Who is Heywood?

[CoventryCat86]

LMAO! Look at the fourth paragraph then look at the comments:

http://www.ctpost.com/default/articl...te-5236719.php

[cinda]

What's the Law in Connecticut?

Connecticut law prohibits vehicles of all kinds from unnecessary idling for more than 3 minutes. Hope that car warms up to get the ice loose.

[ggiese]

The other day I was blasted by a ton of snow that came off a semi when we were side by side doing about 50 mph. I support legislation compelling folks to clean snow and ice off their car/truck, but I can see it would be difficult to enforce.

[illilli]

People who don't clear their vehicles of snow and ice piss me off and send me into a road rage (a controlled rage contained within, not an actual run-someone-off-the-road or take-out-my-gun-and-shoot-their-tires or sacrifice-the-safety-of-my-children-at-any-risk rage -- just so you critics of purity are CLEAR!)

While we are at it, I also get pissed at people who park in fire lanes. I've called the police on them many times. In fact, I call the police when I see road rage - "enacted" (not contained within.) I'm sure the police know my name and number; they probably say "OH, it's this guy again.."

I once saw a drunk driver and I was on with the dispatcher following the guy until a cop showed up to take over. The cop didn't pull the guy over because he started driving better...I guess the site of a cop car behind him sobered him up. I was aggravated a bit, but he finally DID pull the guy over -- my head almost exploded before that!

[CoventryCat86]

What's the Law in Connecticut?

Connecticut law prohibits vehicles of all kinds from unnecessary idling for more than 3 minutes. Hope that car warms up to get the ice loose.

Actually, it's not a "law" it's a regulation, RCSA 22a-174-18(b)(3)(C):

"(C) a mobile source to operate for more than three (3) consecutive minutes when
such mobile source is not in motion,"

however there are exceptions because the words immediately following the comma read:

"except as follows:"

"(i) when a mobile source is forced to remain motionless because of traffic conditions
or mechanical difficulties over which the operator has no control,
(ii) when it is necessary to operate defrosting, heating or cooling equipment to
ensure the safety or health of the driver or passengers,
(iii) when it is necessary to operate auxiliary equipment that is located in or on
the mobile source to accomplish the intended use of the mobile source,
(iv) to bring the mobile source to the manufacturer’s recommended operating temperature,
(v) when the outdoor temperature is below twenty degrees Fahrenheit (20
degrees F),
(vi) when the mobile source is undergoing maintenance that requires such mobile
source be operated for more than three (3) consecutive minutes, or
(vii) when a mobile source is in queue to be inspected by U.S. military personnel
prior to gaining access to a U.S. military installation."

so (iv) & (v) get you out of any potential trouble for those reasons, if the temperature is under 20 degrees F or it takes longer than three minutes to bring your car up to operating temperature.

Also, the State Police generally don't enforce DEP (or DEEP as it's now called) regulations, air pollution enforcement officers do that and there are only a handful of them in the entire state.

[ggiese]

People who don't clear their vehicles of snow and ice piss me off and send me into a road rage (a controlled rage contained within, not an actual run-someone-off-the-road or take-out-my-gun-and-shoot-their-tires or sacrifice-the-safety-of-my-children-at-any-risk rage -- just so you critics of purity are CLEAR!)

While we are at it, I also get pissed at people who park in fire lanes. I've called the police on them many times. In fact, I call the police when I see road rage - "enacted" (not contained within.) I'm sure the police know my name and number; they probably say "OH, it's this guy again.."

I once saw a drunk driver and I was on with the dispatcher following the guy until a cop showed up to take over. The cop didn't pull the guy over because he started driving better...I guess the site of a cop car behind him sobered him up. I was aggravated a bit, but he finally DID pull the guy over -- my head almost exploded before that!

I, too, am not fond of drunk drivers. Two great stories I'm sure you'll appreciate...

