Cops Giving Tickets at ESSO...

[46_valentinor]

i agree with 4444 where he said that the cops don't have the best interest in citizens here. Just last week, i stalled my car in an intersection and couldn't get the car to start again due to a bad battery during rush hour on nanaimo and 1st avenue. i saw a cop hiding behind a bush by a chevron so i walked up to him and asked him if he can help me out, he straight up said "go find someone else, don't ask me". In the end, an employee from chevron came out to help push my car out of the intersection with cars cutting us off, while the whole time the cop just stood behind the bush and did nothing.

[4444]

Originally Posted by 46_valentinor

i agree with 4444 where he said that the cops don't have the best interest in citizens here. Just last week, i stalled my car in an intersection and couldn't get the car to start again due to a bad battery during rush hour on nanaimo and 1st avenue. i saw cop hiding behind a bush by a chevron so i walked up to him and asked him if he can help me out, he straight up said "go find someone else, don't ask me". In the end, an employee from chevron came out to help push my car out of the intersection with cars cutting us off, while the whole time the cop just stood behind the bush and did nothing.

Ppl will say 'he doesn't have to help' and I agree, but, common courtesy, easing everyone's trip home, and helping a citizen out safely should have forced the cop to want to help.

[46_valentinor]

Originally Posted by 4444

Ppl will say 'he doesn't have to help' and I agree, but, common courtesy, easing everyone's trip home, and helping a citizen out safely should have forced the cop to want to help.

if my car was not stalled in the intersection and on the side of the road, sure don't help as im not causing much harm. but i was stalled right in the intersection, cars were honking, cars were cutting me off from the left turn lane, cars were confused as to why traffic was hardly moving so they drove aggressively the moment they saw an opportunity to move. My safety was in danger and even more importantly the chevron employee could have gotten nailed dead by an idiot. if safety wasn't a concern, sure he doesn't have to but when safety becomes a factor, i think thats enough reason for him to be responsible. ultimately, they are role models and their main attribute to society should be keeping citizens safe. When that cop rather stayed behind his little bush and did jack all rather than doing what he was suppose to do, keeping citizens safe, then he shouldn't be wearing a badge.

[dL]

I've also seen it on Barnet and Lougheed where they hide at the Coq Cen parking lot bushes.

My friend once got waved to get a ticket but because he is turning left instead of going straight, they weren't able to pull him over haha.

dL

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by 4444

I'm not part of the problem, I, u like 95% of road users, take driving very seriously. Using a phone while driving was illegal in England a long time ago, I came here with that mentality, along with no drinking and driving (I find ppl are way too lax on that too).

Cops don't need to stoop so low, they want to, as it's an easy money maker

Well then you have nothing to worry about, do you?

Why would the average traffic cop care if it's a money maker? It's not like they see a cut of it. Besides, I'll point out yet again the fundamental flaw with the "cash grab" theory: if all these enforcement campaigns actually succeeded and people actually stopped doing this stupid shit, the revenue stream would dry up; enforcement blitzes would be counter-productive to the plan.

[dared3vil0]

The thing that's annoying is there generally isn't much thought to the process of handing out tickets, what i mean by that is YES you're technically guilty if you pull out your phone for 5 seconds at a red light to check if you have any missed calls/texts. However, you get the same penalty as the guy yapping away on his phone while driving in a blizzard. IDK.

[DragonChi]

Can't your texts or calls wait 15-20 minutes until you get to where you are or decide to pull over if it's that important. I don't think it'd be worth a ticket just to check.

And even so, when most people look at their phones they end up reading or responding to messages.

[dared3vil0]

Wasn't my point, what i mean is there should be severity levels to the electronic device use tickets.

[SumAznGuy]

Just saw a cop with a clip board dressed like a bum with a safety vest on, at the corner of Broundry and Grandview hwy in front of the Wendy's. He was walking up and down the street looking into the cars to see which drivers were on their electronic devices.
This was around 8:30 tonight.

