I like performance cars. Especially sports cars and vintage muscle and European cars. My current car is somewhat of a hot-rod (2009 Pontiac G8 GXP with a 6sp manual) and I have a Big Block 71 Camaro for summer weekends. Thus, I tend to be a little heavy on the accelerator pedal. Now, I am not a speed demon by any stretch (I got that out of my system when I was in high school and college – routinely burning rubber in my Camaro and taking it up to speeds unsafe for the crappy tires it rode on), but when there is not a lot of traffic (ie at night when I finish my 4pm-1am shift and on weekends), it is hard for me to obey posted speed limits. I mean, come on. No one is on the road and I am supposed to plod along at 25 mph? Not possible.
So thus I have done my best to schmooze with the local men and women in blue. Well, the locals where I work where grey but you get my point. That means treating them fast in the ER when they come in – even with relatively trivial complaints. That means being extra nice to them in general – after all they do have a damn hard job. Getting a bunch of PBA cards does not hurt either (just make sure you know the name of the cop who gave you the card – it makes a difference when you have to flash it).
Let me tell you, it has paid off. Literally. I have now avoided about 6 or 7 tickets in the last 4 years. Mostly for cheap speeding of 10-15mph over the posted limit in the middle of the night. Once for an illegal right hand turn. And once, most amazingly, when I was in a nearby big city, I accidentally ran a red light (I was trolling for a parking spot and did not have my eyes on the lights like the idiot I am) and the guy let me off due to my PBA cards and by being respectful. A few time they commented that they liked my car and asked how fast it runs a quarter!
Once, when I was a resident, I was speeding to work (I was seriously hauling ass since I was late) and got pulled over. The place where I did my training was the big local trauma centre where all the seriously injured cops were take. When the guy saw my ID, he told me hurry up and get to work – just keep it below 90!
Now, I do not advocate exceeding the speed limit or driving recklessly but hey, be nice to the police, it can pay off!
Ah memories.
In 1983 I had a gold-colored 1979 Trans-Am with a 6.6 liter V8. When you turned the key it woke up the neighborhood. It got 9 miles to the gallon. Anf it had the HUGE firebird decal on the hood.
I’m a Camaro fan-I have a 67 that’s my baby. And my husband is a retired cop. He always said that being nice would get you a whole lot closer to getting a warning instead of a ticket than being a jerk. When will people learn that lesson? Doesn’t it work the same way in your emergency dept?
Over Christmas holidays I was going 160km/h in a 110km/h zone(I’m in Canada) and I was pulled over. At those speeds the officer can immediately seize and suspend your license. I was very polite, and non-confrontational, and he said he clocked me at 150km/h, and he wrote my ticket for 140km/h. It’s still a rather large fine, but it could have been a LOT worse.
And be honest! “Yes, I ran the stop sign. I know I did” Just like a doctor, a police officer can tell a lie a mile away.
Sorry if this is a stupid question but what is a PBA? And more importantly, where/how can I get one?
First time commenter… I enjoy your stories, thanks for sharing. The MD excuse can work both ways. A fellow resident was speeding through a city street at 80km/h in a 50km/h zone. She gave the cop a sob story about how she just got off her on-call duties at 2am. He told her, “Of all people, as a doctor you should know how dangerous it can be to speed”. She did get off on a warning, though.
I want to know, too! What the heck is a PBA?
PBA means Policemans’ Benevolent Organisation. The card is issued to you by an officer to show you support the police. When shown to an officer – especially of the same town or precinct, it shows you are friends with one of them and they are more likely to let you off with a warning. This does not apply to serious crimes or reckless driving, etc. It is helpful to show them in a casual way and not shove them into their face shouting “Hey, look at my PBA card, let me off!!!!!”.
I only wish. Here in Australia most people speeding are caught by photo radar. Some of the cameras are fixed, so easy to know where they are, but the majority are transient and hidden – either an unmarked, unoccupied cop car parked at the side of the road, or even so far as to be hidden inside garbage bins at the side of the road. So unless you see the flash from the camera, you don’t even realize you got a ticket until it rocks up in your mailbox.
