Suspect that the Photo Speed Van operator was sleeping.
Always trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, I did not have the siren sounding until the EV approached the next red intersection.
Presumably had the operator been awake, the system would have been briefly disarmed.
The photos and video were supposedly reviewed.
The city mailed a violation letter. $75 fine. No points.
Pictures in the letter had the light bar cropped out. But the square red Emergency Vehicle decal in the lower left windshield was clearlyisible.
An e-mail was sent showing the Emergency Vehicle Authorization page and cellphone call record listing time the hospital called and time police dispatch was notified.
Dispatch was told vehicle year, make, model, license plate, call back number, purpose of trip, destination and route of travel.
Several weeks later a letter arrived. The citation was cancelled.
Have to wonder how many taxpayer dollars were spent processing this back and forth, when a simple look-see at the original photo showing the emergency lights on would have prevented any further action? Or maybe the gov’t policy is once a speed-violation photo is taken, a citation must be issued without exception; and it is the vehicle owner’s burden to get it cancelled? Maybe the citing authority should get billed for the wasted taxpayer’s time.
The person reviewing the photos is not allowed the discretion to dismiss violations.
If they were, they could make a side income discarding tickets for family, friends and acquaintances.
Once a few checks got mailed the gov’t authorities would put procedures in place so sending unnecessary violation notices didn’t happen again, or at least not as much. There would be some add’l expense to the taxpayers, but a big time-savings to the citizens having to dispute the improper citations. Spending taxpayer dollars when done to help the citizens imo makes sense.
Was told I was the only one to dispute the citations. Perhaps most pay the fine and forget it.
(How does one dispute a 12-second video of their crime?)
Over the years there have been four? occasions that the Denver Police Photo Enforcement Unit (PEU) compelled me to court.
The accused must go in person to the City and County Building to schedule their court appearance.
Then return to the City and County Building for their scheduled hearing.
The Photo Enforcement Unit official brings audio/visual equipment to the court and sets it up.
I present:
Exhibit A: Cellphone call record showing the caller’s number, time and duration of call. (Usually 11 seconds.) Also number of Police Dispatch, time of call and usually 3-minute duration.
Exhibit B: Photocopy of the emergency vehicle authorization page.
Exhibit C: To the Judge I can show the HIPPA-protected cell phone photos of the medical paperwork signed by me and photo of the blood product in the hospital’s blood bank. (I believe the official dislikes my not allowing him to see the paperwork.) (The photos are password protected.)
(Each photo in the cell phone is time-stamped and also shows location where the photo was taken.)
Exhibit D: Can be dash cam video of my call to police dispatch “Clearing” the vehicle with the police department.
The judge says, “Case Dismissed”.
I say, “Thank you, your honor.”, and leave.
As I left the last court appearance and the PEU person was tearing everything down, I believe the judge told the official that he is wasting the court’s and everyone’s time.
The citations continue to be mailed, but the e-mails enable the citations to be dismissed.
If a mishap occurs, I am slightly better protected. (I look better in a mask, anyway.)
Also to other drivers it may appear more medical.
Also wearing bright blue latex surgical gloves which are easily seen.
The 3M reflective, white MEDICAL TRANSPORT on clear plastic inside back window is not easily seen through the tint.
I see folks driving alone wearing masks very frequently. I’m presuming the car is used by more than one person, and the mask-wearing is intended to protect everyone who uses the car.
Collision. Being shot at.*
Blood for transfusion is considered a Biohazard.
*In 35 years of doing this, it appears that I have sometimes been mistaken for law enforcement.
The last occasion was a few months ago when a driver was fleeing ahead of me.
Posted here, I believe.
Recorded on dash cam.
Collision, the EMS will likely remove the mask to give oxygen anyway…
Being shot at, have you looked at the picture, you are only putting a bullseye on your face and helping the shooter make a better shot…
I can’t argue with you lookin better with the mask on…
In the other thread with the dog on the dash, I am assuming your better 1/2, has her mask hanging from one ear… that doesn’t help much, at least that is what people kept telling me anyway a few years ago… lol…
Yes. The first thing we do is remove the mask and start O2. Then establish an IV as a fluid and medication route hopefully before the patient goes into shock and blood pressure drops.
The mask and bright blue gloves is mostly for appearance when I am progressing between lanes one and two in crawling traffic.
Colorado State Patrol dispatchers have told me they get calls about a fake cop. Since they have already been notified, they thank the caller for reporting and inform it is a medical transport.
To look less like law enforcement light bar [RRR|WW|BBB] ours is [RR|W|BB|W|RR]. Blue lamps on steadily. A dispatcher laughed when she told me a caller said “I know you don’t have Lexuses.”
Yes, the N95 mask is ineffective if not covering mouth and nose. Have seen others with it only over mouth.
Must go.
I always think of that Columbo show where he proved the guy had a mask on.
I read that the Iowa legislature was trying to clip the wings a little of the ability to add more of these devices. It was kinda 50-50 though so didn’t pass. I woulda thought there would have been more outrage in corn country. Maybe next session.
If any blue, it should be allowed only in law enforcement.
CSP donated the light bars. Colorado Revised Statutes allows using the light bar as is.
Still, I repositioned the lamps to look less law enforcement.
I shall try to post the dash cam video of the fleeing driver.
Since I was already approaching the intersection from the east, why flee?
He was northbound turning left.
Oh, I may have not had the siren sounding because of pedestrians and I was passing 2 lanes of westbound vehicles using the Right Turn Only lane. With siren blaring, some drivers will move into the open Right Turn Only lane, blocking it.
Have not yet critiqued the video, so may not accurately remember.
I always liked the blue lights of the highway patrol cars in the southern states. In Minnesota, the snow plows used to have blue lights that didn’t blind you at night. Now they are all high power yellow and white just to screw up that visual purple at night. They do get you attention though.
Cities get half of the fines, I believe.
Noticing how the incident number increased between my citations revealed thathey are getting much money.
There was a challenge in court before me.
Judge reduced his fine 50%. But now court co$ts and Victims Assistance imposed may have increased his amount to the original mailed-in fine.
If one “wins” in court there is no Victim’s Assistance and Court costs.
When I lived in Tucson Arizona in the mid '90s, my next-door neighbor’s son put police lights and siren in and on his car… Then, (I do not know about now…) it was only illegal to use the lights when driving, not having the rack and lights in and on the vehicle…
Well he got caught using them to pull over young women to get their name and number… but his mistake was he pulled over a female police officer and she hauled his butt off to jail. My neighbor was upset saying the police officer set his son up and entrapped him… He and his son were idiots, his son received some jail time and a pretty good fine and the judge ordered the lights and siren removed…
I would have ticketed that car too; it looks like a home-made “Marx Play Car…” Nothing indicates it’s for real. Look, even the driver is “trying to hide his identity” with a mask, must be carrying “bio-waste…”
