Stop the Maryland Unsafe Driver

Posts Tagged ‘fp’

Even on-duty officers in marked patrol cars aren’t getting out of paying the fines. Many Maryland jurisdictions are holding officers and other emergency workers personally liable for the tickets, unless they can prove they were responding to legitimate emergencies at the time.

via Crime Scenes: No break for cops caught on camera – Baltimore Sun.

(I applaud this if it is true. One of the reasons I started this site is because i witnessed officers of the law waving buddies with FP and FOP plates/tags by while stopping others at speed traps. Another is because an officer lied in court when a close relative testified at her citation hearing. And also because a Police Lieutenant from a major Maryland city told me his FP plates were obtained primarily for his sixteen year old son in order to avoid citations. This state is in the dark ages of police behavior when it comes to holding officers accountable. In the state where I was an officer this kind of behavior vanished in the 70′s with street justice. I’ll believe it when i see it.” i was proud to be a cop. I want our Maryland officers to behave and believe the same way.)

There are speeding tickets and penalties for driving drunk. But if an obscure provision in Gov. Martin O’Malley’s budget proposal becomes law, motorists in Maryland will have another sanction to worry about: a fine for bad driving.

Get caught going 85 on the highway twice in two years? On top of the $1,080 in traffic fines you’ve earned, you’d owe the state $1,500. There would be a new fee for drunken driving too: A conviction would cost an additional $500 every year for three years.

A driver who didn’t pay the surcharge could see his or her license suspended.

via Extra fine for bad driving part of proposed state budget – Baltimore Sun.

(Now this is really odd. Vallario, also a Democrat, was vehemently opposed to drunk driving penalties that involved installing breathalyzers in repeat offender’s cars.  His pal O’Malley would like to tax them. and hard. I suppose he sees a revenue stream. Statistically the gov-man knows drunks will drink and drive again and then owe more taxes. He also already knows that drivers in our state have developed bad habits that could – help with revenue! O’Malley and his pals would seem like heroes zapping the bad guys. the think so because they believe the right thinks so.

Well, if you have not yet guessed it, I DID NOT vote for Mr. O’Malley and his henchmen.  He’s a progressive. The means justifies the end and if he can “justify the means” he believes he will achieve his end.

Yes drunks and bad drivers deserve what they get, but I believe that that the MUD license tag is a better idea. Hitting the bad driver in the pocket book is just the cost of driving and will not in any way effect behavior.

Behavior is changed by people who want to change their behavior. At STOP the MUD we insist that people will and can change their behavior when enough good examples surround them.

What is O’Malley going to do about the state government employees that drive recklessly? How about the police? The off duty police and their families with FP and FOP plates? The firefighters? I’m guessing the good old boys will protect themselves unless HONEST police and fire managers step in to change things.

At STOP the MUD we believe that MAN CAN GOVERN HIMSELF without the help of people like O’Malley. It is high time Marylanders decided to drive safely for safety and to protect themselves from Annapolis.)

Nellis’ plates had been expired for three months.

via Post Now – Md. mom jailed for expired license plates.

(I am reminded of my police training that discussed the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law. When police arrest for expired tags they are making a TAX LAW arrest. There is no traffic violation. An officer does this to make sure the scofflaw pays up but will this same officer arrest someone for aggressive driving or just issue a citation. These tax-collection arrests are an abuse of state power and should not be tolerated.  Our police should be dealing with criminals, criminals that place our safety at risk.  This includes the scofflaws driving personal vehicles with FOP and FP plates. )

Again today a flashy black sedan with FPD plates blasted by me on Highway 4 near Dunkirk, MD. When are the public safety people going to set the example?

Your slick police association plate was not intended as a way for you and your family to ignore Maryland traffic law. Rather, I would think from an ethical standard, displaying such plates on personal vehicles is public safety’s way to demonstrate SAFE DRIVING technique.;

I have written about it before but nothing seems to change. Police managers, sheriffs, chiefs you need to get on the ball and take notice. Police labor associations if you want CREDIBILITY you MUST insist your members obery the LAW when displaying your plates.

If the cops and their families displaying these plates don’t give a hoot, who will?

Today Stop the MUD has created a NEW term for such drivers. We’ll call them MUDFOPs. MUDFOPs are unsafe drivers displaying police association and police vanity plates. We suggest that if you see a MUDFOP you call your local police department. Should the violation you see be particularly egregious call 911. That driver KNOWS better.