OT: Highway Patrol Fund Raising (rant of sorts)

[Louis]

Earlier this morning I got a call from the MO Highway Patrol - apparently this is the time of year where they do fund raising. You donate some amount of money and they send you a sticker ("Slow down and move over" or something like that) which you can place on the rear window of your car.

This sort of arm twisting bothers me to no end. I told the guy if he would support fund raising by officers telling folks they have stopped on the highway that they could avoid a speeding ticket if they contributed $50 to some fund, and of course he said no. Well, I told him that what he was doing was no different, since the only reason people got the stickers was in the hope that it would sway the officer into letting them go without a fine.

Of course they always deny that that is the point of the sticker, but we all know that's a lie.

So after some back and forth I told him to have a good day and I hung up on him. I'm now probably on some black-list and it's just a matter of time until they make me pay one way or another.

Bottom line: this is extortion, essentially at the point of a gun, and they should not be allowed to do it.

Louis

[RPS]

Bottom line: this is extortion, essentially at the point of a gun, and they should not be allowed to do it.

Louis
Sounds a lot like a recent news report on the Better Business Bureau. Those who spent the money to become a member got higher ratings. :crap:

[BengeBoy]

No offense to the Missouri Highway Patrol, but a number of these solicitations made on behalf of law enforcement agencies are scams at worst or super-inefficient charities at best.

Often they represent themselves as benefiting the unions, pension funds, or survivor's funds....they are basically outside fundraising companies who are hired to raise funds. The ones I've researched in the past were very, very inefficient (meaning, they kept most of what they raised for themselves, pass along a little to the law enforcement unions or pension funds).

Do some google searches on law enforcement charity scams -- it's not pretty.

I never give money on the phone. I figure out where I want my money to go, write a few checks each year, and ignore any and all phone solicitations.


The folks who called you may be wonderful and entirely legit, but I personally wouldn't feel bad saying "no."

[Dekonick]

Don't give to any phone collectors... If you want to give, give directly to a widow and orphans fund... or better yet... give your support and vote for candidates that support public safety. We had one county council member who actually said it is cheaper to let a few houses burn than to hire firefighters... guess he doesn't care about the medical care that comes with them...

Anyway - those are phone scams even if they are legit. They all take a large slice of the donation so why not just give directly? Believe me no sticker will prevent you from getting a ticket... but a donation may help some cops kids go to college.

I still say the best support is with a vote. :D

[Peter P.]

Believe me no sticker will prevent you from getting a ticket... :D

A while back there was an article in the Hartford Courant about a long time, similar CT State Police program for widows.

Here's the program: http://www.hundredclubofct.org/

It's called the "100 Club" because donors donate a C-note and get a very large, bronze colored badge looking like the emblem in the upper left corner of the web site, which is invariably affixed to the rear of the car, usually seen on the bumper or adjacent to the license plate.

Of course, the State Police deny any quid pro quo regarding this program. Then why is it predominantly seen on higher end cars presumably owned by the more affluent? What's the purpose of mounting the equivalent of a WWE belt buckle on your bumper?

I wasn't born yesterday.

[AngryScientist]

these are the guys who sit in a heated / air-conditioned car, burning fuel in their V8 cars while construction crews work, making double overtime for "safety"

??

[Ahneida Ride]

and they say "This is Marshal Jones"

So you think his is actual a Marshal, not that his name is Marshal.
Very clever on their part.

I bet the Police get 10 cents on every frn. :eek:

[Ken Robb]

the scam in CA. is 10-99

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . from me about "boot drives" where you get stopped for a traffic light and there's the local volunteer fire department or "fire police" standing there with boots and you're supposed to donate. Worse yet are the ones where there is no traffic light. They just set up on a slow spot in the road or at a 4-way stop and the traffic backs up from here to California.

A couple of months ago they set up at rush hour at the main intersection at the north end of the Rexford bridge--a main choke point crossing of the river during afternoon rush. Traffic is normally backed up a mile anyway to get across this bridge at that time and that day it was a total clusterf***.

