Have you ever...

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Didn't have to say anything, was wearing a flight suit for my flight shift. Was let off on a warning doing 15-20 over the limit on a 60 mph zone.
 
I think 2 or 3 times I've been pulled over for speeding coming or going from a shift and have been let off. Never had to say anything, cop saw my scrubs, asked if I was a doc and let me off.
 
Got out of 1 ticker speeding away from a shift at 2am cause I was in scrubs. One other time I used my ID badge to get through a closed road post hurricane (not flooded just debris.)
 
Scrubs, stethoscope on passenger seat, and even radar detector on dashboard for the 2nd one....gotten two warnings in past 4 years at about 2 miles apart on the same interstate (radar detectors are useless when troopers see you coming, aim in, and then turn on their radar gun).
 
One time, speeding on the way to work. Asked me where I was headed... no ticket. Another time heading home late at night at like 3am I apparently must have drifted over the center line less than a mile from my house. Got pulled over to see if I was intoxicated given the hour of the night and my sleep deprived driving. They realized I was in scrubs and asked if I was coming home from work, which I was, and then just told me to stay safe.
 
yeah, and I gave the cop an expired registration (it was current but i had an old card since i was a resident and didn't have time to actually switch them out). "You were doing 60 in a 30, license and registration please".... "Here you go, sorry, I'm late for my job at the hospital"..."what do you do?..."I'm an ER doctor". Handed me everything back and said "slow down and figure out your insurance"... walked away without another word.

I saw the cop in the ED a few nights later dropping off a drunk who I happily took off her hands.
 
3 times in 7 years. First time, I was running late and got pulled over going 10 over. Trooper recognizes me, as he frequently comes to the ED for MVC’s. He told me to slow down so I’d make it to the ER as a doc and not a patient.

Second, I was coming home around 2am. I took a different route than normal. Ran into one of the city’s speed traps going 10 over. He asked for my license and registration. Then asked if I had any firearms. I said I did. He asked where it was, if it was loaded, and to see my CC permit. He eventually noticed my scrubs and asked where I worked. Told him I was an ED doc and headed home. He thanked me for being honest about the firearm and told me to slow down.

Third time, I unintentionally rolled through a stop sign pulling out of a pharmacy around 1am. I missed it because it was about 15 feet back from the road and partially obscured by some bushes. The officer joked that I must have missed the sign, which I admitted. He had me sign the warning and joked I must be a doctor due to my signature. I told him I was. He said if you get pulled over again, just tell the officer your one of our ER docs and they’ll let you go.

I don’t know if this is true or not, but I’ve been told that our trauma docs have given the PD the make and models of their cars and driving routes so they don’t get pulled over when they respond to after hours traumas.
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Coverage isn't enough for SUV's. Some cars are better than others (Corvettes are pretty much bullet proof with LIDAR). It's all based on the surface area and the angle of the hood. From a distance, laser jammers can help a little with SUV's, but won't give you solid protection especially as you get closer.

Key is to jam the brakes and turn them off before you get to the officer or trooper.
 
southerndoc said:
Coverage isn't enough for SUV's. Some cars are better than others (Corvettes are pretty much bullet proof with LIDAR). It's all based on the surface area and the angle of the hood. From a distance, laser jammers can help a little with SUV's, but won't give you solid protection especially as you get closer.

Key is to jam the brakes and turn them off before you get to the officer or trooper.
Click to expand...

How about detectors in an SUV?
 
Tried. Failed. Usually end up getting a bigger ticket because the cop's mother in law had a 6 hour wait time in the department.

Coming to think of it, can't say being an ED doc ever won me any points anywhere. Just people telling me how much they hate the hospital and the people that work there.
 
southerndoc said:
detector will let you know you just got a ticket
Click to expand...
For lazer, yes. But radar detectors can detect the radiation long before it can ping back to the source/receiver for a reading. Unless, of course, the officer is turning it off and on again when you are very close.
 
Boatswain2PA said:
For lazer, yes. But radar detectors can detect the radiation long before it can ping back to the source/receiver for a reading. Unless, of course, the officer is turning it off and on again when you are very close.
Click to expand...

