my son-in -law is a cop,have been with him when stopped for speeding
he just whips out his badge and brother officers say sorry,you can go
no matter his speed.that sucks,i said so,they thought i was crazy.do
not want to hear they should'nt do that,the right thing very seldom
happens.

 

Ref. Dangerous Pursuits:
Only when the courts (and parole boards) get serious about stopping high speed pursits by putting some REAL punishment into the offense, will most of these jerks stop running from the law. I spent 10 years in law enforement, 5 as a shift supervisor. I had gone thru the EVOC high speed driving course also, so I know of what is being talked about. Only once these fleeing felons are locked up for a real punishment length of time, will it slow down. A public policy of following someone on TV with a dozen police cars, lights flashing only glorifies the notion. Higher force should be authorized to stop these dangerous persuits on crowded pubic highways and city streets. Once the criminal knows he will be 'taken out' if he begins to run thru towns endangering lives, will it end. In all these persuits, that end in accidents, the first word out of the media is "the cops shouldn't have been chasing them...' Why isn't the outcry that the crooks were wrong and should be locked up and the keys thrown away? Why sue the police dept and not the offender? Because it's all about money. If it wasn't, the families wouldn't be sueing the departments/cities. Do you hear that Vettebuyer5863?
True, rookies 'love' to get into chases, and without the calming head of the supervisor around, it can get stupid due to a term we call 'contempt of cop'. But MOST officers are constantly aware of the dangers to others...and themselves. Most have families they want to go home to at the end of their shifts, and remember that their motto is "to protect" as well as serve. Let's get the courts and public opinion to put the pressure on the violators, not the police. Nuff said.
Now, let's get back to the lighter side of this thread about just having a little fun, safely, with our Vettes. We all, except for goodie two shoes Vettebuyer5863, have jumped on the throttle once in a while...why would we have bought a Hi Performance car if not? Most vettes can jump up to over 100 in just a few seconds, and when done on a lonely limited access strip of road, it's usually no big deal, and a lot of fun. Been there, done that. He did it on an on ramp, clear view for miles, and backed off right away before seeing the fuzz. He didn't run, in fact he probably pulled over to the shoulder and waited for his punishment. That's what I've done in the past, and usually the officer will be so impressed, he will cut you some slack. As for 140+...well...that's impressive for a stock small block. Way to go, dude! Was the girlfriend impressed? More important, did the wife find out about the girlfriend? How much more did THAT cost you for that quick blast?

 

You're right, it isn't fair or right from the public's viewpoint, and the officer who does that is wrong, but if you had a "get out of trouble free" card in your wallet, would you use it to avoid the high priced ticket and insurance premium increase? More and more departments will not let their officers do that. It's been done in the past, not so much to save the ticket, but the fall out in that officer's dept once it's learned he got a ticket. We are held in a much stiffer light within our departments than by the public. We have to be. Rest assured, those days are quickly ending of free passes with the badge.

 

You know what I actually have no problem with officers giving officers breaks. Most of those guys drive above the speed limit for a living and know the risks and as you said have had extra training to handle vehicles with an above average ability. Kudos to them for looking out for each other plus as you stated the fall out of that back at the home office would be large.. I have great respect for our law enforcment brothern here on the forum and in my local community. Just saying thanks for all that you do... Even if it sometimes is directly related to me but when you do the crime you have to do the time.. When I've been tagged for speeding in the past I immediately have pulled over normally before they even get back to me.. Then again I have been the only car on the road so I've known they were coming for me.. Never gotten me out of a ticket but they appreciated it. I know this is getting further off topic from this post but... Why do people get so mad at police officers when they get busted for speeding... I laugh so hard at those vids of people screaming and yelling.. tearing up the ticket and the cop is just standing there and taking it. Then writes another ticket for littering.. Talk about OWNED..... Funny stuff... Dave..

 

i would use it,but i would not the next day write tickets and
give lectures to people about public good.it may sound like i
am giving cops ahard time,not so.if you speed and get caught
man up and take it like everyone else.could be just my son-in-law drives my crazy.
hoolies...

 

Having owned a few mid-years, both small and big blocks, I can tell you that 141 MPH in that distance is highly unlikely. Most manual tachs/speedometers are notoriously inaccurate, to the tune of as much as 10-15%. Also having driven all of them as fast as I felt comfortable on the street, these cars are very "flighty" at high speed, even from the factory. As I recall, magazines felt the front end design was conducive to "lift" at speed.
By the way, I'm an avid dragracer so I know what it's like to go fast.
But the male ego is a wonderful thing. Hope you scared her into "giving it up" after all that.

 

As a matter of fact, I'm still waiting for the answer to what the heck was going on that had you have your foot against the floor board so hard.....

 

My $0.02 worth on high-speed police chases (not that anyone cares!):

- For chasing serious and/or violent offenders, pretty clearly worth the risk - go get 'em!
- Problem is when it is a minor offender who gets scared, panics, etc. (usually because it is a dumb kid who hasn't quite figured out that there are "degrees of trouble").

- my growing belief is that unless there is a reason to believe that the persons in the car are serious offendors and/or violent, it is better to pursue only long enough to ID the vehicle (i.e. license plate), and then temporarily give up. Odds are they can catch up with the car and/or owner later.

- I agree that penalties for running from the cops need to be high. There also must be some legal latitude for letting the car get away temporarily, and then picking up the trail a bit later.

