Professional courtesy from police at traffic stops

woody62, RN · Aug 26, 2007

Woody,
All you would have to do is insist on getting a ticket, by word or attitude, and I would have obliged you! I always felt I used tickets as a method to educate the public - if you don't need the education I don't need to start writing.
My good friend once told me that there were two kinds of people in police work: those who had their milk money stolen, and those who stole milk money. No one ever took my milk money, so I don't need to go on a power trip by writing nurses tickets. We MUST respect those who care for society. So again....teachers, doctors, nurses, fireman all got a pass from me. Heroes deserve latitude - they don't hide behind the safety of a mundane job...they are the stewards of our society.
It comes down to officer discretion. Be honest and humble, and you most likely will avoid most tickets - no matter your profession.
Stay safe.

Actually, I haven't gotten a speeding ticket since 1983. I have been pulled over several times, along with a lot of other people but haven't received a ticket. But if I am stopped, I hand over my driver's license, registration and proof of insurance and asnwer any questions the officer puts to me. I don't have to worry about running red lights, or speeding because I try very hard to drive within the law. It cuts down on interacting with the police.

The one time I was pulled over, was about two weeks after 9/11. Two NYPD saw me crying at a stop light, waiting to turn onto Canal Street. They came over, asked me to pull over, which I did, and listen to why I was crying. Then one offered to take me down to the site so I could see what had happen at my old place of employment. And offer up a prayer for the officers and firemen I knew, who had died there.

Woody

lujological · Aug 26, 2007

I have had several stops where i only got warnings.I do carry my nurse liscense in plastic case with drivers liscense and registration.however I am the mother of a local police officer and even if i don't mention it the officers see my last name and ask if i am relation to officer soso.as a result only get warnings.My husband who has a heavy foot also only warnings but my son"s chief told him "tell your father if I see him heavy footing it AGAIN I will give him a big fat ticket" my son gets very upset with us as he says it is embarassing and the officier who does the stopping always tells him about it so we don"t get away with it.I agree with the person who says police don't give nurses tickets because we are in a service position and deserve to get that extra help.Both my husband and i have been behaving and have not had any stops in almost 2 years.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Aug 26, 2007

I've gotten tickets, and I've gotten professional courtesy. I deserved the ticket every time, although usually the speeding was not intentional. I appreciate the cops, especially when I need to call them to the ER double time to save my ass, so they can ticket me as much as they please.

I'm disappointed with those looking for ways to drop hints that they are a nurse. You are giving the rest of us a bad reputation if you go in the road feeling entitled to special treatment. STOP. IMHO vanity plates and a stethoscope hanging from the dash shows you're probably a newbie or someone hoping for an accident so you can show off. Show a little humility to the nice officer and you'll have better luck.

mesixfuture · Aug 26, 2007

I had a very nice officer let me off on a reckless driving charge back when I was in nursing school. I've taken care of two officer's wivers, and two officer's children, and have hung out with many more because we use city cops as security in our hospital on weekends. Every one, city and state alike, has told me that they do not give tickets to nurses. I very much appreciate this professional courtesy!!

nancykday · Aug 26, 2007

I've been stopped speeding several times over the years. Have only receive 1 ticket. Never mentioned I was a nurse. Another time, it had been a horrible night at work and it was Xmas eve. The police officer stopped me, I told him the I didn't wish to be rude, only wanted to get home after a bad night, could he just issue the ticket and let me leave. He asked me if I was a nurse, didn't asked me for my paper work, wished me a Merry Christmas, told me to slow down and sent me on my way

Another 3 times, I was stooped by the same police officer for various traffic violations; rolling stop t a stop sign, 45 in a 30 limit zone twice. The last time he left me go, I thanked him and told him that this was the 3rd time he had stopped me, and if I was him, it was obvious I didn't learn my lesson, and that I would ticket mu a**. He laughed, told me that he likes nurses, and I would soon learn my lesson and sent me on my way again. He was right, I haven't been stopped again. Either I have decided to obey the traffic laws, which I should, or he just gave up on stopping me. :uhoh3:

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Aug 26, 2007

After reading a number of posts about police giving nurses a break on a traffic stop, I am curious. To those who have enjoyed the benefit of professional courtesy, some of you several times, do you reciprocate the favor? I mean do you treat your police patients extra nice, or quicker, maybe just do an all around more compassionate and caring job? What goes around should come around I would think, perhaps as a way of saying "thanks, you guys looked out for me, now I am going to look out for you."

I don't.

