I got pulled over tonight for running a stop sign. I was coming home from Recovery Room call and talking about work on my cell when it happened--mind you this was on a back road with minimal lights so it wasn't hard to do.
I guess it helped that I accepted what I did ("mea culpa") and was preparing to give my DL and registration when he noticed my uniform.
"Never mind." The policeman said. "Just remember me if I'm ever in the hospital..."
He let me go.
I must've done something right in my life to have this "freebie".
SOMETIMES , it pays to be a NURSE n a DOCTOR , It happened to us , my husband , just drive all the way through ( the RED Traffic lights was on ), he didn't see , the Traffic Officer, was lurking at the other curb street with his motorcycle ! He told us to pull over , and asked ; Why , DOCTOR , the hurry ?? dont you know , RED lights was on ??? " My wife, is having a severe abdominal pain , my husband said . He must have thought i'm having labor pains ! When he came to know that my husband is an ENT SURGEON , he took his cell - phone no. so he will consult his ears in the CLINIC !! He let us go , anyway !!
Sorry, but this makes no sense to me. Sure, you have to have a "crime free" background to get a CCW permit, but that has nothing to do with whether or not you were speeding, ran a red light, or whatever offense an officer pulled you over for. You may never have robbed a bank, wrote a bad check, whatever, but you can still speed. Handing your CCW permit over along with your license over, to me, would reek of arrogance and almost a threat. The officer asked for your driver's license, not for your CCW, and if you don't have your gun on you, why the heck would that even come in to play? It's like a, "look what I have...." Bully for you, ya know? That would be the same as, in the context of this thread, handing over my nursing license, even if I'm driving around in my street clothes. Completely irrelevant and out of context. You know how (most) nurses here get irritated by being told a certain patient is a "VIP" and should be treated as such? I see this as the same thing. Everyone is equal. The rules apply to everyone.
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It is required by law in just about all states that if you have a CCW, you MUST present it when when pulled over for a traffic violation or when asked for ID by a police officer in any situation. Same holds true even if you're a US citizen pulled over in Canada.
Whule I'm at it,I've never gotten special treatment for being a nurse,with me its quite the opposite. In this city in nj they have rental discounts for teachers,police,and firefighters who live in the city but nurses are not included..
On my way home one night on country road, slightly over the speed limit (doing 100kph in a 80 zone), when a car starting driving very close behind me.
What did I do? Pull over and let him pass?
OH no, I wanted to get home so I sped up..... Little did I realise it was an unmarked police car.
Next town he puts on his blue lights and pulls me over:
"Sir, do you realize that you were doing 150kph which is almost twice the posted speed limit?" (Driving at twice the speed limit qualifies for an automatic suspension of your driving license
What could I do but say yes. Then he asks me if I was in a hurry, stupid here says yes and as soon as the words were out of my mouth I think oh crap, time for a ticket. He ask me where do I work, I tell him I'm a nurse in the local city...
"OK Sir, Don't let me catch you speeding again"
SCORE!!! No ticket, but I think it was the slowest 5 miles I ever drove for the rest of the way home!!
a. 100kph in an 80 zone is not "slightly" over the speed limit, it's 25% over which is massive.
b. If you were actually driving 150kph in an 80 zone, you needed to lose your license.
Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
Sorry, but this makes no sense to me. Sure, you have to have a "crime free" background to get a CCW permit, but that has nothing to do with whether or not you were speeding, ran a red light, or whatever offense an officer pulled you over for. You may never have robbed a bank, wrote a bad check, whatever, but you can still speed.
Does it make sense (or is it fair) that cops let the relatives of other cops out of tickets? Nope. Does it happen every day of the week and twice on Sunday? You betcha!
It's not simply about the fact that the CCW holders haven't robbed a bank and therefore should be allowed to speed -- 99.99999% of the population hasn't robbed a bank, but they still get speeding tickets. It's about how cops feel like CCW holders are "part of the family" or "one of them"... and just how they let cop relatives out of tickets, they let these CCW "family members" out of tickets.
