So I'm a little pissed (rant about a cop)

[Apathetic Lurker]

If you hate the ticket fight it....go to court and let the judge decide...

I once got a ticket for parking in a handicaped parking spot. I got out of it. But my reason was valid...

[Apathetic Lurker]

Originally Posted by molson

People would be more sympathetic for you if you didn't:

1. Call the officer (who's doing his job) a "son of a bitch"
2. Contend that your minor violation should be ignored and officers should only trouble themselves with "real crime"
3. Claim that you've never seen anyone else get a ticket for this, and your buddy cop friend says he wouldn't have given a ticket.
4. Highlight your flawless driving history

Really, you can't see how this kind of stuff rubs people the wrong way? That you're expressing a sense of entitlement? Nobody cares that you stopped in a fire lane.

Don't forget to tell that nice officer that YOU pay his salary and that he/she works for YOU so they better stop harrasing you and go and arrest some real crooks

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Apathetic Lurker

Don't forget to tell that nice officer that YOU pay his salary and that he/she works for YOU so they better stop harrasing you and go and arrest some real crooks

"Now, listen to me, Cop. I pay your salary."

"All right, sit down. I'm gonna earn it."

"You already have, the kind of money you make. What do they pay you to carry that badge around, 40 cents an hour?"

"You sit down! That badge pays 464 dollars a month. That's what the job's worth. I knew that when I hired on. $67.40 comes out with withholding. I give $27.84 for pension and 12 bucks for widows and orphans. That leaves me with $356.76. That badge is worth a dollar 82 an hour so Mister, better settle back into that chair because I'm about to blow about 20 bucks of it right now "

[Bonegavel]

I'm a paranoid fuck and prowl the parking lot until I see my wife come out and then drive up so it's just a grab-n-go.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Bonegavel

I'm a paranoid fuck and prowl the parking lot until I see my wife come out and then drive up so it's just a grab-n-go.

What a coincidence, I prowl the parking lot for your wife too!

[Bonegavel]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

What a coincidence, I prowl the parking lot for your wife too!

Do you want her?!

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Bonegavel

Do you want her?!

Only if you take mine in a trade.

[Bonegavel]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Only if you take mine in a trade.

Hmmm, I'll might have to put her on waivers.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by LoneStarGirl

Well he turned the lights on right when i was leaving the apt complex. It just took me two blocks to pull over into a vacant bank parking lot.

This is where I think you got into trouble. Frankly, when he turns his lights on, stop right there. You got what you wanted: a cop nearby. And he's much closer to these guys to decide what to do. You drove 2 blocks AFTER he turned his lights on, now you've got him thinking you're trying to escape HIM.

But I'm on board with the whole "freaking out when there are two guys with guns next to my car" bit.

[Cringer]

Damn, I just found myself be extremely hypocritical. I went to post a joke about not liking state troopers because they were my arch-enemy for so long. They wouldn't have been if I obeyed the law 100% of the time when on the road. I never argued a ticket though, and only had 3 in 9 years. And I only parked in front of a store when it was part of the job.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

That's redonkulous. If someone is sitting a running vehicle in the red zone at a GROCERY STORE...not a hospital, but a grocery store, and no emergency is taking place, why can't you say to the driver "I'm sorry, sir, but you can't wait for your wife and kids here.

Something tells me that this would have pissed him off almost as much. (Maybe not in retrospect after he received a ticket, but at the time, he would have been annoyed if he had to go back to the parking lot)

Small infraction, small fine. And I bet he won't do it again (and I bet people on who read this thread will think twice).

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

Dan. It's time to let it go.

Maybe you can start a thread expressing your outrage about people who have 16 items in the 15 or less aisle at the Safeway. That would be sweet. I'd totally comiserate with you.

Doesn't appear like it's time to let go if people are still posting in here...

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Apathetic Lurker

If you hate the ticket fight it....go to court and let the judge decide...

