TrickyDik
05-28-2007, 09:44 PM
either really lucky or just superior to all of you, you decide.
The story:
I leave my apartment in Kittery at about 4:30pm this afternoon (Memorial Day) to head up to South Portland for my shift at the Coast Guard base that starts at 5:45pm.
Tons of traffic that is backed up from where I get on I-95 at the Kittery Traffic Circle all the way up to the York Tolls. Luckily all this traffic is on I-95 Southbound and it's free and clear driving with some scattered cars heading North with me.
I typically do around 75mph on I-95 north and never once have I even thought for a second that the cops (who drive completely unmarked and low profile cruisers) would bother with me. Too many people doing 80+ mph, especially those Massachusettes vacationers who think that 90 mph is the norm across New England.
Today was no different, 75 mph all the way with a few spirts of 80 mph to get around some weaving vehicles towing boats and ATV's. There were a couple police cruisers that had pulled over 2 vehicles back around the Old Orchard Beach exit(exit 36), but other then that they were on the Southbound side taking care of random accidents and broken down vacationers.
Now if you know I-95 North at all in Maine then you know that just before Exit 44 (or the I-295 split) it turns into a 55 mph zone. Usually I'm pretty good about this and slow down to about 60-65 mph since there are a lot of people trying to get out of the Exit only lane on the right.
Today I screwed up. I was on my cell phone (using a hands free device as is the proper way to do so in a vehicle while driving) and had a brain fart. I never slowed down at the 55 mph change over. I just kept driving at about 72 mph. Just then I see him. The red unmarked, low profile, police cruiser sitting in the break down lane about 100 yards into the 55mph zone.
I was in the middle lane and pulling out to the left hand lane to pass a vehicle when I passed the Maine State Police Trooper. In that split second, while talking to my sister on my cell phone, I said "Hey Becky I think I'm going to get pulled over, I'll call you back."
Just as I suspected he put his lights on and started to pull out. Knowing that it was me he was coming after I pulled over into the right lane and started to slow down and waited to see if he was going to follow me or pass me for something else. He didn't pass me, instead he pulled into the right lane as well as I watched in my mirror as he was about 100 yards behind me still. Too far for him to have my plate number yet.
I was pulled over and proceeding to put my car in neutral and e-brake it and lower my window (A/C was on) and putting my hands on the steering wheel as he pulled up behind me. I watch him in my rear-view mirror as he grabs his hat and starts to get out of his car. I'm thinking "I wonder why he's not running my plate, I was way too far out of sight at any point for him to see it until he pulled up behind me."
The State Trooper proceeds to walk up to my door in a defensive fashion as is learned in the academy. His back to my rear seats and peering around from the rear seats. He knocks on my car door, looks in and says "You're all set, have a good day."
I reply: "Thank you, you have a good one too."
He walks away, and I slowly pull out into the highway and about 200 feet later is Exit 45, my exit to get to work.
I have no stickers on my car idicating that I am a Part-Time Dispatcher for Old Orchard Beach, or that I support the 100 Club (a public safety "charity" so to speak). I do however have a license plate frame that says "United States Coast Guard". Which I think is what did the trick. Perhaps it was something this Trooper did often as a professional courtesy as I always did when I was a cop (within reason of course). Perhaps it was only because today was Memorial Day and he was being kind to a man in the military. I don't know. However I was not in uniform since my uniform was in my locker at work (usually I wear my uniform up to work).
Who knows, but I am happy he did that. However if I had received a citation I certainly would have paid it, I was guilty and I don't believe in manipulating the system knowing my own guilt (unless there is a clerical error on my citation).
I am now going on 6 years of never receiving any kind of violation. Knocking on wood as I type this.
This was my excitement for the day, sorry for the long post but I'm trying to waste some time at work since I'm here until 6am and it's only 8:45pm right now.
The story:
I leave my apartment in Kittery at about 4:30pm this afternoon (Memorial Day) to head up to South Portland for my shift at the Coast Guard base that starts at 5:45pm.
Tons of traffic that is backed up from where I get on I-95 at the Kittery Traffic Circle all the way up to the York Tolls. Luckily all this traffic is on I-95 Southbound and it's free and clear driving with some scattered cars heading North with me.
I typically do around 75mph on I-95 north and never once have I even thought for a second that the cops (who drive completely unmarked and low profile cruisers) would bother with me. Too many people doing 80+ mph, especially those Massachusettes vacationers who think that 90 mph is the norm across New England.
Today was no different, 75 mph all the way with a few spirts of 80 mph to get around some weaving vehicles towing boats and ATV's. There were a couple police cruisers that had pulled over 2 vehicles back around the Old Orchard Beach exit(exit 36), but other then that they were on the Southbound side taking care of random accidents and broken down vacationers.
Now if you know I-95 North at all in Maine then you know that just before Exit 44 (or the I-295 split) it turns into a 55 mph zone. Usually I'm pretty good about this and slow down to about 60-65 mph since there are a lot of people trying to get out of the Exit only lane on the right.
Today I screwed up. I was on my cell phone (using a hands free device as is the proper way to do so in a vehicle while driving) and had a brain fart. I never slowed down at the 55 mph change over. I just kept driving at about 72 mph. Just then I see him. The red unmarked, low profile, police cruiser sitting in the break down lane about 100 yards into the 55mph zone.
I was in the middle lane and pulling out to the left hand lane to pass a vehicle when I passed the Maine State Police Trooper. In that split second, while talking to my sister on my cell phone, I said "Hey Becky I think I'm going to get pulled over, I'll call you back."
Just as I suspected he put his lights on and started to pull out. Knowing that it was me he was coming after I pulled over into the right lane and started to slow down and waited to see if he was going to follow me or pass me for something else. He didn't pass me, instead he pulled into the right lane as well as I watched in my mirror as he was about 100 yards behind me still. Too far for him to have my plate number yet.
I was pulled over and proceeding to put my car in neutral and e-brake it and lower my window (A/C was on) and putting my hands on the steering wheel as he pulled up behind me. I watch him in my rear-view mirror as he grabs his hat and starts to get out of his car. I'm thinking "I wonder why he's not running my plate, I was way too far out of sight at any point for him to see it until he pulled up behind me."
The State Trooper proceeds to walk up to my door in a defensive fashion as is learned in the academy. His back to my rear seats and peering around from the rear seats. He knocks on my car door, looks in and says "You're all set, have a good day."
I reply: "Thank you, you have a good one too."
He walks away, and I slowly pull out into the highway and about 200 feet later is Exit 45, my exit to get to work.
I have no stickers on my car idicating that I am a Part-Time Dispatcher for Old Orchard Beach, or that I support the 100 Club (a public safety "charity" so to speak). I do however have a license plate frame that says "United States Coast Guard". Which I think is what did the trick. Perhaps it was something this Trooper did often as a professional courtesy as I always did when I was a cop (within reason of course). Perhaps it was only because today was Memorial Day and he was being kind to a man in the military. I don't know. However I was not in uniform since my uniform was in my locker at work (usually I wear my uniform up to work).
Who knows, but I am happy he did that. However if I had received a citation I certainly would have paid it, I was guilty and I don't believe in manipulating the system knowing my own guilt (unless there is a clerical error on my citation).
I am now going on 6 years of never receiving any kind of violation. Knocking on wood as I type this.
This was my excitement for the day, sorry for the long post but I'm trying to waste some time at work since I'm here until 6am and it's only 8:45pm right now.