They use instant on K/Ka band here. Most use LIDAR. One cop on the side of a road shooting while 4-5 officers literally step out in front of traffic and motion you to the side of the road to get your ticket. GSP and local cops will use LIDAR or instant on RADAR on highways and interstates.
 
BoardEligibleEventually said:
...played the ED Doctor card to get out of a ticket in your county?
Click to expand...
This worked for me 3 out of 4 times. Each time I handed over my license and registration, then casually said after a pause, "You look familiar."
Each time, the cop leaned in and took a second look at me, surprised.

Then, I'd drop the, "Yeah. It must have been at the hospital. In the ER."

When cops hear that, all of a sudden you become someone better to have as their friend, than enemy. One cop even said out loud, "Oh yes. You do look familiar. I'm making this a warning only I want to make sure you remember me and what I look like in case the next time we meet, I'm laying on a gurney looking up at you. Slow down, okay?"

This approach has the highest chance of success if you are in your scrubs, driving somewhere near your hospital, you're in a "doctor car" and you come off as casual and not expecting preferential treatment. Acting pushy or entitled drops your chances to zero, instantly.

The last time I got pulled over I was two states away from home, with no chance of the cop recognizing me or the name of my hospital. He wrote me that ticket as fast as he would sign a winning powerball ticket. And now that I no longer work in EDs, I'm sure my days of "ticket privilege" are over. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.
 
Last edited:
Birdstrike said:
This worked for me 3 out of 4 times. Each time I handed over my license and registration, then casually said after a pause, "You look familiar."
Each time, the cop leaned in and took a second look at me, surprised.

Then, I'd drop the, "Yeah. It must have been at the hospital. In the ER."

When cops hear that, all of a sudden you become someone better to have as their friend, than enemy. One cop even said out loud, "Oh yes. You do look familiar. I'm making this a warning only I want to make sure you remember me and what I look like in case the next time we meet, I'm laying on a gurney looking up at you. Slow down, okay?"

This approach has the highest chance of success if you are in your scrubs, driving somewhere near your hospital, you're in a "doctor car" and you come off as casual and not expecting preferential treatment. Acting pushy or entitled drops your chances to zero, instantly.

The last time I got pulled over I was two states away from home, with no chance of the cop recognizing me or the name of my hospital. He wrote me that ticket as fast as he would sign a winning powerball ticket. And now that I no longer work in EDs, I'm sure my days of "ticket privilege" are over. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.
Click to expand...

Well played. I may adopt this practice as my own. I don't drive a nice doctor car though - I drive a decade old Jeep.
 
I have my fire department ID near my driver's license. So when I pull out my driver's license, the fire department ID is prominently seen if they're watching me get my license which they almost always do. That has gotten me out of a few tickets.

I haven't been pulled over in a while. My leadfoot speed demon days are over. I rarely go above 5 over the speed limit now. Sometimes 10. Georgia law requires them to give you a 10 mph grace period except state police/troopers or if in a residential/school zone. So you couldn't get a ticket from most police officers unless doing 11 mph over the posted limit. Back in the days, I typically sped 25-35 mph over the limit. Never got a ticket (including driving 110 mph in a 55 zone), but realized just how stupid it was to speed only to have someone doing the speed limit pull up next to you at a red light. It just doesn't save time, and the thrill of speeding isn't there anymore.
 
southerndoc said:
I have my fire department ID near my driver's license. So when I pull out my driver's license, the fire department ID is prominently seen if they're watching me get my license which they almost always do. That has gotten me out of a few tickets.

I haven't been pulled over in a while. My leadfoot speed demon days are over. I rarely go above 5 over the speed limit now. Sometimes 10. Georgia law requires them to give you a 10 mph grace period except state police/troopers or if in a residential/school zone. So you couldn't get a ticket from most police officers unless doing 11 mph over the posted limit. Back in the days, I typically sped 25-35 mph over the limit. Never got a ticket (including driving 110 mph in a 55 zone), but realized just how stupid it was to speed only to have someone doing the speed limit pull up next to you at a red light. It just doesn't save time, and the thrill of speeding isn't there anymore.
Click to expand...
Do you still have your Aston-Martin?
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
4 Speeding Pull overs in the past 20 yrs. Got out of 3

