Speeding Ticket

[b_madeiros]

How many LEOs here give speeding tickets to Nurses responding to Code Blue at work? I was called in to work because of a shortage and was speeding to help out on a Code Blue. Radar says 80 and I got the ticket and the CHP seemed upset when I mentioned I had a firearm and permit too. Any opinions I thought some LEOs are more relaxed in these type of situations.

[003]

Two questions:

1 What is a code blue?
2 Why did you mention you had a CCW permit and a gun? How did that come up in a traffic stop? Was that a relevant issue?

[baz152]

Generally speaking law enforcement will try to not give citations to hospital employees (Dr's, nurses, etc with I.D.). For the most part L.E. tries to not write up people who they may have to interact with on a daily or emergency basis.

Now playing devils advocate, you responding to your hospital to "help out" with a code blue is a real lame excuse. I have no idea where you live but if your hospital does not have enough people on to help out with a code blue to the point they are calling people to respond code 3 in their personal vehicles, your hospital has a whole lot of problems (Legal and ethical). In your situation baring a major trauma event (Plane crash, earthquake) your reasoning holds no water. I highly doubt that your hospital said "respond code 3 in your non code 3 equipped personal vehicle and YA YA YA, we are fully aware you have never been trained to drive code 3" to help out with someone coding out who will be brain dead if you do not arrive in under three minutes.

Like I said CHP are a different breed but I think you shot yourself in the foot (no pun intended) with your excuse. No cop likes being lied to or lame excuses; you would have better served saying that you were just late to work.

EDIT:

If anyone is wondering why the above statement no longer flows, it is because it has been edited by Retired. It is funny that on a web forum supporting the second amendment, the first amendment is looked down upon.

[P5Ret]

How much help will you be if you don't arrive? That is the question I asked a volunteer fire fighter responding to the station who ran 2 red lights without even a slight tap on the brakes at major intersections. He did not stop or even slow down when I tried to stop him.

[IrishJoe3]

That aside, he is correct about the other stuff.

I have no idea what a code blue is, and I am pretty sure if I called your hospital if you're authorized to roll code 3 to the hospital the response would be a resounding "no!"

Unfortunately, wolf has been called so many times (and people are pretty imaginative)

[Samuelx]

+1 on what Baz said - there should be No need for you to emergency respond (i.e. no excuse for you to break any laws) to a respiratory or cardiac arrest in progress at a hospital. I probably wouldn't buy the responding to a staffing shortage excuse either. Fwiw, I Am a believer in extending professional courtesy to emergency medical personnel.

[b_madeiros]

I dont drive recklessly generally during a code nurses are shunted into the room while minimal staff takes over the rest of the floor God forbid two codes are ran at the same time. Code Blue is cardiac arrest. It was Sunday on hwy 50 no traffic. and Yes I have observed CHP pull over other "undercover" crown vics. I am obliged by my county sheriff to mention I am armed. I thought its common courtesy to mention when a firearm is present on a civilian.

[FLIGHT762]

When you look at the time you lost when stopped for the speeding ticket, you would have arrived at work much earlier had you been going the speed limit.

As others have said, you can't be of help if you don't arrive, either by crashing or being stopped and cited.

I've let a lot of E/R staff off with warnings, but I've also been lied to several times by E/R staff and discovered their lies by stopping by the Hospital and following up on their excuses. Sometimes, LEO's get tired of hearing it.

The bottom line is don't go over 5 over the limit and you likely are not going to get stopped.

[IrishJoe3]

Really retired? I thought it was a pretty good pun ;-)

[Tacobandit]

I usually wont cite nurses unless they give me attitude.

[b_madeiros]

everyone has good valid points. It was my fault for speeding I understand that. Its also good to know there are some LEOs out there who understand what we do on a daily basis and can give a pass here and there.

[micro911]

I was not a traffic car, and I didn't write many tickets when I was working patrol. I only gave tickets to the drivers who wanted to argue with my for my reason to stop.

[johnthomas]

You could try to fight it, but, the judge may tell you that if they cannot do a code blue without calling someone in for help, they should go into another line of work. Maybe a Pizza business, where a couple of minutes either way doesn't matter.

[toby]

You have NO excuse to break the law, you speed you pay, stop trying to get a free ride.

[b_madeiros]

You could try to fight it, but, the judge may tell you that if they cannot do a code blue without calling someone in for help, they should go into another line of work. Maybe a Pizza business, where a couple of minutes either way doesn't matter.

no need to fight it. I have consulted my lawyer already he mentioned the traffic judge is suspending DL in sac county for speeding. Its funny that you are the second person to mention going into a different line of work. I save lives daily there is no better rush then getting adrenline going during a code. maybe thats why i was rushing...just a thought. because I get a ticket it will not convince me to make pizzas.