As we all get older, start to retire, we all get just a wee bit bored! Mayday/Aircrash Investigation does not keep me entertained due to too little new content, Flightglobal, Av-Nut and the Plum (aehm, sorry, PPRUNE it is) will only partially fill the boaring new found freedom!
But then, wait for it, elderly esquires in the prime of their life discover Youtube!
Lot´s of stuff going on there! And with the utmost of respect for my many US based friends, I have some questions regarding this police chase YouTube threw at me for some entertainment. Is this SOP in gorgeous SeaTac?
Here´s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwfF0BDS9IHaving spent most of my life working in (Continental) Europe, I really wondered about a few things in this video!
is this really how it is, cops seem keen and act like hunters, just to get in on the action, totally disregard all rules because the ´blues n twos´ are on, just so/ in order to join the action finally after about 20 Minutes of running around with lights and sirens for no reason?
Love the reaction of the public, every car in the right lane pulls off the road as quick as they possibly can, getting out of the way, just because a cop is coming with blue lights on! Is this normal, and with no disrespect to law enforcement, is it not a bit OTT or are they all just scared of being hit by the vehicle being pursuid?
Why do I ask, well, working in Germany (I mention that first because... see below), Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands in recent years, this chase in the Link appears really weird. Bit like a police state, some of the countries listed would call it entrapment and well, with some Euro Goggles on, the above link simply appears weird!
- Germany: Cop passes you on the Freeway/Motorway/Autobahn: of course you respect his blue lights, move over and let him pass. Then you work out the cop car is a 2.0L Diesel Passat, yet you are driving a BMW3.0L which is a wee bit quicker. You accelerate and the cop with the ´blues n two´s´ flashing will respectfully move out of the overtaking lane to let you repass!
- Ireland: Blue lights behind you, well, you make an effort to get out of his way. you will certainly not pull into the nearest driveway to totally clear the road!
- Belgium: well, in most cases 2 lane Freeways , you make an effort to get out of an emergency vehicles way when it comes up behind you, but mind the speedlimit, and if you are passing a truck, you will do that at 120KM and the copper will just have to wait until you have safely and securely executed your pass.
- Netherlands: blue lights behind you in a 100KMH/60MPH zone, you will respectfully stick to that 100KM, set your indicator to signal that you will move over, once you have passed that sod of a truck! And you will not exceed the speed limit because they do trajectory measuring (average speed between 2 points) and no matter what excuse you have) cops behind me with blue lights on...!!!!), you will pay a 500 Buck fine!
That is northern Europe in a nutshell, all most democratic, as a copper only has the same worth as us poor civilians (sorry, citizens), so it is all a bit more balanced to what I see in the video above!
And as youtube is so great, after watching the above link, I got 4 other suggestions to keep me entertained (forget hard landing issues of MD11F´s, I am now right into police pursuits). Most western European countries have a ´no pursuit unless imminent danger to life´ policy, a cop would certainly never endanger the public simply because of a bloody stolen car or speeding, public life is worth a lot more than sheet metal!
What gives, how come all of Seattle´s (public) pulls off the road the moment they see blues? And jokes aside, what justification is there for cops doing 20 miles breaking all road rules, totally endangering the public in doing so, just so they can get a hard-on by potentially joining a pursuit?
I love the US of A, but by gosh, some things are a wee bit weird over there!