Driving in front of cops

[ColonelTEE3]

Is it just me? Or does anyone else have an irrational fear of driving in front of or near copcars? I'm a young white male so i'm statistically the least likely to be pulled over and yet i have this uncontrollable phobia of cop cars.

Last friday i was driving home from school and i was going down a street slowly and saw a cop car sitting on the side of the street. What i didn't notice was he had his turn signal on and was trying to merge. I had more than enough time and room to let him in but i chose to keep going even though i thought his lights were blinking (i thought maybe both were blinking, like he was stalled or something). The guy behind me let him in and i realized then he was right behind me and he knew i didn't let him in- i FREAKED out.

I drove unnecesarily slow down that street as he was behind me until i finally got to my turn and prayed to the all mighty Lord that he wasn't turning my way too. I lucked out and he didn't go my way, but i realized how irrational and disturbing my fear was.

There have been commercials on the radio that for just a split second had some sound effect that sounded like a siren and when ever they occur my heart skips a beat. If im driving on the free way and in my peripheral vision i see one car behind me who has blue/clear headlights instead of those tannish white headlights everyone has, i freak out. I don't even have any history with the law except for a ticket i once got because of a misunderstanding about a sign that i chose not to speak up for because i thought the cop might shoot me for some reason or give me a ten thousand dollar ticket for refusing to cooperate or something.

What are other people's reactions to driving in front of cops?

[Temet nosce]

Is it just me? Or does anyone else have an irrational fear of driving in front of or near copcars? I'm a young white male so i'm statistically the least likely to be pulled over and yet i have this uncontrollable phobia of cop cars.

What are other people's reactions to driving in front of cops?

No, yes (barring the irrational part), and frankly I try my best to drive normally as I can around police but if one's around and going my direction I'll wait a bit (so as not to be overly suspicious) and then take a random turn. Doesn't mater if I'm not doing anything illegal, I'll do it anyways. Hell, if I see several of them I'll usually take a different route or decide I didn't really need to go wherever I was headed.

[Shane]

Fact: There are more near-accidents because of cop cars on the highway than any other reason.

Source: Me on the highway

[ejnomad07]

I actually don't have a problem with cop cars. I treat them like any other car. That of course is a built up tolerance. I drive by cop cars everyday.

[Metal Wolf]

Meh, I've got no issue with cop cars. I don't burn rubber past them or anything but I usually don't slow down either.

[heroshade]

I was driving down a random dark road one night listening to that song "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins, and all of the sudden I just hear sirens and see blue and red lights on my ass. I pull over and the lights fly past me and disappear. Only time a cop has ever scared the shit out of me. The song didn't help either.

[DocGonzo]

i know they don't like it when you drive their cars...

[Zornath]

I definitely hate it too. WHat's worst is when you're driving in front of one and then suddenly the lights go on. In my experience, it's always been eitehr something somewhere else in the city, as they zip out around me, or a busted tail light. But it always freaks me the fuck out for whatever reason.

[heroshade]

I definitely hate it too. WHat's worst is when you're driving in front of one and then suddenly the lights go on. In my experience, it's always been eitehr something somewhere else in the city, as they zip out around me, or a busted tail light. But it always freaks me the fuck out for whatever reason.
Now try that when they appear out of thin air and you're listening to possibly the eeriest fucking song to come out in the last twenty years, driving down a pitchblack stretch of nothing.

[DocGonzo]

Now try that when they appear out of thin air and you're listening to possibly the eeriest fucking song to come out in the last twenty years, driving down a pitchblack stretch of nothing.

""eeriest fucking song"?

yer kidding, right (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hglVqACd1C8)?

you need to get out more, imo

[palo god]

i know they don't like it when you drive their cars...

I also know this from experience.

[-Havoc-]

Fact: There are more near-accidents because of cop cars on the highway than any other reason.

Source: Me on the highway

Made me lol.

[heroshade]

""eeriest fucking song"?

yer kidding, right (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hglVqACd1C8)?

you need to get out more, imo
Theres no way you're going to convince me that 'Sober' is creepier than 'In the Air Tonight'.