[Yodamaster]

I don't see how this tactic isn't in the best interest of the public, I've been stuck behind enough idiots at green lights to know that it's a problem. Whenever I need to use the phone, I pull onto a side road and park, then grab my phone.

How simple is that, and yet people still bitch and complain when they get caught by any means necessary, doing something that they know could end up being a ticket. I have a hard time processing why people argue over something as straight forward as this.

It doesn't matter how long you picked up your phone for, or what you did with it, you still used your phone while operating a motor vehicle, IT'S AS FUCKING SIMPLE AS THAT.

[Timpo]

Originally Posted by Soundy

I've also seen them at the Lougheed and Willingdon Esso watching for HOV/right-turn-only cheats coming up Willingdon.

Couple thoughts on why the operator "puts up with this":
1. He may get a kick of watching assholes get tickets
2. He may get more business from people who've been pulled over and decide to pop in for a bag of chips afterward
3. He probably doesn't have a choice, as he doesn't actually own the property... kinda like the whole DPS Rage thing, the store owners may not like it, but they probably don't have a lot of say in it.

Well maybe he gets in trouble for "obstruction of justice"

When police officers are trying to do their job, you tell them to go away, would that count as an obstruction of justice?

I know this is a different scenario, what if there's a hostage in your neighbor, officers hide behind your backyard, and are you allowed to tell them to go away and get out of your property?

[mac25]

why does it always have to be a blanket law? why not look at a persons driving record. it could bee just like the L or N signs. there could even be a section in the driving test to see if you have the ability to use a phone safely. if a police officer suspected an individual of not being able to use a phone while driving they could run the plate and see if the vehicle's owner has a restriction against phone use, just like when they run N drivers for not using he N.

speaker phone is the same as having a friend in the car but i do agree with texting being restricted.

I check my phone for the time while driving, should this be against the law? it probably is with the ill-thought blanket law but the motion is no different from checking a traditional watch.

[Great68]

Originally Posted by mac25

why does it always have to be a blanket law? why not look at a persons driving record.

Because politicians and enforcement are LAZY.

It's far easier to write & uphold a blanket law versus a law that requires thought and reason.

[dvst8]

[Soundy]

Actually, I don't know why they felt the need to come up with a specific law for this rather than simply enforcing existing "Drive without due care" laws... again, probably because people DIDN'T GET THE POINT and figured that one didn't apply to them.

[melloman]

Lots of arguing..

I understand both sides, people get angry for someone using their phone at a red light, because they don't pay enough attention to see the light turn green. If someone doesn't notice the light turning green, they won't notice the car that stopped infront of them while they are doing 60km/h in a 50 zone.

Thus cops can easily justify the cash grab by sitting at intersections trying to catch people. But that's all it is, a simple cash grab. Once they put on plain clothes and start doing it at red lights, there's no harm to others.. except being abit late if someone holds up a green light.

Compare it to speed traps.. they are a 100% cash grab. If police really wanted to make people slow down, and not profit. They would just leave a cruiser out where people are speeding. You don't even need an officer half the time, traffic will just generally slow down.

[Acura604]

[Zordon]

I think it's pretty simple, if you don't want a ticket, don't use your phone in the car. If you need to, pull over, turn off your car.

Cash grab or not, it's another way to discourage drivers from picking up their phones and using it.

Taking a step back, it's crazy how attached people are with their devices... it's going to get worse if we start using google glass devices as well.

[Acura604]

^^ what I don't get is how people BLATANTLY defy this law.. as in, its so obvious... phone to the head and gabbing away... I see it EVERYDAY at least 5 instances.

[4444]

Originally Posted by SumAznGuy

Just saw a cop with a clip board dressed like a bum with a safety vest on, at the corner of Broundry and Grandview hwy in front of the Wendy's. He was walking up and down the street looking into the cars to see which drivers were on their electronic devices.
This was around 8:30 tonight.

This disgusts me, do people not know the term "fair cop"? Obviously the local constabulary have not.

