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calling the cops....

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,238
393
NY
Have you called the cops while driving when you saw something or witnessed a drunk driver?

I was coming to work yesterday and this guy must have crossed the yellow line about 8 times within 15min. I'm fairly sure he wasn't on his cell either.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,942
13,135
Portland, OR
Cops around here call it being a "cell phone bandit". They appreciate it 9 times out of 10. I have not, but I would if the situation came up.
 

Upgr8r

High Priest or maybe Jedi Master
May 2, 2006
941
0
Ventura, CA
I've done it several times when I've witnessed either extreme reckless driving or possible DUI's. Twice I've seen the vehicle in question pulled over by the CHP further up the road
 

boogenman

Turbo Monkey
Nov 3, 2004
4,290
973
BUFFALO
I try not to call the cops for people that may seem a bit drunk, never called the cops with one exception.

It was about 10pm I was on the expressway on my home and a car was speeding towards me 60+mph on my side of the expressway. There is a 70-100ft median with a ditch between the 2 directions. :disgust1:
 

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,238
393
NY
Cops around here call it being a "cell phone bandit". They appreciate it 9 times out of 10. I have not, but I would if the situation came up.
Someone called on you?


The guys passed a few buses in the on coming lane and all I could think of is if the dirt bag hurt my daughter of someone from my family and I could have prevented it.
 

Upgr8r

High Priest or maybe Jedi Master
May 2, 2006
941
0
Ventura, CA
The guys passed a few buses in the on coming lane and all I could think of is if the dirt bag hurt my daughter of someone from my family and I could have prevented it.

I feel the same way. I don't call just to be an asshat, but if they are clearly a danger thats a different story.
 

maddog17

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2008
2,815
105
Methuen, Mass. U.S.A.
i tried once. saw this drunk driver all over the road. i called and the phone just rang and rang and rang...... 10mins!!!!!!! nobody ever picked up.

police fail!!
 

MMike

A fowl peckerwood.
Sep 5, 2001
18,207
105
just sittin' here drinkin' scotch
I've done it once when I was in Seattle.

Of course I've had it done to me.....my wife (then girlfriend) tends to be a bit of a leadfoot. We were heading back to Seattle on I-5 around Sacramento i think. The cop that pulled us over said that a black Celica heading north was reported weaving through traffic driving too fast. My wife ladies and gentlemen....
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma
Sure have... coming out of the booze-mart with some beers when the wife says... wow, this guy here in the blazer is sh!tfaced, he could barely walk to his car with his bottle of vodka. Just for sh!ts we follow this guy, lots of swerving, then... just as he was getting ready to leave the strip, in the home stretch (lots of streetside parked card on this road), he swerves a bit too much and sideswipes this nice red SUV. Took the side mirror off and left a nice imprint of his own SUV in the side.

So we kept following this moron, got his tag, followed him all the way to his house at a distance. Got his address... returned to the scene of the swipe... left a note on dude's wrecked car with drunk dude's tag number and address. Then we called all that sh!t in.

Felt like justice to me... hit and run, driving ultra drunk... to the store, no less, to buy more booze... like he needed more... What a prick.
 
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Wumpus

makes avatars better
Dec 25, 2003
8,161
153
Six Shooter Junction
We called on a drunk driver once. Unfortunately the ass got off the interstate, and the cops ended up pulling over the wrong guy.


I've also called on a few dogs chasing me.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,191
media blackout
I've done it once when I was in Seattle.

Of course I've had it done to me.....my wife (then girlfriend) tends to be a bit of a leadfoot. We were heading back to Seattle on I-5 around Sacramento i think. The cop that pulled us over said that a black Celica heading north was reported weaving through traffic driving too fast. My wife ladies and gentlemen....
this just proves that women shouldn't drive.
 

Sghost

Turbo Monkey
Jul 13, 2008
1,038
0
NY
If Manimal's cell was leaked on RM I bet they would be getting a lot more calls :monkeydance:


I've only had to call 1 drunk in. Last winter was following behind watching a guy swerve all over, he then ended up flying off the road slipping right under the wire guardrails. It was a bit of a drop on the other side and the front end of his car was a bit submerged in a pond. Between the sinking and being a white crossfire blending in with the snow I figured I should call if he ever wanted to be found.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,191
media blackout
If Manimal's cell was leaked on RM I bet they would be getting a lot more calls :monkeydance:


I've only had to call 1 drunk in. Last winter was following behind watching a guy swerve all over, he then ended up flying off the road slipping right under the wire guardrails. It was a bit of a drop on the other side and the front end of his car was a bit submerged in a pond. Between the sinking and being a white crossfire blending in with the snow I figured I should call if he ever wanted to be found.
While some people might say you did the right thing, I on the other hand, think you should have let natural selection take its course.
 