I'm on my way to work a midnight shift in full uniform and I see a drunk cross the center line and sideswipe the crap out of an oncoming car (how they missed head on I don't know). I flipped a u-turn (in my own car) and gave chase. I called ahead to the next town to put a stop on the guy. Shortly afterwards they pulled him over. It was a husband-wife team, husband driving, both falling down drunk. Literally. When they started the field sobriety test on the driver, the wife came out of the car and started bitching at the officers. While she was doing that, the driver fell forward flat onto his face (from a standing position) - we all heard a loud "CRACK". When he stood back up, a faucet of blood started pouring out of his nose... Quite a site.

The second episode... I was driving home from work after an afternoon shift - again in full uniform - and I approach a divided highway (raised concrete center median) on a bridge. A oncoming car went airborne - sparks flying - right over the top of my hood. A spectacular sight... I again flipped a u-turn to give chase though this was in the days on no cell phones. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get this car stopped as it's literally driving from shoulder to shoulder in both lanes (we were no longer on a center divided highway). I'm flashing my brights at oncoming traffic to prevent folks from being hit head on (we're in a 50 mph zone). I really started to pucker when we entered a twisted section of the road with heavy trees on both sides of the road. How he managed to get through that slolum without hitting anyone was a miracle.

I knew we were approaching a stop light and was praying it was red. I rationalized if it was I would move quickly to take that moron out of his car. Thankfully the light was red - I jumped out of my car, ripped the idiot's door open, three the car into park and yanked him onto the pavement. He was completely stunned (and very, very drunk). I handcuffed him. Now - what the heck do I do with him?

I put him into the passenger seat of my car and seat belted him in. I then drove his car into a nearby parking lot and locked it up. Now what? So I drove him to the local PD (about a 10 minute ride) with this goof bitching up a blue streak. I pulled into the PD, marched him to the lobby, and asked the dispatcher to get me to one of their officers. The sucker blew a .26 bac!

This fool wanted to plead not guilty. The prosecutor was able to rationalize with the moron's attorney there was very likely to be little sympathy with a judge or jury for a guy who scared the crap out of a seasoned officer - so much so he was compelled to take extraordinary measures to get him off the roads...

[CoventryCat86]

Thanks George, I love the real, live LEO stories, truth is far stranger than fiction. One of my high school friends has been a state trooper for 30 years now. I love getting together with him from time to time and listening to his experiences, you can't make this stuff up!

[illilli]

Nice stories George! Oh, and thank you very much for your public service, both incidentally and as a career.

[ggiese]

Nice stories George! Oh, and thank you very much for your public service, both incidentally and as a career.

Thanks for the thanks - I'm glad I did it, but also glad it's done. Very much enjoying post-retirement, pre-retirment at my new job. Thought I was going in as the Maytag repairman, but have found "You Can't Make This Stuff Up!" drinking from the firehose...

I guess it really is, but I never really viewed what I did as "public service" - unless a putz told me he/she was paying my salary. In that case - I would fish a nickel out of my pocket and hand it to him/her. When they asked what it was for, I told them we were even - I've refunded the total amount they'd paid me to date and I was being generous.

The first part of my career was in a more rough neighborhood. I hated it because it always felt like it was "us" against "them". I preferred my second community - where I really did feel like I was part of the community. And the current job I have (corporate security) really is an extension of what I'd been doing (that's why I did not really view it as "public service").

They say if you enjoy what you do, it's not really work. I guess that's where I'm coming from (though I sometimes kinda wish I could "unsee" some of the things I've seen).

[cinda]

Nice work GG! Thanks CC we had a training a few year ago about how we were going into begin recycling all the things that we could do better and some thing that we will be required to do. The one thing she said and "remember no idling the cars after 3 mIns its the law". Now I do not travel much in my job other to get to work in my own car. But for the last two years all I thought about on those cold mornings is one of my neighbors calling the cops because I was warming my car up over 3 mins! LOL