Professional courtesy from police at traffic stops

Altra, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2007

I give faster admission to ER for fellow nurses and I include cops in this also. I consider it as taking care of our own.

Agree.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2007

I have never had one single solitary person mention poop when they find out I'm a nurse. People do ask healthcare questions, however, but never poop ones.

CTYankeeRN · Sep 3, 2007

Hello:

I have been pulled over in and out of uniform and always make sure that I hand them my RN license with all my other info. They are always very gracious and I have never received a ticket...and at least once I really deserved one.

treysdaddy08 · Sep 13, 2007

If you are not bragging, why post about how you got away with getting a ticket because you were in a nurse's uniform. I started driving when I was 15 1/years old, in California. I still drive and I was 62 years old yesterday. In all the years I have driven, I have been stopped for speeding three times. I could have offered an excuse, by saying I was late for work but I didn't. Why not post about getting caught and facing the music. Or that wouldn't be funny, would it?
As for being a morally negligent person. My behavior impacted directly on to my daughter's behavior. If I teach her to skirt the law, by using my profession to escape a ticket, I certainly am being morally negligent. I am teaching her that it is all right to escape the consequences of one's actions, no matter how minor or how major they are, and sending her a very wrong message.
I wonder how you would feel if you read a message about beating an exam, by getting a copy before it was given. I wonder how you would feel about the person who got the A, while you earned your B.
Woody:balloons:

I respect all your posts Woody, but I totally disagree with this one here. So if a cop asks you why you're speeding, what are you supposed to say? If you were speeding because you were late for work, you should tell him the truth, yes? Not "I'm a nurse" but "I'm late for work and am in a hurry". If he asks where you work (which is what seems to happen a lot here), again, you should be honest. It is up to the cop if he gives you a ticket or not. If the cop decides not to, are you stating that you would argue with him? "No no no officer, I was speeding, please give me a ticket"...I highly doubt it. We are just sharing humorous stories about how a police officer extended a professional courtesy to our fellow nurses. There are no children reading this (I doubt), so I don't see where the harm is.

treysdaddy08 · Sep 13, 2007

I know this is likely to get a large group down on me but why give just nurses, firemen and other police officers a break? Police are there to protect the public. This doesn't mean just some of the public, it means all of the public. If someone is speeding, has run a red light or done anything that warrents pulling them over, they have broken the law and deserve the ticket. And if they feel they don't, they can always go to court and fight it. Then it is up to the judge. When I have gotten a speeding ticket, I have deserved it. And I haven't tried to get out of it by referring to my occupation or the fact that my uncle was a detective with the NYPD. Why can't you just accept the ticket and move on? At the worse, you can just get a ticket, at best a warning.
Woody:balloons:

So, under that logic, EVERYONE who breaks the law should be pulled over, and EVERYONE who is pulled over should be ticketed. The law is black and white. You broke it. You'll be punished. No grey area, no compassion...is that what you're teaching your grandchildren? With all due respect, it is THOSE children that are out in cuffs late at night. This children who weren't allowed to do "anything" so when they can they do "everything". Relax a little bud. Like you said, it's just a ticket.

MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2007

Ultimately, if you are pulled over it is up to the police "person" to decide whether or not you will get a ticket. Over the years I have asked many why they choose certain people. Sometimes it is blatant disregard for the law, mostly it is age, the car, kids crawling around unbelted, " a feeling". So do I feel bad that I've never been ticketed? No....

However, for the many tickets I have not received, my 21 yo son seems to get. Van from NJ in NY-only car pulled over of the many speeding on thruway. Brake light out? $65 ticket last month. Is he being targeted-you bet! young, male, in a conversion van, probably speeding, with attitude. So again, do I feel bad for no tickets. NO WAY!!!!

