40 kmh over the limit...the Reality

[bertvorgon]

Morning World, and Happy Thanksgiving.

So, my wife and I went up to Manning park this weekend, for one last camping trip with the Boler, Matt came along for one night. Did a beautiful walk in the alpine meadow, at 6,000 feet. Temps went from the mid teens through the day, to -5 at night.

We came back yesterday afternoon. just taking our time, I was in no rush. The posted speed limit is 80 KMH, the road down from the Allison Pass Summit is pretty much down hill the whole way, with only two passing areas, and single lane, very twisty in some spots. I hold up NO ONE, when I tow my Boler, and I was cruising at about 90, even getting passed on the couple of spots where you can do so.

Now, for you locals, who have run this road, there is one stretch at the Rhododendron Flats, where, it is passing both uphill and downhill. It is about a mile long. Before this stretch, it has been single lane, for quite some time. What usually happens, is that if people have been caught behind a slow driver, RV, or semi, is that as soon as that stretch comes along, people give it bullets to pass. Unleashing their slow frustration by putting it pedal to the metal. Because the DOWNHILL section is both quite steep and long, it is easy to build up speed very quickly.

Right at the half way point, is a small hidden pull out into the Rhododendron walk through the forest. This is a classic spot the RCMP sit, and laser anyone coming up or down that hill. The pullout is on the uphill side.

So, again, I am about 6 Km away from said downhill passing, when I see a small blue car coming up behind me, not gaining very quickly at all. I even am able to drop him on the corners, then he catches up on the short straights. I'm still doing about 90 KMH. I see a younger couple in there, talking away.

Up ahead, I am catching up on a REALLY big 5th wheel motor home, who is really parking it in the corners, fair enough, it is BIG. We are now in the really twisty bits. I know that when I get to the downhill passing, I am just going to putter along, thinking of the potential for the police to be there. There is a bit of a hairpin turn onto the straight. As the BIG guy enters the straight, he actually pulls OFF the highway, so I just carry through, putting on my right signal to let the guy behind me know I am aware of him. The couple in the blue car just carry on to my left, not fast at all, as he is aware that I'm not an issue.

Now, back at the campsite, my wife and I had decided to PULL OFF at the Rhododendron park, and go for a walk. In 40 years of going by there, I have never stopped. So, as the blue car passes me, I move over into the left lane.

Up head, I look for the pull out, and sure as hell, I can JUST see the nose of a car. In the next instant, I see the lights come on, and the RCMP guys pulls RIGHT INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC! He has shot the blue car, who now pulls off to the right. I put on my signal and pull into the parking lot. Right there already is a flat bed truck, and, as I park, he is putting the tail down, ready to drag the blue car AWAY. JUDGE, JURY & EXECUTIONER right on the spot. I say the the truck driver the blue car is DONE right? He says yah, done deal. The RCMP guy has them cross over the highway, into the parking lot. I could see the face of the cop, and yah know, I could tell he was a real jerk, power tripping on this whole thing. The poor woman is in tears, the guy is shocked beyond belief. I asked of they did go over 40 KMH over the speed limit, the guy said he did not think so. They sure did not pull away fast from me at all, nor did they rip it up even further down. There they are, as it turns out, coming back from visiting, car full of luggage, and WHAMO...out of the car, it's gone for a week + a day, you are riding in the tow truck, to be dropped off in Hope, to wait 2.5 hours, to catch a Greyhound bus to Vancouver, where they live.
This is where it gets a bit interesting.....I said to them, I sure did not think you were going fast at all, hell, I am good judge of speed, but, it would only take a second to spike at 40 over, with a stupid speed limit of 80 KMH. They asked if I would maybe mention that to the cop. Sure, I walk over, to advocate for them, they were not speeding up behind me etc.. Well, that went over like a lead balloon.

I mumbled, NOT directly at the cop, F#@%& draconian speeding law, and walked away.
Betty and I offered to give them a ride to the South Surrey bus loop. but, they decided it would be better to take the bus, as it goes directly to downtown Vancouver.

The cop meanwhile, gets out of his car, walks over to my van, and writes down the plate number! At this point, I can tell this clown is BIG trouble, and wisely decide NOT to get into a verbal exchange with him. I actually thought he was going to safety check my trailer, just to prove he has POWER.
The flat bed driver warns me that the cops are all over the place today, which I already knew. I thought the cop here would radio my plate number down the line anyhow. Sure enough, at the top of the Hope climb, was the Chevy van, tucked away in another blind pull out. I had decided to run back at 5KMH BELOW the speed limit, just to be safe. Then, about 10KM outside of Hope, I see him coming in my mirror......I wonder.......

So, you would think in this case, the cop could use some discretionary power, maybe take a strip off them, give them a good speeding ticket, blah, blah.. But no, this guy ruins their weekend, and, by the time the dust settles, trip back to get their car, and who knows what other issues he may have over the week with no car, this will cost $2,000.00. Not like is was some guy ripping along at 150 in his corvette.

