My latest encounter...
It's around 9:30 pm. It's the wife's turn to drive home after visiting family. She's in the left lane on a two-lane highway with moderate-heavy traffic. Someone gets right up on her tail - I'd estimate 2-3 feet, way too close - even though she was going about 15 over the limit (along with the rest of traffic). The tailgater puts on his brights.
Eventually a space opens up and she switches to the right lane, and flicking off the tailgater in the process.
Blue and red lights. Oh, great. Turns out it was a cop in an unmarked car, committing a VERY dangerous traffic offense. (Tailgaiting from a couple of feet away, blinding the driver with brights, and doing this while speeding...is not good. If she had to jam on her breaks, instant multi-car pileup with likely casualties).
Cop comes up to the window, screaming and flailing his arms around. I'm thinking "Ok. Just sit still. But holy crap is this going to end in us getting beaten/tasered/etc?" He was completely out of control for a few minutes of berating us, and fortunately it was just berating.
The ticket is a travel-left lane warning, but "obstructing an officer" offense.
Now, the good: he was such a known hothead that he writes on the ticket "(flicked me off)" after listing the offense. (I suggested this be one theme of her argument if she had to make one. That he was angry enough to write that down indicates that it was the true reason she was pulled over, not any supposed offense)
When she goes before the judge, they had a different cop there to represent all tickets (no right to confront one's accuser in a civil traffic offense...). The cop and the magistrate read the ticket, say "oh yeah, we know that guy", and dismiss it without even asking for my wife's version of events.
But you know...that guy is still out there. I'd bet a pile that some day, he's going to seriously injure or kill someone because he blows up in anger, misjudging a situation. He's also going to get off scot free unless the whole thing was video taped.
