Is this a cop car?

[///M]

I was cruising down the DVP at a brisk 120km/h today - faster than normal - traffic was light and I was somewhat in a rush.

In the left lane I came across a black Impala SS with a dark tint and alloys. I brushed it off as some cop car poser. He was going pretty fast too, at times, approaching 130km/h. I didn\'t really see the need to pass and followed behind. He took the same exit as me and at a red light I pulled beside him, and saw a laptop, radio etc hooked up in a setup much like OPP cruisers. I didn\'t see any sirens or lights though.

At the next red light, I was behind him in traffic and noticed a small sticker on the back - \"Police Interceptor\". It looked kinda cheesy.

Is this a real cop car, or some poser?
1.) I thought all cop cars and government vehicles got steelies as part of the police package? No alloys.
2.) No lights, no sirens.
3.) It\'s an Impala SS. I don\'t recall seeing marked cop cruisers in SS trim.

Oh, and good thing I didn\'t get a ticket. :hoho

Whilst on the topic, is it true that 120km/h is the unofficial speed limit on the highways?

[bluntman]

The only cop cars that I\'ve seen similar to what you\'ve described have blue reflective vinyl decals along the entire side of the vehicle saying \"Police\". When viewed quickly from the side it looks like a navy blue/dark blue car. But at night, shine your headlights on the side and the decals really shine. Regarding the alloys, the police (city or OPP) don\'t mess around with alloy wheels, it\'s strictly black, steel wheels, so you probably drove behind a poser. Of course, the speed limit on the DVP is only 90km/h so if you were going about 120km/h and he didn\'t stop you then you definitely have a poser on your hands.

[billyfo]

yep, no alloy and no SS for cops.

it should a pretend-to-be-a-cop car:D

[midnightfxgt]

Yep, poser.

And there is no \"unofficial\" speed limit. If you are doing 20 over there is a good chance you wont get yanked, but that isnt to say you cant. Realistically if your over 15kmh over, and the cop is a disc, you get a ticket.

~JOHN

[Xenon]

First of all \"Police Intercepters\" are a model belonging to FORD. Chevy Police Impalas will not have the logo.

Police Impalas use the base model with an upgraded engine, suspension, brakes and tires. There will never be any alloys (too expensive) or hubcaps (they fly off and turn into deadly frisbees) on a cruiser.

Why would police get an Impala SS when the Police Impalas are fitted with a better engine that is corvette based?

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Xenon

Why would police get an Impala SS when the Police Impalas are fitted with a better engine that is corvette based?

you\'re thinking of the old Caprice based police car with the LT1 V8.

the new FWD Impalas still use the 3.8L V6 that\'s no different than the impalas you can buy off the dealer lot. they do have an engine oil cooler, tranny oil cooler and beefed up suspension, though.

the tires are the good old goodyear RS-Ass that your 3 comes with. with all the extra weight and light bar (bad aerodynamics) you could theoretically out run a police impala... but you can\'t out run a radio ;)

[oh_bs]

Yup - poseur.

As mentioned POLICE INTERCEPTOR badge belongs on the Crown Vic. Poseurs are a nuissance - what drives me really mad are the people that drive around in decomissioned police cars. Lightly beaten Crown Vics, steelies and a big sway bar - those drive me nuts!!

[majic]

hey.. the ministry of the environment\'s SWAT team (soil water and air team) which comprises of investigators and provincial officers has a fleet of police \'look-alike\' impalas and other cop cars. some are stealthy (the ones with reflective writing) and some are just plain white. they have specially fitted laptops and GPS systems.. no hubcabs either - so maybe you saw one of those?

also.. wrt the speed limit.. from here it looks like 15km/h over would be ok (no points at least) but on the 4XX series hwys 119km/h is usually safe..

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/demerit.htm

kind of of topic here but i think that this set 10 or 20 or whatever km over is stupid.. b/c speed is relative, i think it should be a percentage like going 50 in a 40 zone is a much bigger difference than going 110 in 100 zone (25% increase vs 10%)

i wish we had a 25% tolerance all accross the board :D

[Newlook]

Originally posted by oh_bs

Poseurs are a nuissance - what drives me really mad are the people that drive around in decomissioned police cars. Lightly beaten Crown Vics, steelies and a big sway bar - those drive me nuts!!