Granted though, it's definetely a scary song.

[Rhys]

You need to get out less.

[Tyler]

it's not an irrational fear at all. cops are fucking assholes, and the whole law enforcement system is a fucked up extortion sceme to get your money.

even if they stop you, and can't manage to put something on you, the hassle of it all is enough to make you cringe.

when a cop is on the road near you, your swiming with a shark. end of story. i find that in bigger cities, where real crime exists it's less of a problem because cops have bigger fish to fry (more money in real arrests) but in little towns they will tag you with whatever they possibly can, because it's a source of income for the city, not only that but cops have quotas for how many people they are supposed to pull over in a given expanse of time. in my home town if you drive late at night at the end of the month you will get pulled over.

fuck the police. if you know a cop that doesn't work in the inner city tell them they are the biggest loaves of shit you've ever seen, and if they don't quit their job tomorrow they are going to hell.

ARGH!!!!!:bang:

[Medieval]

Cops suck.

[DocGonzo]

Theres no way you're going to convince me that 'Sober' is creepier than 'In the Air Tonight'.

Granted though, it's definetely a scary song.

how can you possibly be skurred of Phil the dorf Collins?

it's like running from a garden gnome, ffs...

[heroshade]

it's not an irrational fear at all. cops are fucking assholes, and the whole law enforcement system is a fucked up extortion sceme to get your money.

even if they stop you, and can't manage to put something on you, the hassle of it all is enough to make you cringe.

when a cop is on the road near you, your swiming with a shark. end of story. i find that in bigger cities, where real crime exists it's less of a problem because cops have bigger fish to fry (more money in real arrests) but in little towns they will tag you with whatever they possibly can, because it's a source of income for the city, not only that but cops have quotas for how many people they are supposed to pull over in a given expanse of time. in my home town if you drive late at night at the end of the month you will get pulled over.



ARGH!!!!!:bang:

New Mexico is a prime example of this.


fuck the police. if you know a cop that doesn't work in the inner city tell them they are the biggest loaves of shit you've ever seen, and if they don't quit their job tomorrow they are going to hell.

My friends dad is a cop, and he is a pretty cool guy. Although, he's tried to taze me in the pool on more than one occasion.

[DocGonzo]

My friends dad is a cop, and he is a pretty cool guy. Although, he's tried to taze me in the pool on more than one occasion.

you say that like it's a bad thing....

[heroshade]

When you (allegedly) see somebody watch a dude drown and then sing a song that makes him kill himself out of fear and guilt, you are a terrifying person.

[Devant]

Well, around those parts there aren't many cop cars anyway, and even if they are, they typically are eating a sandwich, or chatting about their latest bed achievements.

Harmless species.

[Temet nosce]

The only cop I know and like, is dirty. That says something quite sad about the standards to which our police force is held.

[ColonelTEE3]

Thats part of the problem- i live in a town with virtually no crime. The most significant thing a cop has to do around here is pull over more people going five over than any of his cop buddies.

[CuriousGeorge]

Is it just me? Or does anyone else have an irrational fear of driving in front of or near copcars? I'm a young white male so i'm statistically the least likely to be pulled over and yet i have this uncontrollable phobia of cop cars.

Last friday i was driving home from school and i was going down a street slowly and saw a cop car sitting on the side of the street. What i didn't notice was he had his turn signal on and was trying to merge. I had more than enough time and room to let him in but i chose to keep going even though i thought his lights were blinking (i thought maybe both were blinking, like he was stalled or something). The guy behind me let him in and i realized then he was right behind me and he knew i didn't let him in- i FREAKED out.

I drove unnecesarily slow down that street as he was behind me until i finally got to my turn and prayed to the all mighty Lord that he wasn't turning my way too. I lucked out and he didn't go my way, but i realized how irrational and disturbing my fear was.

