One thing that has unexpectedly helped my driving abilities is doing ride alongs with police and Louisiana state troopers. In my brief driving career, I’ve gotten a few tickets, and in most circumstances I’ve blamed the police officers. Being able to do ride-a-longs for different assignments has exposed me to what they’re thinking behind the wheel and radar gun. I don’t think this is what my editors had intended, that is, for me to learn about how to stop wasting money on citations. But in some way, I think that is the underlying intent of journalism. I had a question, namely, “What’s the point of giving tickets? Especially in this economy? Especially considering how much tickets screw up your ability to get a job?” While I didn’t ask it like that, people are perceptive, and a conversation like this can be had without being an asshole. By just sitting with the officer and talking about what he’s looking for, how’s he’s going about it, it gives you that much more respect for the role he plays in keeping people safe, and attempting to diffuse a lot of the aggression people display when driving. For those of you wondering, police officers pull over people going really, really fast.
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One thing that has unexpectedly helped my driving abilities is doing ride alongs with police and Louisiana state troopers.

In my brief driving career, I’ve gotten a few tickets, and in most circumstances I’ve blamed the police officers. Being able to do ride-a-longs for different assignments has exposed me to what they’re thinking behind the wheel and radar gun. I don’t think this is what my editors had intended, that is, for me to learn about how to stop wasting money on citations. But in some way, I think that is the underlying intent of journalism.

I had a question, namely, “What’s the point of giving tickets? Especially in this economy? Especially considering how much tickets screw up your ability to get a job?” While I didn’t ask it like that, people are perceptive, and a conversation like this can be had without being an asshole.

By just sitting with the officer and talking about what he’s looking for, how’s he’s going about it, it gives you that much more respect for the role he plays in keeping people safe, and attempting to diffuse a lot of the aggression people display when driving.

For those of you wondering, police officers pull over people going really, really fast.

8 Notes/ Hide

  1. b-l-a-c-k said: yeah right. they pull over the closest one. i was goin like 50 in a 35 or so he says. but there was some cock sucker in a lambo infront of me goin 60, atleast. but i was the closest one.
  2. breathethroughyreyes posted this