What other profession allows you to hide, dress up, and sleaze around and still expect respect? I always used to hate the term 'pigs' for police, but as I've experienced shit like this, I've lost all respect for police here.

I still respect for British police, only ever had good experience with them. Have very little for Canadian police, outside of the delta pd (they've shown common sense whenever I've dealt with them), the rest do not act appropriately or in a manner that deserves respect of the average person

[Nlkko]

And how do you write up a law that specifies the severity of the tickets? Depends on how fast the car is going? Who to set a "cellphone speed limit" then? On the weather? That's a hard one too. Determined at the discretion of the officer? Sure we'll have a field day with this one is. There's so many grey areas. Point is the law tell everyone not to use the phone, and it was made clear to everyone before it was enforced. It's not like they didnt tell you, then proceed to jump out of a bush and ticket you for "driving without due care" for using your phone.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Great68]

Originally Posted by Nlkko

Point is the law tell everyone not to use the phone, and it was made clear to everyone before it was enforced.
Posted via RS Mobile

Wrong. The real point of the law was to increase road safety. To make the public perceive that people on the phone were getting into crashes and killing people.

Except that no one is going to die when someone is on the phone waiting for the light to change in a left turn lane, or sitting in bumper to bumper traffic.

This is where enforcement is going beyond the actual intent of the law.

If they really were enforcing the intent of the law, they would be patrolling the highways and pulling people over there, not people stopped at intersections.

But that takes EFFORT. Heaven forbid.

As a driver, I get just as pissed off at that oblivious fuck on the highway that's on the phone and drifting between lanes like they're drunk.

The problem is that it's THOSE people that aren't getting pulled over.

[DragonChi]

True, those people texting while driving on the highway are the hazards. Those people would be the one texting while stopped too, right?

You could say lazy, but I say efficient. You could grab a bunch of people in a stop light rather than chasing someone down one by one.

Ok, so if it was OK to use your phone at a left turn signal or bumper to bumper traffic, but not anytime else. How would you enforce that?

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by melloman

Thus cops can easily justify the cash grab by sitting at intersections trying to catch people. But that's all it is, a simple cash grab. Once they put on plain clothes and start doing it at red lights, there's no harm to others.. except being abit late if someone holds up a green light.

Compare it to speed traps.. they are a 100% cash grab. If police really wanted to make people slow down, and not profit. They would just leave a cruiser out where people are speeding. You don't even need an officer half the time, traffic will just generally slow down.

So tell me this: if the system isn't going to hit you in the pocketbook for breaking laws that are created to ensure *EVERYONE'S* safety on the road... then how are you going to penalize people? Are cops supposed to just give you a dirty look and a stern warning if you're caught doing 30k over the limit while texting? People would laugh in their faces and go right ahead doing it.

So what else would you recommend to give drivers the idea that their actions are unacceptable? Maybe instead of cash fines, we should just impound their cars for a while... make them sit on the side of the road and think about it, say an extra hour for every 10k over the limit? So if you're doing 80 in a 50 zone, you just sit there in the penalty box for three hours, and then you can be on your way? How about public shaming - no fine, but you get your picture in the paper on a dedicated "Assholes of the Road" page?

If you tell people something is unacceptable to society as a whole, and they insist on doing it anyway, you have to apply something that will get their attention and maybe hurt a little so they get the message, and will hopefully not do it again for fear of getting told again... now, public floggings would be a great plan, but I doubt that one would survive a constitutional challenge...

So unless you have a better, workable, and effective idea... a monetary fine it is.

It's only a "cash grab" if giving up the cash is unavoidable... fortunately, traffic VTs are 100% avoidable IF YOU'RE NOT A WHINY, SELF-CENTERED LITTLE BITCH.

[dared3vil0]

Soundy... I respect where you're coming from but can you stop shoving your views down other people's throats? Especially while being so hypocritical... "NEVER EVER BREAK LAWS" yet i guarantee you that you drove at 51/km/h today in a 50, and do i need to bring up all the trespassing violations with that snazzy YJ (YJ, right? I forget) of yours...