I once got a ticket for parking in a handicaped parking spot. I got out of it. But my reason was valid...

Oh man this is opening up a can of worms...

[molson]

Originally Posted by dangarion

Oh man this is opening up a can of worms...

I'd love to hear what grounds a judge used to throw this out rather than being handicapped, or a REAL emergency situation (not that he was in a really big hurry or something).

[cody8200]

This is really nerdy but I cannot believe how many people here would be considered "lawful good" (I just finished playing Neverwinter Nights 2) on this board. Every person here is so nit-picky about small laws. Personally I would be annoyed by the first poster's stopping in the fire lane and using it as a temporary parking space. However, I cannot imagine myself as a cop, thinking of giving someone a ticket for something so petty. I tend to think that little crimes be damned but then again I am a non-drug user (never) that thinks we should get rid of the war on drugs entirely.

[Kodos]

But what gives these apparently "special" people the right to park in a fire lane, or go flying by a traffic jam on the shoulder? Shouldn't they have to play by the same rules as everyone else? It's marked as a fire lane for a reason. If he was so concerned about his wife, he could have taken both kids back to the car and then let her shop by herself while the rest of them waited in the parking lot.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by dangarion

Doesn't appear like it's time to let go if people are still posting in here...

You're no fun.

[Dutch]

Agreed. *After* you get a ticket for being illegally parked is probably a bad time to hold a referendum on how petty the enforcement of the law is.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by molson

I'd love to hear what grounds a judge used to throw this out rather than being handicapped, or a REAL emergency situation (not that he was in a really big hurry or something).

Improperly marked zone. Missing or obscured sign. Actually has sticker but cop missed it or it was improperly displayed.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by cody8200

This is really nerdy but I cannot believe how many people here would be considered "lawful good" (I just finished playing Neverwinter Nights 2) on this board. Every person here is so nit-picky about small laws. Personally I would be annoyed by the first poster's stopping in the fire lane and using it as a temporary parking space. However, I cannot imagine myself as a cop, thinking of giving someone a ticket for something so petty. I tend to think that little crimes be damned but then again I am a non-drug user (never) that thinks we should get rid of the war on drugs entirely.

Thing is, I don't think blocking an fire zone as a petty crime thus that blows your theory where I'm concerned.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Good one.

You start a thread looking for sympathy over something 100% your fault and come off sounding like a whiny baby then what did you expect?

You're right, he should have expected you to be the dick you always are.

[Subby]

Bad break, cougarfreak.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by Axxon

Thing is, I don't think blocking an fire zone as a petty crime thus that blows your theory where I'm concerned.

Do you think it is not petty if he is blocking it during an actual fire/emergency, or also when there is nothing going on?

[Racer]

I haven't read the last two pages of this thread, but you should play werewolf again sometime Cougar.

[KWhit]

Are you really bitching about $30??

I mean, seriously?

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by BrianD

Do you think it is not petty if he is blocking it during an actual fire/emergency, or also when there is nothing going on?

Honestly, I've worked jobs where split second timing matters. I've actually saved a persons life in a situation where time was critical but I violated a hospital rule for it and could have been fired. It was suggested that I be at least reprimanded though the fact that the doctors came to my rescue because I literally made the choice that saved his life pretty much made that impossible. In an emergency, every second matters.

To me, there's no difference in the question you asked. You simply don't risk the mundane becoming the emergency if you don't have to. No justification can explain to the deceased's family that it didn't seem like an emergency. I've seen people have to do that though granted, not from this scenario. I'll admit my opinion is colored though by my experiences but I take the side of emergency personnel every time when it comes down to it because again, only hindsight can tell if the situation was an emergency or not. If it wasn't, screw it, hold a concert there, who gives a flip. If it was though...

[judicial clerk]

It is funny how intense and "hot and cold" our society's attitude is towards cops.