Also add the state troopers doing all the things on the NYS Thruway that would get you or I a ticket in about ten seconds--all while traffic whizzes by at 75mph. Driving talking on their cell phones. Sitting in a ten foot wide median under a bridge at night with no lights on. Driving at 90+ with no emergency lights on. If it's an emergency and they must drive that fast, why no lights? It goes on and on. For some reason NYS troopers are by far the worst. :mad:

BBD

[rePhil]

Or maybe they are the ones responding to a domestic where a guy is holding a gun to the babies momma's head while she is screaming for help to a 911 dispatcher while their kids watch.
Or responding to a LBS when someone attempted a smash & go.
I have a tainted view as my wife and son are both LE.

I will be the first to agree that the fundraising is a scam. They usually feign ignorance when asked how much actually goes to LE.

I also know of a United Way fundraiser who was "earning" over 100k, and this was 15 years ago.


these are the guys who sit in a heated / air-conditioned car, burning fuel in their V8 cars while construction crews work, making double overtime for "safety"

??

[Dekonick]

deleted by me after some reflection...

[bigflax925]

+1

Thanks for beating me to it.

I have too many friends and co-workers on ODMP.org.


It is easy to resent the salary and benefits afforded to LEO and public safety folks - especially when the economy isn't too hot. It is easy to point out aspects of the job that make your average LEO /FF/ EMT look lazy, privileged etc - you can do that for just about anyone's job. What you don't see is that these folks put their lives on hold for YOU. Working holidays, disasters natural or otherwise, taking care of others when they would much rather be taking care of their own family. They have among the highest divorce rates of any job sector, high rates of substance abuse, suicide, and in general (for FF's ) live 10 years LESS than the average citizen. You might think about giving them a break once in awhile - they aren't the enemy.

As far as the fund raising goes - yeah... it is crappy they way they attempt to extort funds. Believe me your average LEO doesn't care if you give or not... but how many of you can name even one co worker that died because of the work they do? I have lost 2 close friends and know many others who bear scars from third degree burns or are missing limbs. Other than our brave folks in the military can you say the same?

Sorry BBD - your post hit a raw nerve with me.

Eric Schaefer - you will always be remembered.
Luke Hoffman - your life was cut short too soon.
To the 343 who died 9-11-01 your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed.

firefighterclosecalls.com - just to give you an idea of what happens every day.

Anyone want me to put up a link so you can listen to a firefighter scream as he is burned alive? For 14 minutes you can hear him... IF you can handle it I am more than willing to email you the link so you will never think these folks don't give their all. They do. They do willingly and they know they might not come home tomorrow. Cut them a little slack.

Rant over...

sorry 'bout that...

[rugbysecondrow]

deleted by me after some reflection...
You should have left it up Mike. Take care

[sjbraun]

Louis wrote:
"Bottom line: this is extortion, essentially at the point of a gun, and they should not be allowed to do it."

Sir, aren't you being just a bit paranoid. It's just a phone solicitation; no jack-booted thugs breaking down the front door.

I tell all phone solicitors the same thing. "You're program sounds like it does a lot of good, but we have a policy in this household of not contributing to any phone solicitations. Please remove us from your call list. Goodbye."


Steve

[Louis]

Sir, aren't you being just a bit paranoid. It's just a phone solicitation; no jack-booted thugs breaking down the front door.

It may be just a phone solicitation, but it's also a protection scheme that works only because of their official authority, which is enforced in part by the gun on their hip. (And the huge MagLite they hold threateningly over your head when they stop you at night in your car.)

[firerescuefin]

. . . . . . from me about "boot drives" where you get stopped for a traffic light and there's the local volunteer fire department or "fire police" standing there with boots and you're supposed to donate. Worse yet are the ones where there is no traffic light. They just set up on a slow spot in the road or at a 4-way stop and the traffic backs up from here to California.

A couple of months ago they set up at rush hour at the main intersection at the north end of the Rexford bridge--a main choke point crossing of the river during afternoon rush. Traffic is normally backed up a mile anyway to get across this bridge at that time and that day it was a total clusterf***.
BBD


Very interesting post coming from a guy who months ago (while riding his bike) broke his neck and was c-collared, put on a spine board, and convinced to go to the hospital by FF/EMT's ...possibly saving him from paralysis.

The pass the boot campaign is supported nationwide by firefighters supporting MDA. Sorry that does not rate with you as something you want to pitch a few dollars in for....or for that matter are willing to be inconvenienced by.

Unreal.

[gdw]

"It may be just a phone solicitation, but it's also a protection scheme that works only because of their official authority, which is enforced in part by the gun on their hip. (And the huge MagLite they hold threateningly over your head when they stop you at night in your car.)"

BS. All you have to do is say "no thank you, goodbye". The guy making the call is not a police officer and can't do anything to you. As to the maglite, the officer holds it above your head so he can shine it down into the car to make sure that you don't have any weapons handy. He has no idea who you are when he approaches your car and in his line of work he can't take chances.

[rw229]

In NJ a contribution will get you a PBA card or a sticker. Get pulled over, show your card and you have a chance of being let go.

Be well connected or related to someone in LE and get a big badge to suction cup to your windshield and be almost invincible.

In PA, you can support the FOP and get a badge to attach to your license plate. If you're in LE or related, you can get (a smaller, serialized) one to indicate that you're "in".

Is it right? Possibly not, but that's how it works in certain parts of our country.

ETA... if you find yourself being pulled over on the interstate, find a spot where you can get WAY over and not make the the officer the white line. Be respectful and in most cases, you will be treated with respect.

[Louis]

As to the maglite, the officer holds it above your head so he can shine it down into the car to make sure that you don't have any weapons handy.

Of course they give you the option of saying "No" but with the implied threat of making you pay on the highway, otherwise, why offer the sticker? That's clearly not a free choice.

You obviously haven't seen how they hold the light. I have, in person. There's holding it such that it can provide light to see inside the car and there's holding it like a club so you can provide light and smash somebody's skull if you choose to do so.

[rw229]

I'm sure you're a nice guy but if you had to deal with some of the Sh*% cops have to deal with, I'm pretty sure you would hold your flashlight in the same manner... if not draw down on every person who was rooting around their car for their registration when you approached their car.



Of course they give you the option of saying "No" but with the implied threat of making you pay on the highway, otherwise, why offer the sticker? That's clearly not a free choice.

You obviously haven't seen how they hold the light. I have, in person. There's holding it such that it can provide light to see inside the car and there's holding it like a club so you can provide light and smash somebody's skull if you choose to do so.

[firerescuefin]

Of course they give you the option of saying "No" but with the implied threat of making you pay on the highway, otherwise, why offer the sticker? That's clearly not a free choice.

You obviously haven't seen how they hold the light. I have, in person. There's holding it such that it can provide light to see inside the car and there's holding it like a club so you can provide light and smash somebody's skull if you choose to do so.


there's holding it like a club so you can provide light and smash somebody's skull if you NEED to do so.

Louis, you don't like being fundraised....got it. I work with a lot of cops and like any other profession, the bell curve applies. Most of these folks are great/good people that do a job that you don't want to do, that society needs them to do. Yeah, if you say that you support them with your little sticker, you may get a break. My IAFF sticker has got me out of a ticket. So what. A young officer with 3 kids got his face shot off 3 weeks ago on a routine traffic stop by a drugged out felon with outstanding warrants driving his GF's car. At this point, your rant and generalizations are becoming annoying.

[Louis]

if not draw down on every person who was rooting around their car for their registration when you approached their car.

I agree - for them any stop may be end up in trouble, and they have no way of knowing beforehand who I am or what sort of threat I may pose.

Which is why whenever I'm pulled over (a few times in the last 20+ years) I immediately remove my license from my wallet and registration from the spot where I keep it and place them on the dash in full view, then place my hands on the steering wheel.

By the time the officer approaches the window all I have to do is pick them up and give them to him, with no funny business.

[gdw]

"Of course they give you the option of saying "No" but with the implied threat of making you pay on the highway, otherwise, why offer the sticker? That's clearly not a free choice.

You obviously haven't seen how they hold the light. I have, in person. There's holding it such that it can provide light to see inside the car and there's holding it like a club so you can provide light and smash somebody's skull if you choose to do so."

As a former police officer and one of the guys who helped design some of the software products that those evil cops use in their cars I find your post rather amusing. As others have stated, the maglite can be a DEFENSIVE weapon in an emergency situation.

[Louis]

Louis, you don't like being fundraised....got it.

No, I don't think you get it.

It's not that I don't like "being fundraised." I haven't posted about all the other fund raising calls I get. It's the way they do it that bothers me.

[Louis]

As a former police officer and one of the guys who helped design some of the software products that those evil cops use in their cars I find your post rather amusing. As others have stated, the maglite can be a DEFENSIVE weapon in an emergency situation.