There have been commercials on the radio that for just a split second had some sound effect that sounded like a siren and when ever they occur my heart skips a beat. If im driving on the free way and in my peripheral vision i see one car behind me who has blue/clear headlights instead of those tannish white headlights everyone has, i freak out. I don't even have any history with the law except for a ticket i once got because of a misunderstanding about a sign that i chose not to speak up for because i thought the cop might shoot me for some reason or give me a ten thousand dollar ticket for refusing to cooperate or something.

What are other people's reactions to driving in front of cops?

To be that nervous about a cop you need about 100Kg of coke in the boot of your car.

[DocGonzo]

When you (allegedly) see somebody watch a dude drown and then sing a song that makes him kill himself out of fear and guilt, you are a terrifying person.

"cask of amontillado" is definitely old skewl scary....

but it Phill Collins!!

it's as scary as a lhasa apso for an attack dog...

get over it, be a mensch

[Hitom]

This is another good reason for why every city, town, place, countries police force should ride horses. Canada got this one right guys. Canada 1 U.S 0

[heroshade]

"cask of amontillado" is definitely old skewl scary....

but it Phill Collins!!

it's as scary as a lhasa apso for an attack dog...

get over it, be a mensch

Come on, you can't tell me when you're driving down a dark interstate highway and that song comes on, it doesn't at least make you want to change the station. Of course, you're probably listening to Sober, which isn't very settling either.

And garden gnomes are fucking creepy. There I said it. Not really clown creepy, but moreso than plastic flamingos.

[DocGonzo]

Come on, you can't tell me when you're driving down a dark interstate highway and that song comes on, it doesn't at least make you want to change the station. Of course, you're probably listening to Sober, which isn't very settling either.

And garden gnomes are fucking creepy. There I said it. Not really clown creepy, but moreso than plastic flamingos.

you've just never turned around to see that the damned flamingos moved just a bit closer....

and no...Phil Collins couldn't scare me with a chainsaw, i'd chuckle and think "awww...how cute"

[Titus Ultor]

In the Air Tonight is definitely creepier than that Tool song. Though it doesn't qualify for "in the past twenty years" (and does In the Air Tonight even qualify..?), Revolution No. 9 by the Beatles is creepy as hell.

[Xzi]

I'll pass cop cars if they're going less than five miles over the speed limit, because they really don't care unless you're going 10+ over or swerving.

At least that's how it works here. The cops are the biggest money-makers for the city so they only pull over people who will be forced to supply the big bucks.

[LordTenacious]

I'll settle this little spat about songs.

You're both pussies for believing a song is scary. Moving on...

[DocGonzo]

I'll settle this little spat about songs.

You're both pussies for believing a song is scary. Moving on...

lol...

i never said one was scary...i was careful about that.... :p

/gingerbread man

[Xtra-Medium]

it is not an irrational fear pigs are dicks for the most part

[Hitom]

it is not an irrational fear pigs are dicks for the most part

Maybe in your 3.world country.

In my town, "pigs" are fairly faire for the most part.

[Temet nosce]

Maybe in your 3.world country.

In my town, "pigs" are fairly faire for the most part.

I'm guessing you don't live in the USA?

[Hitom]

I'm guessing you don't live in the USA?

Did you really have to guess?

[Dragor]

That happend to me when I used to drive without driving license :lmao:

right now, i dont give a shit about them :ninja:

[Brannoc]

My most recent police experience was being pulled over for suspected DUI, once he concluded I probably wasn't drunk but was absolutely disorderly he still followed me for about six miles.

It was pure lol in a box as I drove with my needle firmly planted on the speed limit and came to a complete stop repeatedly waiting for the lights to flash again.

[palo god]

My most recent police experience was being pulled over for suspected DUI, once he concluded I probably wasn't drunk but was absolutely disorderly he still followed me for about six miles.

It was pure lol in a box as I drove with my needle firmly planted on the speed limit and came to a complete stop repeatedly waiting for the lights to flash again.

He wanted a beta key.

[cosimo84]

your fear is anything but irrational.

I could tell you a story but honestly I'm afraid of the karma that might come with it because a friend told me this story so I don't know if it's true or not.