Sghost

Turbo Monkey
Jul 13, 2008
1,038
0
NY
While some people might say you did the right thing, I on the other hand, think you should have let natural selection take its course.
Normally I'm all for natural selection, but the pond connects to a few streams nearby that my trails cross through. Wouldn't want any sludge wrecking my mojo.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
I was on the 101 South one night when a smaller silver hatchback went from driving ~90 MPH, to slowing down somewhat erratically, to pulling onto the shoulder, to BACKING UP INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. Needless to say I called, but they couldn't find anything wrong with the guy once they pulled him over. Very weird to say the least.
 

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
I was on the 101 South one night when a smaller silver hatchback went from driving ~90 MPH, to slowing down somewhat erratically, to pulling onto the shoulder, to BACKING UP INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. Needless to say I called, but they couldn't find anything wrong with the guy once they pulled him over. Very weird to say the least.
Guy was driving with his girlfriend and she tossed his favorite heroin spoon out the window...
 

hooples3

Fuggetaboutit!
Mar 14, 2005
5,245
0
Brooklyn
actually yes.. today I saw a NYC bus with ppl on it and the front of it said "Call 911" and then "Emergency" so i did... I wonder what happened
 

CRoss

Turbo Monkey
Nov 20, 2006
1,329
0
The Ranch
I called the cops once on a city bus driver. The bus sped past me riding my road bike then as I was about even with the rear wheel it starts to pull over for a bus stop. Luckily the curb moved over a lane for the bus stop pull off so I was able to avoid getting taken out. As I rode past the driver looked at me like I was in the way so I pulled out the cell phone and called the cops. The cops found the bus and pulled him over. They could only talk to him and issue a warning since no one else saw what happened.
 

manimal

Ociffer Tackleberry
Feb 27, 2002
7,212
17
Blindly running into cactus
here's the rule of thumb:

some jackass is driving like an idiot but is out of sight by the time you get to your phone = don't bother (we have to observe the reckless driving before we can stop the vehicle)

some dude has crossed center line several times, his speed is erratic, and it's obvious the driver will probably hurt someone = CALL...try to stay with it to guide the officers to it but not so close you're endangering yourself.

at my agency, when someone calls in a reckless driver it is simply sent as a message to our mobile data terminals (in car laptop running on 3G broadband :D ) as a "lookout"

if it's a drunk driver and the caller still has eyes on it we'll make it an actual call and dispatch an officer to it.

so, again. bad driver not being polite = give 'em the bird
drunk driver about to kill someone = call and give good details
 

1453

Monkey
drunk driver about to kill someone = call and give good details
what about drunks going 100 swerving all over the road, I have license plate number, description of the car, model, year range, color, etc, and I'm on hold for 10 minutes?

Because last three times I called about people who were obviously drunk they were also going VERY over 90mph and I hung up at the 10 minute mark(still on hold).
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
Yup! I haven't done it often, but I did manage to get (what I believe to have been) one drunk driver off the road!!! Person was weaving all over the road and passing everyone in site (no passing zone and 40mph -- they were going about 55-60). I had a school bus coming toward me and when they passed me, they cut in and then proceeded to pass the stopped school-bus (VERY close to the center line). I followed the car, gave the location, plate # and a description before they got too far away. I saw them walking the line with two sheriffs a couple of miles down the road :busted:
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,022
Sleazattle
I'll call the cops as long as it isn't a friend, family member or someone in the same industry as I am. I'm selective...
 

Hunter

Monkey
Sep 14, 2006
793
0
The Right coast
Only once have I ever called the cops on someone. Driving on the NYS Thurway, cruising around 75 in the fast lane...car came up on me really fast, I got out of the way and they zoomed past around 80 or 85. Teenager boy in the front passanger seat was very obviously ripping a bong hit, and the little sedan they were driving had only a spare tire donut on the front right tire. Not good. I swear some people think their car windows only work for looking out.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,520
7,069
Colorado
I do it when the risk threshold is high. Drunk divers? Check. Unsafe, overloaded pickup trucks? Check. Street racing? Definately.

I had a bunch of teenagers blow past me at well over 100mph ( I was doing 80+ and got past like I was standing still) in riced out Honda's on 101 a few months ago. Had the fiance call 911 and report, we caught up long enough to get the license plate #'s (I was in an M3, speed and handlking? check.) then dropped off. Within 2-3 min three CHP cars flew past us doing again, WELL over 100mph. About 1 mile down all the ricers were pulled over.
I got a stern lecturing from the 911 operator for speeding to get the license plates, but the cop they put me through to thanked me for calling and getting the plate numbers. He told me not to drive like an idiot, but I got a call from him later regarding my inital call, asking if I was the guy in the track prepped M3 they passed, which I was. We had a 2min conversation on my "track education", to which he commented that he wished more drivers who "knew the rules" would make the calls and get key info.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
I'll call the cops as long as it isn't a friend, family member or someone in the same industry as I am. I'm selective...
+rep.


i've called 911 on clearly drunk drivers twice, and followed both of them until i saw each pulled over by the responding officer.