrr. They get ticketed.