I've had cops threaten to throw me in jail and give me citations because of their own mistakes though.

[KingKtulu]

I'll freak out if they are right behind me and suddenly my radar detector starts off. In my experience, laying off the gas immediately and proceeding a few MPH under the speed limit will resolve the situation.

[holychicken]

fuck tha police

[Spinewire]

Not really, i'm normaly the only person that over takes them on the motorway when they are doing 60 (70 being the limit in the UK).

Everyone just sits behind them, few people usualy man up and follow me when they see what i'm up to tho.

I think it must be really annoying driving a cop car as everyone slows down when they see you... it would drive me nuts.

[WhiteGuy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWxAnjNVBt8

[stalwart]

i've had a couple recent conversations with police friends of mine, that i feel more nervous with cops around than without.

this is not a good thing, imo.

[rwp80]

I'm a young white male so i'm statistically the least likely to be pulled over

[...]

What are other people's reactions to driving in front of cops?

We're not the least likely. Although we dodge the racist and sexist problems, we are still under the 'young, irresponsible' category. I'm 28 and I still feel like cops look at me like I'm some kind of drug dealer or gun runner or something.

Middle-aged white men dressed in business clothing are the least likely to get pulled over, unless they drive recklessly.

I freak out whenever there's a cop car near me, too. Those blue flashing lights are ingrained into my brain - It feels like a big gray cloud of authority looming over me whenever I leave the house.
Hooray for freedom. :(

Once, I was doing 90 miles per hour on the motorway (AKA freeway/highway) and 70 is the limit here (UK) but people often do 80.

I was in the middle lane and the cop car sped up next to me in the fast lane. The passenger cop waved at me to slow down so I nodded with possibly the most apologetic face I have ever worn, then gradually slowed down to 70.
Then they just went ahead with no further issue. Phew.

Here in the UK, the cops will pretty much do everything they can to avoid arresting you - Very often, they'll stop you and give you a lot of official verbal warnings, etc.
But if you're really out of line, then the whole book comes crashing down on you. I prefer this instead of the over-policing I hear about/have seen in other countries.

[Khumash-Gor]

most cops are pricks irl. i try to avoid them at all costs.

[PainlessDeath]

Sweet, can I tell my cop story from when I actually was a cop? Ok good.....

So I'm fresh out of the academy and doing some part time work for a small 13 man department just trying to get some xp for a full time gig. I'm partnered up with an officer who I've just met that night and off we go.

Driving down the street he notices his friend at a gas station filling up. The friend drives a funeral car (hearse) and while they are talking my partner asks if he has a body bag. Of course he does, and hands him one(?). I'm thinking, What the hell does this guy want with a body bag? Maybe he has some off the wall fetish? Whatever, not like I can talk about with anyone unless he brings it up first. Gossip = no full time job for me

Its twilight out now and we're rolling down the street when he sees a black man walking on the sidewalk. "Look at that guy," he says and begins to pull off the road to intercept the guy. Gives him the third degree, finds out he lives down the road in another muni and tells him to get in the car (w/ cuffs) and he'll drive him out of town (yea I know).

Once the guy is in the car my "partner" starts going off on the guy, telling him he is going to beat the shit out of him etc. The guy in the back is taking it with a grain of salt as if he has been through this kind of thing before. Partner still cussing, telling him not to come back into town again, gonna kick his ass yadda yadda. Guy is still pretty unimpressed. I'm thinking this officer is just full of shit too and trying to scare the guy. Why I dont know.

Then we turn into a cemetery..........

The guy in the back gets scared. I'm like, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON

The road is on a hill so as we drive further and further into the cemetery, it's getting darker and darker. The officer is still cussing and threatening the guy but when we get to the bottom he says "fuck, I should just kill you down here and not have to worry about you coming back." The guy seems a little shaken when he gets out of the back seat. The headlights are out. The only light is from the other officers mag light. Then he opens the trunk and rolls out the body bag. Whatever doubt this guy had about getting hurt is gone. He starts pleading to be let go. Logically, I know now that this was a sick stunt, but the guys fear is palpable and I'm a bit freaked out even though I know nothing is going to happen.