Cabbies? :p
I hate those security cars as well... with lights and police-like-decals.

What could be worse... I was once doing 130 on the 401 and all of a sudden a cruiser zoomed up from behind. It was clearly a police cruiser with roof lights and the word \"POLICE\" on the hood. I freaked out and slowed right down, moved to the center lane and let this guy pass....

Guess what... a prop police cruiser for movies!

[bubba1983]

POOOOOOOOOOOOOSER!!!

[MazdaTree]

once i saw a taxi, it was like those impala cop cars and then i noticed it said police really faded between the back lights so i slowed down and i was curious so i switched lanes to see wat it really was cuz it had a taxi sign on the roof and then i looked inside and it was a taxi driver i guess they buy the cop cars 2nd hand or somethin

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by MazdaTree


once i saw a taxi, it was like those impala cop cars and then i noticed it said police really faded between the back lights so i slowed down and i was curious so i switched lanes to see wat it really was cuz it had a taxi sign on the roof and then i looked inside and it was a taxi driver i guess they buy the cop cars 2nd hand or somethin

a lot of taxis are 2nd hand cop cars...this was more prevalent back before 1998 (when that law came into effect that taxis had to be maximum 2 or 3 years old when bought to replace an aging car).

reason being is that cop cars already have the suspension upgraded for \"severe service\" and, with the old 350 and 305 V8s used in the Chevy Caprice\'s (even with the engine in the Ford Crown Vics), parts are PLENTIFUL and cheap. also, the cop cars are auctioned off fairly cheaply and most are from the USA.

fleet taxi owners would have cars that had more than 500,000kms on them, some running on propane (which, at the time, was about half the price of gas per litre), so their profits were good.

my dad used to drive taxi way back in the day and i used to hang around the taxi garages when i was a youngin

[billyfo]

now, it is easier between taxi and cop, I don\'t know if it is by-law, now every taxi in GTA and surround area, has a small yellow light in front grill and rear deck, the lights will be on when some bads happen INSIDE the cab, so other ppl can call 911 to help the taxi drivers.

[fat mike]

I have seen plain clothes detectives drive around in cars like that before. Just a thought but why would someone go to all the trouble to fit a laptop in radio and all the other \"cop\" parts if they wernt a cop? Lights on cars like that are usually in the light housing, back windows (covered up by the tint) and also on the sun visors, stobes usually are mounted there as well.

[Newlook]

OPP cruisers are usually marked... hrm

Today on Hwy 115 (south of Peterborough) I saw 2 speed traps. Both with the lazer gun set up on a tripod with the cruiser in the Emergency U-turn loop between the NB and SB lanes. One was a grey Impala (I believe it has alloy rims), and the other one was a greyish Crown Vic. I\'m not 100% sure they\'re OPP but on hwy 115 I would think they are.

On the 401 in Toronto heading home tonight, saw one OPP (marked) cruiser in the shoulder with lights on, trunk opened and a scissors jack stucked beneath the car... lol

[teambedlam]

Originally posted by Newlook OPP cruisers are usually marked... hrm Today on Hwy 115 (south of Peterborough) I saw 2 speed traps. Both with the lazer gun set up on a tripod with the cruiser in the Emergency U-turn loop between the NB and SB lanes.

yeah that is a regular spot for a speed trap. seen many fall victim to that one. Especially on a long weekend...

[///M]

I hear there\'s a speeding crackdown this weekend...watch out everyone!

[bubba1983]

and here in the lovely land of kitchener, with OKTOBERFEST going on...their out EVERYWHURR!

[Newlook]

Today I was in a traffic jam on the QEW. All of a sudden a black Chev Envoy SUV zoomed right by me on the shoulder. I was like WTF but then saw flashing taillights. Some guy was coming down from the onramp and let the SUV go, I assume it also has flashing highbeams?

Cop?

[teambedlam]

Originally posted by Newlook Today I was in a traffic jam on the QEW. All of a sudden a black Chev Envoy SUV zoomed right by me on the shoulder. I was like WTF but then saw flashing taillights. Some guy was coming down from the onramp and let the SUV go, I assume it also has flashing highbeams? Cop?

was it a black SUV? It\'s Either RCMP or CSIS. I\'d vote RCMP. They have nice SUV\'s. Back in highschool (89) i almost bought an old RCMP SWAT suburban. It still had the troop side benches in it and everything. Very sweet indeed. Untill i had my mechanic look at it.

