Expect fewer travelers, but more police, out this weekend

Well, I'm glad that several of VB's finest were there at the scene of the five car accident on Shore Drive that happened just as the fireworks were ending. Didn't appreciate waiting in traffic for over an hour to pass the scene, but that is part of the package when people get careless on packed roads. The police did what they had to do . . .

I heard GW was behind the world trade tower too.

... I just wanna know, did the copy desk go home erly last nite? Do editers think reeders are stoopid? Do we need to see a dollor sine ($4) and then have dollor spelt out? This is just one of a coupla things that should have been fixt in this story. I'm gonna splain. Some linguists say informal speaking, couple without "of" might be OK. Written Inglish (as expected in newspaper), couple should have "of." "Couple cents" is informal speaking style, if that's what you like. In newspaper, should be good example of Inglish, should be "couple of cents."

It is real simple folks. But yes, just like in the general population, you've got good people and bad people, and all it takes is just a few bad ones to get a lot of bad press going. If you treat them very politely, don't get smart with them in any way and do as they tell you, you won't get in trouble with them. It is that simple folks. This weekend they'll be out there trying to keep our highways safe. I wish them and everyone else a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.

We all have different experiences with the NPD, sorry I didn't mean to make mine sound all that negative. Yes, there were some good cops, but when they are bad, they are really bad, and YOU are at their mercy.

You ever wonder why state and local police are the way you say they are? It's because they have to deal with people like yourself and your nasty, sarcastic, pessimistic, condescending, I do no wrong attitudes. Those guys get zero respect, and you have proven it right here for all to read. But wait, let's see who you call first when someone steals something from you or is breaking into your house or garage. If you're doing nothing wrong then you don't have to worry about them telling you what to do, or not to do. Do yourself and everyone else a favor, do a ride-a-long one night and see what they put up with everyday. If you hadn't already figured, I did that job for 4 1/2 years from 89-94 in an western Hampton Roads city.

Obey the law and you won't get stopped. I've had two tickets in my life; both of them for speeding. I prepaid them both. I didn't argue that I was driving with traffic or make up other excuses. I made a choice to speed and I got caught. Over twenty years have passed since I've been stopped by the police and I drive at least 500 miles per week. I don't exactly drive the speed limit, but I stay within 10 miles an hour of it. I also pay attention and don't do foolish things behind the wheel. Seems like since I decided to generally follow the rules, my negative experience with the police has ended. Go figure --personal responsibility-- what a concept.

Twenty or thirty years ago there probably were a lot of high school drop outs on the force. Now most police officers have a college degree. I have two nephews with the Md. State Police who have degrees in Economics and are extremely bright and eager to help their community. Stop lumping a couple of bad apples, which are in every single profession, into the entire police force. It's not fair and extremely ignorant. Personally, I have never had a bad experience with any officer and many kind ones.

it is so nice to know that all crime has stopped, all crimes solved and the various police departments throughout Virginia and the nation have nothing better to do than harrass law abiding citizens while ignoring the idiots on the roads.

With that said, I truly hope that those of you lumping all cops in to the same bad barrel are never in need of one.

There was a time when I had about 50 part time NPD on my payroll. What an experience! They hated working for a civilian, even at the high price per hour they were being paid, my experience ran from some really great offices to more that were nothing short of high school bullies. It was hard for them to grasp that I hired them so I could fire them. It was also hard for them to grasp that they worked for me, and I could tell them what I needed them to do. The mentality of the majority was childish. They wanted and thought they could do what they wanted when they wanted it. When one had to be fired, I paid the price of constant harassment. I was pulled over for the dumbest things, and costantly followed. It left me with a very negative opinion of the NPD, and still to this day. It takes a special mentality to become a cop, arrogant, inmature, bullies, and the list of character flaws goes on. The number of bad cops out w

You will be treated the way you treat. In your case, most likely a beat down and I hope the vid. is off.

