Professional courtesy from police at traffic stops

58flyer · Aug 22, 2007

... I got the last laugh, because being from out of country as were my plates, it does not affect my insurance, I don't have to go to traffic school, and I didn't pay the ticket... they have no real way to get me. I just have to be careful not to get pulled over again.

Wanna bet? If you didn't pay that ticket, the state will issue you a driver's license in that state, and then suspend the license pursuant to non payment of the traffic fine. When you get stopped again, you will be driving on a suspended driver's license! Welcome to America! You might want to pack a change of underwear and a toothbrush, because on that next traffic stop, you might be spending the night!

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2007

i said, "what if i don't pass?"

he says. "i guess there will be one less obviously determined nurse in the er when i might need one (insert official cop wink)."

so....i passed..... now every time i take a test i think of that cop and him saying what he did.

ah, that's just too sweet! what a kind soul! and with a wink even, how priceless!

i got the last laugh, because being from out of country as were my plates, it does not affect my insurance, i don't have to go to traffic school, and i didn't pay the ticket... they have no real way to get me. i just have to be careful not to get pulled over again.

[evil]

[color=white]talk about a get out of jail for free card. this one takes the cake! lol

[/evil]

doe9181 · Aug 23, 2007

I was speeding, doing 45 in 25 mph zone on my way to clinicals. I went to school in a suburb where the cops are notorious for giving tickets for the smallest reasons. I got pulled over and the cop asked what the hurry was and I pointed to the hospital and told him I was a student nurse late for clinicals and he smiled and wrote me a warning. It was great. I have many cop friends and so do my parents and they all say they would never give a nurse a ticket. It's the same for my dad because he is a firefighter. He never gets tickets. He even sadly got out of a DUI because of his job. (He was only a little over the legal limit but over it regardless.) :nono:

gr8rnpjt, RN · Aug 23, 2007

Several years ago, I purchased a vanity plate identifying myself as an RN from my school of nursing at the local community hospital. I never thought about cops and tickets, I was just proud of myself and my school.

I found out several times that cops love nurses and don't want to ticket them. I never said a word, they would ask what floor I worked on and asked me to slow down next time. I never got a ticket although at that time in my life I was pulled over several times because I was always running somewhere.

I gave my car (with the vanity plate) to my daughter several years ago and she took the plate off when she moved out of state. I haven't thought about getting another vanity plate, however, because as I got older I slowed down a lot! Speed kills as they say and having seen the evidence over and over again, I realize that the road is not a race track, and whomever wants to pass me up is going to find out there is no finish line, and there are more cars up ahead, you can't pass everyone. I take it easy, put on a good CD (or Howard Stern) and take my time.

JailRN · Aug 23, 2007

Great post!!

Can I tell you guys stories--I work for a local PD and have environmental plates on the cars, all of them......I (and #1 son) have been stopped by numerous departments, sometimes I get a ticket, sometimes I get a warning, (and I 've never heard of the 'thin blue line sticker')--we have 'confidential' license plates, that when the PD runs the plate, instead of coming back with your address on it, it comes back to the PD name and address, so they know before they issue the.. whatever and the general public has no idea that you are associated with a PD or are a nurse or whatever.

It's all in a day's work..I try not to get testy about it..they are just doing their job...like one of my PD buddies used to say, when people would say,"What's the matter..didn't meet your quota, yet?" and he would reply, "Actually, I don't have a quota, I can write as many tickets as I want!!" That usually shut them up!!

Yes, I probably took 'better' care of other nurses and cops. Not to say I didn't take good care of ALL of my patients, but, probably went out of my way more, 'above and beyond the call of duty' for them..like the time in 1976 at Christmas, I was working in a hospital..one of my patients was a cop who had been shot 6 times by a gang..and they threatened to come back and finish the job..thankfully, they were pretty lousey shots, didn't hit anything vital, just a lot of pain..well, he had a private room and cops guarding him 24/7. He also had HIS gun under his pillow, a bottle of Jack Daniels in his drawer and was on MS 2-10mg IMq2-4 hrs. prn pain...I will admit, I pushed the limit having his gun sent home, AND the JD removed, but tried to spend a little more time with him during the night, when things were quiet, and he was awake, frightened and waiting for the pain meds to kick in.

I have heard the 'I won't give a nurse a ticket, because I don't want to open my eyes in the ER and look up at her/him" and the 'cute nurse' stuff.