Maisy;)

XYnurse2B · Sep 13, 2007

I don't think my view of the world is black or white. But my view of laws is. A frequently heard remark "if you can't do the time, don't commit the crime." I have been pulled over three times for speeding. Twice I got a ticket. Once I got a warning. The officer asked why I was in such a rush. I told him and he gave me a warning. I didn't expect him to give me the warning and was quite surprised.
On the other hand, my daughter was pulled over when transporting me to an appointment in the next county. Her crime? Her muffler had just fallen apart. When the officer ran her license, he came back asked her to step out of the car, escorted her to the back of our car and handcuffed her and put her in his car. He would not tell me why and threatened me with arrest for interferring with a police officer, in the performance of his duties. He drove off leaving me in the car, unable to drive because my leg was in a long leg brace and my left hand and arm in a dynamic splint. A state trooper came along and pulled over asking me what was wrong,. After I explained he called his dispatcher. There was an arrest warrent out for my daughter. It had been issued by mistake but had never been removed. He called a cab for me and I went to the jail to bail my daughter out. I understand the officer was doing his job. What I don't understand was why he couldn't explain to me what was happening. And why he left me on the side of the road, knowing that I couldn't drive, since my daughter and I had both told him so. So, my views are not entirely black and white. They are various shades of gray. I understaand people going out of their way and I equally understand those that stick to the rules. What I don't understand, is police officers letting someone off because they are a fellow officer, a brother sister, mother, father, nurse, doctor, fireman. Why even pull someone over for.
Woody

Hey Everyone! I think we all know that nothing in this world is black or white, but various shades of gray... Even the law. We constantly hear of cases in court being plea bargained to a lesser charge. Even the judges and the lawyers know the law is not cut and dry. When we get pulled over, a cop makes an instant "ruling" on what he/she is going to do, write a ticket or give a warning. If he/she decides to just give a warning because there is a professional empathy, (I like that better than courtesy), we are simply getting a plea bargain based on what we contribute to society. I believe that a free pass should not be expected as a nurse (I'm still in school by the way), but appreciated none the less. Every profession has some sort of fringe benefits, though I hope this is one I'll never have to test out!!! Just my opinion... Drive Safe!!! :lol2:

leslie :-D · Sep 13, 2007

So, under that logic, EVERYONE who breaks the law should be pulled over, and EVERYONE who is pulled over should be ticketed. The law is black and white. You broke it. You'll be punished. No grey area, no compassion...is that what you're teaching your grandchildren? With all due respect, it is THOSE children that are out in cuffs late at night. This children who weren't allowed to do "anything" so when they can they do "everything". Relax a little bud. Like you said, it's just a ticket.

no, not EVERYONE who is pulled over should be ticketed.

but EVERYONE should get the same considerations.

or maybe i should show partiality to my cpa, because he saved me $5000.

or even my paperboy's mother, for she ensured i got my a.m. paper in such horrific weather.

what about the 17 yo gang member who protected my son, when confronted by another bully?

i think i've gotten a couple of breaks because i'm a nurse.

it's certainly not that i volunteered the information, that's for damn sure.

my kids have been in the car when i got stopped.

one would whisper, "are you going to tell them you're a hospice nurse?"

they ask that, because their dad will try and elicit favors, because his brother is this, or dh works for xxx.

makes me sick.

i don't want any favors because i'm in a service profession.

if i'm going to bank on what i do, it then totally negates who i am.

if i'm wrong, i don't expect a break.

and thankfully, my kids educate themselves from the school of hard knocks.

such experiences have taught them integrity and responsibility.

for that, i am grateful.

leslie

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2007

I did get to put a foley catheter into a retired traffic officer 10 yrs after he gave me a ticket. He knew who I was to.

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · Sep 13, 2007

A cop once told me why they do that. He picked up my index finger and said "see the size of your finger? It is the same size of a 38 caliber hole." and then I got it.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Sep 14, 2007

Were I to not be ticketed, I would certainly appreciate it. Were I to be ticketed, I would suck it up & move on.

shannonFNP, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 24, 2007

It's a complete downer when I can't read half the threads on this forum without the topic being skewed for debate. Please, this thread is for those that have had experiences similar to the original poster. I'm not offering my opinion on the morality of this thread. I DO think we all have the option to start a thread on why we shouldn't flash our badge to save ourselves a ticket, if that's how you feel.