So this guy is pleading and the officer tells him he will let him go if runs as fast as he can towards those trees (shines his flashlight on some trees about 60 or so feet away). This guy is scared and super juiced to get the fuck out of Dodge. He takes off like a bat out of hell heading straight for the trees. When he gets about 10 feet away, the officer turns off the light (its so dark you cant see your hand inches from your face). A second later we hear the guy crash into the brush and trees.

Back in the car the officer doesn't say a word about it. I'm in a bit of a daze and hoping he makes a joke about it so at least I know he isn't completely crazy. Not a word.

True story.

[Killuminati]

It sound like you're a pussy and that can't be cured...

[akrippler]

I brake check em.

[Carnifex]

I don't feel any tension when a police car is close, I always drive faster than most other cars on the highway, but I have never been stopped by a "non-undercover" cop.

I think I fear those undercover copcars more than the actual cars with sirenes.
Yes here in The Netherlands they have these normal looking cars with a surveillance camera in it, and they tape you. It's also used as evidence if you decide to not pay, or go to court.

[Ziegler]

The OP should quit smoking pot while driving and he wont be so paranoid.

And...thow a bandana on or grow long hair and you'll see that white male thing..not hold true so much.

[akrippler]

The OP should quit smoking pot while driving and he wont be so paranoid.



Thats just a dumb idea.

[Ziegler]

Yes here in The Netherlands they have these normal looking cars with a surveillance camera in it, and they tape you. It's also used as evidence if you decide to not pay, or go to court.

Yes...we're busy getting big brother installed on every corner here...and have had the "unmarked" cars for a long time....in Louisville Ky, they used to use Ford Mustang GT's with blacked out windows and headlight/tailights. (It was illegal at the time to have...blacked out windows on your car)....so they were'nt exactly totally undercover...:rolleyes:



akrippler: if he cant handle it, it is a good idea....maybe he should smoke dirt weed instead of good pot?

[Bombay1361]

first time I drove, just after I got my license I had a cop behind me. So all I was doing was looking in my rear view mirror and driving a little under the speed limit just because I was scared. Then out of nowhere the cop puts his lights and siren on, I pulled over and he blew by me. I have never had my heart race faster then that moment.

[Milo Hobgoblin]

it's not an irrational fear at all. cops are fucking assholes, and the whole law enforcement system is a fucked up extortion sceme to get your money.

even if they stop you, and can't manage to put something on you, the hassle of it all is enough to make you cringe.

when a cop is on the road near you, your swiming with a shark. end of story. i find that in bigger cities, where real crime exists it's less of a problem because cops have bigger fish to fry (more money in real arrests) but in little towns they will tag you with whatever they possibly can, because it's a source of income for the city, not only that but cops have quotas for how many people they are supposed to pull over in a given expanse of time. in my home town if you drive late at night at the end of the month you will get pulled over.

fuck the police. if you know a cop that doesn't work in the inner city tell them they are the biggest loaves of shit you've ever seen, and if they don't quit their job tomorrow they are going to hell.

ARGH!!!!!:bang:

This....

Ive had a lot of bad expereinces with the glorified revenue collectors in San Diego.. Id say this is pretty spot on for the majority of traffic officers.

[[LoD] EE]

Is it just me? Or does anyone else have an irrational fear of driving in front of or near copcars? I'm a young white male so i'm statistically the least likely to be pulled over and yet i have this uncontrollable phobia of cop cars.

In California I was always worried. Modified car with tons of parts that are not allowed on a car driven on the street, no catalytic converter etc. I was worried for about 3 years straight. Now that I am no longer in California, I have been driving worry free... well, until last Tuesday, when I got pulled over, turns out I have a suspended license and registration and I freaking forgot to switch out the old insurance cards with my new ones so I got pegged with.

Driving with suspended license.
Driving an unregistered vehicle.
Driving with no proof of Insurance.