Oh well, we all have jobs to do...I think a little understanding from all involved goes a long way....I certainly wouldn't want to 'threaten' a cop..I'm not that stupid..I like my nursing license right where it is, in my wallet...we can all be on power trips...but, I like to think I'm not 'entitled' to anything. If it happens, great, if not, I pay the ticket, go to traffic school, whatever....now, if it's NOT deserved, then I fight it. (like when the seatbelt was broken on my sons car and I was bringing it home from the shop, so HE wouldnt have to drive without the belt, and got a ticket, despite showing the cop the paperwork from the shop, where they were waiting for the part to come in, but needed the room at the shop, so the car was going home, got stopped, got the ticket, fought it, and won. Of course, it cost me more in $$ from the time I had to use from work, gas, parking at the courthouse, etc, than the ticket would have cost, but it was the principle of the thing. (sigh)

Can't we all get along??? (smiling)

gr8rnpjt, RN · Aug 23, 2007

It's all in a day's work..I try not to get testy about it..they are just doing their job...like one of my PD buddies used to say, when people would say,"What's the matter..didn't meet your quota, yet?" and he would reply, "Actually, I don't have a quota, I can write as many tickets as I want!!" That usually shut them up!!QUOTE]
Hey, girlfriend!
This story reminds me of another night nurse I worked with many moons ago! She was a saucy old broad and loooved to go too fast. Her standard statement, which was usually yelled out the window as the cop approached; "What! You gonna give a ticket to an angel- a -mercy?" (thus, my signature below is a nod to her)

JailRN · Aug 23, 2007

HAHAHAHA!!!

Love the "AOM"

Did it work??

gr8rnpjt, RN · Aug 23, 2007

HAHAHAHA!!!
Love the "AOM"
Did it work??

Sometimes yes, sometimes no LOL!! It was the delivery though, cracked me up!

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Aug 24, 2007

Several years ago, I purchased a vanity plate identifying myself as an RN from my school of nursing at the local community hospital. I never thought about cops and tickets, I was just proud of myself and my school.
I found out several times that cops love nurses and don't want to ticket them. I never said a word, they would ask what floor I worked on and asked me to slow down next time. I never got a ticket although at that time in my life I was pulled over several times because I was always running somewhere.
I gave my car (with the vanity plate) to my daughter several years ago and she took the plate off when she moved out of state. I haven't thought about getting another vanity plate, however, because as I got older I slowed down a lot! Speed kills as they say and having seen the evidence over and over again, I realize that the road is not a race track, and whomever wants to pass me up is going to find out there is no finish line, and there are more cars up ahead, you can't pass everyone. I take it easy, put on a good CD (or Howard Stern) and take my time.

Maybe I'll get a vanity plate. That's a good idea!!!:balloons:

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Aug 24, 2007

Maybe I'll get a vanity plate. That's a good idea!!!:balloons:

Here's a whole thread on the topic, some in favor, some against, and reasons why:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/putting-rn-license-plate-159934.html

~faith,

Timothy.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Aug 24, 2007

I'm not so sure I'd want everyone to know I'm a nurse. (Of course I'm a student, so I'm not a nurse yet, LOL.) I can think of safety concerns.

58flyer · Aug 24, 2007

As the author or more than ten thousand traffic tickets in the course of a 30 year law enforcement career, here are my thoughts.

Some things guaranteed to get a ticket:

#1. ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE.....

A. Attitude says it all as to whether it's deserved or not.

a. Like the real estate line, location, location, location...same thing. Says it all.

#2. Stupid

A. Example: You bluelight a car and the driver stops in the middle of the road, rolls down the window, and yells back to the officer "what did I do?" Now that's just stupid. Ticket City.

#3. Smoker

A. Cigarettes that is. My chance to return the favor for all those times when I was downwind.

#4. At fault driver in a crash.

A. No matter how much I like you, there is only so much I can do. Sorry. Sign here.

#5. Combination

A. Example: Lady driving with left arm hanging out the window, right hand limped over the 12 o'clock position of the steering wheel, sucking on a Marlboro, with 5 kids in the car, none of them in carriers or seat belts, youngest 3 weeks, oldest 9 years, drives around RR crossing arms and gets tagged on the quarter panel by a southbound Orange Blossom Special. (that's a choo choo train) Blames every entity imaginable but herself and screaming lawsuit. When you hand her the ticket for driving around the crossing arms she asks "how am I gonna pay for this $264 ticket and still have money to buy these kids shoes?" I answer " you could take it out of your cigarette budget." That ain't gonna happen. "Ma'am, please sign right here by the X, and press hard will ya, there's 5 copies."

As far as nurses are concerned, as long as they did not violate one of the above, they would get some kind of break, most of the time just a verbal. I kept it short, especially if they were running late for work. Since we are kindred spirits in this wonderful business of helping others, I feel as though we are on the same team. The idea that one day I may see one of them in the ER as a patient has never been a reason for a break. The chances of that are very remote. With my luck I would (and did) get some providers who must not have been given a break by whomever stopped them.

As far as emblems and stickers are concerned, I just have an FOP star affixed to my license plate. The address on the registration is the same as my employing agency. Of course, in my wallet is a pretty gold badge inscribed with the fancy sounding word "Lieutenant." There is no way I can get to my driver's license without showing it. I have a thin blue line sticker that a fellow officer gave me, but it's in the drawer, not on the vehicle. Only 1 ticket in 34 years of driving, but I am a safe driver and one heck of a nice guy. :wink2: