Cops and Nurses

Nurses General Nursing

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So a lot of the nurses I have spoken with believe they have a greater chance of being given a warning, instead of a ticket, for speeding if they have their RN badge visible when they are pulled over. Who here has been pulled over on their way to or from work and been given a pass? Who has bee ticketed? Is there any truth to it?

I got pulled over for speeding...after the officer wrote me a ticket, he asked where I was coming from and I told him I worked at the hospital down the street. He then told me "well if you said something earlier maybe we could have worked something out. Too late now." But you never asked! :crying2:

I have actually had the same thing happen to me. When I went to pay the ticket they already marked it off the booKS with no fine.

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Specializes in NICU level III.

TRUTH! I was really tired coming home from work one morning & I was going 10 mph over the speed limit. I didn't have my badge on, but I was still wearing scrubs & my work back was sitting in my passenger seat. I was pulled over & the cop asked if I was a nurse & where at. He took my information & came back with a warning. I told him thank you & that I really appreciate it. Sometimes this completely works. I'm not going to press my luck or take advantage of it though.

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There is definitely some truth to it but I don't think it's a good reason to start speeding on the way to work (or anywhere else with your badge visible). I got my nursing license when I was young and I worked an hour away from home. I didn't speed on the way home but I had a horrible time with getting out the door with the owls and would end up running behind. The route that I took to the hospital that I worked had several speed changes, was a straight six lane road and had speed limits anywhere from 30-55 mph that would change every quarter mile or so (easy to miss one). I had been pull over a few times during the years that I worked there in the morning, wearing scrubs of course. The officer would ask where I was heading in such a hurry, run my license, and tell me to slow down.

One Christmas Eve morning I had every intention of getting to work early and on time but I was sick as a dog. I had my now husband run out to CVS to pick up dayquil (when it had the original sudafed component still) the night before and I took it in the morning but forgot it on the counter, not thinking that in about 4-6 hours I'm going to be spewing all over my patients for the rest of a 12 hour shift if I didn't stop and pick up another box (since I was 20 miles into my route before I realized I forgot it at home). It took forever to find someone who could sell it to me that early in the morning since it was behind the counter (was a 'new law' back then) and I was of course late. I was wearing a Disney sweatshirt over my uniform because it was freezing outside. Of course I get pulled over, asked why I'm speeding, "Because I forgot my cold medicine on the counter at home and had to buy it on the way to work" and get told that since it's Christmas Eve he would be back in a minute after checking my license to make sure I wasn't a felon and would most likely give me a warning. Later he asked me, "Who makes you work on Christmas Eve?". I told him I was a nurse at the hospital down the road. He laughed and told me that if I ever wanted to save myself some time to just come out and tell him that I'm a nurse and I'm running late to work at a hospital and that I would be on my way a lot quicker. His words, "It's like an unwritten rule. Cops don't give tickets to nurses". Now, I'm sure there are some that do, but this is what one had told me. I also made it a point not to be a jerk when I got pulled over which probably helped.

It's been years since those days and I've gotten older, fear car wrecks, and drive like grandma.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I was pulled over for going 75mph, speed limit was 60. I may have been going a little more... I sometimes go 80 on this area. Anyway, I was getting off work and the cop asked me if I was on my home from the hospital or heading to work. I told him, he ran my plates, then he said "okay well go home and get some sleep, but slow down, okay?" I was so happy I could have kissed him!

That was my second time in 10 years to be pulled over.

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I remember, when I was in nursing school I got pulled over and I was so scared to be late for class. I started to apologize and, I guess because I was so nervous, I told him I will get in trouble if I will be late. He took all my info and came back with a warning! I did get in trouble though; I didn't get a chance to take my test, because I was late and lost points of my grade. I didn't get my A for the course, however I was glad I didn't get a ticket! :-)

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I just remembered another story, rereading this (OLD!) thread. Once I was pulled over after work, right outside the hospital. When I worked nights, I had a bad habit of forgetting my wallet, which I did that time as well. When he asked for my license, I apologized that I had forgotten it at home, but that I could give him my license # if he wanted, and I proceeded to recite the 12-digit license number. He let me off with a warning, stating that he was doing so because never in his career had he encountered anyone who had memorized their license number before, and that he was impressed. :D

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Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

"It's been years since those days and I've gotten older, fear car wrecks, and drive like grandma."

I do too. But, maybe it's because I really am Grandma ;-)

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I was pulled over for speeding on the way home after shift and only got a verbal warning. But then again I got pulled over at least four more times in the past two years, wearing regular clothes/no badge, and never got a ticket. Just warnings.

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I have been pulled over 3 times going home from work wearing my RN badge. I have been given a warning each time. I was only pulled over once for speeding (85 in a 70). Once for using the carpool lane with only me in the car, and the other was failure to merge left due to emergency vehicle on right side of road.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I just remembered another story, rereading this (OLD!) thread. Once I was pulled over after work, right outside the hospital. When I worked nights, I had a bad habit of forgetting my wallet, which I did that time as well. When he asked for my license, I apologized that I had forgotten it at home, but that I could give him my license # if he wanted, and I proceeded to recite the 12-digit license number. He let me off with a warning, stating that he was doing so because never in his career had he encountered anyone who had memorized their license number before, and that he was impressed. :D

I write a lot of checks and for five years wrote my DL # with every car payment that I made. Now I know it by heart! I get poked fun of for writing checks but now I will be proud that it's caused me to memorize my DL ;)

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

I always get the ticket. Even for stupid stuff like my windows tinted a bit too dark. And every time ivrbren in scrubs and stethoscope. I'm always polite. They're just doing their job like I do mine.

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A couple of years a ago I was on my way to work and was speeding about 10 miles over the speed limit. Had on my scrubs and badge, but a State Trooper pulled me over and didn't hesitate to give me a ticket! Not even a warning. Never had a ticket in my life, but got one that day ;(. But then have been through license checks many times and they see me in my scrubs and just wave me through. I guess it depends on the cop.

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