Tyler's Trooper Troubles

[TylerM]

Back in Tennessee and didn't survive the trip back without dealing with the Blue Light Gang as they were aptly called, three times.

Russell, I applaud you. Hopefully things will change at some point and we'll be able to travel more freely. I hope this goes well, isn't a felony to not drive with "papers"?

On what happened to me the next night; One time was my fault, got a citation in VA on Friday. Eh, no big, the officer was nice about it. However, my run-in with the NH State Police was a different matter. I'd like opinions, it's been suggested that we were being followed and harassed. >.>

Wednesday (07.3.7) I crossed back from MA into NH, headed to Manchester. As I crossed the border, there's an on ramp and it had two State Patrol vehicles on the on ramp. One of them took off, no lights and followed me about 20 meters behind till we hit the toll gate. Then he 'punched it' and flew pass me at 120kph+ (~75mph). I paid the toll and took off back up to two above the limit. I saw him hit his breaks up ahead and stays in the left lane, below the limit. I of course pass him (do it all the time, as long as they don't have lights on in TN), and as I do, he clicks on his take down lights, shines it in my eye, then slams the breaks, pulls right behind me and clicks on all his lights. 

I pull over, get my papers and await him. When he comes up, I open the window part was and say, "Evening Officer, may I help you." To which he responds in a shout: "Trooper! It's TROOPER!"

I merely smiled back and said, "Ah, sorry about that. May I help you?"

He then shouted at me, "Where in this country do you pass on the right (Uh, everywhere?)? Or, let me rephrase that, where do you EVER pass a fully-- What's that behind you?"

"Uh, a Crown 'Vic intercep--"

"It's a fully marked New Hampshire State Patrol Vehicle. Do you, or I should say, have you ever passed a full marked patrol vehicle?"

"Uh-- (*think*Yes, d'oh.*think*)"

"My guess is you haven't. Have you ever been stopped before?"

"No."

"Never? Are you sure? Never had a traffic stop?"

"No, this would be a first."

"Really? Let me see you licensees and vehicle registration."

After a complaint about the registration (my car was a rental), he proceeded his interrogation, still getting louder.

"Where are you going?"

"Manchester Airport, I have a hotel ther--"

"Where are you coming from?"

"Tennessee, originally."

"No, tonight."

Ah, yes." I said, smiling in a conversational manner. "Boston, actually. We had dinner at the Cheers Restaurant and were visiting Revolutionary war sites."

"How much have you had to drink tonight?!" (he put force on the word 'have')

"None."

"You sure? No beer, no shots of anything?"

"No, I'm under age 21, sorry."

"Then where do you get off passing me on the right?"

"Uh, sorry. Guess I wasn't paying attention." (Wrong thing to say, I know. Admission of negligence.)

"Stay in the car!" And he stormed back to his patrol car for about 10 minutes. Finally he returned and shoved my papers back through the window.

"You have a perfect driving record, so I'm not going to ruin it for you tonight and let you off with a warning. I think you know that the three things we talked about tonight don't make sense on any level. (That's right! They don't!)"

"Oh, yes sir."

"But, let me tell you something, I'm just going to believe you haven't been drinking, but if I decided to, I could have you out of this car and you'd be under arrest for DUI. And if you ever pass me on MY HIGHWAY again, I will find a reason to have this car towed from out under your feet and you will be walking back to the airport. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"

"Yes, absolutely sir."

"Alright, get moving, you're in the break down lane."

Window rolled up, I broke out laughing. Is this normal? Just a cop, or should I say, Trooper, in a bad mood, or are the majority like this? In DC a cop passed me once and I saw him typing plates in), then I passed him going to other way by the White House, and he did a U-turn in the middle of the street and rode my bumper by no less than two meters for about ten minutes with his high-beams on.

Does anyone else deal with this, or was I just unlucky?