Cougerfreak and Lonestargirl feel that the enforcement against them was out of line, but I bet that there were people who witnessed Cougerfreak's and lonestargirl's actions and were positively stoked that the cops were busting them.

BSAK16 was pissed that his local cops were so careless and unresponsive about investigating people throwing rocks and eggs at his house and getting into his shed. And yet there are probably a lot of people who would criticize the cops if they spent too much time investigating crimes that they might consider amount to harmless adolescent hijinks.

I am not saying that Cougerfreak, lonestargirl, or bsak16 are wrong or right, but I would say that somebody always thinks the cops did the wrong thing.

Also I notice that lonestargirl and bsak16 lodged complaints against cops. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I bet this happens more to cops than it does in a lot of other jobs.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by Axxon

Honestly, I've worked jobs where split second timing matters. I've actually saved a persons life in a situation where time was critical but I violated a hospital rule for it and could have been fired. It was suggested that I be at least reprimanded though the fact that the doctors came to my rescue because I literally made the choice that saved his life pretty much made that impossible. In an emergency, every second matters.

To me, there's no difference in the question you asked. You simply don't risk the mundane becoming the emergency if you don't have to. No justification can explain to the deceased's family that it didn't seem like an emergency. I've seen people have to do that though granted, not from this scenario. I'll admit my opinion is colored though by my experiences but I take the side of emergency personnel every time when it comes down to it because again, only hindsight can tell if the situation was an emergency or not. If it wasn't, screw it, hold a concert there, who gives a flip. If it was though...

BTW, brought up the story not to toot my own horn but to show that I am most definitely not LAWFUL GOOD.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by Axxon

Honestly, I've worked jobs where split second timing matters. I've actually saved a persons life in a situation where time was critical but I violated a hospital rule for it and could have been fired. It was suggested that I be at least reprimanded though the fact that the doctors came to my rescue because I literally made the choice that saved his life pretty much made that impossible. In an emergency, every second matters.

To me, there's no difference in the question you asked. You simply don't risk the mundane becoming the emergency if you don't have to. No justification can explain to the deceased's family that it didn't seem like an emergency. I've seen people have to do that though granted, not from this scenario. I'll admit my opinion is colored though by my experiences but I take the side of emergency personnel every time when it comes down to it because again, only hindsight can tell if the situation was an emergency or not. If it wasn't, screw it, hold a concert there, who gives a flip. If it was though...

I agree that seconds matter, but I don't see how a guy sitting behind the wheel of a running car can't get out of a fire lane between the time a fire truck is seen/heard and the time it gets to the fire lane. The only way it could be tough is if the driver is outside the car with an arm full of groceries. If this was the point where the cop showed up, or this was the point where the lights went on, I'd have no problem. With someone sitting behind the wheel of the running car...I wouldn't see that as a big deal.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by BrianD

I agree that seconds matter, but I don't see how a guy sitting behind the wheel of a running car can't get out of a fire lane between the time a fire truck is seen/heard and the time it gets to the fire lane. The only way it could be tough is if the driver is outside the car with an arm full of groceries. If this was the point where the cop showed up, or this was the point where the lights went on, I'd have no problem. With someone sitting behind the wheel of the running car...I wouldn't see that as a big deal.

The point is that he was breaking the law, regardless of it being an emergency situation. How hard is it for people to accept that the law was broken? People want to keep saying it's not a big deal, but where do you draw the line? I'm not lawful good, I'm chaotic good if anything, I speed at times, but that's just about the only law I break nowadays and even then I usually am only going the flow of traffic, but if a cop gave me a ticket for it would be pissed but I would know I deserved it because I was breaking a law.

You people that think it's not a big deal, also probably think it's not a big deal to steal things from large companies. You probably are the same type of people that have black boxes and stuff for your cable and dish services, and feel you are obligated to having as much free service as you can possibly obtain, because they owe it to you. It disgusts me.

[Fidatelo]

Laws and fines aside, people who park or sit in fire lanes/loading zones (except under exceptional circumstances) are douchebags. Why not just park in a handicap spot while you're at it?

Stop being a lazy douche and walk like the rest of us.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by BrianD

I agree that seconds matter, but I don't see how a guy sitting behind the wheel of a running car can't get out of a fire lane between the time a fire truck is seen/heard and the time it gets to the fire lane. The only way it could be tough is if the driver is outside the car with an arm full of groceries. If this was the point where the cop showed up, or this was the point where the lights went on, I'd have no problem. With someone sitting behind the wheel of the running car...I wouldn't see that as a big deal.

But he was outside the car, with an armful of groceries before he was ticketed and it's likely in his city that standing wasn't illegal.

Also I have to object with the rest of your premise. He may have his stereo blasting loudly. He may not be paying attention. He may not see the ambulance behind him. There may be traffic trying to avoid the emergency vehicle and he may not be able to pull out. There may be victims running around him a la the Billy Ferry incident that he simply can't run over. His car may stall. A tire may go flat. He may run out of gas. He may panic. Anything can happen even if everything seems routine ( you know, thus the word emergency ) and I just can't see why you'd want to risk it when moving a few feet down could avoid trouble.

Another consideration. The fire marshall may well fine the store owner if he caught the guy. It was a major concern at the hospital I worked at. We had a circle out front that was a fire zone and everyone wanted to stand there. The security people had to constantly move people because the hospital did get fined when the fire marshall saw it and he was there often which granted he wouldn't be at a store.

I'd see people argue, curse at, and otherwise challenge the security guys and sometimes even get taken away because the police would end up being called and their car toed. It was truly insane.

I don't know if there's some kind of hospital rule or not but I doubt it. Fire marshals close down and fine for other issues such as overoccupancy etc. Again, why take the chance?

No one yet has given one compelling reason for cougarfreak or anyone else in the world for doing what he did. It's always simply done for convenience and sorry, to me that's not compelling.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Laws and fines aside, people who park or sit in fire lanes/loading zones (except under exceptional circumstances) are douchebags. Why not just park in a handicap spot while you're at it?

Stop being a lazy douche and walk like the rest of us.

Or, what he said.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by dangarion

The point is that he was breaking the law, regardless of it being an emergency situation. How hard is it for people to accept that the law was broken? People want to keep saying it's not a big deal, but where do you draw the line? I'm not lawful good, I'm chaotic good if anything, I speed at times, but that's just about the only law I break nowadays and even then I usually am only going the flow of traffic, but if a cop gave me a ticket for it would be pissed but I would know I deserved it because I was breaking a law.

I'm not arguing that a law wasn't broken. Doing what he did has the potential for a fine and he received a fine. Fair enough. I just think that having the cop walk up to the car and tell him to move along would have been a reasonable outcome as well. What I don't get is the vitriol this guy gets for even thinking that something other than a fine might be possible.

You people that think it's not a big deal, also probably think it's not a big deal to steal things from large companies. You probably are the same type of people that have black boxes and stuff for your cable and dish services, and feel you are obligated to having as much free service as you can possibly obtain, because they owe it to you. It disgusts me.

And here is the asshat strawman comment. This situation has nothing to do with theft and assuming you know how people feel about theft based on comments about standing in a fire lane shows your ignorance. Keep your comments to the topic at hand and realized that you are being disgusted by a situation and resolution you just fabricated.

[TCY Junkie]

Cougar its attitudes like yours that make me wonder how all cops aren't dicks. I thought you were joking on the first page. If you leave you driver seat while in a fire lane with a cop behind you and your car doesn't move are you really suprised to get a ticket.

Cops are cool. They let you speed, not use turn signals, and sometimes catch really bad people, but when you get busted people act like spoiled kids.

Now that I posted that I will probably get pulled over for going 40.5 in a 40. If I do I will be back in here, but not to call him an sob. Well I will try not to.

