Might have saved a driver some $$$

The other day I met a SNI driver. I was westbound out of Newton. It was blatantly obvious he was talking on his cellphone. I could see it on the right side of his head, with his hand holding it there. Well just a mile and half back I also saw a white pick-up that had the writing along the sides that read "Motor Carrier Inspector", Kansas Highway Patrol.

I thought what the heck, I'll try to warn this driver to give him a chance to get the phone out of sight. I grabbed the mic and hollered at him "Hey Snider, you might want to get the phone away from your head. There's a DOT Bear, white pick-up a mile back". To my surprise he answered, thanking me for the warning. I don't know, maybe I just should have let him take his chances. I had to lay out the cash for a blue-tooth, so why shouldn't he. I think there's been enough time for drivers to pick one up.

I know there's one SNI driver that shouldn't complain too much about his next paycheck. It could have easily been $2,500 less..

 

word of caution here...

you could have also caused him to get a ticket..>!@!!!

many times, truck inspectors, DOT cops, even police, will have cb radios..!!

so a "word to the wise"...????

don't mention the trucking company name......????

 

Say hey eest bound, north bo etc truck..then give the warning

petey

 

I would love to see where there is a law that says it is illegal to notify of police activity.

 

there is no law, but many law enforcement do have cb radios. CT, RI are 2 states I know for sure, many troopers do have them especially the DOT troopers in RI. Try to run the scale in RI (when they are open..??) and the DOT trooper is sitting at the exit ramp, waitin' on ya.

They just do not usually talk back to you.

Unless you are on I-95 in CT, near Troop F barracks, there used to be a trooper there named, Ted E. Bear.

His dad and brothers were truckers. Ted E. Bear, would actually talk to us drivers. His dad had a heart attack, but I never found out, if he survived. Ted E. Bear, may even be retired himself now, who knows.

 

There isn't one..but if the bar was listening he then knew that a scheider driver that was going to go buy him in a minute to minute and a half was driving with his cell phone glued to his ear....

its better to just hop on the cb and say something like DOT bear at mm such and such and then continue you your way..he still would have heard ya ad would have known it was you calling it out..non peaked and tuned cbs usually only have about a 3 to 5 mile range at most under optimum conditions

Petey

 

Even with the "hearing" about the SNI driver doing something illegal, it isn't justification for a ticket as it is "hearsay". If this were the case you could drive down the highway making up things drivers were doing in hopes they would get a ticket for it. In order for the cop to write a legal ticket, he has to witness the event himself.

 

Don't be too sure of yourself.

The cops can pull over ANYONE at ANYTIME. Right now, they can pull over drivers (any vehicle) for no reason, and hand out seat belt tickets. I think this was in a trucker's magazine, like LandLine.

Wanna try YOUR luck???

 

right..but it gets that bear paying particular attention to that truck..and maybe spots a light out or just decides to pull him over and lvl 3 inspect him with a fine tooth comb for 4 hours..or worse..finds something and parks him for 34 hours.

Bears are sneaky..especially DOT bears. and yeah..that can OOS and fix it ticket a truck just because a trailer tire tread depth is 1 100th worn too far and make him wait for his company to send someone to replace it..I've seen it done too often for stupid lil stuff..and had it happen to me as wel..for a trailer mudflap..left truck stop on az border, hit banning scale..fix it ticket for missing mudflap and oos till JCT sent someone to fix it...they could have let me go on to the next T/A and get it replaced but noooooo..that particular DOT bear apparently had apparently been havin a bad day...

Petey

 

This will only stand up IF the driver isn't willing to lawyer up. As far as the "seat belt tickets" that only holds up in states that have a primary seat belt law (such as Texas), in states where the seat belt isn't a primary they have to have justification for the traffic stop other than the seat belt.