Please don't just pass me by!!!

I know the all mighty HCSO deputies have better things to do than stop and check on disabled vehicles but consider this....Remember how long you had to wait for a FHP trooper or CSO to show up to work the crash you were standing by at 45 mins to an hour? Just imagine the priority a disabled vehicle out of the Road Ranger zone will get from these guys. Like them or not, they are always short handed. A lot of crashes in the county usually have 2 - 4 deputies respond, serious or not. FHP is lucky to have 2 - 4 road troopers/cso's X8 in the whole county, let alone a zone. Only to have you pass by a broken down car with a driver standing by and radio to your dispatch to "let FHP know about blah, blah blah, I was in the fast lane and couldn't get over, going to a burglary call that occured 6 hrs ago or whatever". Remember, Your wife drives a car, you mother drives a car, even that hunny you met at that last off duty drives a car and they may all have kids in that car with them. Waiting on FHP to respond and wondering why all those 12 police cars just passed them by without offering any help. They didn't see 4 were TTPD, 2 were TPD, and the rest were HCSO, not to mention all the unmarkeds from wherever that didn't catch their eye. When FHP finally rolls up, they look like a real Knight in shining armour because they did stop. Just something to think about next time you go past that DAV, who knows, could be someone you know looking for a "white & green knight" to save the day and be the hero! Thanks

[HeyNow]

Come on! I am the first one to stop for a DAV, especially since the nightmare we all were chastized for (and should have been) on the Veterans about a year ago. But think about this, if you are driving a green and white and you have a valid reason for not stopping (i.e. sensitive evidence, responding to a call for service no matter what the time lapse is, or on the way to a court appearance) and you see the "DISABLED" motor vehicle operator (remeber, you called this a DAV?) gabbing on the cell phone, do you really think that each and every green and white and unmarked car needs to stop?

I am ALL for helping anyone who needs help, but someone on the side of the road talking on the cell phone clearly has the ability to call AAA or a family member which is the same thing that we would do.

If the DAV is outside standing by the car, or just sitting in there and does not appear to have a means of communication, clearly any law enforcement officer is in the wrong for not stopping. But remeber this: in your post, your complaint was that the green and white drove by without stopping yet they still called attention to the vehicle that MAY need help. Though there may not be a valid reason for not stopping, at least the DAV has been brought to someones' attention.

There are valid reasons for not stopping no matter who the DAV is including family members. If you think for one minute that a deputy doesn't want to be the "green and white" knight in shinning armour, please take this in to consideration.

Please know that there are good deputies out there that are actually using their melons and take the criticism down a notch. There are other things going on in this world and a majority of the deputies know when to stop even when they are in situations when they are not able to.

[fltoddy]

I know the all mighty HCSO deputies have better things to do than stop and check on disabled vehicles but consider this....Remember how long you had to wait for a FHP trooper or CSO to show up to work the crash you were standing by at 45 mins to an hour? Just imagine the priority a disabled vehicle out of the Road Ranger zone will get from these guys. Like them or not, they are always short handed. A lot of crashes in the county usually have 2 - 4 deputies respond, serious or not. FHP is lucky to have 2 - 4 road troopers/cso's X8 in the whole county, let alone a zone. Only to have you pass by a broken down car with a driver standing by and radio to your dispatch to "let FHP know about blah, blah blah, I was in the fast lane and couldn't get over, going to a burglary call that occured 6 hrs ago or whatever". Remember, Your wife drives a car, you mother drives a car, even that hunny you met at that last off duty drives a car and they may all have kids in that car with them. Waiting on FHP to respond and wondering why all those 12 police cars just passed them by without offering any help. They didn't see 4 were TTPD, 2 were TPD, and the rest were HCSO, not to mention all the unmarkeds from wherever that didn't catch their eye. When FHP finally rolls up, they look like a real Knight in shining armour because they did stop. Just something to think about next time you go past that DAV, who knows, could be someone you know looking for a "white & green knight" to save the day and be the hero! Thanks

I have a question for the original anonymous poster.

What is your personal policy for stopping for disabled vehicles?

When I'm on duty, I stop for every disabled vehicle unless there are extenuating circumstances, as we are required to do. One of my recent interactions with a stranded motorist occurred 15 minutes before I was scheduled to get off duty and ended up taking me close to 3 hours to resolve. Suffice it to say I understand and appreciate the white and green knight effect.

One of the luxuries I have as a Reserve is I am not required to react when off duty. I also don't drive a Sheriff's Office vehicle to and from work so I am in my personal vehicle before and after and therefore not required to respond. However, I do personally stop in my personal vehicle, on my own time, whenever I see a stranded female motorist, or a motorist with small children, or someone that I think needs some assistance.

My question to the original poster is, do you habitually make an effort to stop and check on stranded motorists? Sure, there is some potential risk in doing so, but we're talking about basic courtesy to your fellow man that doesn't require law enforcement training.

I'd also venture a guess that if more concerned citizens such as yourself took the time to stop, the Deputies would very seldom even get the change to be the "white and green knight." You'd free the HCSO and FHP up to focus on other duties making them more efficient.

