Ticketed by the “hidden” police?
I’m old enough to remember “Leave it to Beaver”; a TV show from the 60’s. In that series there was a character called “Eddie Haskell”. Eddie was the type of person who showed a pleasant personality and did the proper thing when he knew he was being watched by an adult. If he thought he was alone, he bent the rules and became mean to the younger kids. In our society, we have a lot of “Eddie’s” – people who do the proper thing when they know they’re being watched but won’t when they feel they’re not being watched. This is quite evident with drivers.
I’ll often see drivers slow down when they see a police vehicle near them. I’m assuming they felt guilty about their speed and didn’t want to get a ticket. If you’re driving the sped limit or slightly above with the flow of traffic to help to keep the space around your vehicle on a temporary basis, you’ll be fine. The driver who is more aggressive on the roads and speeding or weaving in and out of traffic would be on the radar of the police. But what if those types of drivers couldn’t spot the police? Would there be a better chance of them getting pulled over and charged?
There was a police department that went beyond the norm a few years ago. They changed the light on top of their vehicle to look similar to that of a taxi. The sign actually said “Police” along with their phone number. The local residents felt they were being tricked. Really? Do those drivers feel the same way about an unmarked police vehicle? There are a lot more plain looking vehicles on the road than there are taxis. Why aren’t residents complaining about the unmarked police vehicles for the same reasons? I think it’s because some drivers were too surprised and got caught doing the wrong thing. Sorry Eddie.
If you drove your vehicle with respect for you and those around you, it wouldn’t really matter if the police vehicle had signage or not or whether it looked like a taxi. The police are there to help keep our communities safe, so why complain about these “hidden” vehicles? Should it really matter? If you followed the rules and drove safely, it wouldn’t matter what they drove, should it? In my community they also have police on horseback and bicycles. They can also blend in to the background at the right places.
So, for all those Eddie’s out there, remember that you could be watched at any time even if you aren’t aware of it. If you do the proper things, you’ll be fine. However, if you’re that aggressive driver or a speeder, be ready to be pulled over by a taxi, a cyclist or even someone on horseback.
I laugh every time I read the comment sections on news sites, when people start complaining about unmarked police vehicles and enforcement blitzes as “money grabs.” You don’t have to fork over any money if you aren’t exhibiting a target behaviour (ie: speeding, improper stopping, etc).