It would have ben nice :(

[wtom]

Originally posted by teambedlam



Originally posted by Newlook OPP cruisers are usually marked... hrm Today on Hwy 115 (south of Peterborough) I saw 2 speed traps. Both with the lazer gun set up on a tripod with the cruiser in the Emergency U-turn loop between the NB and SB lanes.

yeah that is a regular spot for a speed trap. seen many fall victim to that one. Especially on a long weekend...

(Raises Hand) Guilty... was clocked doing 129km/h approx one year ago heading north on 115 around that spot. Going fishing with gf too... geez... what a downer before I would catch nothing too. :(

[Newlook]

Originally posted by wtom



Originally posted by teambedlam



Originally posted by Newlook OPP cruisers are usually marked... hrm Today on Hwy 115 (south of Peterborough) I saw 2 speed traps. Both with the lazer gun set up on a tripod with the cruiser in the Emergency U-turn loop between the NB and SB lanes.

yeah that is a regular spot for a speed trap. seen many fall victim to that one. Especially on a long weekend...

(Raises Hand) Guilty... was clocked doing 129km/h approx one year ago heading north on 115 around that spot. Going fishing with gf too... geez... what a downer before I would catch nothing too. :(

Worse than my 122 on Hwy 17... also a 90 zone.
Did the cop reduce your ticket?

[///M]

I got 130 in 90 on the DVP...:(

Being taken to court by XCopper...still waiting for the court date though. I hope they fight it off.

[wtom]

Cop didn\'t reduce the ticket and I went to a small independant ticket fighter for like $300 and got it cleared.

[Melenium]

Originally posted by wtom


Cop didn\'t reduce the ticket and I went to a small independant ticket fighter for like $300 and got it cleared.

What grounds did they use to challenge it?

[///M]

I read somewhere a while back about cops \"reducing tickets\" as a tactic to make you admit guilt. They\'d quote you on a higher speed you were actually doing, and \"reduce\" it to your recorded speed.

[Newlook]

Originally posted by autoexe


I read somewhere a while back about cops \"reducing tickets\" as a tactic to make you admit guilt. They\'d quote you on a higher speed you were actually doing, and \"reduce\" it to your recorded speed.

Usually you know how fast you were doing when you get nailed. For your 130 on the DVP, were you actually doing 130?

I knew I was almost doing 125 when I saw the OPP.... he clocked me at 122.

[///M]

Originally posted by Newlook



Originally posted by autoexe


I read somewhere a while back about cops \"reducing tickets\" as a tactic to make you admit guilt. They\'d quote you on a higher speed you were actually doing, and \"reduce\" it to your recorded speed.

Usually you know how fast you were doing when you get nailed. For your 130 on the DVP, were you actually doing 130?

I knew I was almost doing 125 when I saw the OPP.... he clocked me at 122.

No I wasn\'t aware of how fast I was going. I knew I was going over but then again I wasn\'t all that much faster than traffic speed.

Btw that time he didn\'t reduce the ticket.

[majic]

Originally posted by autoexe


I read somewhere a while back about cops \"reducing tickets\" as a tactic to make you admit guilt. They\'d quote you on a higher speed you were actually doing, and \"reduce\" it to your recorded speed.

my last ticket (pending court date) the cop said \"i won\'t drop anything now b/c ppl take advantage of that and still go to court, so come to court and i\'ll drop it then to 15 over and no points..\" from 27 over.. (3 pts)

but the ticket has no signature on it.. do i smell a MAJOR flaw? :D :D :D please tell me i do..

but as i found out from bluntman today - you are GUILTY until proven innocent - yeah ****ed eh.. my ticket IS on the record with MTO and when i was getting insurance quotes the other day they are like .. umm u DO have a ticket.. NO I DON\'T.. it\'s PENDING.. well apparently i do.. ****!! ugh..

