Tough question

[drakeshooter]

http://www.murrayledger.com/articles/2008/03/22/top_story/news01.txt

My business is located on a busy street in Hopkinsville, KY. There is a community college, Murray State's vet center and a middle school located nearby. I routinely witness state, city and sheriff's department vehicles drive by with lights and sirens on in excess of 80 mph. Sooner or later somebody is going to get killed or seriously injured in a crash with a high speed police car. I just don't think there is very much that requires that high of speed in a high traffic area and risk killing somebody over. It is a tough question.

[Art]

You probably don't know much about this if you live in WKY, but about 4 or 5 years ago there was a Lexington cop responding to a non-emergency call WITHOUT lights or sirens. There was a young lady who was pulling out of work and was broadsided by the cop, who I think was going about 75-80 mph. The impact pusher her car about 200 yards.

The problem was that the DA refused to indict the cop on any charges. This type of thing happens all the time and sounds like your area is prime for a similar situation.

http://www.petitiononline.com/rachelbu/petition.html

[quackrstackr]

I'm not sure how high speed "high speed" was, but nobody has any business running at a very high speed in that area, especially for a silent alarm. This intersection is right near the apex of a blind hill and about one block from the courthouse square. Immediately west of where this happened, it is completely blind intersection situations because of the buildings lining both sides of the streets.

[barney]

That is a tough ?, but I will give you the answer!....It gos back to the old question, "why did the chicken cross the road".........there is just one logical answer..........because it could!

We had a crack down, here in the county a few years ago. seems every one and his brother, was a volunteer fireman.:cool: And everytime, there was a call, 50 cars and trucks with red lights and sirens sounding, at high rates of speed, would decend upon, a kitten stuck up in a tree!:eek: I have seen so many "billybob" vehicles, at a traffic accident, the paramedics, could not get to the scene!.......public outcry, finally put a stop to that crap.

[Art]

That is a tough ?, but I will give you the answer!....It gos back to the old question, "why did the chicken cross the road".........there is just one logical answer..........because it could!

We had a crack down, here in the county a few years ago. seems every one and his brother, was a volunteer fireman.:cool: And everytime, there was a call, 50 cars and trucks with red lights and sirens sounding, at high rates of speed, would decend upon, a kitten stuck up in a tree!:eek: I have seen so many "billybob" vehicles, at a traffic accident, the paramedics, could not get to the scene!.......public outcry, finally put a stop to that crap.


Do you live in Anderson County? I swear your description is dead on how it is there. You'd think the world is ending there with all the sirens and speeding 4x4's.

[barney]

Do you live in Anderson County? I swear your description is dead on how it is there. You'd think the world is ending there with all the sirens and speeding 4x4's.
No........... but it sounds like they need to set up a "town hall" meeting, and "clean shop" too?

[pentail]

Do you live in Anderson County? I swear your description is dead on how it is there. You'd think the world is ending there with all the sirens and speeding 4x4's.

Art,

you see that little fender bender in front of Wal mart a couple weeks or so ago, at least 6 jacked up 4x4s with red lights come rushing in. :rolleyes: along with the one cop it took to make a report and get it cleaned up:p

[Art]

Art,

you see that little fender bender in front of Wal mart a couple weeks or so ago, at least 6 jacked up 4x4s with red lights come rushing in. :rolleyes: along with the one cop it took to make a report and get it cleaned up:p

I've been working up there a lot. I see quit a few of those in front of Wally World. I have never seen one where only 6 jacked up 4x4's rushed to the scene though.:D

I'd be glad to have them in certain situations, but I think they cause more trouble then it's worth 95% of the time. I know they are just trying to help though. I'd want to help too if I'd spent all that money for lights and sirens.

[Strutter]

"It gos back to the old question, "why did the chicken cross the road".........there is just one logical answer..........because it could!"


This statement is false due to a recent study by some of the worlds top scientists. The question, why did the chicken cross the road, has now been answered due to this team of scientists.

They found that the chicken crossed the road to prove to the opossum that it could be done.


Seriously though, most cops and rescue personnel do indeed drive much faster than is needed whether responding to a call or not.

[mrdux]

I was on a volunteer fire dept several years ago and we were told that even if we had emergency lights, we were not legally allowed to disregard any traffic laws responding to our station. Once we were in official dept vehicles with lights and sirens on, we could disregard when safe to do so.Personal vehicles were never considered as dept vehicles.

I'm going to step on some toes here but here goes;
we don't pay our police enough to get the best available candidate in some cases. What they end up left with is a selection of "Barneys" who think a gun and badge makes them God. The same mind set is very obvious in lots of the volunteer firemen out there. A set of red lights and a siren makes them super-human in their own minds. Until the public demands that theses yocals be reigned in, it won't happen.

There is a stretch of 5th Street in Benton in front of the judicial building and the sheriff's dept that is essentially a drag strip for some of the local deputies who are responding to fender-benders. Our previous sheriff wouldn't let them run 80 mph in a turn lane like they are prone to do now. Not all but some are going to get someone killed acting like a Hollywood stunt man. Probably 95% of the time there is zero reason for them to be running at high speed thru heavy traffic. The other 5% can be debated.

[barney]

I was on a volunteer fire dept several years ago and we were told that even if we had emergency lights, we were not legally allowed to disregard any traffic laws responding to our station. Once we were in official dept vehicles with lights and sirens on, we could disregard when safe to do so.Personal vehicles were never considered as dept vehicles.

I'm going to step on some toes here but here goes;
we don't pay our police enough to get the best available candidate in some cases. What they end up left with is a selection of "Barneys" who think a gun and badge makes them God. The same mind set is very obvious in lots of the volunteer firemen out there. A set of red lights and a siren makes them super-human in their own minds. Until the public demands that theses yocals be reigned in, it won't happen.

There is a stretch of 5th Street in Benton in front of the judicial building and the sheriff's dept that is essentially a drag strip for some of the local deputies who are responding to fender-benders. Our previous sheriff wouldn't let them run 80 mph in a turn lane like they are prone to do now. Not all but some are going to get someone killed acting like a Hollywood stunt man. Probably 95% of the time there is zero reason for them to be running at high speed thru heavy traffic. The other 5% can be debated.
Watch it DUX!:cool:......:D

[pentail]

Watch it DUX!:cool:......:D

don't be such a barney, Barney;):D

[mrdux]

Sorry Barney!

I had honestly meant to put a disclaimer for you in my post but brain farted and missed it. Thanks for bringing it back to my attention.

[ptbrauch]

Stuff like that happens a lot here in L'ville too. However, I'm usually glad to see the ones going 75+ mph on I-264 in the mornings. It doesn't make my 70mph look so fast.

[killinmammals]

That is a tough ?, but I will give you the answer!....It gos back to the old question, "why did the chicken cross the road".........there is just one logical answer..........because it could!

We had a crack down, here in the county a few years ago. seems every one and his brother, was a volunteer fireman.:cool: And everytime, there was a call, 50 cars and trucks with red lights and sirens sounding, at high rates of speed, would decend upon, a kitten stuck up in a tree!:eek: I have seen so many "billybob" vehicles, at a traffic accident, the paramedics, could not get to the scene!.......public outcry, finally put a stop to that crap.
Back in Utica, if you have enough money to buy a flashing light and a cb, you rush to the scene of a accident as fast as humanly possible....atleast thats what some think....it drives me nuts!!! I have seen QUITE A FEW wreck of cause wrecks on the way to a wreck! Most of them around there do it because they think they are cool with their little flashy lights and sirens that you can't hear past 10 feet away!