I wonder, when he climbs into bed at night, if he thinks he has done the judicial industry proud, rendering judgment there on the side of the highway. Leaving the woman in tears, the guy looking like he had been gut shot, a car full of luggage, as the car is loaded onto the flat bed. Nice way to finish Thanksgiving weekend. I guess I should be glad I was not pepper sprayed or tasered, dangerous person that I am.

And, just thinking about the fact that my comment made him do what he did, deliberately making an intimidating move to write my plate down, makes me wonder if he should not take some anger management course. If that is the best the RCMP can do, it's no wonder our perception of them is what it is. Crime fighting at its best.

I also really wonder about the towing industry too, it does raise the question that this truck was there, KNOWING it was a turkey shoot, and what kick backs might be included. Think about the storage fees for a week. That truck burned some fuel to get there, KNOWING that it was a payday for sure! He had that ramp going down, at the point that that cop hit the lights.

That's my rant for the day, and again pointing out we CANNOT be too careful out there now, as that could have been us in our 510's!!!!!

[jason]

There are some real turkey's out there for sure Keith, and not the eating kind. I remember a few years ago an RCMP officer that ticketed me for not coming to a complete stop at a rail crossing. He almost pulled his gun on me as I did not stay in my car as he commanded, with he would have, I would have had a field day with him in court ....

[RONSLYCHUK]

Hey everyone,Is and I went on the cruise to Brittania Beach this morning.On the way there we counted seven different ghost cars that had people pulled over! I guess the government has to pay for the new highway someway eh!

[Ash510]

this just pisses me of when I hear things like this happening. get off your doughnut eating ass and go get some real criminals. people need to get together and boycot these kinds of laws. like you said Kieth it almost sounds like they had this all planned in advance.

I would also like to see a story like this in the paper to see what kind of reaction it would get from other people, maybe we are the dinosours, and this is what is in the publics best interest.

very soon they could put a gps. unit in your car and just send you a ticket in the mail everytime you go over the speed limit. kill me now....

[RMS]

they had it all planed... good money making weekend for the Revenue Collection Monetary Police
http://www.globaltvbc.com/43+vehicles+i ... story.html
no story like the one Bert mentioned just the common "young men driving dangerously"

I find it's hard to argue against the "NANNY STATE" their just looking out for our safety

i would love to see people get together to boycott such laws but the proof is in the thread.....
180 views and 11 replies on a Nazi car and only 79 views on our Nazi laws

[gooned]

oh man, I don't think you can buy a slow enough vehicle to save you from these ass-hats..not going in a healthy direction with all this. It's just a matter of time before people say F this and start RUNNING from the cops - then we'll see something news-worthy as by-standers are pilled into.

@#$%^!!

[510-Trevor]

they had it all planed... good money making weekend for the Revenue Collection Monetary Police
http://www.globaltvbc.com/43+vehicles+i ... story.html
no story like the one Bert mentioned just the common "young men driving dangerously"

I find it's hard to argue against the "NANNY STATE" their just looking out for our safety

i would love to see people get together to boycott such laws but the proof is in the thread.....
180 views and 11 replies on a Nazi car and only 79 views on our Nazi laws

oh man, I don't think you can buy a slow enough vehicle to save you from these ass-hats..not going in a healthy direction with all this. It's just a matter of time before people say F this and start RUNNING from the cops - then we'll see something news-worthy as by-standers are pilled into.
@#$%^!!

You mean news worthy as in a young man who speeding down the highway (yes he was going much faster than the speed limit) tries to pass a camper and ends up running head on into an SUV killing himself and seriously injuring the man and two kids in the SUV (my cousin's kids and husband). THERE IS A VERY GOOD REASON FOR THESE GUYS (GHOST CARS) TO BE OUT THERE. BUT NO, YOU'RE RIGHT, ITS NOT FOR OUR SAFETY, ITS ONLY TO MAKE MONEY.

That said, I don't agree with impounding cars for 40kph over non-racers. I would rather see a higher threshold and a 24hr suspension with a mandatory court appearance.

[okayfine]

I find it's hard to argue against the "NANNY STATE" their just looking out for our safety

You asked.

40kph is ~25mph. Someone doing 25mph over the limit in my locale (qualified so that I can comment on relative speeds and local speed limits - I have no idea what your roads are like nor what their posted limits are) - I want the police to do their thing*. 25mph over the limit on my nearest main thoroughfare (medianed four-lane with side streets, driveways, bike lanes, etc.) is 75mph. 25mph over on the freeway is 90mph. 25mph over a country backroad is anywhere from 65mph to 80mph or so.

It's not a "nanny state" to bust people for that kind of speed*. And in any case, virtually all the laws we or you have are because of the lowest common denominator. Stupid people doing stupid stuff that most people don't do...but someone pays the price and then we have to have a law banning it.

i would love to see people get together to boycott such laws but the proof is in the thread.....

