Behind the Badge
The holiday shopping season is upon us and it’s time to buy those gifts for family and friends. I’ve come up with five simple tips to get out of a ticket and to save money.
Stop for stop signs. As you approach the stop sign, make sure to STOP. If a cop is watching, he’ll be disappointed you actually made an effort to read the sign and to stop for it. They will wait for the next car to run it. Savings: $400.
Don’t talk on the cell phone. This one is easy. Just don’t pick up the phone when you’re driving. If you do, then don’t have the cell phone up to your ear when the cop sees you. If you see the motor cop first, you can drop the phone in your lap and pretend to scratch your head. You can then pick up the phone up when it’s safe. Savings: $160.
Stop for red lights. The city and state have gone through a lot of trouble to put traffic signals on poles to make the bright red light easy to see. They even put them on poles that hang over the street. The yellow light is usually on for three to four seconds before it turns red. There are no surprises here. Red comes after yellow. Savings: $500.
Don’t Speed. If the speed limit sign says 40MPH, then it’s a bad idea to go 60MPH. This is probably the motor officer’s favorite spot too. The radar gun will get you way before you see it, so slow down. The same rule applies to the freeway. It’s a bad idea to go 85MPH if the speed limit is 65MPH. Savings: $400.
Don’t do it if it sounds like a bad idea. If you think you can get a ticket for something, then don’t do it. If you think it’s a bad idea to turn left when the sign says NO LEFT TURN, then you’re probably right. If the sign says WRONG WAY, then go the other way. Or if the sign says, NO PARKING, then it’s probably a bad good idea to park there. Savings: Varies in price.
There you have it. Over $1,000 in holiday savings.
Editor’s Note: John Roman is a traffic officer for an Orange County police agency who writes a blog, Badge 415 (badge415.wordpress.com/). His posts focus on the human side of police work and safety tips. Roman, a cop for 20 years, has handled more than 5,000 accidents as a collision investigator. behindthebadgeoc.com will share some of his columns.You can also follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/badge415.