[molson]

Originally Posted by BrianD

I just think that having the cop walk up to the car and tell him to move along would have been a reasonable outcome as well. What I don't get is the vitriol this guy gets for even thinking that something other than a fine might be possible.

That's the thing though, he certainly wasn't posting that "something other than a fine might be possible". He said that the cop was a son of a bitch, and he absolutely should NOT have to pay a ticket, and he implied that there was no reasonable option other than telling him to move along. He wasn't speculating on options. That's the reason for the backlash.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by BrianD

I'm not arguing that a law wasn't broken. Doing what he did has the potential for a fine and he received a fine. Fair enough. I just think that having the cop walk up to the car and tell him to move along would have been a reasonable outcome as well. What I don't get is the vitriol this guy gets for even thinking that something other than a fine might be possible.



And here is the asshat strawman comment. This situation has nothing to do with theft and assuming you know how people feel about theft based on comments about standing in a fire lane shows your ignorance. Keep your comments to the topic at hand and realized that you are being disgusted by a situation and resolution you just fabricated.

Part #1 - The reason why is because people think they deserve to get other treatment instead of a fine, that's my problem with it. My problem is people think they are privileged and deserve special treatment. It's the "Don't you know who I am!" and "But I'm waiting for my wife and baby" people that piss me off. No one is special, and no one deserves special treatment, period.

Part #2 - You are right. I still feel there is a correlation, but I'll back away from it.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by Axxon

But he was outside the car, with an armful of groceries before he was ticketed and it's likely in his city that standing wasn't illegal.

This is the point where I could see the ticket being issued. But this was also the point where the cop was behind him with the lights on (if I remember properly). Seems like the process was already in motion.

Also I have to object with the rest of your premise. He may have his stereo blasting loudly. He may not be paying attention. He may not see the ambulance behind him. There may be traffic trying to avoid the emergency vehicle and he may not be able to pull out. There may be victims running around him a la the Billy Ferry incident that he simply can't run over. His car may stall. A tire may go flat. He may run out of gas. He may panic. Anything can happen even if everything seems routine ( you know, thus the word emergency ) and I just can't see why you'd want to risk it when moving a few feet down could avoid trouble.

And he may be sitting silently with his windows down to make sure he is aware of his surroundings. We can both add details to better fit our point. In general, I'm not disagreeing with you. A ticket was a definite possibility of this action and there is no right to be upset at the cop. I still think a simple "move along" would also have been appropriate. This story also wouldn't prevent me from pausing in a fire lane long enough to pick up my wife coming out of the store assuming she was already on her way out before I stopped there.

No one yet has given one compelling reason for cougarfreak or anyone else in the world for doing what he did. It's always simply done for convenience and sorry, to me that's not compelling.

There is no compelling reason, and it is done for convenience. I know any time I've done something like this, I would have been standing in the zone for less time than it would take for an emergency vehicle to drive the length of the parking lot. It may not be legally allowed, but I'm also not going to get too worked up about it.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by dangarion

Part #1 - The reason why is because people think they deserve to get other treatment instead of a fine, that's my problem with it. My problem is people think they are privileged and deserve special treatment. It's the "Don't you know who I am!" and "But I'm waiting for my wife and baby" people that piss me off. No one is special, and no one deserves special treatment, period.

There is a difference between deserving other treatment and finding other treatment equally appropriate. I don't think the OP deserved something other than a fine, but I would find other treatment equally appropriate...at least until he got out of the car...that was probably too much.

Part #2 - You are right. I still feel there is a correlation, but I'll back away from it.

How about this. You quoted me and exclaimed that people who don't see a big deal with standing in a fire lane also don't see a big deal with stealing from large companies. I don't see a big deal with standing briefly in a fire lane and I do see a big deal with stealing from a large company. There, assertion refuted.

[Mustang]

I was at this casino minding my own business, and this guy came up to me and said, "You're gonna have to move, you're blocking a fire exit." As though if there was a fire, I wasn't gonna run. If you're flammible and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit.

