![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Just took a trip to the library. The parking lot was full. I mean every space, with a few cars circling. Which is cool in a way (it being for the library and all), but not very convenient.
But! I remembered that the library is actually part of the town's civic center. It's a complex of buildings with the senior center, a courthouse, the town clerk's office, a little park, etc. There's another parking lot on the far side of the complex. It'd mean walking around the senior center, but it's not too far.
I'm halfway through taking a left turn out of the parking lot when a huge SUV comes whipping around the corner, going 10mph over the limit if not more. It's barely above freezing on a relatively low-traffic street (the main road is in the other direction), so the road could well have been icy. (Should also mention that across the street from the civic center is a housing development, which means it's also a residential street.) Snow banks take up slices of both our lanes. His side of the road is parked up, and the last space is taken up by a school bus, which simultaneously obstructs part of his view around the corner and forces him to take the turn a bit wide.
It wasn't quite a nail-biter. I had time to finish the turn with at least a couple of seconds to spare. But there are so many "could have"s it's not even funny.
The kicker? It was a police car. (No siren or anything, either.)
If I could have gotten him to pull over, I think I might well have given him a little talk.
Reminds me of a time some years back, when I was driving home from Boston. I was the one speeding that time, I'll grant. Big open highway, three lanes on either side, and pretty much no traffic to speak of. So I was zooming along in the middle lane. Cop pulls up behind me and starts tailgating me. If I'd panicked and hit the brakes, we would have collided, no question. So I pulled into the left lane first and then tapped on the brakes, so I could coast down to a more acceptable speed. Cop switches lanes and then starts tailgating me again. I switch back to the middle lane as I get down to the proper speed. Cop shadows me for a bit, to make sure, and then... hits the gas, zooms off faster than I'd been going before, cuts across all three lanes, barely makes the next exit, and speeds off down the ramp without slowing. Dude, WTH?
Police officers are supposed to be examples of how to behave. I mean, sure. They get extra training on how to drive in high-speed emergency situations and such. And they get the badge of authority which is only going to make you feel cool and powerful. No question it's a high-stress job, either. I can understand that pushing you to drive more aggressively. But that's over the line, I think. I seriously contemplated calling the cops to complain that time. (Except I was out of my home state, I had been speeding, and I didn't think it'd do much good.)
So instead I'll just complain about it on my blog.
But! I remembered that the library is actually part of the town's civic center. It's a complex of buildings with the senior center, a courthouse, the town clerk's office, a little park, etc. There's another parking lot on the far side of the complex. It'd mean walking around the senior center, but it's not too far.
I'm halfway through taking a left turn out of the parking lot when a huge SUV comes whipping around the corner, going 10mph over the limit if not more. It's barely above freezing on a relatively low-traffic street (the main road is in the other direction), so the road could well have been icy. (Should also mention that across the street from the civic center is a housing development, which means it's also a residential street.) Snow banks take up slices of both our lanes. His side of the road is parked up, and the last space is taken up by a school bus, which simultaneously obstructs part of his view around the corner and forces him to take the turn a bit wide.
It wasn't quite a nail-biter. I had time to finish the turn with at least a couple of seconds to spare. But there are so many "could have"s it's not even funny.
The kicker? It was a police car. (No siren or anything, either.)
If I could have gotten him to pull over, I think I might well have given him a little talk.
Reminds me of a time some years back, when I was driving home from Boston. I was the one speeding that time, I'll grant. Big open highway, three lanes on either side, and pretty much no traffic to speak of. So I was zooming along in the middle lane. Cop pulls up behind me and starts tailgating me. If I'd panicked and hit the brakes, we would have collided, no question. So I pulled into the left lane first and then tapped on the brakes, so I could coast down to a more acceptable speed. Cop switches lanes and then starts tailgating me again. I switch back to the middle lane as I get down to the proper speed. Cop shadows me for a bit, to make sure, and then... hits the gas, zooms off faster than I'd been going before, cuts across all three lanes, barely makes the next exit, and speeds off down the ramp without slowing. Dude, WTH?
Police officers are supposed to be examples of how to behave. I mean, sure. They get extra training on how to drive in high-speed emergency situations and such. And they get the badge of authority which is only going to make you feel cool and powerful. No question it's a high-stress job, either. I can understand that pushing you to drive more aggressively. But that's over the line, I think. I seriously contemplated calling the cops to complain that time. (Except I was out of my home state, I had been speeding, and I didn't think it'd do much good.)
So instead I'll just complain about it on my blog.
Tags: