Don't you love traffic control

[Aussie George]

Last week (Thursday) prior to a long weekend (Easter) with all the traffic heading up a local highway (in the country), we had some moron run off the road and kill their passenger in a roll over. We got on scene within a few minutes and a patrol blocked the north end of the highway at an intersection and was able to direct south bound traffic that way.

I started heading south and was trying to tell north bound cars to turn around and head back the other way as the highway was blocked.

I got to the north side of a dam. The road runs across the dam wall. I had to stop traffic there and turn them around. The amount of idiots who would stop and try and argue with me that they should be allowed through, or wanted to know what was happening, or even thought it was my fault....

One exceptionally rude person finally got on my nerves enough for me to yell at them, "Well if you have a problem, take it up with the dead person up the road, because it isn't my fault the highway's blocked!"

They looked at me and asked, "Oh sorry has there been a crash?"

I replied, "No. I just thought I would block a highway the afternoon that holidays started, and stand on the hot roadway in the sun for two hours, just so I could meet some moron like you!"

Needless to say I advised the Inspector when he arrived so he was aware of who to direct the complaint towards.. I'm happy to wear that one.

Actually at one point I was relieved by a motor bike cop, Warren. I was sitting back watching Warren direct traffic and having a drink. Traffic was lined up. I saw a silver car drive down the side of the traffic and it looked like it was just going to go around Warren and all the other drivers. I jumped out my car and started yelling at them to stop. Then I saw it was the Inspector in his unmarked car. Luckily the Boss knows I am hot headed.

I just can't believed how stupid people can be once they get behind the wheel of a car.

If you are driving down the road and see a Police Officer standing there directing traffic, there is most likely a reason other than the cop just felt like doing it.

Don't stop your car and decide to have a conversation with the officer. He is too busy trying to stay alive because while you are stopping some truck is coming up behind you at the speed limit and is trying not to run fair up your back end. Of course you can't see this because you think your rear view mirrors are for checking your make up or for seeing what your snotty nosed little kids are up to in the back seat.

If you are directed to turn around or turn down a detour road, don't stop and ask the officer how to get to where you intended to go to. He does'nt have time and now that you are blocking the road traffic is building up around the blind corner behind you and is likely to cause anoher crash making more problems. Go around the corner and pull over if you need to. Ring someone to find out where to go, or go back down the road to the nearest service station and get directions.

Yes, you have been inconvenienced by having to drive out of your way for a few extra minutes, but you didn't have to stand in front of morons just like you for two hours in the heat or rain or snow and you didn't have to have the same infuriating conversation with 500 other idiots just like you every 45 seconds. And you didn't die in bushland on the side of the road. You will be a few minutes late to your holiday, where as I am a few hours late getting home and I don't get holidays.

Rant over.

[Aussie George]

Oh and another thing that ticked me off this week. Some moron wrote to the local paper saying how they got a flat tyre and pulled over in an emergency stopping bay. While they were struggling to fix it no less than four police cars went past and didn't stop to help. That was their letter.

IDIOT!!

I didn't think it was Police Officer's job to fix your car tyre. You are in an emergency bay and cause no risk to you or other road users while safely off the road. There are numerous road side assistance clubs you can join and call for that...or alternatively be responsible for your own life and learn how to change a tyre. It is not that hard. Or call a friend that can do it for you.

As a tax payer I would be pretty ticked off to think that cops were late getting to my "POLICE RELATED ISSUE" because they were too busy fixing your car tyre.

[MikeG]

'Mad Max' woulda just taken care of business.

[Aussie George]

Mad Max doesn't have to answer to the CMC or Ethical Standards....I envy Max.

[kels]

Directing traffic comes right after Domestic Disputes on the list of least liked thing LEOS do.

[retdetsgt]

Directing traffic comes right after Domestic Disputes on the list of least liked thing LEOS do.

I'd rather take the family beef. We should direct traffic with flame throwers.....

[sosteve]

They must come from the States my friend. Because i have seen a police car with it's lights on behine the car while the own is changing their tyre. My wife tells me they do for safety reasons.

Oh and another thing that ticked me off this week. Some moron wrote to the local paper saying how they got a flat tyre and pulled over in an emergency stopping bay. While they were struggling to fix it no less than four police cars went past and didn't stop to help. That was their letter.

IDIOT!!

I didn't think it was Police Officer's job to fix your car tyre. You are in an emergency bay and cause no risk to you or other road users while safely off the road. There are numerous road side assistance clubs you can join and call for that...or alternatively be responsible for your own life and learn how to change a tyre. It is not that hard. Or call a friend that can do it for you.

As a tax payer I would be pretty ticked off to think that cops were late getting to my "POLICE RELATED ISSUE" because they were too busy fixing your car tyre.

[wisco]

I didn't think it was Police Officer's job to fix your car tyre. You are in an emergency bay and cause no risk to you or other road users while safely off the road. There are numerous road side assistance clubs you can join and call for that...or alternatively be responsible for your own life and learn how to change a tyre. It is not that hard. Or call a friend that can do it for you.

As a tax payer I would be pretty ticked off to think that cops were late getting to my "POLICE RELATED ISSUE" because they were too busy fixing your car tyre.

I don't know how it is "down under", but in my area it's standard practice that if there's a car on the side of the road in a situation like you described an officer would typically stop and turn on their lights if only as a safety precaution.

Truth be told, I personally know of a stolen car that was recovered this very way. A relative of mine had a car stolen in the middle of winter (car was just purchased, had no plates yet). The moron who stole it put it in a ditch along a highway here, and while he and a buddy were trying to push it out an officer stopped to see if they needed any help. When questioned why the car didn't have any plates their stories didn't add up. So she ran the VIN and whattya know...

Can't say if it's a standard across the nation though.

[sosteve]

Aussie George. What they should do back there is ,what they do here to block the road off to the highway is that they have boom gate that comes and red blue lights on it. I have seen it in place and I have also ssen a road block here there was one Police blocking a lane than a few miles up the road was other one blocking two lane so all traffic had to use one lane and worked well.

[ChesCopPodz]

I've broken a window by throwing a maglite through it, and I've dented a quarterpanel on a car by throwing a traffic cone at it, both while directing traffic at crashes, both were drunk drivers trying to go around the cones.

I've been told to be gentler, so now I keep my spare set of keys in my hand while directing traffic. They don't hurt the car as much.

[cntryboy0531]

I'd rather take the family beef. We should direct traffic with flame throwers.....

I'll take just about anything over directing traffic. If I could I'd direct traffic with a 40mm Grenade Launcher.