That's the thing. You don't "boycott" such laws. You don't like the laws, get them changed. That's part of the reason you live in a (relative) democracy. People all over bitch and moan about stuff (like laws) they don't like. So they just ignore them. That's great, so now you're more important than anyone else? No. You don't like the law, change it. It happens All The Time. Sometimes, it even happens for the good of everyone.

180 views and 11 replies on a Nazi car and only 79 views on our Nazi laws

I fail to see how anything in this thread or related topics qualifies it as anything close to anything related to "Naziism." Get real.

You want to debate the law in question? Great, that's a start towards potentially changing it. Dropping some Nazi bombs? Not.

*does that thing include yanking their car for a week and leaving them stranded in BFE? Depends. 75mph on my local road? Yes please. 90mph on the freeway? Maybe, depending on conditions. +25mph on backroads with no one around and no one coming or going? No. All the same, in my area, IMO, 25mph over is excessive.

[RMS]

i hope i didn't offend you with my nazi comment i just watch too much top gear. every time a Porsche or VW Bug is mentioned Clarkson starts in on the nazis.

I was just trying to show the interest level that has been given to the Porsche 962 in relation to this thread.

yes boycott is wrong it should be repeal.

for me any "safety concern" will always be seen as a "nanny state" agenda.
so make sure your tied off with an approved harnesses when higher than 3ft, make sure you have two spotters when backing up, never lift any thing that weighs more than 40lb and never let your children out side to play. its a dangerous world

im reminded of a letter that was posted at a maintenance yard back in the early ninety's that said : if you drink at lunch don't drink so much that it inhibits you to do your job. I will never see another one like it

[bertvorgon]

My original commentary was based on the police using some discretionary judgement, in some cases.

While I agree 25 MPH over on some zones is unacceptable, in my case that was a wide open highway, with zip for traffic, on a downhill section, with a ridiculous low speed limit.

OKFINE, you should know that in this province, we have had some MAJOR issues with the RCMP more than exceeding their mandate, and have had some very BAD apples, who have done some criminal things.

Just saying that they need to enforce the law, but, like anything, some situations need to be looked at individually.

[okayfine]

i hope i didn't offend you with my nazi comment

No, and I watch more than my fair share of TGUK. IMO it wasn't necessary to your point.

I was just trying to show the interest level that has been given to the Porsche 962 in relation to this thread.

Well, sure. People like to be happy and watch cool videos. Look up the YouTube hits for something innocuous/silly vs. US presidential debate coverage. PSY's Gangnam Style has hundreds of millions of views

for me any "safety concern" will always be seen as a "nanny state" agenda.

I would disagree. MUST safety be first? No, and in practice it is not always, even when mandated by a strict safety program with enforcement. That said, "any" safety concern being "nanny state" agenda is extreme to the other degree.

im reminded of a letter that was posted at a maintenance yard back in the early ninety's that said : if you drink at lunch don't drink so much that it inhibits you to do your job. I will never see another one like it

And, depending on what industry you work in, you shouldn't. Especially these days, when common sense has long been defeated. If you want to point the finger at the cause of the "nanny state" look to all the unqualified/incapable people doing stuff they shouldn't be doing and causing damage, injury, and death to themselves and others in the process. Laws are reactionary.

My original commentary was based on the police using some discretionary judgement, in some cases.

On the one hand, I agree. But at the same time, giving police "some" discretionary judgement allows them to become what you decried in your OP: judge, jury, and executioner. In a strict ideal sense the police would ticket everyone and everybody and never let anyone off with a warning. Their job is enforcement, it's to the courts to determine guilt or innocence. Now, that would be a complete mess and everyone would hate it, but police in the US at least don't really have a discretionary mandate, even though that's the way it works all over the US and everyone looks the other way because of the alternative.

While I agree 25 MPH over on some zones is unacceptable, in my case that was a wide open highway, with zip for traffic, on a downhill section, with a ridiculous low speed limit

Of that list, I think the "ridiculous low speed limit" is the real issue. In CA we have (in most cases) speed limits that are set by the 85-percentile - that is, speed limits are set after the roadway has been surveyed to determine the speed of 85% of drivers. Now, recently CA passed a law giving some cities leeway with regards to setting some limits, and that's caused some problems. Flip side is that on those roads where the limit is set artificially low, they can't use radar/lidar for enforcement, since that is considered a speed trap.

But combine artificially low speed limits with juiced enforcement AND overzealous penalties such as in your OP Keith, and there's only one person who's going to disagree the situation is FUBAR - the ticketing officer you wrote about.

Man, "Due South" gave the total wrong impression of the RCMP!

[RMS]

I was just trying to show the interest level that has been given to the Porsche 962 in relation to this thread.

Well, sure. People like to be happy and watch cool videos. Look up the YouTube hits for something innocuous/silly vs. US presidential debate coverage. PSY's Gangnam Style has hundreds of millions of views

i dont know why that is. i often find Presidential debates amusing