Wish I had known, oh well.

[Crying Hyena]

I'll pass cop cars if they're going less than five miles over the speed limit, because they really don't care unless you're going 10+ over or swerving.

At least that's how it works here. The cops are the biggest money-makers for the city so they only pull over people who will be forced to supply the big bucks.

Same here. Unless it's quota making time. At 11+ over, most municipalities can charge the big bucks. At 10 and under, the department doesn't make anything off of you really.

Not really, i'm normaly the only person that over takes them on the motorway when they are doing 60 (70 being the limit in the UK).

Everyone just sits behind them, few people usualy man up and follow me when they see what i'm up to tho.

I think it must be really annoying driving a cop car as everyone slows down when they see you... it would drive me nuts.


I thik they do it on purpose. My friends freak out when I pass them and tell me to slow down. Probably because I have a lawyer I really don't care but I haven't been ticketed for speeding in almost a year now. I guess I'm too much of hassle ;). Cops hate it when you know the laws as well as they do and you challenge them on why you pulled them over. I had a cop fly off his handle on me for when I told him that he couldn't ticket me for a U-Turn because I was in a U-Turn zone. The cop then pointed at a no left hand turn sign down the road from where I was and asked if I saw the no U-Turn sign right there. I told him nope, I see the no left hand turn but not a no U-Turn sign. I was nowhere near that sign when I made it. H wrote me a ticket anyway and while he was writing it, two cars crashed because they were both looking at my friend and I and not paying attention to the intersection.

When I told my city cop friend this, he laughed and told me that it had to be a county cop because the have nothing to do. It was a county cop.

[Ziegler]

EE;2006096']

Driving with suspended license.
Driving an unregistered vehicle.
Driving with no proof of Insurance.

Wish I had known, oh well.

most times...if you go to the county clerk, and show proof of insurance and registration, they'll drop both of those...as to the suspended license...you're fucked.

[Lethn]

I think there's something very wrong with the government of the country your in if you are actually genuinely scared of them, I have to admit I go on edge when I go past cops just on the street but mainly because I know they're armed. But actually here in the UK I have to defend most of the cops just because of how professional they are compared to other countries, if the government weren't so stupid then they'd actually be very effective at protecting people.

I told him nope, I see the no left hand turn but not a no U-Turn sign. I was nowhere near that sign when I made it. H wrote me a ticket anyway and while he was writing it, two cars crashed because they were both looking at my friend and I and not paying attention to the intersection.

rofl you really should have filmed that, would have been a pure comedy moment :D

[Apex Vertigo]

Not irrational, they really are looking for a reason to fuck you over, because they are pricks.

[Carl Ragadamn]

it's not an irrational fear at all. cops are fucking assholes, and the whole law enforcement system is a fucked up extortion sceme to get your money.

even if they stop you, and can't manage to put something on you, the hassle of it all is enough to make you cringe.

when a cop is on the road near you, your swiming with a shark. end of story. i find that in bigger cities, where real crime exists it's less of a problem because cops have bigger fish to fry (more money in real arrests) but in little towns they will tag you with whatever they possibly can, because it's a source of income for the city, not only that but cops have quotas for how many people they are supposed to pull over in a given expanse of time. in my home town if you drive late at night at the end of the month you will get pulled over.

fuck the police. if you know a cop that doesn't work in the inner city tell them they are the biggest loaves of shit you've ever seen, and if they don't quit their job tomorrow they are going to hell.

ARGH!!!!!:bang:

Awfully broad brush strokes there. I know several cops who got the job because they want to help people.

Hell my friend is a small town cop and he writes 4 times as many warnings as tickets. The only people who get tickets are the people driving like idiots (20+ over or speeding in a school zone while the kids are boarding buses) or people who talk their way into a ticket by being dicks.

Part of the problem with cops is that the job doesnt pay particularly well for putting your life at risk, so they get a higher percentage of the people who just want some power over others.

[Staatsschutz]

Is it just me? Or does anyone else have an irrational fear of driving in front of or near copcars?

i can confirm this.