And I hope that software helps them do their jobs as safely and efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, it probably won't help them with their fund raising efforts.

[firerescuefin]

Bottom line: this is extortion, essentially at the point of a gun, and they should not be allowed to do it.Louis


Can anyone really take your subsequent posts seriously after this quote.

[rw229]

I think we're on the same page.. the flashlight comment threw me off a little bit though.

Anyway, there is no list that keeps track of who contributes or not. Its your opinion that you are being somehow unduly pressured to contribute because its an LE agency asking for a contribution. Even if you contribute and get a supporting sticker (or whatever), its the officer's interpretation at the time of your interaction.

FWIW, if they call me I ask that they take me off of the list... just as I do with any unsolicited call. (I contribute to many organizations, but of my choosing)



I agree - for them any stop may be end up in trouble, and they have no way of knowing beforehand who I am or what sort of threat I may pose.

Which is why whenever I'm pulled over (a few times in the last 20+ years) I immediately remove my license from my wallet and registration from the spot where I keep it and place them on the dash in full view, then place my hands on the steering wheel.

By the time the officer approaches the window all I have to do is pick them up and give them to him, with no funny business.

[Louis]

Can anyone really take your subsequent posts seriously after this quote.

Definitions of "Figure of Speech":

Trope: language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense

A figure of speech is a use of a word that diverges from its normal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it such as a metaphor, simile, or personification. Figures of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. ...

[firerescuefin]

Louis,

I am no engineer, but happen to have one graduate degree and am finishing up on an MBA. Thanks for expanding my world with your figure of speech definition. Your string of posts were filled with them as well as a number of baseless generalizations. AndrewS would be proud. I'm out.

[Louis]

AndrewS would be proud.

Ouch. Now that's hitting below the belt. ;)

[rw229]

Wow FRF, One - two punch! :)

Louis, nobody likes solicitors. Just because it was the po-po doesn't mean that they're any different than the United Way, Humane Society or your local politician when it comes to running the phones.



Louis,

I am no engineer, but happen to have one graduate degree and am finishing up on an MBA. Thanks for expanding my world with your figure of speech definition. AndrewS would be proud. I'm out.

[zap]

Louis, if you have a local volunteer fire department, talk to them about the best way to donate monies to their program.

[oldpotatoe]

Earlier this morning I got a call from the MO Highway Patrol - apparently this is the time of year where they do fund raising. You donate some amount of money and they send you a sticker ("Slow down and move over" or something like that) which you can place on the rear window of your car.

This sort of arm twisting bothers me to no end. I told the guy if he would support fund raising by officers telling folks they have stopped on the highway that they could avoid a speeding ticket if they contributed $50 to some fund, and of course he said no. Well, I told him that what he was doing was no different, since the only reason people got the stickers was in the hope that it would sway the officer into letting them go without a fine.

Of course they always deny that that is the point of the sticker, but we all know that's a lie.

So after some back and forth I told him to have a good day and I hung up on him. I'm now probably on some black-list and it's just a matter of time until they make me pay one way or another.

Bottom line: this is extortion, essentially at the point of a gun, and they should not be allowed to do it.

Louis

I get cold calls all day, everyday in the shop..just say no thanks..move on. Why argue with some clone on the phone?

[RPS]

I’m with Louis 100 percent that this fund raising practice should be illegal. Our legal and justice systems are too important to permit anything that may cloud their absolute impartiality. In this light and because law enforcement officers hold significant unilateral power over us and our lives the practice of fund raising on their behalf is completely inappropriate and should be stopped. If there is a need for funding of special projects it should be dealt with in other ways.

This thread reminded me again of when my father told a police officer a long time ago that he wasn’t entitled to a free bus ride at a time cops assumed it was a perk, and the next day our dog was poisoned with ground up glass. I’m sure that most here will say that payback like that never happens in the US even if at a lesser level, right? I keep forgetting we are Americans and have special DNA that makes us all benevolent. :rolleyes:

I agree that there IS an implied level of intimidation when any group representing law enforcement calls our homes asking for money. Due to my background which exposed me to system-wide corruption I’m a little more paranoid than most about LE -- although I don’t give anyway on principle. I agree with Louis that such fund raising over the phone should be illegal – period. The integrity of our justice system shouldn’t be compromised as such. It’s a slippery slope many can’t see yet but it exists. We are not so different that we can't become corrupt.

