Hrm, that got me thinking about the times I've "dealt" with cops before.
- When I was still in high school, I was driving through Berkley Springs, WV with my Grandma & Pop (Grandad). I had the cruise control set to 55 mph, and the line of cars behind me to prove it. A state trooper going the other way pulled a gravel-spitting u-turn and pulled me over for "76 in a 55". I told him that I had the cruise control set to 55, and didn't understand how I could have been going 76. (Not to mention that the taurus station-wagon I was driving would have exploded had I tried to drive it that fast. lol) He went back to his car to run my license, etc., and then gave me a written warning for 76 in a 55. To me, that was basically an admission that he'd fucked up, but I wasn't gonna press the issue.
- In early 1996 I was pulled over by a VA State Trooper in Mount Jackson district on I-81. His first words to me were "Didn't you just get pulled over going north-bound?" (I was headed south-bound, back to college. "Umm...... no." But, he gave me a ticket anyway. Now, I was speeding, probably about 72 in a 65, but he wrote me up for 78 in a 65. Of course, I'd have to sacrifice three days of school to drive back up to Mt. Jackson to defend against it, so I just paid it.
- I got pulled over in Blacksburg, VA for doing 43 in a 25. Thing is, no one in town drove that road like it was 25 mph. I told the cop that I thought it was a 35 zone (I lived across town at the time) and that I would slow down. Let me go with a verbal warning.
- Several times (four that I can think of), Blacksburg PD have responded to a distressed motorist or accident while I was there helping. I just want to say that Blacksburg PD are the most professional and courteous officers I've ever dealt with.
- I actually did a ride along (or Civilian Observation Patrol [COP, get it?] as I think it was actually called) with the Blacksburg PD. It was a lot of fun, and let me just say that those Chevy Caprice police models will haul ass when you push them. We dealt with a number of minor things (domestic complaints, noise, speeding), but the highlight of the evening was responding to a call out in the county. The Sheriff's Department was all on the other side of the county dealing with a suicide case when a local guy called to report that someone had followed him home from Roanoke. The Sheriff's Department asked Blacksburg PD to respond, and that's when I got to see what a Caprice will do.
- I ran into the median on I-81 while avoiding a collision one rainy night. A VA State Trooper stopped and called a wrecker for us. Since I didn't hit any signs or anything, there was no ticket. Polite enough, although I wouldn't call him friendly.
- Another state trooper responded to an accident in Christiansburg, VA. I left when he arrived, so I didn't really deal with him much. I was carrying at the time, and had no interest in hanging out with a State Trooper, lol. I was legal, mind you, just didn't want to deal with it if he noticed.
- I never had to deal with Virginia Tech Police any as a student, but I did have to get them to file a report once while I worked there. The officer who responded (I think it was the watch commander, but I don't remember anymore), was very professional as well.
