Dropping the "Nurse Card"?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jun 8, 2018

The cop may well have let him go with only a warning if he'd said he was a grocery bagger at Piggly Wiggly. Part of it would depend on how the cop felt at that particular moment about going to the trouble of writing a ticket. If your friend was polite, that may have tipped the scales in favor of a warning rather than a ticket.

I was driving to work in a blizzard years ago -- the snow was coming down so fast that I couldn't tell where the road was as opposed to the ditch, the median or the exit ramp. I guess the cop who was following me noticed this when I went to get off at my exit and ended up driving into and then out of the ditch, and up over the grass (missed the exit ramp entirely) to the stop light where the exit ramp met the city street. (Gotta love those old Subarus!) He lit up the lights and hit the siren, and when he'd trudged all the way to my driver's side window, greeted me and asked (rather politely under the circumstances, I thought) what I was doing on the road and how much I had had to drink. As it was about 4:30 in the morning (I left for work early because of the blizzard) those were probably reasonable questions. I explained that I was a nurse, going to work early because of the snow and even showed him my work ID. After a minute or two of chatting with someone on the radio out of my earshot, he came back to my driver's side window with a proposition for me. (No, not THAT kind, although I have experienced that as well.)

"I couldn't see the danged exit ramp, either," he said. "So I just followed your tracks. Believe me, you did it much easier than I did, especially that ditch. How about you go ahead and drive to work and I'll follow you with the lights, and I'll blast the sirens at intersections. You'll break a trail for me with that four wheel drive. That will get us BOTH to the hospital because SOMEONE has to get there for a call and none of the other patrol cars seem to be able to get there. They're all stuck somewhere."

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Jun 8, 2018

I have nurse license plates and was matching the speed of another car (70 mph in a 55). Cop was coming up behind us and turned on his radar gun and I slowed down. He ended up pulling over the other car. Was it because of the plates, I will never know. I have never been pulled over (in the last 30 yrs), so I haven't had to use "nurse" to get out of a ticket.

psu_213, BSN, RN · Jun 8, 2018

I have heard many stories from nurses of how they got out of a ticket because they had scrubs on or otherwise pulled the nurse card--one nurse told me that the officer let her out of the ticket when he saw a stethoscope wrapped around her mirror, he asked if she was a nurse, and then let her go.

OTOH, I have gotten out of a ticket before I was a nurse. An officer pulled my over for speeding. I politely answer his questions. Then he said "now just so you know, now is when you try and talk me out of giving you a ticket." At the time, I found his wording a bit, umm, odd. I am grateful that he didn't give me a ticket though.

Orion81RN · Jun 8, 2018

I haven't received a ticket once since becoming a nurse. (6 years) Ive only gotten pulled over on my way to or from work. They ask where you're coming from/heading to, and after saying work they ask what I do. Then Ive just been given a warning.

I do always remain respectful AND genuinely apologetic. I generally do not realize I'm speeding for at least a few minutes bc it is way too easy to in my husband's car vs mine. I'm constantly forcing myself to slow down.

My dad was a cop, and he says that yes, police often let nurses go as a professional courtesy.

guest769224 · Jun 9, 2018

Yes, officer asked what I do for work and I informed him I am an ER nurse and he let me go with a warning (speeding). Mentioned they go to that hospital all the time and appreciate the nurses, etc.

He did have me show him a copy of my license which I had in my wallet, though.

bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN · Jun 9, 2018

I got out of a ticket with a local city cop who was a former patient of mine. On the other hand I got a nice speeding ticket from a trooper one day on my way home from work (had scrubs and badge still on).

Davey Do · Jun 9, 2018

He did have me show him a copy of my license which I had in my wallet, though.

That's why I keep my poetic license on me, ICUman.

My poetic license comes in handy and allows me the freedom to depart from the facts of a matter in order to create a desired effect.

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Jun 9, 2018

I haven't personally had the opportunity (thank goodness), but I do know an EMT who successfully talked his way out of a ticket. He was going 25 mph above the speed limit (50 mph) and got pulled over. Since police and EMS work so closely together, the cop recognized his uniform. The officer let him go with a warning, but apparently said something like, "You're an EMT, you should know better. You of all people understand what happens if you crash going that speed."

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2018

What bothers me about this post is the fact that this person was using his/her cell phone while operating a moving vehicle. Good way to end someone's life or maim them for life.

Trauma Columnist · Jun 9, 2018

I actually have fire-fighter plates because I'm on my rural volunteer squad. In my little area, a lot of the police know me because we are on the same calls.

DowntheRiver · Jun 9, 2018

I have nurse license plates

Like state license plates or something that is decorative?