The remark about "if you aren't breaking the law you have nothing to worry about" is totally false. Many of us realize that this is just something that is being used to make you submit to surrendering to the total-control grid police state. If you are in the wrong place / time or are perceived to be responding in a way that is not totally submissive, you DO have something to worry about. In many cases, they do not even know the law themselves.

Whatever brain trust predicted fewer travelers needs to be fired. My office was cut loose at Noon today, and what is normally a 5 minute drive to leave the worksite, was 35 minutes! Then, I begin what is normally a 25 minute commute home which today was 90 plus minutes. There were no wrecks anywhere. Just wall to wall traffic everywhere. I checked when I got home. Local news here said the real 4th of July rush hadn't even gotten started.

So, again... that brain trust needs to be fired. All they put out this year was anti-car, anti-oil propaganda.

I just got back from the grocery store...and I now regret not going to Walmart late late last night like I was planning. The way people were acting in the grocery store....you would have thought the world was about to end.

The grocery store had all the traffic I wanted to see today, and they can be just as rude, thoughtless, and inconsiderate as cell phone drivers, tailgaters, and drivers who weave in and out of traffic driving like an idiot.

Cook out is at my house. Happy 4th!

There wouldn't be a need for this type of law if we didn't have people like edwards88711 on the road. You've got major issues dude...and I hope you find a little bit of mentality you may have left (not likely) and use it to seek help. With the hate you seem to have for the police...one can appropriately assume that you've had a few run ins with the law. Only one thing can be said on that matter and it has already been stated by a previous poster..."if you don't break the law, you won't have a bad experience with them." As for your last comment on how you'll be sure to swerve right (towards them I'm assuming). Better be careful, someone might apply that same logic when they see you on the side of the road.

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/20/2032.asp

This "New" law has been in effect since 2002. See the above article, from October 2007, that talks about it. I suppose the rash of troopers being struck this year prompted someone to market the old law in a new fashion.

Honestly, if drivers would pay attention to driving instead of the myriad of other things they do while behind the wheel, this law probably wouldn't be needed. That's right...put the cell phone down, put the makeup away, leave the sandwich in the bag, and PAY ATTENTION!!

For the small amount of pay they get and what all they have to put up with and with how dangerous their job is, I have to call all of them crazy heroes. If you don't break the law, you won't have a bad experience with them, plain and simple. Two times I've been broken down on the highway, they've been most helpful. One time, late at night in a pouring down rain storm, one insisted on him changing the tire and not myself! He didn't have to do that: I could have done it easily enough, but he insisted. Another time, when I didn't have my cellphone available, one offered me his to make a call to let my wife know I was running late and that I was okay. God bless them and I hope they have a very quiet and easy 4th of July weekend!

We now have a new law that requires you to "move over" to protect these state troopers? You gotta be kidding me. Look, these "heroes" (as they are in their own mind)raised their right hand and swore to uphold the law. Sounds good doesnt it? Sorry. What they really did was seize an oppurtunity to be to be sworn in as the "Man", Mr. Bigshot, Mr. authority,Im in charge, I can boss everybody around" The days of your friendly, helpful, police officer are gone folks. From the state level right down to your local city cops they all have become arrogant, over bearing ,police state ignoramisiss. Yep, Ill be sure to switch lanes. From the left to the right.

What we need to do is pass a law that requires all motorists to have common sense along with their operators license! I see people all the time riding in the lane next to an emergency vehicle thats stopped and don't give it any thought about how close they just came. Highway workers are also deserving of the same consideration. Many officers each year lose their lives to being hit on the side of the road. A small story....I got stopped by a trooper in NC a while back for speeding (of which I was guilty). The spot where I stopped was up against the guardrail and would have had him partially in the traffic lane. So I motioned to him that I was pulling up to where the guardrail ended. He approached somewhat gingerly and we went through the motions. He came back with the speeding ticket in hand. I asked him if he could show some mercy due to me watching out for his safety, he said "I did, I'm giving you a warning on the seat belt"!!! LOL I signed and drove off.