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Posted on 07/31/2014 2:48:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Not too many people can say they're happy about being pulled over by police.
Not too many people can say they enjoy getting a ticket, either.
Tana Baumler was attending a wedding in Idaho Falls. Like most people on vacation she got a little behind schedule and tried to get to Yellowstone National Park with her husband and two granddaughters.
She was caught by Trooper Mike Nielson going almost 95 mph in a 75 mph zone on Interstate 15.
Baumler was so moved by the trooper's professionalism and kindness, she just had to say thank you. On Wednesday, ISP shared a thank-you note from Tana that she wrote last week.
"He was giving the kids stickers, and little sheriff badges -- he was just really nice to them," said Baumler. "I thought that it was kind of nice just because then the four year old wasn't scared."
Trooper Nielson said during his interactions with the public he likes to treat people how his family would like to be treated.
"(I) usually just talk to the kids," Nielson said. "Kids are always really inquisitive when the guy with the big hat walks up to their car on the side of the highway so sometimes they are a little nervous."
The trooper gave Baumler her "own" sticker as well -- a $150 ticket. Tana said she was speeding and deserved the citation.
As a restaurant owner herself she notes that her servers don't always get the recognition they deserve. She appreciates when people go out of their way to do so.
That's why she wanted to write a letter to ISP letting them know what a good job Trooper Nielson did. She wrote the letter while she was writing the check for her ticket.
Here is what she said in the letter:
"Dear Idaho State Police, Recently I was on vacation with my grandchildren and was pulled over for speeding. Officer Mike Nielson made it a good experience for my grandchildren by talking with them calmly and giving them stickers. He didn't leave me out and I got my very own STICKER SHOCK :) Thanks for a great attitude."
What she didn’t realize was the cop really wanted to taze everyone then cuff em and stuff em. Stupid woman. Cops are not your friends.
Thank you for shooting my dog, SWAT..!
No more barking, etc.
Back in 1984, I was driving down I-15 between Blackfoot and Pocatello on a Sunday afternoon. Not a car was in sight and I was airing out my 1983 Mustang GT (the fastest thing made in the US that year) and doing about 100.
I look in the mirror and here comes another Mustang and he’s catching me. I speed up to about 120 and he keeps coming. When he got about 10 car lengths back he moved over to the left lane and I saw the “gift wrapping” on the side (two white diagnonal stripes) and knew that it was one of the new 1984 “Copstangs” and I was burned.
I let off the gas and he hit the lights. I pulled over and he got out and, after checking the license and registration, he just said, “I can catch you.”
I said, “Yes you can.”
He said, “Don’t make me have to again. Now have a nice day.”
I will always have a warm place in my heart for the ISP.
Ping
Very nice! Maybe he made her realize that being a little late was not more of a problem than killing her grandchildren in a 95mph collision. And she was able to understand this once she thought about it.
When one of my family members was still on patrol duty, she said that the worst people were Subaru and Jeep drivers, who thought they had a divine right to ignore stop signs, speed, do wheelies on somebody’s lawn, and then cuss out the cops when they were stopped. The Subaru drivers were into “do you know who I am?” and the Jeep drivers, often attorneys, were usually drunk and abusive. One of them actually did write a note apologizing a couple of days later.
She was probably afraid of CPS involvement.
GREAT story!
No way as interesting, or as fast, but going down I-95 several years ago I was stuck in the left lane in South Carolina behind a plain jane Camaro going 79, holding up the left lane that wanted to do more for miles.......
I have an eagle eye for spotting unmarked cars - and this was not one for sure - no antennae in sight, nary a mark....no hidden light bar.....
Finally the right lane cleared, and I started to pass him on the right doing about 80. All of a sudden I hear “Whoop, whoop, whoop” of a cop siren - but not a cop to be seen anywhere! Where was that sound coming from?
I looked to the Camaro on my left just as the SC trooper put on his hat - and shook his head vigorously while mouthing, “No no no no!” so clearly I could almost hear the words! I’ll never forget his face.
I knew I was dead meat - 80 in a 70.
I slowed down waiting for him to hit his hidden lights and pull behind me.
Instead, he continued on at 79mph and got off at the next exit.
A year later, I’m back on the same part of I-95, only in my truck pulling a trailer with 2 Harley’s in it. I noticed a strap broke and one bike was leaning a bit, so I pulled over to fix the problem.
About a minute after I pulled over, an SC trooper pulled in behind me, lights flashing, and asked if I needed help.
Yup. It was the same trooper. He then told me how close the nearest Walmart was where I could get some more straps. Nicest guy.
No - didn’t tell him I was the guy a year before when he was in the Camaro.
BUT, goes to show there are still plenty of great cops out there.....
Oh - couple more tidbits. I’ve been pulled 4 times in the last 4 months - nary a ticket. And only one caution to “slow down through here...” In fact, twice, the first words out of two different cops mouth (one state, one county) were exactly the same - “I APOLOGIZE!” Both because the cops were in error pulling me and realized it as soon as they got close to a dealer loaner car and my old F-150.......last one, a VA state trooper had never seen a totally legal Euro tag that I had on the front of my Cayman S - he ended up taking a photo of it for his buddies.....
For sure I’ve been fortunate and blessed to run into the “good guys”.....
I also wonder as to her age; most grandparents should think twice about 95 mph speeds. Exceptions? Yes, but only on closed courses such as road racing & in race-prepared cars.
When I get lidar’d by CHP I just pull over and they always thank me for not making em chase me down.
I tell em “you gotta job to do, why it hard on both of us. It’s not like a ticket every year is going to change my driving habits”.
Occasionally they opine about speeding on a street and I quickly agree”I think it’s dangerous and have been ticketed for anything on a regular street”
“Thnx for the tkt, have a good day and be safe.”
Usually results in a better tkt than I deserved.
Not sure where you live, I live about 30 miles SW of Chicago. I-355 out here between Interstate 80 and Interstate 55 is known as "Autobahn West."
I get my doors blown off doing 85mph on that stretch of road. Granted, it's a beautiful stretch of road. Near perfectly smooth, nice curves and just *begging* to be driven at high speed. Darn near never any cops on it either.
After 8pm there's hardly anyone on that stretch of road and if you're really looking to see what your vehicle will do it's really easy to just open 'er up and let 'er rip.
I'm just glad I don't drive like that anymore.
Sheriff Andy Taylor Approved.
On the other hand, I got pulled over for 75 in a 65 on the freeway (going with the flow of traffic at 2 PM) and the cop was a dick. Went to traffic school to avoid the point on my DMV record and even the teacher was surprised I got tagged for that one.
if you don't get to confrontational and be nice, you might get a pass. OTOH, The cops have bigger fish to fry than marginal speeders, try busting some gangbangers while on duty. Do your REAL job.
YMMV.
So we finally get an actual good cop, and you’re complaining?? Come on, there are still a few really good cops.
And no, I’m not a bootlicker. I am on the JBT list and comment all the time and HATE what most cops act like. But this one sounds like a goodie.
Ever been stopped by a female cop?? Bet she let you go without a ticket cause you’re so cute.
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