As a matter of fact I have and do stop in my POV if it is safe to do so. Please do not take the original comment as a blanket criticism. It was not intended to be such. As a matter of fact. I do not feel it is anyones "job" or "duty" to help a stranded motorist. It is 2008, cell phones, AAA, onstar, etc etc are available to responsible drivers. As a lifelong resident of Florida, I actually resent tax $$$$ going to fund the Road Ranger programs to bail out complete morons driving New Hummers, BMW's and POS cars that let them run out of gas or any able bodied male or female for that matter, that owns a car that does not know how to change a tire. I was simply giving a different prospective to the ones that aren't on anything that just don't want to be bothered or get dirty etc. I of course know there are good and bad in every situation and did not mean for this to be an HCSO bash. Thanks again.

[fltoddy]

As a matter of fact I have and do stop in my POV if it is safe to do so. Please do not take the original comment as a blanket criticism. It was not intended to be such. As a matter of fact. I do not feel it is anyones "job" or "duty" to help a stranded motorist. It is 2008, cell phones, AAA, onstar, etc etc are available to responsible drivers. As a lifelong resident of Florida, I actually resent tax $$$$ going to fund the Road Ranger programs to bail out complete morons driving New Hummers, BMW's and POS cars that let them run out of gas or any able bodied male or female for that matter, that owns a car that does not know how to change a tire. I was simply giving a different prospective to the ones that aren't on anything that just don't want to be bothered or get dirty etc. I of course know there are good and bad in every situation and did not mean for this to be an HCSO bash. Thanks again.

My bad then, I misinterpreted your original post. I appreciate the fact that you stop and help stranded motorists, we could use a lot more people like you.

I do see your point in that I have been stranded on the side of the road with my family before. I think what angers people is that they don't feel like John Q. Citizen "has" to stop and help them, but they do feel that public servants should. I don't disagree, but I also agree with you that it is a real buzz killer to stop for some knucklehead that has a flat tire and claims to not know how to change it.

I agree there are some Deputies that think they're too good to stop, and there are some motorists that are too ignorant to drive. We all know the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and all it takes is one physically handicapped person to set on the side of the road for several hours to institute a blanket policy change.

I apologize for misinterpreting your post. I do stand by my original assertion that if more people were like you and stopped to help others there would be no need to even have this conversation.

Don't even get me started on what the world would be like if more parents actually put effort into raising their children, if being a father lasted longer than 3 minutes of physical contact, and if "musicians" stopped glorifying the abuse of women and authority figures......

Front Page of the Tampa Tribune, March 26th 2011:


“Hillsborough Deputy Kills Family of Eight”

Tampa---- A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy caused a six car pile up, kills a family of eight, and injuries 13 more. When Former deputy John Doe asked why he cut over 3 lanes of traffic, during rush hour, on his way to 6pm roll call, he replied, “I was told I would be fired if I didn’t stop for each and every disabled vehicle I saw. That’s why It takes me 2 and a half hours to drive 10 miles to work on the interstate, and 2 and a half hours to drive home. I HAVE TO STOP AT EACH AND EVERY ONE!”
The interview with the inmate/ex-deputy was cut short because his 8 consecutive life sentences had just begun, and he was unsuccessfully still attempting to get either the PBA or HCSO to answer his one phone call.

Front Page of the Tampa Tribune, March 26th 2011:


“Hillsborough Deputy Kills Family of Eight”

Tampa---- A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy caused a six car pile up, kills a family of eight, and injuries 13 more. When Former deputy John Doe asked why he cut over 3 lanes of traffic, during rush hour, on his way to 6pm roll call, he replied, “I was told I would be fired if I didn’t stop for each and every disabled vehicle I saw. That’s why It takes me 2 and a half hours to drive 10 miles to work on the interstate, and 2 and a half hours to drive home. I HAVE TO STOP AT EACH AND EVERY ONE!”
The interview with the inmate/ex-deputy was cut short because his 8 consecutive life sentences had just begun, and he was unsuccessfully still attempting to get either the PBA or HCSO to answer his one phone call.

Totally ridiculous "article". Gimme a break...

I know the all mighty HCSO deputies have better things to do than stop and check on disabled vehicles but consider this....Remember how long you had to wait for a FHP trooper or CSO to show up to work the crash you were standing by at 45 mins to an hour? Just imagine the priority a disabled vehicle out of the Road Ranger zone will get from these guys. Like them or not, they are always short handed. A lot of crashes in the county usually have 2 - 4 deputies respond, serious or not. FHP is lucky to have 2 - 4 road troopers/cso's X8 in the whole county, let alone a zone. Only to have you pass by a broken down car with a driver standing by and radio to your dispatch to "let FHP know about blah, blah blah, I was in the fast lane and couldn't get over, going to a burglary call that occured 6 hrs ago or whatever". Remember, Your wife drives a car, you mother drives a car, even that hunny you met at that last off duty drives a car and they may all have kids in that car with them. Waiting on FHP to respond and wondering why all those 12 police cars just passed them by without offering any help. They didn't see 4 were TTPD, 2 were TPD, and the rest were HCSO, not to mention all the unmarkeds from wherever that didn't catch their eye. When FHP finally rolls up, they look like a real Knight in shining armour because they did stop. Just something to think about next time you go past that DAV, who knows, could be someone you know looking for a "white & green knight" to save the day and be the hero! Thanks

I dont wait 45 minutes to an hour for FHP to show up; if it takes that long I just write the d**n thing. That happens a lot lately...

I have a question WHERE were you? 4 TTPD? I doubt that. That many cars along with HCSO and TPD? I call bullcrap

Was just a for instance. Settle down, again, was not posted to P.O. anyone, Just to make you think. You are all appreciated whether stopping or calling it in.