[Melenium]

but the ticket has no signature on it.. do i smell a MAJOR flaw? :D :D :D please tell me i do..

yup.. I think you can get that dropped as a technicality. A cap gave my sister a ticket once and wrote down her car as a \"blue Ford Civic\"... since when does Ford make Civics? lol :p

[Newlook]

Originally posted by majic

my last ticket (pending court date) the cop said \"i won\'t drop anything now b/c ppl take advantage of that and still go to court, so come to court and i\'ll drop it then to 15 over and no points..\" from 27 over.. (3 pts)


My friend said if it\'s a reduced ticket, it\'s written \"R\" on it (Code \"R\" I believe). If you still go to court to fight a reduced ticket, you might have a chance to get penalized more?

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by majic

but the ticket has no signature on it.. do i smell a MAJOR flaw? :D :D :D please tell me i do..

but as i found out from bluntman today - you are GUILTY until proven innocent - yeah ****ed eh.. my ticket IS on the record with MTO and when i was getting insurance quotes the other day they are like .. umm u DO have a ticket.. NO I DON\'T.. it\'s PENDING.. well apparently i do.. ****!! ugh..

no signature on the ticket sounds like a major flaw to me :hoho

are you sure your ticket is on record with the MTO? did you get a driver\'s abstract on yourself?

yeah, if you take the ticket to court, you have to prove your innocence to the JP as you are assumed guilty.

[majic]

Originally posted by MajesticBlueN
no signature on the ticket sounds like a major flaw to me :hoho


yay.. the lady at the office where you go to get the court date even circled it on my ticket.. i didn\'t notice till months later..


Originally posted by MajesticBlueN
are you sure your ticket is on record with the MTO? did you get a driver\'s abstract on yourself?


no.. not sre.. maybe that ins co. was bluffing.. ? i haven\'t gotten an abstract.. is it free? 20 bux?


Originally posted by MajesticBlueN
yeah, if you take the ticket to court, you have to prove your innocence to the JP as you are assumed guilty.

won\'t they just dismiss it b/c of the signature? i thought it meant an automatic dismissal... isn\'t it..

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by majic


no.. not sre.. maybe that ins co. was bluffing.. ? i haven\'t gotten an abstract.. is it free? 20 bux?

20 bux at the service ontario kiosks (rather than waiting in line)...but, for that \"convenience\" of not waiting in line, you pay a $1 service fee :sarc :D


Originally posted by majic

won\'t they just dismiss it b/c of the signature? i thought it meant an automatic dismissal... isn\'t it..

ooops, i meant any ticket...with your ticket, i\'m pretty sure it means automatic dismissal. it would be hard to prove that the cop in the courtroom gave you the ticket considering the fact that the cop didn\'t sign it. and to prove that the handwriting is his, they\'d have to call in a handwriting analyst, etc...here\'s hoping that ticket gets thrown out

[wtom]

Originally posted by Melenium



Originally posted by wtom


Cop didn\'t reduce the ticket and I went to a small independant ticket fighter for like $300 and got it cleared.

What grounds did they use to challenge it?

No idea... they just told me everything was cleared.

[snipe]

Originally posted by autoexe


I was cruising down the DVP at a brisk 120km/h today - faster than normal - traffic was light and I was somewhat in a rush.

In the left lane I came across a black Impala SS with a dark tint and alloys. I brushed it off as some cop car poser. He was going pretty fast too, at times, approaching 130km/h. I didn\'t really see the need to pass and followed behind. He took the same exit as me and at a red light I pulled beside him, and saw a laptop, radio etc hooked up in a setup much like OPP cruisers. I didn\'t see any sirens or lights though.

At the next red light, I was behind him in traffic and noticed a small sticker on the back - \"Police Interceptor\". It looked kinda cheesy.

Is this a real cop car, or some poser?
1.) I thought all cop cars and government vehicles got steelies as part of the police package? No alloys.
2.) No lights, no sirens.
3.) It\'s an Impala SS. I don\'t recall seeing marked cop cruisers in SS trim.

Oh, and good thing I didn\'t get a ticket. :hoho

Whilst on the topic, is it true that 120km/h is the unofficial speed limit on the highways?

So I was driving home from work today and I saw one of those undercover cop cars in the distance with flashing red and white lights on the shoulder. This was just below the street below Finch on 400 south. So as I\'m driving closer, I see the cop outside the writing a guy in front of him a ticket. But what else do I see? The cop car has tints and chrome rims. I could not believe my eyes. I mean I so would have agreed with all of your comments about a car like that being a poser. I wish I had my digital camera with me so I could somehow take a picture. I swear I\'m not lying.