[Lex]

I try not to pass cops, but then again I'm also rarely in a hurry. I actually go the speed limit most of the time nowadays (I get passed a lot), even when responding to an ambulance call I don't go more than 10mph over (sometimes a little bit more than 10... ).

265:8 Emergency Vehicles. ?
    I. A person driving an emergency vehicle, as defined in RSA 259:28, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions herein stated.
    II. (a) The driver of an emergency vehicle may:
          (1) Park or stand notwithstanding the provisions of Title XXI.
          (2) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation.
          (3) Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as he does not endanger life or property.
          (4) Disregard rules governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.
       (b) Notwithstanding subparagraph II(a), any emergency vehicle approaching a school bus, which is stopped for the purpose of picking up or dropping off pupils, shall come to a complete stop before proceeding.
    III. (a) The exemptions granted to an emergency vehicle in subparagraphs II(a)(1) and (3) shall apply only when such vehicle is making use of audible or visual emergency signals, or, in the case of a privately-owned vehicle being driven by a volunteer firefighter or other volunteer emergency personnel, when such vehicle is making use of audible or visual emergency signals, or when an emergency vehicle is in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law.
       (b) The exemptions granted to an emergency vehicle in subparagraphs II(a)(2) and (4) shall apply only when such vehicle is making use of both audible and visual emergency signals, or, in the case of a privately-owned vehicle being driven by a volunteer firefighter or other volunteer emergency personnel, when such vehicle is making use of both audible and visual emergency signals, or when an emergency vehicle is in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law.
    IV. Any person engaged in part-time law enforcement and who uses his own vehicle shall not display driving emergency lights when not on duty.
    V. The provisions of RSA 265:8, II and III shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall such provisions protect the driver from the consequences of his reckless disregard for the safety of others.
    VI. A driver of a vehicle being driven on the ways of this state upon the approach from any direction of an emergency vehicle with the siren or flashing light in operation shall turn immediately as far as possible toward the right-hand side of the way and shall bring his vehicle to a standstill until such emergency vehicle has passed.
    VII. Upon the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle making use of an audible or visual signal, every pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to the authorized emergency vehicle. This paragraph shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway, nor from the duty to exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian.

[Rosie the Riveter]

Things like that never happen to me, but I look like "the girl next door" and drive a soccer mom mobile.

You're not supposed to pass a police car?? --- hummm. I don't think that's in the NH laws anywhere -- but someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

[eques]

"But, let me tell you something, I'm just going to believe you haven't been drinking, but if I decided to, I could have you out of this car and you'd be under arrest for DUI. And if you ever pass me on MY HIGHWAY again, I will find a reason to have this car towed from out under your feet and you will be walking back to the airport. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"

Holy pig!

[Russell Kanning]

how nuts

Why does he think you should never pass a cop ..... I mean fully loaded very impressive state trooper vehicle. I have passed them before. Why would that be especially dangerous.

I try to pass people on the left, but on big freeways you pass people on the right all the time.

You could have said ... You are a trooper? ... the guys who committed the only murder in the Keene area this year.

[Russell Kanning]

Yes, advirtizements on a vehicle with no plates will get some attention, with mostly the only one who would care that there are no plates, would be the boys in blue. 

I am not a "boy in blue" I am a NH state trooper and proudly wear my brown uniform. I didn't go to 8 years of "evil" school to be called "mr".

[TylerM]

I try not to pass cops, but then again I'm also rarely in a hurry. I actually go the speed limit most of the time nowadays (I get passed a lot), even when responding to an ambulance call I don't go more than 10mph over (sometimes a little bit more than 10... ).