Having grown up in the muscle-car era, I love ‘em, too. My very first car was a ‘65 Mustang, 271hp V-8 289 (bought used, but still….). How I loved the sound when the 4-barrel carb opened up! To this day, I love the sound and feel of a performance car, though these days, I drive a Subaru for economy’s sake. But I have had a lifelong collection of speeding tickets, as well as more warnings than I could count. As you say, make nice with the local PD when they come in, and be nicer still if they pull you over; it may just save you some serious $$$ in fines, not to mention points on your license.
Sue, I did a rotation in med school in Austrailia in the late 90’s and had a nasty introduction to your photo-radar system. I got a ticket the mail back in the US a month later for speeding on the way to Port Arthur! I elected not to pay it! I wonder if 10+ years later it will still be on file…
Oh, and here we have photo guns mostly for red lights. There are web sites that update constantly as to where they are. I hear there is something similar to that in the UK so people often know where they are and slow down in anticipation.
Also, thankfully radar detectors are not illegal in most states in the US.
AAHH ERP !! This story brought back memeories! I was 16 when I decided to NOT spend the night at my friend’s house, and walk home! ( it was 2 am) halfway home, a car with 2 men drove up and 1 got out and came up to me and demanded my purse! at 16 you don’t usually have alot of money in your purse, just an ID and my beloved brush!LOL the man demanded I give him my bag, ( he had a gun under his coat) well I thought he didn’t and that it was just his hand, so I refused and begged him not to take my purse, I had no money in it, for the next 15 minutes we argued back and forth, my adrenaline was going so fast, I was not thinking of any danger from these 2 men, finally, he justsnatched it, and walked back to the car, as he got in, he pulled off his jacket and that’s when I saw a shiny Chrome looking gun, he placed it under the seat and they drove off, then the fear and the shock came and I ran all the way home, my mom was upset they had my ID and address, so she immediatley called the cops and changed all the locks on the doors, The cop who came to do the report and who is still my dear friend today remained watchfull over me after that, soooo to get to the point, I once was driving( I was working as a waitress at Denny’s) and I was about 18, and I was late for my shift, going 50 ( back then that was speeding) LOL I heard the sirens and looked out my rear view mirror and saw the car,lights, and sirens blaring! I thought, OHH CHIT! so I started to pull over and my heart was now in my throat! as the car then pulled up beside me, I glanced over at the cop, and there he was!(smirking and pointing his finger at me! I was soo mad at him, but very relieved that it was him and not another cop. to this day, we still talk, he has gotten me out of more jams and has helped me with some pretty bad things that no one but a cop could “fix”. LOL I will always have a spot in my heart for him, you never know what would have happened had he not been my dear friend! I was a crazy Teen ager and he knew it! But he always watched out for me, because he was just doing his job!!!!! So ERP! I just wanted to share the same experience you have had with your story to agree with you how lucky we are!!!
Stacy (:
ERP – In regards to the PBA cards, does one need to make donations to the PBA to get the cards, or can you get them by schmoozing the local police, and if it feels right, just asking the policeman for a PBA card?
Tanya – I have always been respectful and nice when dealing with law enforcement when I’ve been pulled over for speeding. Can’t say as I was ever let off with a warning instead of a ticket, but they usually knock the speed down, “I clocked you going 80,” and the ticket’s written up for 70 or 65.
Photo radar is common on the freeways here in Arizona, in addition to the red lights. This is a very controversial subject around here and there is a change to the law pending that would make photo radar on the freeways illegal.
You’ll think speeding is funny when you hit some innocent person who has the misfortune of sharing the road with you. I’m appalled that you think this kind of crap is funny, grow up and realize your not in high school anymore!
I may speed somewhat but I am not reckless. I do it where it is not near pedestrians or on crowded roads. And i don’t do 120. Just 10-20 over on most roads with a good car is fine. Cool your jets and stay in the right lane.