[BumbleBeeDave]

Very interesting post coming from a guy who months ago (while riding his bike) broke his neck and was c-collared, put on a spine board, and convinced to go to the hospital by FF/EMT's ...possibly saving him from paralysis.

The pass the boot campaign is supported nationwide by firefighters supporting MDA. Sorry that does not rate with you as something you want to pitch a few dollars in for....or for that matter are willing to be inconvenienced by.

Unreal.

This is interesting. The Colonie EMT's who carted me off to the hospital have no connection whatsoever to local volunteer FD's.

If the boot drive stop at the Rexford Bridge had any sign posted as to what they were collecting for, they were pretty well concealed in the 3/4 mile of road leading down to the bridge. I'm always willing to contribute to MDA and have in the past. But there were no signs. Only the guys in the road and some or the people in traffic looked pretty pissed. Fortunately I was on my bike and just picked my way by all the traffic.

I feel some solidarity with Louis because the underlying issue is the same to me, whether it's phone fund raising by the Missouri highway patrol, boot drive by fire departments, or lawbreaking behavior by the NYSP. It's government employees using their position of authority to obtain special privilege.

I'm on the do not call list and it works pretty well. So who are the only ones who still call? Politicians with their annoying campaign messages and fund raising for the local sheriff's or trooper's associations. The pols voted themselves and, I assume, the LEO's, a nice exemption to this law. Do you get phone solicitations from the local highway Department so they can buy salt? Or from the city parks department to pay somebody to mow the lawn at the park? Of course not. So how does the highway patrol get a special exception?

Our parks department here also needs money. So do other city government departments. Do you think they would get away with setting up a boot drive at the local choke point intersection at rush hour? I doubt it. How about if the local homeless shelter or the United Way went to the city council and asked to do it? I strongly doubt they would get a friendly reception. And even if they did, they don't have cars with flashing lights or holsters on their hips or any kind of badges. What kind of reception do you think they would they get from the rush hour drivers who are being held up? (almost literally!)

As for the troopers on the thruway talking on their cell phones while cruising down the road at 85mph tailgating people until they move aside, I don't think it's too much to ask for LEO's to obey the same laws they are paid and sworn to enforce. If these guys are really on their way to an emergency, why can't they at least turn on their light bars? Why can't they get a Bluetooth earpiece like the public is required by law to in order to talk while they drive so they can keep both hands on the wheel? They've got every other gadget you can imagine in those cars. The local SP captain won't buy them a Bluetooth earpiece?

Back in college my poly sci the professor told us that for government officials it doesn't matter if there really IS a conflict of interest. The mere appearance of there being a conflict of interest is enough to do exactly the same damage to their credibility in the eyes of the average citizen. That's exactly what happening in these instances. And please don't tell me that talking on your cell phone, driving down the highway at extra-legal speeds, or tailgating 10 feet off people's back bumpers is safer simply because it's a trooper doing it.

But in my experience whenever this subject seems to come up, the defenders of law enforcement and other "emergency" authorities just don't seem to see this. It always eventually comes down to you're either for them or against them. There's no in between. They simply don't seem to understand that when they do this stuff it looks real bad to the public. They don't understand that when the local assessor cheats on his taxes or the code inspector is caught sleeping in his car in the local park it's bad, but the public has learned that it is what it is. Public employees just misbehave like any other employees.

BUT when government employees act as if the laws they are sworn to uphold don't apply to them AND the said government employees have been issued with badges, semi-automatic weapons, tazers, and all manner of other harmful devices AND have been given explicit authority to use deadly force on the citizenry when they deem it necessary, this somehow obliges them to set an example. To live up to a higher standard.

They just don't get it.

Can you tell this subject pushes a button with me? That and I'm just getting a head start on cabin fever . . .

BBD

[rugbysecondrow]

There is a diference between a cogent defense of your position and an inarticulate rant where you seem to compare the volunteer fire department fundraising efforts to cheating and theft by government officials. It's fine to be against this sort of fundraising, I am. It poses a safety risk and should not be allowed. With that said, if it is legal, then don't bust their balls for taking advantage of it.

