As I sat in front of the Woodstock Starbuck’s this morning, I watched an elderly person drive around the Square – in the wrong direction! The driver headed uphill from the Opera House and made a right turn to pass in front of Woodstock Square Mall. The Square was moderately busy this morning, because the Farmer’s Market was operating.
As luck would have it, a Woodstock Police car was coming around the Square – in the right direction of travel. They met at Jackson Street, and the officer flagged down the driver. They stopped, driver’s door to driver’s door.
Wouldn’t this have been a perfect occasion to check a driver’s license? Insurance card? Vehicle registration? Driver’s ability to perceive direction? Did any of that happen?
After a short time and without leaving his patrol car, the officer let the driver proceed. I’m sure he must have told him to turn left immediately and drive off the Square on Jackson Street, because that’s what the driver did.
Even if the officer didn’t write him a ticket, he should have issued a written Warning. Driving the wrong way on the Square is a fairly significant traffic violation.
Why didn’t the driver pay attention to the No Left Turn sign, if he had come onto the Square from Dean Street? Why didn’t the driver notice that all the parked cars were facing against his direction of travel and that he couldn’t have parked, had he wanted to? Was the driver “confused”?
These are all good reasons to conduct a traffic stop. Getting the driver out of his car is a good way to evaluate his ability to operate a motor vehicle. Did the driver need to be re-examined at the DMV for his ability to operate a motor vehicle?
Should he have gotten a ticket or just a written Warning? If either event, the officer should have gotten out of his vehicle and inspected the driver’s paperwork and then issued a Warning.
Why does this bug me? Because in January I was stopped right in front of my driveway and given a $75 ticket for a headlight that had been out for 20 minutes!
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7 comments:
You got a ticket and he didn't? That's funny. You are your own worst enemy Gus. When will you learn?
I agree w/ Gus, the officer could have at least checked the driver out. The WPD was probably in a hurry to get donuts!
To the poster of 9:36AM: I got the ticket because I speak out. Fortunately, I'm not intimidated by police, so I continue to speak out. I respect them, and I will not be bullied by them. I got stopped about four years ago for making a turn that the officer thought was illegal, until I showed him right in the Rules of the Road when the exact turn is permitted. He had to write me a Warning, he said, because of the racial profiling rules of the Department; if you stop someone, you have to write a ticket or a Warning. It took 4½ months and two State Police Master Sergeants to prove to the former police chief and the City attorney's office that they did not understand the law.
So you recieved a ticket and that person didn't?
Rule number 1.
Life's not fair.
Rule number 2.
When in doubt, see rule number 1.
Was the guy that was driving and stopped on the square look like my brother Bubb G?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnzw_i4YmKk
Well, this is a free country. Some of us have given others the RIGHT to voice their concerns and opinions. While I must say that our police and fire departments are understaffed for our population size, thanks land developers, our police force is also VERY lax in their enforcement of the law. TOO many times I have seen people break laws right in front of a squad car and nothing is done. If you wanna REALLY break it, do so twenty minutes before and after a shift change. Not a squad in sight during that time frame. I have seen some of the younger drivers, IE High School Kids, violate the law and have also reported it. Nothing ever gets done, and I think under current policy never will.
I feel for you Gus, I really do. I also know that the fines in this city are a joke. A FIVE dollar ticket for parking makes people laugh. As far as donuts, ever see our two community service officers? I think they LIVE at Dunkin Donts and McDonalds.
Wow. Yet another donut joke AND a fat joke? Classy. I'm sure your adolescent mentality will get you far in life.
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