Handing your CCW permit over along with your license over, to me, would reek of arrogance and almost a threat. The officer asked for your driver's license, not for your CCW, and if you don't have your gun on you, why the heck would that even come in to play? It's like a, "look what I have...." Bully for you, ya know?
You obviously don't have much experience with guns and/or gun people. That's okay, most people don't understand things they've never been exposed to.
Look at it this way -- if you don't advise the officer right up front that you have a CCW and whether you are or are not carrying at that particular moment, what kind of reaction do you think the officer's going to have when he goes back to his cruiser to run your driver license and THEN he finds out you might have a gun that you neglected to tell him about? Is the officer going to feel confident walking up to your car to hand you a citation, or is he going to approach with caution with his gun unholstered and the safety off? It's not arrogant to provide the CCW at the same time as the license, it's showing respect for the officer's peace of mind and safety.
That would be the same as, in the context of this thread, handing over my nursing license, even if I'm driving around in my street clothes. Completely irrelevant and out of context.
How is that the same thing, in the context of this thread? If the officer runs your driver license and finds out you are a nurse, is he going to fear for his life when he brings the ticket back to your car, thinking that you might take his blood pressure or check his pulse?
You know how (most) nurses here get irritated by being told a certain patient is a "VIP" and should be treated as such? I see this as the same thing. Everyone is equal. The rules apply to everyone.
But "VIP treatment" continues to exist in pretty much every single facet of civilized society -- way more than nursing and speeding tickets. Ever notice how the children of union personnel get offered jobs over applicants who don't have a parent in the union? Or that the children of alumni and/or big-money donors get priority over other kids when it comes to college admission? School board members' kids end up with the "good teacher" each school year? The best friend of the coach's kid (and/or the coach's best friend's kid) makes the team even though his skill level is way lower than the dozen kids who didn't make the cut?
I never said this was the way things SHOULD be -- just that it's the way things are. If you have a solution for nepotism in the world we live in, I'm all ears....
Specializes in ER, Home Health, OR, Mental Health & Psy.
When I graduated from Nursing Schook 15 years ago, I was so proud that I got a personalized license plate with my first name and RN after my name. I have been pulled multiple times over the years and let go-with a lecture of course!!! I even had a State Trooper pull behind me in the grocery store parking lot after I had parked. He told me what I did and gave me the lecture. No blue lights involved.
I once got pulled over on New Years Eve leaving my 3-11 shift. I was going like 12 over or something. When the cop approached my window he said "Oh! Oops we are really just looking for drunk drivers." He still looked at my license but let me go with a warning! Yay for me!
she said she was talking on her cell, not texting. texting while driving is a whole other level of stupidity, imo. talking while driving - not safe, but i've been guilty of it once or twice. texting while driving - no way in heck!
does it make sense (or is it fair) that cops let the relatives of other cops out of tickets? nope. does it happen every day of the week and twice on sunday? you betcha!
no, it doesn't make sense, and it isn't fair. it shouldn't happen either. what's your point?
it's not simply about the fact that the ccw holders haven't robbed a bank and therefore should be allowed to speed -- 99.99999% of the population hasn't robbed a bank, but they still get speeding tickets. it's about how cops feel like ccw holders are "part of the family" or "one of them"... and just how they let cop relatives out of tickets, they let these ccw "family members" out of tickets.
the way that it was described was that because ccw's have "crime free backgrounds" and that handing over your ccw is like a "get out of ticket free" card because of that. you are saying that cops treat ccw's as "one of the family" and let them out of tickets, and what i am saying is that that isn't fair. you are stating exactly my point.
you obviously don't have much experience with guns and/or gun people. that's okay, most people don't understand things they've never been exposed to.
doesn't matter if i do or if i don't. don't make assumptions about what i do or don't have experience with.