265:8 Emergency Vehicles. ?
    I. A person driving an emergency vehicle, as defined in RSA 259:28, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions herein stated.
    II. (a) The driver of an emergency vehicle may:
          (1) Park or stand notwithstanding the provisions of Title XXI.
          (2) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation.
          (3) Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as he does not endanger life or property.
          (4) Disregard rules governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.
       (b) Notwithstanding subparagraph II(a), any emergency vehicle approaching a school bus, which is stopped for the purpose of picking up or dropping off pupils, shall come to a complete stop before proceeding.
    III. (a) The exemptions granted to an emergency vehicle in subparagraphs II(a)(1) and (3) shall apply only when such vehicle is making use of audible or visual emergency signals, or, in the case of a privately-owned vehicle being driven by a volunteer firefighter or other volunteer emergency personnel, when such vehicle is making use of audible or visual emergency signals, or when an emergency vehicle is in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law.
       (b) The exemptions granted to an emergency vehicle in subparagraphs II(a)(2) and (4) shall apply only when such vehicle is making use of both audible and visual emergency signals, or, in the case of a privately-owned vehicle being driven by a volunteer firefighter or other volunteer emergency personnel, when such vehicle is making use of both audible and visual emergency signals, or when an emergency vehicle is in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law.
    IV. Any person engaged in part-time law enforcement and who uses his own vehicle shall not display driving emergency lights when not on duty.
    V. The provisions of RSA 265:8, II and III shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall such provisions protect the driver from the consequences of his reckless disregard for the safety of others.
    VI. A driver of a vehicle being driven on the ways of this state upon the approach from any direction of an emergency vehicle with the siren or flashing light in operation shall turn immediately as far as possible toward the right-hand side of the way and shall bring his vehicle to a standstill until such emergency vehicle has passed.
    VII. Upon the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle making use of an audible or visual signal, every pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to the authorized emergency vehicle. This paragraph shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway, nor from the duty to exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian.

Thanks, don't see anything in there about not passing them. Hmmm... >.> I pass them, but always at the speed limit (or within the fivce above here in TN). They are just another car, that happens to be marked for emergency situations. If anything, he should have been in the right lane as he wasn't passing anyone.

Things like that never happen to me, but I look like "the girl next door" and drive a soccer mom mobile.

You're not supposed to pass a police car?? --- hummm. I don't think that's in the NH laws anywhere -- but someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

I was in a dress coat and a tie and driving a newer Buick Park Avenue. Eh, I think it was more than profiling.

[Lex]

The emergency vehicles law is only for emergency vehicles, it won't say if you can or cannot pass someone on the right side. When I got my drivers license in Illinois the booklet said that the only time you can pass someone on the right side is to go around them if they are making a left hand turn on a one lane road. I'm not sure if that applies to the highway as well. I will say though that most people expect to be passed on the left hand side and are usually more cautious going into the left hand lane than going back into the right hand lane.

In any case, I think the cop was just being an asshole. 

[Russell Kanning]

"I am not a cop. I am a state trooper"

[Lex]

"I am not a cop. I am a state trooper"

Sorry! 

[Pat McCotter]

265:19 When Overtaking on the Right is Permitted. ? The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass on the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:
    I. When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn;
    II. Upon a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for 2 or more lines of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaking vehicle;
    III. The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety. Such movement shall not be made by driving off the roadway.
Source. RSA 262-A:18. 1963, 330:1. 1973, 49:1. 1981, 146:1; 479:31, eff. Jan. 1, 1982, at 12:01 a.m.

[Lloyd Danforth]

When the passing on the right law passed in CT, you had to have an empty lane between you and the car you were passing except one making a left turn.

[TylerM]

II. Upon a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for 2 or more lines of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaking vehicle

Does this include a four lane divided interstate?

[Dave Ridley]

do you have a name on the officer or any other identifying info?   trooper i mean.   I could give colonel booth a call or maybe the guy's troop commander.  i have all of their numbers.

[coffeeseven]

I have a digital voice recorder in my car. It's a little hand held thingy that has a four hour recording max, and a setting for "conference mode" where the mic is a little more sensitive. Can I suggest that we all carry the same? It'll be a bonanza if we start posting trooper bignuts trying to intimidate with made up laws on Youtube.