- Mitch Hedberg


STOP BREAKING THE LAW ASSHOLE!

- Jim Carrey, Liar Liar

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by BrianD

And he may be sitting silently with his windows down to make sure he is aware of his surroundings. We can both add details to better fit our point. In general, I'm not disagreeing with you. A ticket was a definite possibility of this action and there is no right to be upset at the cop. I still think a simple "move along" would also have been appropriate. This story also wouldn't prevent me from pausing in a fire lane long enough to pick up my wife coming out of the store assuming she was already on her way out before I stopped there.

Yes, sure the odds are lower that something bad would happen but they'd be zero if he wasn't there.

Another little story. When I was working air traffic, we had a bad helicopter crash on the runway. 3 died. If you want to look it up, it's online.

Anyway, the helicopter caught on fire and stopped spinning right in front of the fuel island where the crash truck was. The helicopter was still on the runway.

The guys jumped in the fuel truck sped over to the helicopter and two guys jumped out. They started screwing with the fire hose. Nothing came out. They kept screwing with it. NOthing.

Now, I don't want you to think the guys in the helicopter were alive at that point because odds are they weren't but it was ghoulish to watch. I'll never forget it.

They did this for well over 2 minutes. An off duty fireman was in a bonanza doing his preflight checklist and he had time to see this, get out of the bonanza and run over. At this time, the driver had gotten out of the crash truck and went to help.

What had happened you ask? The only one of the three guys on duty who knew how to operate the hose was the driver. The other two were new and weren't trained so had no idea how it worked.

My point is three guys, trained to handle emergencies and when one happened they all panicked and no one realized what to do. If guys that are trained to handle emergencies can panic you're not going to convince me that some guy in the fire lane ( and you're definitely not about to convince me that his attention was on looking for firetrucks and making sure that he had a clean escape route should he see one ) couldn't panic when confronted with an emergency.

Like I told you, my opinon is based on my experiences and I've worked in many situations where emergencies happen and people lose their cools. I rarely lose mine that's why I got those jobs but I can remember a time where I lost mine albeit it wasn't a bad emergency and no one got hurt but my mind couldn't wrap around the fact that there even was an emergency as it was dark and it didn't look like one though the pilot declared it.

Only for about 30 seconds did I freeze, and my supervisor too who was working local control but we were both embarrassed about it and I still am and again, I was trained and inclined not to lose my cool. Stuff happens.

[cougarfreak]

1. My original post was intended to be something like..........this is something I would have never expected to be ticketed for, but instead told to move along.

2. It was about 20 minutes after the fact, and yes I was pissed.

3. I know now that because I pulled up to a fire lane to pick up my wife and small child I:

a. Should have been approached by a cop with his gun drawn, as I obviously am a getaway car for a robbery, and am lucky I didn't get shot.

b. Feel as though I am entitled to break the law.

c. Obviously steal from large companies. I need to check my directv, I should have every channel now, as I am a thief.

d. Am also obviously a lazy fuck.

e. I think I'm the best driver in the world.

f. I give attitude to cops, and got the ticket for being a jackass, not for pulling into the fire lane.

g. I'm lucky I didn't get eaten by tigers when I got out to get the groceries, as was the cop who walked up to my car.

h. I would have been just as mad had a the cop asked me to move to the parking lot.

i. Hate all cops, am anti cop, and am definitely chaotic evil.



That is all, have a great day. I guess I should add..........I'm shocked people are talking about it.

[DaddyTorgo]

well, given (1) cougs, I think we all just didn't cut you enough slack on your venting. or maybe the OP wasn't quite "WTF i got a ticket for this? Wow that sucks but of course I deserved it and i'll pay it" enough...

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by BrianD

This is the point where I could see the ticket being issued. But this was also the point where the cop was behind him with the lights on (if I remember properly). Seems like the process was already in motion.

