Oh my! I am a new grad and I sooo love my job. Seriously! I have had some very difficult times in the past 4 months and even cried a few times but for the most part I am immensely grateful to be a nurse.
I am driving home this morning after a long 14 hour shift and get stopped by highway patrol for expired tabs. As I am stammering out my excuse and shuffling through some papers he says to me, "maam, that's ok, I believe you. Plus I don't give tickets to nurses". :redlight:
How sweet! After he let's me go, as I am driving away I thought to myself, shucks I should have told him "I don't give shots to cops".
Hmmm... must be a kinship among guardians of society.
Well... we ARE pillars of society aren't we? :bowingpur
I am part serious here, and I do love being a nurse.:redbeathe Don't you all?
It seems that in general cops are lenient on nurses; however, not always.
I had an unfortunate encounter with a rookie cop (who obviously hadn't learned that yet who accused me of driving drunk - on my way to work the night shift! I hadn't had a drop of ETOH, of course. He said I was weaving - I have no idea what he was talking about. Still, I had to walk the line and all that crap before he finally let me go...
In general though, we nurses do get away with some stuff
I have been a geriatric nurse for the past 14 years, and I must say that thru all of the cranky old women, grabby old men, unrealisitic family members, and management that just does not get it.........that there is not one day that I do not thank the good Lord above that He has placed inside of my heart the desire to work with the elderly. I love my job, even though there are some nights that I walk out ready to scream, I would not change where I am and what I am blessed to be doing. It is such a blessing to know what your calling is,,,,and to blessed to be doing it. There are so many people that are milling around in this world, lost and in a daze wondering what it is there are here for.
I doubt any of us think we are "above the law." It is just an act of courtesy. At the fast food restaurant's I used to work at we gave cops, ems, and firemen a 50% discount. Why? Because they put their life on the line to serve and protect society. Maybe cops are just passing on that generosity since we care for the sick and vulnerable. Almost everyone you ask that isn't a nurse says, I don't see how you do it everyday.... So yea I think we deserve some leeway when it comes to stupid traffic stops. No i don't think we should get away with murder?? And no I do not think I am above the law.. Get a grip!
If I'm not mistaken, it's really at the discretion of the officer whether or not to issue the citation. I have been stopped and ticketed, and stopped, given a lecture and sent on my way.
It isn't about anyone being above the law. At the same time no one should feel entitled to escaping consequences of their actions.
This morning I was driving home in scrubs @ 80 mph (hey, I was covering 80 miles and it was a 70 mph zone) . Sure enough, a cop car appeared behind me. I slowed down, he pulled along side me, and gave me a side glance which I took as a warning and nodded. Then we both went our own separate way.
A lot of whether or not you get a ticket has to do with how you react when you realize you're busted.
On the ethics note mentioned by a different poster, I don't think anyone here (jokes aside) really thinks they are entitled to be let off with a warning. But, I don't think even the most ethical person after getting a warning is going to chase the cop down and force the cop to give them a ticket.
Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry, Hospice, Home Health.
I once had a neighbor who was covered on the evening news because she had collected $17000 worth of parking tickets. She did not even get arrested nor do I think she has to pay it back. Some of my neighbors were very compassionate and touted her single mother status as a reason for leaving her alone, and some, like myself, were steaming mad. We are all entitled to our own opinion.
If I'm not mistaken, it's really at the discretion of the officer whether or not to issue the citation. I have been stopped and ticketed, and stopped, given a lecture and sent on my way.
It isn't about anyone being above the law. At the same time no one should feel entitled to escaping consequences of their actions.
This morning I was driving home in scrubs @ 80 mph (hey, I was covering 80 miles and it was a 70 mph zone) . Sure enough, a cop car appeared behind me. I slowed down, he pulled along side me, and gave me a side glance which I took as a warning and nodded. Then we both went our own separate way.
A lot of whether or not you get a ticket has to do with how you react when you realize you're busted.
Bingo you said it all. It is at the officer's discretion unless the violation is so blatant and obvious they cannot excuse it. Also many officers are more inclined to give a break here and there if the person isn't a smart butt and doesn't run their mouth. Also if there isn't a history of ticket after ticket showing up in the computer then why not give a break to some. It really has nothing to do with if they know a person is a nurse or not (unless of course they're married to one hahah).
For every nurse who is given a break on speeding there's another nurse being booked into jail on a DUI charge. Trust me on that one.
My friend's husband is a cop. He said they don't give tickets to nurses because they don't want to wake up in a hospital bed with a nurse standing over them saying, "I remember you........" LOL!
That is definitely NOT the reason I am easy on nurses on traffic stops. I see them as kindred spirits in the caring business. I will not be persuaded to be lenient because of fear that I might have to face the nurse later in the ER. With my luck I would never get the one I let off anyway.
The times I have stopped nurses (and other medical personnel) and felt a verbal warning was the way to go, it was because: 1, relatively minor violation; 2, not at fault in an accident; 3, attitude was good (that's the biggie); 4, non-smoker; and 5, he/she was a nurse.
I generally go easy on firefighters, truckers, the elderly, and I have never written a fellow law enforcement officer.
No funny female games allowed. I once stopped a nurse after she blew by me on the interstate, as she passed me she mouthed "I'm late" as she went by. I'm not going to be insulted by someone passing a marked unit over the limit :angryfire. It's a personal challenge. On go the blue lights. Now this was a long time ago when some nurses still wore dresses. When I got to the window of her Trans Am, no kidding, the dress was hiked up to the crotch, I could see her panties . Now she had nice legs allright, the kind that go from the ground clear up to her, well, you know what I mean . Nine yards of thighs. Got the usual license, registration, and proof of insurance. She even leaned forward so I could see down the front of her top :w00t:. I wondered how many cops she tried this with. Wasn't going to work on me, I determined. I was involved with a trophy chick at the time and it took a lot to impress me, and this gal wasn't cutting it. I thought 'thanks for the show, now it's my turn." I couldn't resist saying "sign here, and press hard will ya, there are 5 copies." She shoved the skirt back down before she even signed the ticket. I guess the show was over, darn :anbd:.
Hey Balder, just for the record, I've let the guys off too. You might not get a ticket from me unless you force me to look at your thighs or blow smoke in my face.
Specializes in CNA, Surgical, Pediatrics, SDS, ER.
My friend's husband is a cop. He said they don't give tickets to nurses because they don't want to wake up in a hospital bed with a nurse standing over them saying, "I remember you........" LOL!
One of our nurses got pulled over and he let her off he told her the same thing! We live in a relatively small area so the cops know who the nurses are and vice versa.
We however do not expect to be let off! We all know the consequences of our actions and I don't think that myself or anyone I work w/ would "expect" to be let off from any of our officers. A mutual respect is shared I think btwn law enforcement and nurses. I think that we help eachother out of the goodness of our hearts.
And yes I love being a nurse, somedays more than others!
who accused me of driving drunk - on my way to work the night shift! I hadn't had a drop of ETOH, of course. He said I was weaving 
- I have no idea what he was talking about. Still, I had to walk the line and all that crap before he finally let me go...
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KLKRN, RN
196 Posts
I think it's the stickers you put on your plates to let the cop behind you know you're registered.