Public Service Announcement

[Rosenblatt]

How do you determine "middle"? I never seen one of them fancy yellow lines on gravel.

Hop out of your car every 10 feet with a measuring tape.

This cop is almost as bad as PETA...

[Moiraine]

 

 

 

Out of principle I refuse to drive on gravel roads, I feel as though they are beneath me.

 

 

 

Damn you I just stared at that kid for like 10 seconds waiting for it to move.

 

 

It does move. Are you on your phone or something?

 

 

No. And no it doesn't. And I just fell for it again. You are a jerk.

[GSG]

 

 

 

 

Out of principle I refuse to drive on gravel roads, I feel as though they are beneath me.

 

 

 

Damn you I just stared at that kid for like 10 seconds waiting for it to move.

 

 

It does move. Are you on your phone or something?

 

 

No. And no it doesn't. And I just fell for it again. You are a jerk.

 

 

I'm watching it right now! It moves!

[ZRod]

 

 

 

Saturday night something happened and I finally thought I should do my neighborly duty to help out my fellow Nebraskans that drive on gravel roads.

 

My wife, kids and I went Christmas shopping Saturday and we got home around 10:30-11:00. We had a wonderful day together. Everyone was asleep in the car when I turned down the four miles of gravel road that is the last leg to get home. Around two miles off the highway, I look in my rear view mirror to be shocked at what I saw. It wasn't Santa and 8 tiny reindeer. It was police lights on top of a State Patrol car pulling me over. I looked at my speedometer and I may have been going maybe 52-53 in what I know should be 50 mph. But....surely he isn't pulling me over for just going 2-3 mph over the limit.

So, I slowed to a stop and waited for the officer to approach. He approached my car very professionally like I have always had done in this fine state. He kindly asked where I was going and where I was coming from. Meanwhile, I'm baffled why he pulled me over. Finally, he explains..."well, I pulled you over because you were driving down the middle of the road"......I had to have had a baffled look on my face at this point. He asked why I was driving down the middle of the road. I was trying to figure out how I was going to answer this when I was looking at the road. The ruts in the road where EVERYONE had driven were....ding ding ding....in the middle of the road. So, I said...."because that's where everyone drives?" Well, that sort of irritated him because he asked me what the law is. So, I explained that the law is to drive on the right side of the road unless conditions are unsafe to do so. Well, that must have been the wrong answer.

 

He took my information and as usual spent a wonderfully long time in his car making sure my car isn't stolen or that I have any warrants out for my arrest. When he approached the car again, he was nice enough to explain that he was giving me a warning for driving down the middle of the road.

 

At this point, I simply said that I need clarification on something so that I can be a law abiding citizen. I asked him to look at the road in my head lights. I asked him to see the ruts in the gravel where everyone else had driven and where it is nice and safe and hard. Then I asked him to look at the right side of the road where there were piles of loose gravel and where the large pile of gravel is that the county maintainer had left. I asked him to verify that I am supposed to drive in the loose gravel and on the pile of gravel the maintainer left and that he feels this is the safest thing to do.

At this point, this must have been a stupid question because by now both the officer and my wife are very frustrated at me for even questioning the wisdom of this fine gentleman. So, after he explained that is the law and if I continue driving down the center of the road that he will pull me over again, I simply thanked him for a giving me a warning and for his service and continued driving home.....on the right side....with the loose gravel pulling my car all over the place.

 

Of coarse, only after the officer left did my kids explain (laughing their hearts out in the back seat) that according to their recently taken driver's ed class, I was doing it correctly. Thanks for the support kids when I needed it.

 

So, to everyone who drives down gravel roads in Nebraska. Please remember that according to the State Patrol of the fine state of Nebraska, NO MATTER WHAT, you are to drive down the right side of the road and you are not allowed to cross that center line in the road. You know....the one that is very clearly marked. And...of coarse, we are all very glad that the fine officers of the State Patrol feel that they are being the most productive they possibly can be by patrolling gravel roads that very very few people drive down.

 

I hope this helps others to be safe this fine holiday season.

 

Good day!!!!

 

 

So, he lets you off with a warning, even after you were doing enough to piss off your own wife, and you are still pissed?

 

 

Seems to me like the guy gave you a break...

 

He pulled you over to see if you were drunk or doing something else... You almost talked yourself in to a ticket from my angle.

 

Like I said in a post a couple posts up. If you feel you need to pull me over, find a good reason and do it. Don't insult my intelligence and in turn, make yourself look like an idiot. And, his job isn't to just pull random people over (making up a reason) to check everyone to see if they have been drinking.

 

This isnt meant to come off as rude but:

 

Are you a cop?

 

How do you know what there role is?

 

 

His role is to keep the streets safe and if you are driving down the middle of the road(technically breaking a law) and speeding(speed limit is 50... going 1 over is still breaking the law)

 

Ya, i understand it might seem stupid, but you were breaking two laws.... he let you off with a warning.

 

 

I guess I am failing to see the problem....

