Autoblog

Neenah, Wisconsin has such a speeding problem that it can't keep up. Even with a full court press of law enforcement, drivers continue to speed and have even sped by other motorists receiving their obligatory revenue-production invoice. In an effort to keep drivers on their toes while also leaving time to fight real crimes, the Neenah PD will post cardboard cutouts that look like an officer pointing a radar gun in strategic locations. Like something out of Weekend At Bernie's, the paper tigers will be rotated with living, breathing officers so that the ruse has a chance of effecting change. At this point, it's less about filling the coffers and more about quelling an epidemic of overly-velocitized drivers.

[Source: Winding Road, Photo: brentkmoore.blogspot.com]

An old friend of mine used to have a trick for getting out of tickets. She would flick her long blonde hair back over her shoulder, blink a lot and emphasize the ending of any word that concluded with a long "e" sound. "Sorryyyyyyy," she would say, and the cop's pen would never touch pad. Unfortunately, my bag of tricks is missing a few of those tools, so I've gotten a ticket for every time my car has been motioned to the shoulder.

Perhaps, however, there are strategies to get out of a ticket for those of us who are not blessed with long blond hair and a cute voice. Our brand new sister site, DIY Life, has somewhat of an ex-cop on staff who offers his own How To on getting out of a ticket by being respectful. Yes, respectful. If you've been pulled over, you should suck it up and own your mistake, then go about seeing how the officer's attitude towards you can be improved. Among DIY Life's best pieces of advice is submitting to the cop's authority by having both hands on the wheel before he or she arrives at your window. That gesture alone will make the cop feel much more comfortable approaching the situation, and a comfortable cop that sees you don't intend to be confrontational may be more lenient. There's plenty more good advice available by clicking the Read link below, but let us know in the comments some of your own tips that have proven successful.

[Source: DIY Life]

Let's set the scene here. You're a homeowner on a street with a chronic speeding problem. Short of "accidentally" dropping a box of roofing nails in the street, there's not much recourse. You could pester the local constabulary to park one of their radar trailers in your neighborhood to remind folks they're speeding; or better yet, station one of their servants there on a regular basis to write tickets. That won't be much help if one of the egregious speeders is part of the thin blue line that separates order from chaos.

A Georgia couple trying to keep speeds down for the safety of their son opted to set up their own speeding sting. Lee and Teresa Sipple mounted a radar unit and three video cameras outside their home in hopes of reminding neighbors to drive carefully. They managed to nab local officer Richard Perrone doing nearly 20 MPH over the limit. Possibly suffering from injured pride, a guilty conscience or a sense of self-righteous indignation, Perrone went whining to the local authorities when he was one-upped at his own game. The Sipples, in turn, received a visit from the police alerting them that Perrone intended to press charges for stalking and had filed a warrant application for their arrest. Whiner.

This is like a home invader suing you for shooting his larcenous ass. Where's the sense of accountability? Perrone got what he deserved for flouting the very statutes he's entrusted with enforcing. Before we get too indignant, Perrone has had a change of heart and withdrawn his complaint. We wonder if he's had a change of heart, or if more subtle harrassment tactics than arrest warrants will be more satisfying?

[Source: Daily Tribune News via Digg]

Well, it’s not actually the Detroit police. Those brave souls would do well to soldier on with their heavily armored Crown Vics. It’s actually the campus police of Wayne State University in Detroit who have received the first hydrogen fuel cell-powered police vehicle in the world. The vehicle will operate in and around the campus and serve as a “learning laboratory” for WSU students enrolled in the country’s first masters-degree program in alternative energy.

The campus po-po’s paddy wagon is based on DaimlerChrysler’s innovative F-Cell hydrogen vehicle, which has a 100-mile range and a top speed of 85 mph. The electric motor develops 88 horsepower, just enough to run down jaywalkers and truant students. Sixty mph is reached in 16 seconds or next semester, whichever comes first.

[Source: DaimlerChrysler]