Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

In my travels all over Gods great earth, I have earned an appreciation for traffic laws and enforcement, by being forced to drive in many lands without. In places as far and wide as Panama, Tunisia, Rome, Cairo, Kabul, there seems to be one common factor shared by many of our fellow men concerning traffic laws...they are made to be broken, if made at all.

In places like Italy, where the licensing process is expensive and quite rigorous compared to our simple procedure, you would think that there would be some sanity on the roads. Not so much. While living there, my fellow Americans and I were convinced that the Italian government could save MILLIONS of dollars by simply NOT buying any more traffic signs, since nobody bothered to follow them.

Than you have Egypt. This is a land where the people were once so smart they created a monument to their kings that has lasted for over 5000 years. Their monuments were so large, so difficult to build, and so precisely engineered that modern day engineers STILL haven't figured out exactly how they did it with the tools they had to work with in their day. And yet, todays egyptians STILL haven't figured out that it is best to drive at night with your headlights ON.

I've often wondered what happens to these folks when they come here and either buy or get a rental car. Are they suprised when they get pulled over for passing cars on a blind curve? Are they shocked to realize that a 2 lane road is ACTUALLY meant for only TWO lanes of usage? Do they get upset when they CAN'T do 80 in a 35?

What has been your experience with foreigners here in the states?

I'd say about 50% of the traffic stops I make are on foreigners.

Also known as "illegal immigrants." :p

I have never driven in mexico, but if they are as bad as Panamanians...

Ewwww.

hey man I lived in Panama! :D



I only pulled over foreigners when Masters came in.

I'd say about 50% of the traffic stops I make are on foreigners.

Also known as "illegal immigrants." :p

Haha I had forgotten about them...I was going to answer "1", but then I remembered that Mexico isn't actually a suburb of Los Angeles.

Being in South Florida I would say that a fair percentage of the drivers I stop are from a different country. (Argentina/ Venezuela/ and Israel seem to be the most common - in the winter there are a ton of Canadians and they really drive like crap)

But, I am also of the opinion that some people just drive like crap no matter where they are from. (There is one guy in my city that has recieved 28 moving violations in 14 months, including 3 for reckless driving and 1 for leaving the scene of a crash with injuries - he still has a valid D/L.)

(There is one guy in my city that has recieved 28 moving violations in 14 months, including 3 for reckless driving and 1 for leaving the scene of a crash with injuries - he still has a valid D/L.)

:eek: How on earth!?!?!?!

in the winter there are a ton of Canadians and they really drive like crap)
How are the Michigan drivers? ;)

:eek: How on earth!?!?!?!

He was even convicted for the Leaving the Scene (received probation, but no license suspension), and had "adjudication withheld" on 2 of the Reckless citations. (The third is still waiting on a court date)

Of the remainder some are still waiting for court dates, the rest he has either received "adjudication withheld" and paid court costs, or the officer did not show up and it was dismissed (only a couple of those).

Coincidentally, I have court on one of my citations for him next week.

Sometimes it is really terrible how lax the judges and magistrates are when handling traffic cases.

I pull over foreigners (usually illegals) with fughazy or no licenses at all quite frequently.

Pulling over an actual visitor? Only happened once with a guy visiting from Israel. Let him go.

Every time I see a vehicle swerving side to side, in and out of the lane of a road, late at night, and notice that there is a NORTH CAROLINA TAG attached to the vehicle, I pretty much get a headache.

Because I know that the person behind the wheel is likely going to be a drunk Mexican national, illegal in this country, that doesn't speak English.

He'll produce his Mexican ID, of which is probably fake. He has no valid US license either. He will probably also have an open container of beer, with numerous empty beer bottles about his vehicle.

The strange thing about it all...he doesn't seem to understand what the problem is.

Being in South Florida I would say that a fair percentage of the drivers I stop are from a different country. (Argentina/ Venezuela/ and Israel seem to be the most common - in the winter there are a ton of Canadians and they really drive like crap

BWAAAAA... I protest.....:D

I do have to agree however that some Quebec elders spending time in Holywood FL made me ashame of being a French Canadian citizen.

Never seen people so "cheap" and yet wanting to be treated like they were milionnaires... and own the place!!!!:eek:

Ho well.... Needs all king of people to make a world I guess.

The strange thing about it all...he doesn't seem to understand what the problem is.


While driving back from the airport after picking up a bud from the states, I had the misfortune of encountering a volvo driving at me HEAD ON in a blind curve. The driver of the volvo decided he didn't want to wait to pass a dump truck, and opted to pass with total disregard for whomever might be driving in the other lane.

After managing to avoid the collision and driving off the road, I swerved around and proceeded to catch the volvo, who pulled over. I approached the driver who was holding a cell phone while saying "carabinieri! carabinieri!" (Italian equivalent of our FBI) and proceeded to give him a bit more than just a piece of my mind.

There are stupid drivers everywhere, but in some places, stupid is just taken for granted...

Every time I see a vehicle swerving side to side, in and out of the lane of a road, late at night, and notice that there is a NORTH CAROLINA TAG attached to the vehicle, I pretty much get a headache.

Because I know that the person behind the wheel is likely going to be a drunk Mexican national, illegal in this country, that doesn't speak English.

He'll produce his Mexican ID, of which is probably fake. He has no valid US license either. He will probably also have an open container of beer, with numerous empty beer bottles about his vehicle.

The strange thing about it all...he doesn't seem to understand what the problem is.

Concerns me even more that no one, besides myself, will ever address this ^^^.

How about the fact that North Caroline will issue a license that says
FOR DRIVING ONLY NOT VALID FOR ID or something to that affect. I don't get it.

Well, I pull over all sorts of.....


What has been your experience with foreigners here in the states?

...oh, all right then..........I guess I'll just keep on checking out other topics then.......:(


:p

Well, I pull over all sorts of.....
...oh, all right then..........I guess I'll just keep on checking out other topics then.......:(
:p

Me too . . . . I was going to say it depends on the time of year and where I'm working.

We have lots of "students" who drive here for 2 years and don't generate the points loss that locals do.

As for licence loss, if that guy was found guilty here of leaving a collision with injuries, he'd lose his licence for 2 years.

We also have mandatory licence loss for 25 kph over (15 mph)