Regarding the FOP stickers or any other solidarity sticker, stop your whining. I doubt people with Marine Core emblems, Shriners emblems and others get pulled over and ticketed the same either. BFD. Don't speed, obey the law and you won't get a ticket. If you do get pulled over, dont be a dick...you might just get cut loose. Seems simple to me.

I don't understand this teenage angst exhibited by grown men. Is the man really keepingg you down? Have you been the target of an unfair sting that nets traffics tickets by the dozen because you won't pony up for the sticker?

Lastly, I had an FOP sticker and I still got a ticket when I was 19...damn man can't keep me down though. :rolleyes:





This is interesting. The Colonie EMT's who carted me off to the hospital have no connection whatsoever to local volunteer FD's.

If the boot drive stop at the Rexford Bridge had any sign posted as to what they were collecting for, they were pretty well concealed in the 3/4 mile of road leading down to the bridge. I'm always willing to contribute to MDA and have in the past. But there were no signs. Only the guys in the road and some or the people in traffic looked pretty pissed. Fortunately I was on my bike and just picked my way by all the traffic.

I feel some solidarity with Louis because the underlying issue is the same to me, whether it's phone fund raising by the Missouri highway patrol, boot drive by fire departments, or lawbreaking behavior by the NYSP. It's government employees using their position of authority to obtain special privilege.

I'm on the do not call list and it works pretty well. So who are the only ones who still call? Politicians with their annoying campaign messages and fund raising for the local sheriff's or trooper's associations. The pols voted themselves and, I assume, the LEO's, a nice exemption to this law. Do you get phone solicitations from the local highway Department so they can buy salt? Or from the city parks department to pay somebody to mow the lawn at the park? Of course not. So how does the highway patrol get a special exception?

Our parks department here also needs money. So do other city government departments. Do you think they would get away with setting up a boot drive at the local choke point intersection at rush hour? I doubt it. How about if the local homeless shelter or the United Way went to the city council and asked to do it? I strongly doubt they would get a friendly reception. And even if they did, they don't have cars with flashing lights or holsters on their hips or any kind of badges. What kind of reception do you think they would they get from the rush hour drivers who are being held up? (almost literally!)

As for the troopers on the thruway talking on their cell phones while cruising down the road at 85mph tailgating people until they move aside, I don't think it's too much to ask for LEO's to obey the same laws they are paid and sworn to enforce. If these guys are really on their way to an emergency, why can't they at least turn on their light bars? Why can't they get a Bluetooth earpiece like the public is required by law to in order to talk while they drive so they can keep both hands on the wheel? They've got every other gadget you can imagine in those cars. The local SP captain won't buy them a Bluetooth earpiece?

Back in college my poly sci the professor told us that for government officials it doesn't matter if there really IS a conflict of interest. The mere appearance of there being a conflict of interest is enough to do exactly the same damage to their credibility in the eyes of the average citizen. That's exactly what happening in these instances. And please don't tell me that talking on your cell phone, driving down the highway at extra-legal speeds, or tailgating 10 feet off people's back bumpers is safer simply because it's a trooper doing it.

But in my experience whenever this subject seems to come up, the defenders of law enforcement and other "emergency" authorities just don't seem to see this. It always eventually comes down to you're either for them or against them. There's no in between. They simply don't seem to understand that when they do this stuff it looks real bad to the public. They don't understand that when the local assessor cheats on his taxes or the code inspector is caught sleeping in his car in the local park it's bad, but the public has learned that it is what it is. Public employees just misbehave like any other employees.

BUT when government employees act as if the laws they are sworn to uphold don't apply to them AND the said government employees have been issued with badges, semi-automatic weapons, tazers, and all manner of other harmful devices AND have been given explicit authority to use deadly force on the citizenry when they deem it necessary, this somehow obliges them to set an example. To live up to a higher standard.

They just don't get it.

Can you tell this subject pushes a button with me? That and I'm just getting a head start on cabin fever . . .

BBD

[rugbysecondrow]

And you are incorrect, government officials do not call your house asking for donations. Officers do not solicit donations from you, especially by gun point. It seems you need to mischaracterize what actually occurs to make your point.

Also, youcan donate and volunteer to to park department. Go for it, it is quite fun.

[gdw]

One final time, the people calling you are not police officers, have no access to the DMV database, and you will not be penalized for simply saying no thanks. Most of the calls you recieve are from scam artists and even if it's legit the sticker, badge, etc. isn't going to save you from a ticket if you deserve one. Trust me on that, those stickers are about effective as telling the officer that you know his boss and will have his job if he writes you a ticket.

