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This happened to me the other day.

I'm coming home on 195, an interstate "spur" that goes through the city. I'm crusing about 75 in a 55, right on the border of reckless, according to State Code (20 over).

Up ahead I see an OLD Crown Vic, the kind with the nearly square tail lights, they've been out of service for some time now. The car has antennas all over it, like it's a retired police car. Anyway, the car is up ahead of me a few hundred yards, in traffic, and suddenly it pulls over to the far right lane and hits the brakes HARD. I was in the middle lane and passed by, now doing about 65 or so, wondering what the hell the guy was doing.

Then the car gets behind me quickly and hits his brights and leaves them on and I see him talking into a cell phone as we continue down the road.

Of course, all this time I'm wondering what this a-hole is doing, tailing me so close with his brights on, couldn't be a cop since the car was so old.

The interstate turns into a Parkway, a wide one, and a double lane exit emerges to the right and the guy pulls up along side of me shaking his finger at me and saying sh!t I can't hear since our windows were up. I roll mine down and he does too, both of us slowing down to about 40 so we can converse. He's wearing some kind of uniform, though I couldn't tell what, but it wasn't a cop uniform as far as I could tell. Here's the conversation:

HIM: [Really pissed off] You were clocked at 110 through here the other day!!

ME: 110?

HIM: 110! You were clocked! I've already notified Chesterfield! (Chesterfield is the county I was heading into, where I live.)

ME: 110? I must have been having engine problems that day!

HIM: [Even more pissed now, shaking his finger at me] You're lucky I'm off-duty!

After that the exit was upon us and he bailed out while I proceeded into Chesterfield and went home. No cops came by and nothing ever came of the incident.

I'm thinking that he was a cop wannabe or something. My questions/comments are:

1. By whom was I clocked?

2. Why wasn't I stopped?

3. If it was HIM that clocked me, by pacing me in his civilian car, then he was breaking the law too.

4. What can they do, stop me now for something that happened days ago, with no proof? I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think so.

Comments on this weird incident?

I would have promptly given him the universal sign of disapproval and sped off

A real cop is never off duty, if he was a real cop he could have pulled you over driving an old bicycle in his Jammies.

Originally posted by kneemeister
A real cop is never off duty, if he was a real cop he could have pulled you over driving an old bicycle in his Jammies.

But does it state in any State law that you have to pull over for a off duty non uniformed officer? esp: one who is not in a approved car?

Cops generally ignore the wanna-bes. He's just got car envy and sounds high-strung. UNless they have yer plates attached to a radar slip, I think yer fine. Although, I doubt you'll get out of any tickets...lol.


Cop: "Oh, here's the Ghost SS....nice ride. Heres yer ticket for illegal lane change, tires look nit bald too, gonna have to site ya for that too....say? you been emission tested latley?"

Originally posted by ExarKun
But does it state in any State law that you have to pull over for a off duty non uniformed officer? esp: one who is not in a approved car?

Just FYI, in case your above question relates to my story, he didn't try to pull me over. I wouldn't have stopped anyway, not with him in that old Crown Vic. Cops patrolling the highways don't drive those any more. They're all new Crown Vics, plus others.

In North Carolina, you have the option to drive yerself to the police station, if you feel that the guy might not really be a cop. Not something I'd do on a whim, prolly really steam the cop up. But a good law anyhoo, we did have some schmuck posing as a cop here a few years back. Liked to fondle wemins brestesses(said with lisp).

Originally posted by brembo
Cops generally ignore the wanna-bes. He's just got car envy and sounds high-strung. UNless they have yer plates attached to a radar slip, I think yer fine. Although, I doubt you'll get out of any tickets...lol.


Cop: "Oh, here's the Ghost SS....nice ride. Heres yer ticket for illegal lane change, tires look nit bald too, gonna have to site ya for that too....say? you been emission tested latley?"

Well, I moved anyway, no forwarding address. I was in the middle of moving when the event occurred. No one knows where I am. But I was at my old residence for several days after that and I didn't get any "visitors."

I'm not worried about it, I just thought it was a weird story.

Barbara also had a brush with this guy. Apparently she was zipping through town and he told her, "You came around that corner pretty quick." She ignored him and kept going. I think he's a wanna be. I can't wait to see him again.

Originally posted by brembo
In North Carolina, you have the option to drive yerself to the police station, if you feel that the guy might not really be a cop.

You can do that in VA too, but only if you doubt his official status, like you mentioned.

no no no...if a cop is OFF DUTY..he can not pull you over...you can fly by him goin 100 in a 50 and he cant do anything about it.... he can radio in to someone to let em know..but he cant do squat.

i have way to many cops friends that could back me up on that 100% too.

Originally posted by Docsta
no no no...if a cop is OFF DUTY..he can not pull you over...you can fly by him goin 100 in a 50 and he cant do anything about it.... he can radio in to someone to let em know..but he cant do squat.

As far as I know, from my State Trooper buddy, if an officer is off-duty AND IN HIS PATROL CAR, then he can indeed pull you over, but I agree with you, not if he's in his personal vehicle.

yea ghost...but where i live in georgia...a gwinnett county police officer i know... when he is OFF duty, and in his regular clothes, but still driving in his COP CAR, he cant do anything... he told me

"The funniest part of my job is when i take my police car to the grocery store or the the movies and people slow down when they see me, but ofcourse they dont know im in my regular clothes"

Is Mr. White a police officer?

What time of day was this?

Sounds like this guy is a corrections officer.........

uhh no like i said he's a police officer

I would take down his license plate number and report him as trying to impersonate a police officer. I got a ticket like that once because I set off my car alarm while I was driving. The cops were trying to stop cruising and were out there giving out tickets for anything they could think of. They also tried to get me for a stolen truck, because the VIN number was on the door. I tried to tell that dumbass that was were it was put in 1965 (yes it was an old van). When the state police got there they laughed at the cop and drove off, that pissed him off even more. That prick showed for in court and made sure I got hammered for that ticket. It WAS NOT a cheap ticket, somewhere around $300 if I remember right.

So were you doing 110 mph a few days ago??

And how did Barbara and he manage to have a conversation? Did he yell at her through open windows too or actually pull her over?

Sounds like a nut case, maybe get a license number if you see him again?

One of the last times my dad was working trapsortation, he had to take an inmate to San francisco in one of their crown vics...strait open highway, NO ONE around...got up to around 110, 120 before the other officer he was with told him to slow down...

I think if he bothers you again get his license plate and report him. Chances are the police already know about him.

In Indiana a cop is never really off duty, but of course they also drive the wife and kids to the local Wal-Mart on Saturday afternoon in there patrol vehicle. Heck our retired town marshall never wore a uniform.

Originally posted by ExarKun
I would have promptly given him the universal sign of disapproval and sped off

yeah, here (delaware) if a cop is off duty, and he tries to get you for something, pulling you over or whatever, then they can get in trouble for impersonating a cop.

I wouldnt worry (like you said...you arent) sounds to ME like it WAS an off duty cop who couldnt do squat. maybe it was some guy who just hates speeders and was trying to slow you down by scaring you.

if he WAS a cop, in no way would he talk through open windows going 40. they would pull your ass over, and be done with it.

i would have phoned the cops on my Cell saying that there's some nut fallowing me driving erratically like hes drunk

Hey Eric nice to see ya around.

If you pulled over it sounds like you would have been molested by this freak.

Originally posted by nightowl
i would have phoned the cops on my Cell saying that there's some nut fallowing me driving erratically like hes drunk

that would be PERFECT!!

Yeah, it's weird. Especially since your g/f had a run in with the guy as well.

next time a cop or whoever tailgates you just slam on your brakes a few times. If they rear-end you its gonna be their fault.