- With improved technology, you'd think that letting the offender go, and then setting up a road block and/or other trap, would be more and more doable.

As an aside, I haven't had my C1 above about 85 in a while, but it is rock-steady at 85, with no vibration or wander (with some pretty basic Firestone radials on it). The last time I had it over a 100 (probably about 105) it had bias-ply's on it. I don't remember it feeling too squirrely, though, as long as I stayed in one lane. I don't know how much I had left at that point, as the top was down, and I have a low-HP 2x4 (245 horse) (low redline).

 

WELL, since the F- You PM’s stopped, I will share the REST of the story.

It is almost too incredible to be true, and I am tempted to get the girl involved but that may mean that I will have to edit the story to keep it G rated.

The girl in the car with me was a girl in high school that I dated off and on, nothing real serious. When she was a Junior, she really really blossomed. She was that girl with the 25 year old body and looks to go with it. So, out of my league and with the older guys, and even brought some college dude to the prom that year.

Senior year I had her in 3 or 4 classes, and was to shy to ask her to prom, out of my league. Anyway, last day of school I throw a party, and I invite her. The party moved out in the country and low and behold the LAW shows up, dumps our bear and gives us tickets. She was in my car and wound up driving me home (She was sober).

So fast forward ten years. Anyway, party is going on, and getting late and she asks if we can go for a ride in my vette. Of course, I agree and off we go. You know the rest up until I get pulled over.

I see the cop, and I am still going, and take the next OFF ramp. He crested the hill and sees me take the off ramp. I stop, shut the car off and leave the park lamps on.
He came flying up the ramp and almost goes flying by me. Stops, backs up, and sits in his car for about 5 minutes.

During this time, the girl with me is laughing and telling me what a scoff law I am and that he is going to take my sorry azz to jail. I said, you’re probably right!.. I reached over to the glove box, opened it up to get my certificates out and while I was over there, she said, “I should probably kiss you now, because I will be to tired at 4:00 AM when I come bail you out”. So we are kissing and the officer walks up, window was down, and shines the light in, says, “Excuse me”, don’t mean to interrupt, but we have a small problem here”.

The girl and I decided to have some fun with this. You have to know her personality and I thought, what the heck, mine as well go out with a bang!

The officer said – “You know why I pulled you over?
Me – “Yes, the ridiculously fast speeding?
Officer – Yes, that is it.
Officer – Do you know how fast you were going?
Me – “oh, at least 100”
Officer – “yeah, at least.

Now, if you have seen the movie Super Trooper you will like this.

Me – Is this a problem officer.
Officer - yeah, big problem, I have you as fast as 140 + on the on ramp
Girl – Fake German Accent
- “Is there maybe somesing vee can do for you, officer, or maybe Somesing you vould like to do to me?”
Officer and Me – Start laughing are azz off.
Me – I could not hold a straight face.
Officer – while laughing, “step out of the car”
Officer – Have you had ANYTHING to drink tonight?
Me – No, but all bets are off after this ticket.
Officer – Have a seat in my car
Me – Started explaining myself
Officer – Made small talk etc and showed me the radar speeds.

He showed me the recording, from the Doppler unit, and he told me he was pointed the other way, and was using the Doppler unit and when he got the hand held out he clocked me at 105.

So he said, let’s work with that.

Real nice guy, and told me had this been in an area that would have endangered other cars, people etc, he would not have been so relaxed.

When I got out off the car, he said, have fun with the fraulien, and I said, “Yeah”, “Yeah”.

Mark

 

Now for the rest of the story...Gooood DAY... (Paul Harvey)..

Mark great addition to the story... Funny I never got any IM's... Are there some real Hard a.... here on the forum.. Man and I thought I wound people up... Dave..

 

You got PM's like that? What kind of gutless, 2 bit sob would PM you to getin your grill like that? I am hoping it was some part time visitor and not some well known regular. Get the guts to say it on the open forum and let the others know what and how you think.

As for the rest of the story, whenever I hear of some babe pulling the German accent routine, I always think of Terri Garr in "Young Frankenstein." It cracks me up.

 

From one of those "part time posters" I LOVED that bit with her too. And thanks for the rest of the story. That was funny from my point of view (ex-cop) also. We loved when people were light with us. We get so much heavy most of the time. I still feel your attitude (lack of offensive one) had a lot to do with the lesser ticket. Anyway, thanks for the story Mark.

 

ok ok, like I said, the original poster was likely to generate responses like this, but he was operating much more safely (from his story) than folks who go to a bar, have six drinks, and drive home. Or older folks who drive past their freshness date. Or the guy who doesn't know when to pull over when getting sleepy. And I know this from personal experience (been sending flowers to my mom's grave every mother's day for over ten years now), not from having read about a story and now repeating as if it were mine, or working in an ER and having decided that all motorcyclists will die sooner or later (impressing all with their "donor-cycle" punchline) or that every guy who "sees what the car can do" no matter what the circumstances is out to kill a family and will likely do so.

whatever. I think you'll do a whole lot more good being a designated (and sober) driver, or taking gramp's keys away when it's clear he is unfit to drive safely, than admonishing a member of a performance car forum for going fast in his car in a rather "safe blast" fashion. But, that is just my own opinion, and we all have them . . . .

 

This is gettin scary...I'm startin to agree with you more and more.

 

now THAT is scary . . . . next thing you know the Arabs and the Israelis will agree . . .