look at it this way -- if you don't advise the officer right up front that you have a ccw and whether you are or are not carrying at that particular moment, what kind of reaction do you think the officer's going to have when he goes back to his cruiser to run your driver license and then he finds out you might have a gun that you neglected to tell him about? is the officer going to feel confident walking up to your car to hand you a citation, or is he going to approach with caution with his gun unholstered and the safety off? it's not arrogant to provide the ccw at the same time as the license, it's showing respect for the officer's peace of mind and safety.
the point in the thread was made so vigorously about the difference between ccw's and thugs, and how responsible ccw's are. if that is the case, a cop finding out that the person they pulled over having a ccw shouldn't matter, then, right? the cop would never have to fear for his safety because the point was made that someone with a ccw would never, ever be a risk for using his/her weapon against anyone in a situation such as being pulled over by a cop. if they are that responsible, the officer's peace of mind and safety would never be in question in the first place.
how is that the same thing, in the context of this thread? if the officer runs your driver license and finds out you are a nurse, is he going to fear for his life when he brings the ticket back to your car, thinking that you might take his blood pressure or check his pulse?
the point of it is the "free pass." the ccw was mentioned as being a "free pass" for getting out of a ticket. being a nurse was mentioned as being a "free pass" for getting out of a ticket. not real hard to connect the dots, but nice try in blurring the lines. ( right back at ya). i took the post as it was told, that the retired cop teaching the class told the people in it that they should hand their ccw's over with their dl's when pulled over, as a "get of a ticket free" card. not a thing was said about "the officer's peace of mind and safety" when he ran the person's dl (which again, would *never* be in question since ccw's are so far removed from thugs). you also said at the beginning of this post that, ccw's are "part of the family." the same was inferred about nurses, that they are all part of the same "family" as cops, and therefore let out of tickets if they were pulled over when in uniform. that's why i simply *suggested* handing over your nursing license when being pulled over, thereby proving your stance in the "family," perhaps getting yourself out of a ticket (and the suggestion was made sarcastically, thank you).
but "vip treatment" continues to exist in pretty much every single facet of civilized society -- way more than nursing and speeding tickets. ever notice how the children of union personnel get offered jobs over applicants who don't have a parent in the union? or that the children of alumni and/or big-money donors get priority over other kids when it comes to college admission? school board members' kids end up with the "good teacher" each school year? the best friend of the coach's kid (and/or the coach's best friend's kid) makes the team even though his skill level is way lower than the dozen kids who didn't make the cut?
of course i've noticed it. i'm not blind, deaf, or dumb. that doesn't make it fair, or right. it also doesn't make it not irritating. i simply mentioned that as, something to think about when people *brag* about doing things that put other people in unsafe situations...texting and running stop signs, or speeding, for example, and getting away with it. if you want to risk your own life or limb, good for you, but when also risk others, you need to take a step back and reevaulate your actions. the "vip" treatment you receive then is the same that you complain about when you're expected to wait hand and foot on the ceo's cousin's wife's aunt. one might think that's karma, and that you then deserve it. another might think that it's ok since they got away with it, but then the next time they try it, someone was walking through that intersection at the stop sign you ran, and now they're your icu with a massive head injury.
i never said this was the way things should be -- just that it's the way things are. if you have a solution for nepotism in the world we live in, i'm all ears....
actually, you kind of are saying it's the way things should be. that's the reason you're giving for it. "hey, cops give their colleague's families passes on speeding tickets." .....so? if you're saying that's not the way it should be...what are you saying?
its all fun things to share. light-hearted stories. i do enjoy reading everyone's experiences. 
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jittybug
13 Posts
SOMETIMES , it pays to be a NURSE n a DOCTOR , It happened to us , my husband , just drive all the way through ( the RED Traffic lights was on ), he didn't see , the Traffic Officer, was lurking at the other curb street with his motorcycle ! He told us to pull over , and asked ; Why , DOCTOR , the hurry ?? dont you know , RED lights was on ??? " My wife, is having a severe abdominal pain , my husband said . He must have thought i'm having labor pains ! When he came to know that my husband is an ENT SURGEON , he took his cell - phone no. so he will consult his ears in the CLINIC !! He let us go , anyway !!