Funny Incident: A Cop Flipped Me Off

[PsychGuy274]

A couple days ago I was driving home from work. The road I was on was a one lane each way highway up in the mountains. So I turn a corner and see a LEO engaged in a traffic stop and I thought, like I always do, "Haha, you got pulled over." So about two minutes later I'm just putting along and I look in my rearview and I see the same officer screaming up to my truck (and by 'screaming' I mean he was rolling code 3. I look down at my speedometer and I was 5 under the speed limit so I had no idea why he was behind me.

Either way I thought I was being stopped so I threw on my hazards to let him know I see him. Seeing as it was a mountain road there was nowhere to pull over, but just up a head I saw a turn out. So as I'm nearing the turn out I start slowing down. I look up and the cop isn't behind me anymore I look over to my left and he's right next to me pacing me. He looks me straight in the eye, flips me off, and then speeds off.

I literally didn't understand what just happened. I thought he was pulling me over. I figured if he needed to get by me then he would've noticed that I couldn't pull over where I was unless I wanted to test the tensile strength of my side mirror against the rock face, and he wouldn've just gone around me. I mean, we were on a straight road with about a mile or so of visibility with a dashed yellow line.

I was so bewildered that I just started laughing and went on my way. Silly officer

So, did I miss something?

[five.five-six]

sounds like he is just a good judge of character

your GF put him up to it

[1911su16b870]

[MontClaire]

I had a CHP officer once catch up to me on freeway at 105 mph and just shake his head at me. I noded and slowed down to 65 or so. He kept going at 105 mph or so. 101 freeway past santa barbara northbound, and i drove an S600 at a time.

[AR-MAN88]

Since you were on a mountain road, was trying to show you his "Bird". I bet it was one hell of a trip.

[PsychGuy274]

sounds like he is just a good judge of character

your GF put him up to it

LOL

[TRICKSTER]

+1 on the

Yes, you missed something.
The problem seems to be that you assumed way too much. If you had continued to drive normally, he probably just would have passed you when safe to do so and been on his way. If a LEO wants you to pull over or get out of the way, they will let you know. Your actions could just as easily have been interpreted as an attempt to slow down the officer and mess with him.

And before all you cop questioners start with the, "he should have turned on his lights if he was in a hurry", if the OP reacted this way just because a police car pulled up behind him, who knows what he would have done if he saw lights and heard a siren.

People need to quit being so paranoid and just drive normally unless the lights and siren come on. If the lights come on, pull to the right and stop or follow the directions that the officer gives you.

[PsychGuy274]

+1 on the

Yes, you missed something.
The problem seems to be that you assumed way too much. If you had continued to drive normally, he probably just would have passed you when safe to do so and been on his way. If a LEO wants you to pull over or get out of the way, they will let you know. Your actions could just as easily have been interpreted as an attempt to slow down the officer and mess with him.

And before all you cop questioners start with the, "he should have turned on his lights if he was in a hurry", if the OP reacted this way just because a police car pulled up behind him, who knows what he would have done if he saw lights and heard a siren.

People need to quit being so paranoid and just drive normally unless the lights and siren come on. If the lights come on, pull to the right and stop or follow the directions that the officer gives you.

He was code 3 the entire time he was behind me which is why I thought I was being pulled over.

[tonelar]

Ok, so an emergency vehicle is gaining on you with lights and sirens and you just keep driving? Maybe the laws there are different, but here vehicles are required to stop and pull to the right as far as possible.

[PsychGuy274]

Ok, so an emergency vehicle is gaining on you with lights and sirens and you just keep driving? Maybe the laws there are different, but here vehicles are required to stop and pull to the right as far as possible.

Did you read the OP? There wasn't anywhere to pull over. There was literally about 3" from the edge of the road and a rock face.

[tonelar]

Did you read the OP? There wasn't anywhere to pull over. There was literally about 3" from the edge of the road and a rock face.

Did you read what I wrote? "Stop and pull to the right as far as possible."
No shoulder? That's fine. Stay centered in your lane (since it's exactly the width of your car). Slow to a complete stop and proceed after officer smiley has gone by. A word of caution here; sometimes there's more than just a cop car or ambulance or fire engine rolling code three, so maybe check before taking off. I see way many accidents where as soon as a Fire Engine goes by, some car pulls in front of a Ladder Truck or Rescue Squad.

Just for the record: I wouldn't have flipped you off, PsychGuy.

[PsychGuy274]

Did you read what I wrote? "Stop and pull to the right as far as possible."
No shoulder? That's fine. Stay centered in your lane (since it's exactly the width of your car). Slow to a complete stop and proceed after officer smiley has gone by. A word of caution here; sometimes there's more than just a cop car or ambulance or fire engine rolling code three, so maybe check before taking off. I see way many accidents where as soon as a Fire Engine goes by, some car pulls in front of a Ladder Truck or Rescue Squad.

Just for the record: I wouldn't have flipped you off, PsychGuy.

Doesn't seem too safe for both myself and the officer to stop in the middle of the street though (again, keep in mind I thought I was being pulled over), especially when there was a clearing a little ways ahead.

And that's some good advice about watching for other emergency vehicles. I've heard some horror stories from some of my LEO friends concerning that.

[tonelar]

I hear what you're saying (& nice touch putting your flashers on). When I pull around to pass a vehicle while going code three, I feel there's less that can go wrong if they're actually stopped. A stopped vehicle is just an obstacle; a moving obstacle can potentially do something unexpected.

At least it was a straight section of road and visibility was ample.

Around here, cops light up and give the horn (or a whoop from their siren) when pulling folks over for an infraction etc. Running with their lights flashing and sirens wailing usually means they're en route to something more urgent than a routine traffic stop. But again, I have no idea how agencies do it in other areas.

[PsychGuy274]

I hear what you're saying (& nice touch putting your flashers on). When I pull around to pass a vehicle while going code three, I feel there's less that can go wrong if they're actually stopped. A stopped vehicle is just an obstacle; a moving obstacle can potentially do something unexpected.

That makes sense.

And btw, I like you. I'd be honored to have you flip me off

[tonelar]

Ya know; when I typed that "I wouldn't" the joker in me wanted to screw around and add; "...but my Lt might."

Sorta related; we just got back from a fire in the building call. It's 0500 and even with so few cars out there, some cab driver tried to race me, a street sweeper STOPS and makes a U turn right in my way and some 18 wheeler totally blows a red (luckily this was as we were returning to station). Man, it's a good thing the streets are wet (I drive 7/10 when it's bad out).