He was running his particulars which they do even if they give you a warning. Again, I'm not even sure he'd broken a law yet as my googling shows that the law in Florence only says parking, not standing, and I can't find where parking is defined. I've seen it defined to include standing in some statutes and not in others. If Florence doesn't consider it against the law, far be it from me to consider what he did illegal but I still think it's the wrong move.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

b. Feel as though I am entitled to break the law.

You already had that one covered champ and others here feel the same way. Hey, I have no problem with fighting against laws you disagree with generally. I'm currently reading "Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63" an excellet book btw which could never have been written had everyone been lawful good and no one felt entitled to break a bad law.

I just don't think in this situation it's a bad law.

Now, had the cop given you a warning and you hadn't ranted I wouldn't think it was a bad option either but your rant kinda convinced me that you would have done the same thing again in that case. If I'm wrong there, which I may be, given how the rant came about, then I'd change my tune on that particular.

[Kodos]

Also, your personal hygiene is questionable at best.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by Axxon

My point is three guys, trained to handle emergencies and when one happened they all panicked and no one realized what to do. If guys that are trained to handle emergencies can panic you're not going to convince me that some guy in the fire lane ( and you're definitely not about to convince me that his attention was on looking for firetrucks and making sure that he had a clean escape route should he see one ) couldn't panic when confronted with an emergency.

You don't see a difference in people panicking while running toward an emergency that they have to respond to, and running away from one they don't have to respond to? Someone experiencing a mental blank could easily forget the procedure for properly attaching and operating a fire hose. I don't see how one could blank sufficiently to forget how to take the foot off the brake and roll forward.

I've never had a situation where I didn't know how to pull over on the highway when an ambulance appeared behind me with his lights on. I have trouble picturing how leaving a fire lane would be any more difficult.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by Axxon

He was running his particulars which they do even if they give you a warning. Again, I'm not even sure he'd broken a law yet as my googling shows that the law in Florence only says parking, not standing, and I can't find where parking is defined. I've seen it defined to include standing in some statutes and not in others. If Florence doesn't consider it against the law, far be it from me to consider what he did illegal but I still think it's the wrong move.

Yes, I'm sure the particulars would have been run in either case. One thing I find interesting that nobody mentioned is that the cop pulled up behind him (also in the fire lane?) and sat behind him while running everything. I don't know about you, but if a cop has taken my license and is sitting behind me, I'm certainly not going to go anywhere. Had this really been such an unbelievably horrible situation like some are arguing, why didn't the cop instruct him to move somewhere specific out of the fire lane to run everything?

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by BrianD

You don't see a difference in people panicking while running toward an emergency that they have to respond to, and running away from one they don't have to respond to? Someone experiencing a mental blank could easily forget the procedure for properly attaching and operating a fire hose. I don't see how one could blank sufficiently to forget how to take the foot off the brake and roll forward.

I've never had a situation where I didn't know how to pull over on the highway when an ambulance appeared behind me with his lights on. I have trouble picturing how leaving a fire lane would be any more difficult.

Nope, no difference at all. Lights, horns, sirens tend to disorient. Also, peoples first reaction is almost always to find out what the emergency is before reacting. It's human nature.

As a controller we had to work with this. We had what is called the controller voice, affectionately called the voice of God. It's the voice you use when you absolutely have to have someone do your instruction NOW and not wait. It's the voice that cuts through the bullshit and forces action without thought. You'd be surprised how strong human nature is.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by BrianD

Yes, I'm sure the particulars would have been run in either case. One thing I find interesting that nobody mentioned is that the cop pulled up behind him (also in the fire lane?) and sat behind him while running everything. I don't know about you, but if a cop has taken my license and is sitting behind me, I'm certainly not going to go anywhere. Had this really been such an unbelievably horrible situation like some are arguing, why didn't the cop instruct him to move somewhere specific out of the fire lane to run everything?

I thought of that but again, I'm not sure again if any laws had yet been broken.