Don't speed behind cops (contains pwnage)

[bhskittykatt]

Was driving home along the Interstate during the morning rush. I was in the right lane, doing my 70mph, along with several other cars all doing 70mph. Just happily cruising along.

Suddenly, a state patrol SUV suddenly rockets by me in the passing lane. He quickly slows until he's just ahead of me, and starts keeping pace with traffic in my lane. Hubby and I were just and wondering what he was doing.

Behind him was a silver Prius. After a minute or so, the state patrol SUV sped up...I'd guess to at least 80mph or so. The Prius in turn sped up and followed along.

"That's real smart," Hubby muttered. "Go speed up to catch up with the cop."

A few miles down the road, we saw the SUV again, this time pulled over to the side, lights flashing. He'd pulled over the silver Prius!

We think he must have been using his speed to gauge the Prius' speed before letting the Prius pass and pulling it over, or something like that.

*Note* Given the Prius was behind the patrol SUV, I don't think it realized it was state patrol until it was too late. Here, there's no real markings on the backs of the SUVs, and in a small car it can be hard to see the light bar on top.

[Kazim]

Bwhahahahahahaha
I love it.
even if my neighbors will think i've gone of the deep end laughing like this at 1 am :P

[Cymberleah]

Wait wait wait. There's one part of your story that isn't making sense. Now, I've driven through [yourcity]. I used to live in [yourcity]. If you were in the city, your driving speed in the right lane is 52-55mph. If you are outside of [yourcity] to one of the places where the speed limit is 70mph, I still never get to drive 70mph in the right hand lane; it's always 62-67mph.

The rest of the story is completely believable, though, as the left hand lane is always 70mph through [yourcity] and 80-88mph where the limit goes up.

Note: I am ever grateful that I don't have to merge onto the freeway in [yourcity] anymore, as merging from one lane to the other was always a bit of a gamble.

[bhskittykatt]

Wait wait wait. There's one part of your story that isn't making sense. Now, I've driven through [yourcity]. I used to live in [yourcity]. If you were in the city, your driving speed in the right lane is 52-55mph. If you are outside of [yourcity] to one of the places where the speed limit is 70mph, I still never get to drive 70mph in the right hand lane; it's always 62-67mph.

The rest of the story is completely believable, though, as the left hand lane is always 70mph through [yourcity] and 80-88mph where the limit goes up.

Note: I am ever grateful that I don't have to merge onto the freeway in [yourcity] anymore, as merging from one lane to the other was always a bit of a gamble.

It was about six miles outside [my city]. You must have never been driving through there at the right time. Get there just as the morning rush starts ...there's other traffic starting to head out, but it's not heavy enough yet to be slow. This happened around 7:20ish, and was shortly before reaching [city that is north of my city].

[PepperElf]

Wait wait wait. There's one part of your story that isn't making sense. Now, I've driven through [yourcity]. I used to live in [yourcity]. If you were in the city, your driving speed in the right lane is 52-55mph. If you are outside of [yourcity] to one of the places where the speed limit is 70mph, I still never get to drive 70mph in the right hand lane; it's always 62-67mph.

You should come out here then. Most traffic on the 70 zones is 70-80. Cars doing 65 usually end up creating hazards for the other drivers around here.

[Cymberleah]

Ok, the north side tends to be a bit nicer, at least once you pass [horridofframpsbymall]. I went to [local university] when I lived there, so I spent most of my time in [the city] or parts south.

Most of my driving in [yourcity] now is on my way to Canada and back. It's oddly frustrating to be driving through the city at 3pm on a Sunday and have someone slowly get on at Sunset and drive 50mph in the slow lane until they get off at the next exit. But in a way, it's comforting, to know that drivers in [yourcity] never change.

[bhskittykatt]

Ok, the north side tends to be a bit nicer, at least once you pass [horridofframpsbymall]. I went to [local university] when I lived there, so I spent most of my time in [the city] or parts south.

Most of my driving in [yourcity] now is on my way to Canada and back. It's oddly frustrating to be driving through the city at 3pm on a Sunday and have someone slowly get on at Sunset and drive 50mph in the slow lane until they get off at the next exit. But in a way, it's comforting, to know that drivers in [yourcity] never change.

LOL I know exactly what you're talking about. People get on the interstate and treat it just like any other city road.

Hubby is from Salem, OR. You don't really need to use I-5 to get across town there...you take Hawthorne or Lancaster which run parallel to the highway. He said he was completely flummoxed that people here use the interstate just to get across town. He now understands why (our side-streets tend to be slow, screwy and maze-like), but he says it still weirds him out from time to time.

[PepperElf]

"That's real smart," Hubby muttered. "Go speed up to catch up with the cop."

Although... if you think about it, it'd be kinda shitty for the cop to issue a speeding ticket for that. I mean if the cop's speeding too...

I saw one guy claim on one of my other message boards that he got out of a ticket that way.... He paced the cop, not thinking and she pulled over to tag his speed and then pull him over. Supposedly when she asked him the traditional question - "do you know how fast you were going" - his answer was completely honest... "I don't know officer. I was just following you."

he has balls, i'll grant him that.

[Pagan]

LOL I know exactly what you're talking about. People get on the interstate and treat it just like any other city road.

Hubby is from Salem, OR. You don't really need to use I-5 to get across town there...you take Hawthorne or Lancaster which run parallel to the highway. He said he was completely flummoxed that people here use the interstate just to get across town. He now understands why (our side-streets tend to be slow, screwy and maze-like), but he says it still weirds him out from time to time.

People do that here, too, using I-25 and I-40. Unless I'm actually leaving town, I avoid the interstates like the plague. Why go thorugh the Big I if I don't have to? Even when I'm heading out to my friend's out in Tijeras, I take the state road that runs parallel to I40.

[PepperElf]

People do that here, too, using I-25 and I-40. Unless I'm actually leaving town, I avoid the interstates like the plague. Why go thorugh the Big I if I don't have to? Even when I'm heading out to my friend's out in Tijeras, I take the state road that runs parallel to I40.

you can do that here too. you can take a small highway to get from exit 5 to exit 7 here... or you can just go down the road and turn left. Overall the only thing I think you save is maybe 2-3 minutes depending on the traffic lights.

[drunkenwildmage]

Although... if you think about it, it'd be kinda shitty for the cop to issue a speeding ticket for that. I mean if the cop's speeding too...

I saw one guy claim on one of my other message boards that he got out of a ticket that way.... He paced the cop, not thinking and she pulled over to tag his speed and then pull him over. Supposedly when she asked him the traditional question - "do you know how fast you were going" - his answer was completely honest... "I don't know officer. I was just following you."

he has balls, i'll grant him that.

I can't remember if it's a local, or state law, but I believe there is a law on the books around here that says something to the effect that 'A marked patrol car can travel up to 20 mph over the posted speed limit without the use of lights or a siren'. I'm sure there is more to it.. but I can't remember off the top of my head..


Oh and another thing I noticed from the OP.. . Someone manage to get a Toyota Prius to do 80?!

[dalesys]

Oh and another thing I noticed from the OP.. . Someone manage to get a Toyota Prius to do 80?!

We buzzed a Prius across Nevada averaging 80 with 5 adults in it. Got 45 mpg too.

[Arcus]

I was surprised to have a Prius pass me north of Vegas. Traffic was moving at just under 80 when he went by at a much higher speed.