As to cellphone use by officers while driving, blame the folks who sell scanners.

[Dekonick]

na

[rugbysecondrow]

Mike, donuts are on me next ride (Firefighters like donuts too, right) ;)

[Dekonick]

Mike, donuts are on me next ride (Firefighters like donuts too, right) ;)

I know! We can park our bikes in the red "fire lane" zone! I will make sure I put a firefighter sticker on the frame as it is sure fire way to keep from getting ticketed or towed! :banana:

BBD - Honestly, not everything is as it appears. In Howard County it is against policy to use cell phones while driving. I can tell you that a FEW individuals ignore the policy, but they are all getting nice chats with the big boss and reminded that there is nothing as nice as a day off.... without pay...

And just last shift I ran a call and while responding to the call our medical director called me on my cell... I quickly answered and told him wait until I could pull over. We talked (about the incident I was responding to) and then I resumed and dealt with the emergency. We also often use cell phones when our radio's fail (you can't get a 100% contract for radio coverage... no one will agree to install your system) and the police use them because the bad guys can't eavesdrop... unlike with the radio's.

We speed to calls... and sometimes it is better to not use lights and sirens. As a courtesy I seldom use my siren... especially at night... unless I need to clear traffic or proceed into an intersection. Often folks request we respond w/o the emergency warning devices. What should we do? Obey the law and come in with a parade of lights and noise? That just results in an upset caller. The last thing I want to do is make someone already anxious more so while they are suffering from potential life threatening conditions. And the same goes for transporting someone to the ER. We don't always use the siren because we don't want a patient to get more stressed than they are already as it can have a negative impact on their condition (think heart attack!)

Yes - we park in no parking zones. We park in front of fire hydrants (and if there is a fire don't you think we will know about it? ) and in red fire lanes. We even sometimes park in handicapped spaces and exceed the speed limit! You might even see us playing tennis with the emergency equipment parked close to the tennis courts. We take the equipment with us when we shop for food... or whatever else we may need. We train, we watch TV, we sleep, we even (after all the apparatus and firehouse have been cleaned first) was our cars! We do all of this on the taxpayer dime... but it is all done so we can respond as quickly as possible, hopefully in good physical shape, (tennis is great PT!) well fed, and well rested so we can mitigate someone's worst day and make sure their emergency gets resolved. A 24 hour shift is a LONG time... especially when done for 30 years. We miss birthdays, we miss Thanksgiving (but feast well at work!) we miss Christmas, New Years, baseball games and school plays. We also do so knowing full well that we may not come home and leave our kids and spouses without a father. We also love our jobs and most of us could hardly imagine a life any other way.

Sometimes a few individuals will exhibit poor decision making skills or even total disregard for the rules... more often than not those same folks are the ones that piss you off... and make the majority of the remaining public safety folks look like jerks. Don't worry - they either shape up or end up with a thick personnel file and eventually find themselves looking for another job. When you see someone acting in a manner, please report it - but remember the officer may just have been performing his or her duty and you may not have known it. It looks different from the outside looking in...

While I am ranting consider this:

Someone with a knife can kill you faster than you can draw a firearm and shoot! When an officer kills someone and all they had was a knife or even a fake gun the press and public are hard on them wondering why they used excessive force... they are trained that way and for good reason!

A bunch of firefighters lounging in the front yard of a house on fire aren't just letting a house burn and/or being lazy - chances are they are recovering from 15 minutes of pure anaerobic work in hostile surroundings. They may laugh and smile - stress makes people act in strange ways.

Just because your doctor works at XXX hospital does not mean that is where an ambulance is going to take you - there are laws we have to follow no matter what your doctor may say. Closest appropriate hospital is where you go. AND if you are not really sick, you do not get a bed just because you came in on an ambulance... you may find yourself sitting out in triage meanwhile someone else dies because you tied up a medic unit...

Sometimes we do 'fill the boot' fundraisers - but it is done as part of a national campaign for MDA - ALL FUNDS go to MDA. When we do this, it is not done on the clock - this is firefighters giving up their time off to help a worthy cause. We don't see a dime of it... and to be honest, I don't like the tactic of panhandling regardless of the cause.

OK - rant over.