Not because I Think cops are evil. Nor do I think "well, I've never benefited from an encounter - so why should I behave nice to them?"

On the contrary - I think the police have a vital duty to perform... just as we nurses do.

We are both professionals. And I don't think representatives of either profession "deserve" 'special kudos' simply for being a member of the "privileged".

You break the law, you deserve the punishment.

The disbursement of the statement above obviously rests largely on the 'professional' attending the case...

cheers,

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Aug 26, 2007

No we get them back faster than the regular people. It helps to be nice to them.

58flyer · Aug 27, 2007

I don't.
Not because I Think cops are evil. Nor do I think "well, I've never benefited from an encounter - so why should I behave nice to them?"
On the contrary - I think the police have a vital duty to perform... just as we nurses do.
We are both professionals. And I don't think representatives of either profession "deserve" 'special kudos' simply for being a member of the "privileged".
You break the law, you deserve the punishment.
The disbursement of the statement above obviously rests largely on the 'professional' attending the case...
cheers,

For me, as a police officer, in those instances where I was treated as a patient and medical personnel knew who I was, I would have been happy to have been treated just as any other patient. It would have been a ten fold increase in quality of care. With the exception of the one time where the staff knew of my profession and treated me well, and that was when I was off duty and in a different town. It seems strange that some healthcare professionals think it's fine to take advantage of a law enforcement officer at a vulnerable time. Yet it is common knowledge that police give breaks to medical personnel. Makes me wonder why we give breaks when the professional courtesy is rarely returned.

ogerpus · Aug 27, 2007

Those that think "if you break the law you must get a ticket...no matter what" don't seem to grasp the way that game is played. The best predictor of future behavior is pasts behavior. If your record indicates a long history of arrests and traffic violations, then you get the full dinner show...if you have no record, and a history of helping people (i.e. nurses, doctors, fireman, police) then you get "have a nice day".

Enforcement tools are used to encourage the criminal element to move elsewhere. Nurses, and such, usually do not fall into the ilk of criminal element - no need to use enforcement tools to encourage them to move - I want them where I live and work.

EmmaG, RN · Aug 27, 2007

For me, as a police officer, in those instances where I was treated as a patient and medical personnel knew who I was, I would have been happy to have been treated just as any other patient. It would have been a ten fold increase in quality of care. With the exception of the one time where the staff knew of my profession and treated me well, and that was when I was off duty and in a different town. It seems strange that some healthcare professionals think it's fine to take advantage of a law enforcement officer at a vulnerable time. Yet it is common knowledge that police give breaks to medical personnel. Makes me wonder why we give breaks when the professional courtesy is rarely returned.

I'm curious.... what would you consider to be 'reciprocating the favor'?

What exactly constitutes giving a break and professional courtesy while caring for police officers?

JessicRN · Aug 27, 2007

After reading a number of posts about police giving nurses a break on a traffic stop, I am curious. To those who have enjoyed the benefit of professional courtesy, some of you several times, do you reciprocate the favor? I mean do you treat your police patients extra nice, or quicker, maybe just do an all around more compassionate and caring job? What goes around should come around I would think, perhaps as a way of saying "thanks, you guys looked out for me, now I am going to look out for you."

Yes in answer to your question, all police officers get seen in our ED as fast as we can. They bypass many as a professional courtesy. It does not matter if it is job related either. I remember in Texas all the police hung out with us and one new officer gave a nurse a ticket. One of the senior officers overheard the nurse tlling us what happened and the next thing we knew he called the officer in to the ED and said "see theses nurses, one of them may save your life some day. Think what would happen if you got that nursewe do not ticket medical staff. (everyone knows that we would not treat him any diferent but it was nice to hear)

58flyer · Aug 27, 2007

I'm curious.... what would you consider to be 'reciprocating the favor'?
What exactly constitutes giving a break and professional courtesy while caring for police officers?

I gave a general example in post #64 of what I meant. Basically, nicer, quicker, more caring and compassionate is what I am talking about. Though, as I also stated, if that's not doable just treat an officer just like anyone else. I hate it when an officer is treated worse because someone on the treatment team has a chip on their shoulder about cops. It difficult enough to have to deal with the circumstances that led to the officer being in the hospital in the first place, and then have to deal with poor attitudes from people you give your total trust to. I could give examples, but it might be brushed off as just anecdotal. It seems to me that if officers are giving medical personnel breaks with traffic enforcement in the amounts these posts seem to indicate, it should follow that officers should enjoy kinder, gentler treatment when they are on the receiving end. That's not been my experience and I am not alone.