All I can say to describe my experiences tonite is WOW.
First, the Blimpie sub shop that is adjacent to my apartment building has been closed for nearly a month. I park in their lot nightly so that my car is visible from my window and I can keep an eye on it, etc. Last nite I decided to park behind the restaurant. There is enough room behind the restaurant to park two cars, which the spots arre marked off just like normal parking spaces. I start my Stang, put the windows down, turn the lights on and Bam!, a sheriff pulls in front of my car, blocking me in. He comes up to my car, ask me why I'm parked there, and takes my license. Runs the license and comes back to issue me an apology and a "have a good night". I asked him why there is a lot more police presence around the campus, starting this morning. He told me that it is a "Pre-May day sweep" to keep all of the end of the semester parties in-line and to crack down on all of the end of the year shenanigans. I offer him my thanks for his assistance and we both issue each other a "have a good night". Excellent LEO just doing his job and doing it well.
Second occurance happened about 20 mins later. I just got gas and left a gas station down the street from a Chrysler dealership. They had a brand new 300C and I wanted pics for my parents. I come to a stoplight and it turns red. I stop. Light changes to green and I take off normal, but I slipped up. Without noticing it, there was another light about 20-30 feet after the first one which was RED and I ran it without knowing it. I guess it was so close to the first and with me being unfamiliar to this side of town, I overlooked it. A costly mistake, I know, but an honest one. I see an LEO pull out aggressively about 100 yards back and I had a gut feeling he was after me. Pulls me over and approaches my driver side window. We exchange "hellos" and "how are you doing tonite" opening lines. He then tells me I ran a red light. My expression must have been one of total disbelief. I felt like an ass and was dumbfounded. We talked for several minutes, during which he told me that I looked like a responsible guy. I said it was a stupid mistake and he made me promise to be more careful. He asked me where I was going, and before I could finish he interjected with "your going to look at the black 300c at the dealership" and we both laughed for a second, knowing we were both car guys. He let me go with a warning, and I'm grateful for that.
Overall, I respect LEO's for doing their jobs. These guys were doing them pretty damn good. I know I deserve a ticket for running the red, but thank God the LEO let me go. I appreciate their service that they provided to me, even letting me know I was a bonehead when I ran the light. More importantly, they showed a down-to-earth attitude to me, which is nice.
Sorry this is long, but I felt it was needed to show to some of the members here that LEOs are more than likely fair. Thanks Guys/Gals for your service!
First, the Blimpie sub shop that is adjacent to my apartment building has been closed for nearly a month. I park in their lot nightly so that my car is visible from my window and I can keep an eye on it, etc. Last nite I decided to park behind the restaurant. There is enough room behind the restaurant to park two cars, which the spots arre marked off just like normal parking spaces. I start my Stang, put the windows down, turn the lights on and Bam!, a sheriff pulls in front of my car, blocking me in. He comes up to my car, ask me why I'm parked there, and takes my license. Runs the license and comes back to issue me an apology and a "have a good night". I asked him why there is a lot more police presence around the campus, starting this morning. He told me that it is a "Pre-May day sweep" to keep all of the end of the semester parties in-line and to crack down on all of the end of the year shenanigans. I offer him my thanks for his assistance and we both issue each other a "have a good night". Excellent LEO just doing his job and doing it well.
Second occurance happened about 20 mins later. I just got gas and left a gas station down the street from a Chrysler dealership. They had a brand new 300C and I wanted pics for my parents. I come to a stoplight and it turns red. I stop. Light changes to green and I take off normal, but I slipped up. Without noticing it, there was another light about 20-30 feet after the first one which was RED and I ran it without knowing it. I guess it was so close to the first and with me being unfamiliar to this side of town, I overlooked it. A costly mistake, I know, but an honest one. I see an LEO pull out aggressively about 100 yards back and I had a gut feeling he was after me. Pulls me over and approaches my driver side window. We exchange "hellos" and "how are you doing tonite" opening lines. He then tells me I ran a red light. My expression must have been one of total disbelief. I felt like an ass and was dumbfounded. We talked for several minutes, during which he told me that I looked like a responsible guy. I said it was a stupid mistake and he made me promise to be more careful. He asked me where I was going, and before I could finish he interjected with "your going to look at the black 300c at the dealership" and we both laughed for a second, knowing we were both car guys. He let me go with a warning, and I'm grateful for that.
Overall, I respect LEO's for doing their jobs. These guys were doing them pretty damn good. I know I deserve a ticket for running the red, but thank God the LEO let me go. I appreciate their service that they provided to me, even letting me know I was a bonehead when I ran the light. More importantly, they showed a down-to-earth attitude to me, which is nice.
Sorry this is long, but I felt it was needed to show to some of the members here that LEOs are more than likely fair. Thanks Guys/Gals for your service!