1st - Test run and grabbed Doc badge and put it on visor. Slow down ok?
2nd - Tried same and put badge in plain sight. Doc slow down ok?
3rd - Left badge in plain sight but didn't get his attention. "Oh, have I seen you in the ER before?" Cop,"Yeah, But its been years". Me "Yeah, I knew I have seen you bring patients to my ER". Doc, slow down OK?
4th - Sped out of town and didn't have badge in care. Here is your ticket!!!!
 
dscd1953.jpg

p1370462.jpg
 
Left a shift at 3 AM, forgot to turn on my headlights. Got a warning, otherwise I think it would've been quite a ticket.
 
Apollyon said:
90% of DUI/DWIs get initial probable cause by driving without headlights.
Click to expand...

Well thankfully I was only under the influence of a 12 hour shift + staying after for 90 minutes for a possible procedure that didn't end up happening.
<3 SubI season.
 
And then there was this one time a state trooper arrested our charge nurse in the ED because we wouldn't draw an EtOH level on someone he brought in for a DUI (wasn't clinically indicated, they can't use our lab test in court anyway, and we can't draw blood for the police lab without the patient's consent). Led him out of the ER in handcuffs and everything.
 
gro2001 said:
And then there was this one time a state trooper arrested our charge nurse in the ED because we wouldn't draw an EtOH level on someone he brought in for a DUI (wasn't clinically indicated, they can't use our lab test in court anyway, and we can't draw blood for the police lab without the patient's consent). Led him out of the ER in handcuffs and everything.
Click to expand...

This happened in Utah and the charge nurse got a decent settlement out of it.
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
This is hilarious. I thought the badge thing was just something I do and I felt so stupid about it! But hell, it works. I have been pulled over three times since getting into the ER and the badge works every time. One was for speeding on the way to the hospital. Had my music so loud and was in la la land that I didn’t hear the cop’s SIREN go on behind me. He said he had been following me for a while and I hadn’t paid attention. All I said was that I am sorry, and that I was on the way to my job in the emergency room. He lectured me then walked away. Second time I was on my phone (illegal in my state). Got pulled over, put my badge right in my cup holder. He glanced at it then walked away. The last time I was doing 65 in a 50... cop came up behind me so I pulled over into a parking lot But there was a red curb so I kept driving to find a good place to pull over. Of course the cop turned on his lights, open his window and screamed at me to stop the vehicle. He thought I was trying to avoid him when really I was just trying to find a place to pull over that wasn’t at a red curb. Even after THAT incident, he saw my badge and still let me go after ten seconds. Works EVERY TIME.
 
as the wife of a retired officer, the mom of an active one, mother-in-law to ED charge nurse--cops, for the most part, love you guys. If you follow the advice above (don't be arrogant, or entitled, be nice to the officer) they will happily give you a warning and send you on your way. Actually, there have been a couple of times that a really tired resident/faculty got a ride home. No ticket, and arrangements were made so another officer drove the resident's car home.
 
killerleaf said:
as the wife of a retired officer, the mom of an active one, mother-in-law to ED charge nurse--cops, for the most part, love you guys. If you follow the advice above (don't be arrogant, or entitled, be nice to the officer) they will happily give you a warning and send you on your way. Actually, there have been a couple of times that a really tired resident/faculty got a ride home. No ticket, and arrangements were made so another officer drove the resident's car home.
Click to expand...
"Don't be a dick" is actually really good advice for life in general. Still working on it myself, but getting much better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Ever tried to teach your spouse to suture?
Replies
16
Views
2K
Janders
J
FlaminHotER
Ever have such a crappy shift…
Replies
33
Views
4K
Birdstrike
Birdstrike
C
Transitioning from residency at a large academic center to a suburban community ED: what do you wish you would have learned?
Replies
24
Views
4K
Rendar5
R
Groove
Dr. A.I. Will See You Now
Replies
14
Views
2K
DocEspana
DocEspana
Birdstrike
Thanks for all you do
Replies
5
Views
2K
Mount Asclepius
Mount Asclepius
Top Bottom