Help with buying a Radar detector….Bad cop story

[mwlmd]

This has been a very interesting and somewhat entertaining thread. A couple points come to mind here.

1. Nobody can fault a LEO for pulling over a car that is speeding.

2. The attitudes and outcomes that are expressed by the perp and the LEO during the traffic stop are multifactorial and impossible to predict.

3. If anyone (including a Dr driving to the hospital for an emergent case) really wants to ensure a timely arrival, then they would certainly not SPEED because the added time of the traffic stop (even with no citation issued) would more than offset any time saved by exceeding the posted speed limits.

4. How is a LEO supposed to recognize an "appropriate speeder?"


I am no different than anyone here. I like to speed and I get pissed off when I get caught. It is like a failure. I have 3 tickets with my V1 and am not convinced it does anything to reduce the risk of speeding tickets.... If anything I think it increases the risk by giving a false sense of security.

I am very curious about these radar/laser jammers however. I always thought these were bogus black boxes sold in the back of pop mechanics.

Are they legit? What do the LEOs on the board think of them? Should I be using one?

Matt

[immiketoo]

I will tell you that there is not a system available out there that is 100% effective. Much like condoms, if you aren't careful you will get screwed. There is proven technology for jamming or absorbing radar, but it is clunky and expensive. And it's illegal in most states. The best defense you have is better driver awareness as ersin said. Combine that with picking your spots, and you will surely prevail over time.

[mphatic]

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/

http://www.guysoflidar.com/july-2008...mmer-test.html

http://www.guysoflidar.com/radar-det...ctor-test.html

Nothing is foolproof but I think they're worth it even if they only save me from a couple big tickets per year.

[ihyln]

Originally Posted by mlaynemd

4. How is a LEO supposed to recognize an "appropriate speeder?"

I have some classmates that have become surgeons and have MD license plates on their cars. They say they are pretty much left alone if they have to get to the hospital quickly.

[linsm3]

Originally Posted by Paddy

To be fair, I think in general most cops respect the medical community and vise versa. Both are familiar with seeing carnage from road traffic accidents and both appreciate the risks and results of speeding. IMO the doctor should not be speeding unless he has had some proper training on defensive driving like most cops do. Most likely the doctor was not concentrating on the traffic/conditions but trying to get from point A to point B as fast as possible.
The problem with 25 zones is that people are lazy, they take one look in the mirror, see nothing, then pull out after a few seconds and assume nothing is there.

As others have said just as some doctors abuse the "emergency" card, some cops abuse the "power" card. That's human nature and not indicative of the (respective) professions in general.

So maybe this doctor should have gotten a break, who knows, but the beauty of the system is, bring it to the judge and let him decide.

IMO, the judge will throw out the case.

Question is what did the OP learn from this?

Probably nothing, because he's buying a radar detector.

Nicely said, my husband is chief of anesthesia at a local hospital and most of the older cops treat the docs well, they really don't abuse the system as a rule. And yes the cops I know don't give each other tickets. I'm in the suburbs and for the most part all the cops do is target people for speed, tint and no front plate to get revenue for the town. I get pulled over all the time, in fact I was just pulled over on the tollway for doing what he said was 8 miles over the limit and cars were passing me and I had to pull over on the frickin tollway because the real intent was my tint, tell me that wasn't a dangerous call. Ooops, strayed from the thread, sorry, it still ticks me off.

[Kev]

Originally Posted by immiketoo

I Knew this was going to blow up on me, and you all have expressed differing opinions respectfully, except for Kev who has to count the number of letters after his name and make sure everyone knows it.

Excuse me? What did I do again that was disrespectful? I'm just politely disagreeing with you and giving alternative scenarios. You were the one that keep talking crap about me expecting courtesy, not being professional, and don't have a job yet. So, you taking cheap shots at me is classy? You just have an ego and pride that are too big to swallow. Whatever dude..... I'm washing my hands and you can have your eternal win on this.

[immiketoo]

LMAO!!! Lighten up Frances...

[saildoc]

Doctors speeding using the excuse of an "emergency" is one of the most abused justifications for dangerous driving. I remember when I was a resident in Rochester, New York doing my head and neck surgery training having to go in on call for "emergencies". I can only think of one time when I really went way beyond the speed limit. A patient had developed a massive bleed from a tracheostomy. It still took me 20 minutes to get from my house to the patient's room in spite of driving nearly 100 mph (had a 328i at the time). There were already 15 people in the room working on him, and unfortunately he was dead when I got there. Had I driven 140mph, I might have gotten there 3 minutes earlier, and I doubt it would have changed the outcome. The lesson it taught me was that I just need to get there in one piece, how stupid would it have been to get into a crash and kill someone or injury myself in an attempt to alter an outcome that was pretty much already decided. Actual driving time is a small component of all the time it takes to respond to an urgent call, you have get your stuff, get to your car, drive there, park, and then run up to where ever it is where you are going...
So many of my resident friends would try to use the "I am on call excuse" to get out of speeding tickets. It rarely worked. To all you docs out there, please don't abuse that excuse, when it isn't real it makes us all look bad and really arrogant.... peace

[FStop7]

I love the self righteous cops who'd ticket a doctor on an emergency call for some poor nobody slob, but if someone on the job so much as gets a splinter there's a procession of 20 cruisers going 100mph with full lights and sirens on, running everyone else off the road, to get that person to the ER.

Not to mention every other cop I see who comes blasting down the interstate at 100mph with no lights on.

Check this out - cop pulls over ambulance on a call and puts an EMT in a chokehold.. typical.

