Actually called 911 today

I get home from work, and some dude in a silver Nissan Altima or Maxima (I can't tell between these two anymore, but I think it was probably an Altima) speeds by my house at like 60 + mph. This is an urban, residential street with cars parked by the curb and some kids outside. I note it.

I get home from the store 3 hours later, and the motherberkeleyer does it again. Coincidentally, I'm outside with a flashlight looking for a center cap from a Minilite that fell off earlier when I went to buy a new battery for my Benz. I did not get the plates., though, he's moving very fast. He also did the overly aggressive swerve as in "if i didn't just do that over aggressive swerve I would have hit you" move. I did the universal slow the berkeley down gesture, AKA the aircraft carrier set to launch move.

He stopped at the stop sign about 40 feet from me and I thought this motherberkeleyer may actually say some E36 M3 to me or get out of his car. I was kind of hoping he would have, but he sped off.

When I first saw him, there was a pursuit going on and I thought he might have been cutting back through side streets to evade it. Anyway, I actually called 911 and reported it to dispatch.

He indicated his turns, which tells me he's probably a little older or at least has been driving for a while and did so out of habit. Kind of strange. Yes, I'm going all profiler on his ass.

I'm not quick to call 911. Last time I did was to report some danger close gunfire, only to find out the next day someone was in fact shot at the end of my street (but lived). I live in a good neighborhood, but I'm on the borderland. No problems in the 10 years I've been here. Anyway, just venting I suppose.

My wife and I have both called in speeders in our neighborhood. Officers will come and take a reports and go after them.

I was thinking a "cool story bro" hotlink would be too mean, so I'll say--is there really much they (police) can do without a plate number???

Every once in awhile someone bombs up my street and it pisses me off to no end.

time to try out that homemade spike strip

loosecannon wrote: time to try out that homemade spike strip

or a slingshot

so does this mean i can call 911 on the creepy dude in my hood that always speeds in his Ford Conversion van? He's almost hit me while running on my feet and while backing out of my driveway.

Got an old bowling ball? Sounds like about a Brunswick 12 pounder to me.

Considering he's been cruising the 'hood for over three hours at highway speeds, a general announcement by dispatch might lead to a stop if he's still around. I doubt this guy is just driving around blowing off steam. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a suspended license, active warrants, or the car isn't his.

I work with law enforcement every day. I have some idea what can be done with very little information at the right time. Honestly, thats what I would be hoping for. The other side of it is, in an area fairly well patrolled, a minor traffic infraction that would otherwise be ignored because its not worth the trouble might not be if it happens to be a silver Nissan sedan. The plates don't make much of a difference in that instance really. Its not like the police are going to trace the plates and do a knock and talk at the registered owner's house. "Were you speeding earlier today?" No. "OK, good night".

TRoglodyte wrote: Got an old bowling ball? Sounds like about a Brunswick 12 pounder to me.

I was going to say soccer ball or basket ball, but bocce balls are used in the yard too !

A large, say 3ft tall Raggady Ann doll and a big bag of ketchup can be entertaining as well.

That's it. I'm giving this guy a codename and opening a secret file. I just re-read my first post. I did sound a bit like a mall ninja. Kind of funny.

On the flip side, I was once reported for doing 60km/h in a residential zone. Yes, it was faster than the 50 limit, but I tend to pay a eenie weenie bit more attention than the average driver to stupid kids who run into the road.

Can us average citizens run a license plate?

Joey

joey48442 wrote: Can us average citizens run a license plate? Joey

Possibly. Contact your state DMV/DOR.

is there really much they (police) can do without a plate number???

Vehicle description is probably enough. They're not going to start randomly stopping silver nissan altimas/maximas, but they'll probably set up shop in the neighborhood for a bit and run radar.

I hate...HATE, HATE, HATE, calling the cops on someone, but I've done it when it's been necessary. I've called 3 or 4 times on drunk drivers...I'm talking '80mph, down to 10mph, back to 50, down to five, using the little 'wake up' strips in the median as a reminder to yank the wheel in the opposite direction' kind of drunk. I drives mrs. poop crazy. She doesn't want to be involved. I don't want somebody's wife/mom/dad/husband/kid to die.

joey48442 wrote: Can us average citizens run a license plate? Joey

in MI, Yes, but it has to be in person at the SOS and it costs $5.

I don't really have a problem calling 911 on someone when they're breaking the law. Going 60 in a neighborhood is breaking about three different laws, as well as being just plain rude. People live on that road, they deserve peace and quiet.

You did the right thing.

You need one of these Homemade speed bumps (youtube video... safe for work/family)

Maybe I'm in the wrong, but I have no problem calling in the calvary. I suppose I run the risk of making myself a nuisance, but I want the cops (and the people I'm calling them on) to know somebody in the neighborhood gives a E36 M3.

Granted, I'm not talking about petty neighbor BS (or not getting enough chicken nuggets), but stuff that's either dangerous, has the potential to escalate to violence, or that I know is causing a serious nuisance to other neighbors. I called them on what looked to be a Baby Daddy argument that spilled into the street - and it looked like he was about to receive a beating from four very angry ladies. I called them on the drunk people on their roof shooting fireworks at 3am on a Monday morning, who threatened my girlfriend when she told them to knock it off.

Most of the time, people inconsiderate enough to engage in such behavior won't respond to a neighbor (or they'll try to pick a fight), but when the cruiser comes rolling down the street, they find their manners again pretty quick.

I've had to call 2 times in the past year. The first time, some donkey in an older bright orange VW Bettle with what appeared to be his son were driving erratically and for some reason were mad at me and my fiance. I have no clue what we did to them, but they were swerving at us and cutting us off and slamming on the brakes. We stopped at a light and he started calling me and my fiance names and threatened us, but by that time I was already on the phone with the dispatcher, so they heard it all. I'm assuming that the cops got him, because after we pulled down the street to our destination, we saw the blues flying down the street.

The second time, which was a few weeks ago, I was behind an extremely drunk-appearing driver and he crossed the center line about 10 times while I was on the phone with the dispatcher. They scrambled 3 cars and told me that they appreciated my thorough description of the car. He pulled down a residential street, but they said they were going to go and talk to him anyway.

Each of these times, I reported someone who was endangering the lives of others because of their stupidity. I see no problem with what you did, as that guy was doing the same thing.

You pay the Police Dept to be there. Why not use them?

we had a kid "fly" through our hood too. hot rod mustang going top speeds.

I got his plates and called dispatch and said "I didn't want to get him in trouble but he needs to slow down, that's all".

They stopped by his house and talked to his mom and she knew instantly that he was speeding and told the officer it won't be a problem. It stopped.

911 is for emergencies.

Somebody speeding in your hood is not an emergency.

A couple of months ago I called in a weaving & erratic tractor-trailer on the 401 through Toronto. I don't know what the guy's issues were, but while I was on the phone with the dispatcher he veered into the next lane and came THAT CLOSE to taking out another semi. Not pretty to watch.

Zomby woof wrote: 911 is for emergencies. Somebody speeding in your hood is not an emergency.

Calling the police dept. in my neck of the woods puts you straight through to voicemail. My first words when calling 911 for non-emergencies is "This is NOT an emergency."