Chapter opens up to why police officers are needed to enforce a necessary strategy to maintain public order and increase safety on the roads. It later explains that if there were no speeding tickets issued then it is said that taxes will increase because these tickets were used as a funding source for state and local government. But, the main reason we have constables or police officers on the road is to increase safety and maintain public order.
This section talks about how police officers approach truckers and regular motorists. Both truckers and motorists carry different meanings to the officers. Truckers are considered to be like partners to these officers because they inform constables of what is happening on the road like an accident or a stolen vehivle. So, when a trucker is pulled over, the officer's approach would be more like a friendly conversation rather than enforcing the law professionally. If a motorist was pulled over, the enforcers approach would be more professional like so they won’t lose their image as a respected law enforcer.
This section talks about how police officers use their ‘tolerance levels’ to decide if they should take action or not. What I mean by tolerance level is the officer's own laws. I.e. if the officer feels that a certain area’s speed limt should be sixty instead of fifty than that’s the speed limit they allow driver’s to speed up to. If drivers goes beyond an officer’s tolerance level than the officer will take action. It is the same with time and the reason to issue a ticket. Officers also believe that such actions have a certain degree to it. I.e. rolling stops, yellow lights, and the type of car it is. Police officers need to live with themselves without feeling guilty. Officers base their action of what they see and feel towards the violation.
This section describes the way police officers approach truckers and motorists. When a police officer approaches a trucker, they engage in a friendly conversation to lighten the mood of the situation or to establish a sense of businesslike manner. Police officers usually pull over truckers for investigation to see their rig, tires, lights, what they are carrying, what’s in the cab and to check their log books. Whenever a police officer sees anything suspicious they tighten the inspection. The length of the encounter depends on three factors: 1. the impression of the trucker, 2. the condition of the truck, and 3. the reputation of a certain carrier regarding safety. Motorists were treated differently by police officers because of the respect officers need from the public. Usually a driver is pulled over, they will most likely get a ticket no matter what’s the driver’s excuse. In general, this section talks about how police officers and drivers act when they both encounter with each other on the road. This section were mainly stories or situations given by officers who encountered with a trucker or motorists who disobeyed the law and what was expected from the driver.
The last sections is the way drivers try to negotiate their way out of a ticket. Truckers use many excuses such as that they were tired and the way they showed respect towards the officer. One example in the book was when a trucker got pulled over for speeding and showed a great personality and respect towards the officer and was let off.
This chapter was mostly about how police officers treat other drivers and how drivers treat police officers while on the road. There was more of a compare and contrast between truckers and motorists and how constables view them.
I think that this chapter was very interesting. It really got me reading and interested in what the author wanted to say about the issue of policing traffic laws. This chapter was real interesting because of its real life quotes by constables. They were not afraid to speak their mind about truckers and regular motorists and the encounter they had with some offenders. I found this chapter real enjoyable and easier to read as compared to other prior chapters.
Does an officer always have a choice to give you a ticket or not once he pulls you over? Is it wrong to be nice to cop to try and get out of a ticket?
I think that officers do have a choice to issue a ticket to offenders but that is like saying officers can do what ever they want while on duty. I think that officers should do their job the right way without letting anyone off. It is their job to enforce the law. If they let one guy go then drivers will know that police officers are somewhat weak. If laying down the law causes that much disruption to one’s life then get out of the force. As they say, ‘if it gets to hot, get out of the kitchen!’
I think that it is not wrong to be kind to police officers because they should be treated with respect. But, in order to get out of a ticket by being nice, then that’s the driver’s choice to behave in such a manner to get out of a ticket.
Do you think such things as ‘tolerance levels’ of policemen are rightful or a violation of our rights? Such things as moods, time of day must take part in these policemen’s ‘tolerance levels’ and attitudes-making the laws unfair and inconsistent?
I think that tolerance levels have their ups and downs to it. Sure it always feels good to get away with being pulled over but is it a police officer's right to have a choice? A policeman’s job is to enforce the law, not enforce his/her own laws.
From your own experiences as a driver, how well do you think police are enforcing traffic laws and how fair do you think they are?
From my own experience, I think that some police officers are more lineant than others. I have been pulled over for speeding by one officer and other officers let me go even though I was speeding fifteen mph over the speed limit. It is all about luck when trying to get out of a speeding ticket. I think that it is not fair for others who do get pulled over by a strict officer than not getting pulled over from a lineant one. If a driver disobeys the law than that is what police officers are there for. We are not paying them to let drivers get away from disobeying the law.
Do you think that it’s a good idea for police officers to operate on the basis of their own tolerance levels?
I think that it is not a good idea for police officers to use their ‘tolerance levels’ because they are going by their own laws instead of the real law. It is also not fair for those who get caught by a police officer who has no tolerance levels.
Since law enforcement comes with bias, is there any idea of a more objective way to enforce traffic laws?
I think everything comes with bias and we just do not know what to do with it. My idea of enforcing the law objectively is to not have ‘tolerance levels’ at all. If police officers can not live with themselves after giving an old lady a ticket, tuff! You do what you gotta do and that is what they need to do.
Police officers disgression? I wonder if this is taught in the force or is it a real life thing that happens.
I think that this is a real life thing that happens. I think that ‘tolerence levels’ grows on people not just officers. As they say, they need to live with themselves so giving an old lady a ticket would forever be in their minds therefore would place a heavy guilt when they see a respected elder. I guess being a police officer has some flaws to the human conscience.
As compared to other oral reports in this generation, I can honestly say that I did pretty well. I tried to explain my oral report as thoroughly as possible. Summarized the site as much as I knew how. I tried to make my page a bit more interesting by adding a little color all over the page. I wanted to make my page a bit more interesting and attractive to read. I also tried to make it easier to read the words and make my report a little more easier to read (choice of words). My navigation table is pretty laid out and easier to use and understand. I thought that my navigation table is less confusing and easier to spot when a navigator wants to see another report rather than reading the whole table line for line.
The way I approached this report is that I read over the chapter and picked the main points in which I thought was important. I mainly looked at the heading of each sub-section and try make a summary of it. I thought that this chapter was very easy to read and an easy oral report. I had no trouble in getting what I needed to say because the reading was made easy. For the written report, I started typing out my summarization of the whole chapter which was my whole oral report. It was easy for me to do this because I already knew what exactly I needed to write on the written report. Then I placed my own input in what I thought about the chapter and how it was developed. Lastly, I tried to answer each question from fellow classmates as honestly as I know and was able to. It was one of the funnest reports I ever gave.