[red998]

wow interesting thread. getting me a V1
When in the ER and people are dying/urgent care need- where is the dr? where is he?
other times we get abused and used.
Didn't get MD plates coz i feel its more of a vanity thing, but someone mentioned it can let the appropriate authorities know you are not some car thief.
Kev, nice residency dude. how'd u get the M3? pimp ride and pimp residency. Light @ end of tunnel, you must be at intern yrs end.

[Robert]

I think they should have laws in place that if the action of the cops inadvertently caused the death of another, the cops will be on the hook for his or her actions.

For example in this case if the patient died the cop can be tried for manslaughter. He was well informed of the situation and it was his judgment call therefore he should be responsible. I am not talking about accidental death of bystander during a shoot out, which is accidental. Ultimately the verdict will be decided by a jury.

This will keep the cops to think rationally when situation becomes heated.

[calintexas]

I didn't see that the OP provided a follow up with the resolution.

When it goes bad and people go to the media (and the politicians get involved), the cop can get an unpaid vacation or fired. The ones that respond like a human being are called heros.

[shendrick]

Best thing about V1 is that you can upgrade for reasonable $ so it nevers becomes obsolete.

[BigHat]

Because I live in VA, I have grown dated in my knowledge about radar detectors, but as good as the V-1 is (have had two) they still "leak" and are picked up on radar detector detectors. Not saying it matters in states where they're still legal, but I wish they'd address that in an upgrade. To get back to the OP question, I'd say V-1 or maybe the high-end Passports that also incorporate database info on speed and red light cameras, don't leak, and are updated via your PC. For better protection you need to link it to a laser diffuser.

[ersin]

As good as the V1 is, it is detectable by the Spectre radar-detector-detector. So you need one that is immune to the Specre. For Virginia only three detectors will work (i.e. are undetectable): the Bel STI, Passport 9500ci and the Passport Redline.


Cheers.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by ersin

As good as the V1 is, it is detectable by the Spectre radar-detector-detector. So you need one that is immune to the Specre. For Virginia only three detectors will work (i.e. are undetectable): the Bel STI, Passport 9500ci and the Passport Redline.


Cheers.

How's V1 detectable? I thought its a passive sensor, meaning it does not emit.

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by Robert

How's V1 detectable? I thought its a passive sensor, meaning it does not emit.

Most (including V-1) receivers leak RF and the RDDs pick them up. The Spectre is the favorite of the cops. Anyone serious about learning about radar and laser detectors should visit:

www.radardetector.net

Here's a blurb from the manual.

The Spectre R.D.D. microwave interceptor represents a quantum leap in the detection of illegal radar detectors. Since 1991, manufacturers have been designing radar detectors, which radiate far less power to enable them to avoid detection from microwave interceptors. The Spectre R.D.D. microwave interceptor will enable its operator to pin point vehicles using these new radar detectors – a feat previously not possible.

When the Spectre RDD receives a signal the green LED’s will illuminate and the piezo will beep slowly. As the radar detector equipped vehicle approaches the patrol car from the opposite direction the beeping will increase in speed and the LED’s will illuminate for a longer period. At this point positive identification is important so when the red signal LED’s illuminate the detector equipped vehicle is very close. Once the offending vehicle has passed the line of the front receiving horn the signal LED’s will drop.

****NOTE the Spectre RDD detects the presence of a signal. It is up to the officer to make a positive identification. A vehicle approaching from behind will only activate the red LED’s when very close but the initial alarm will occur for a much longer period. By rotating the Spectre on its 360-degree mount, identification of vehicles approaching from behind is made easier.

[red998]

cool, i think from what i have read will go with the V1.
thought about escort, but i need to know where the bogey is.
In jersey/ny they can be anywhere including the sky but then you re screwed any way.

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by red998

cool, i think from what i have read will go with the V1.
thought about escort, but i need to know where the bogey is.
In jersey/ny they can be anywhere including the sky but then you re screwed any way.

The Valentine One is an IDEAL radar detector in my view unless you live in DC and VA and then just having one will cause you problems. I have avoided using one since I moved here. Abiding sense of the law I guess. Thing is, in the last year I received my first tickets ever. Both were w/in .5 miles of my house and I was nabbed for going less than 40 mph. Both times in a trap where 35 mph zones drop to 25mph for a few hundred yards. This is getting me in the mood to mount a stealth system of some type. For me, stealth means no leakage that RDDs can discover.

[BostonSon]

I got the passport in car radar system, with laser block's on both front and rear of the vehicle. Its phenominal and easy but a bit pricey for the whole job. I will take pictures for ya.

[ersin]

Originally Posted by Robert

How's V1 detectable? I thought its a passive sensor, meaning it does not emit.

It is passive, i.e. it doesn't transmit intentionally. But the receiver is a superheterodyne design. AFAIK, all detectors use this design. There is an oscillator of a specific frequency so that the detector can tune into the radar bands. The magnesium case of the V1 helps prevent leakage from the oscillator but some still gets out.

The STI, redline and 9500ci have better shielding (I'm gussing) and probably a carefully chosen LO frequency so the Spectre RDD won't be able to pick any bit of leakage (if any) from these detectors. And as I understand it, the LO frequency of these detectors is in a part of the radio spectrum where there is lots of transmissions (FM radio maybe?) which makes detecting the LO that much harder.


Cheers.

[Sincity]

Isn't it "game over" when picked up by a laser? I was surprised to see a laser gun deployed by Nevada Highway Patrol. At least I thought it was a laser. The officer didn't hold it like shooting a pistol, but rather up close to his face like aiming a rifle.