Funny Speed Trap I saw today

Vortex22

Diamond Member
Sep 6, 2000
4,976
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I was heading to school today for my last final, when I saw a pretty funny looking speed trap set up on the other side of the road (university blvd. in central FL, big road). Out alongside the road was a guy dressed up in a elf costume, complete with pointy ears and goofy shoes, standing behind a radar gun on a tripod disguised as a Christmas tree. In the front of the 'tree' hung a sign that said something like "help an elf, slow down".

Speed limit is 45, but traffic usually flows around 55. You can imagine how many people were getting pulled over ("we don't have quotas!"). On my way home a got a closer look, and saw that they had a full squad of motorcycle cops waiting on a side street, and a whole parking lot being used for the people who got pulled over. It looked like they had 8 or 9 cars waiting for a ticket when I passed by. Heh.
 

eLiTeGoodGuy

Golden Member
Jun 6, 2001
1,175
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sweet. I saw something like that. Where they had a cop dressed as a homeless man sitting there doing essentially the same thing.
 

ViviTheMage

Lifer
Dec 12, 2002
36,189
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madgenius.com
Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
Is that legal? I thought they had to be in marked cars.

hahahahah, nope. We have unmarked cops doing 'stings' all the time in minnesota , specifically eden prairie.
 

So

Lifer
Jul 2, 2001
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Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
Is that legal? I thought they had to be in marked cars.

I believe the car that pulls you over has to be marked, but an unmarked officer can 'tag' you and relay the info. And, of course, the laws vary from state to state.
 
Oct 4, 2004
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That sounds a little mean :)
I know, people should have better traffic sense and not follow the law 'only when the cops are around'. But still, it's Christmas season!

Actually, now it sounds like a cool idea. Where I live, people don't even follow rules when the cops ARE around. :p
 

EvilYoda

Lifer
Apr 1, 2001
21,198
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I wonder if people are more or less likely to be pissed if they get tagged by an Elf and Christmas tree...the perfect ending would be if the cops in the cars were dressed up as Santa :D
 

Toastedlightly

Diamond Member
Aug 7, 2004
7,213
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Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
Is that legal? I thought they had to be in marked cars.

hahahahah, nope. We have unmarked cops doing 'stings' all the time in minnesota , specifically eden prairie.

At the UofMinnesota Twin Cities, cops were tagging people speeding over the bridge on Washinton avenue (in front of Coffman Union). Was around a blind corner too.