 

The problem? He was being an ass, plain and simple. Not an uncommon thing for State P in my experience. He's making the road more dangerous by offering idiotic advice. Driving on the side of a gravel road is a great way to end up in the ditch or in the case of an SUV/truck, roll it over if the crown of the road is high.

 

I actually just looked through the DMV's manual, which I would assume is the gold standard for rules of the road in this state, funny enough I couldn't even find a place where it mentions you're supposed to drive on the right side of the road to begin with, free country I guess. But besides that there's nothing in there about gravel roads or unmarked roads. I thought it was pretty much standard teaching in drivers ed that you never drive close to the edge on gravel roads unless there is oncoming traffic or a blind hill, like others said.

[hskerholic]

I was hoping this was apublic cervice announcrymny.

I thought the exact same thing!

[BigRedBuster]

 

 

 

 

Saturday night something happened and I finally thought I should do my neighborly duty to help out my fellow Nebraskans that drive on gravel roads.

 

My wife, kids and I went Christmas shopping Saturday and we got home around 10:30-11:00. We had a wonderful day together. Everyone was asleep in the car when I turned down the four miles of gravel road that is the last leg to get home. Around two miles off the highway, I look in my rear view mirror to be shocked at what I saw. It wasn't Santa and 8 tiny reindeer. It was police lights on top of a State Patrol car pulling me over. I looked at my speedometer and I may have been going maybe 52-53 in what I know should be 50 mph. But....surely he isn't pulling me over for just going 2-3 mph over the limit.

So, I slowed to a stop and waited for the officer to approach. He approached my car very professionally like I have always had done in this fine state. He kindly asked where I was going and where I was coming from. Meanwhile, I'm baffled why he pulled me over. Finally, he explains..."well, I pulled you over because you were driving down the middle of the road"......I had to have had a baffled look on my face at this point. He asked why I was driving down the middle of the road. I was trying to figure out how I was going to answer this when I was looking at the road. The ruts in the road where EVERYONE had driven were....ding ding ding....in the middle of the road. So, I said...."because that's where everyone drives?" Well, that sort of irritated him because he asked me what the law is. So, I explained that the law is to drive on the right side of the road unless conditions are unsafe to do so. Well, that must have been the wrong answer.

 

He took my information and as usual spent a wonderfully long time in his car making sure my car isn't stolen or that I have any warrants out for my arrest. When he approached the car again, he was nice enough to explain that he was giving me a warning for driving down the middle of the road.

 

At this point, I simply said that I need clarification on something so that I can be a law abiding citizen. I asked him to look at the road in my head lights. I asked him to see the ruts in the gravel where everyone else had driven and where it is nice and safe and hard. Then I asked him to look at the right side of the road where there were piles of loose gravel and where the large pile of gravel is that the county maintainer had left. I asked him to verify that I am supposed to drive in the loose gravel and on the pile of gravel the maintainer left and that he feels this is the safest thing to do.

At this point, this must have been a stupid question because by now both the officer and my wife are very frustrated at me for even questioning the wisdom of this fine gentleman. So, after he explained that is the law and if I continue driving down the center of the road that he will pull me over again, I simply thanked him for a giving me a warning and for his service and continued driving home.....on the right side....with the loose gravel pulling my car all over the place.

 

Of coarse, only after the officer left did my kids explain (laughing their hearts out in the back seat) that according to their recently taken driver's ed class, I was doing it correctly. Thanks for the support kids when I needed it.

 

So, to everyone who drives down gravel roads in Nebraska. Please remember that according to the State Patrol of the fine state of Nebraska, NO MATTER WHAT, you are to drive down the right side of the road and you are not allowed to cross that center line in the road. You know....the one that is very clearly marked. And...of coarse, we are all very glad that the fine officers of the State Patrol feel that they are being the most productive they possibly can be by patrolling gravel roads that very very few people drive down.

 

I hope this helps others to be safe this fine holiday season.

 

Good day!!!!

 

 

So, he lets you off with a warning, even after you were doing enough to piss off your own wife, and you are still pissed?

 

 

Seems to me like the guy gave you a break...

 

He pulled you over to see if you were drunk or doing something else... You almost talked yourself in to a ticket from my angle.

 

Like I said in a post a couple posts up. If you feel you need to pull me over, find a good reason and do it. Don't insult my intelligence and in turn, make yourself look like an idiot. And, his job isn't to just pull random people over (making up a reason) to check everyone to see if they have been drinking.

 

This isnt meant to come off as rude but:

 

Are you a cop?

 

How do you know what there role is?

 

 

His role is to keep the streets safe and if you are driving down the middle of the road(technically breaking a law) and speeding(speed limit is 50... going 1 over is still breaking the law)

 

Ya, i understand it might seem stupid, but you were breaking two laws.... he let you off with a warning.

 

 

I guess I am failing to see the problem....

 

The problem? He was being an ass, plain and simple. Not an uncommon thing for State P in my experience. He's making the road more dangerous by offering idiotic advice. Driving on the side of a gravel road is a great way to end up in the ditch or in the case of an SUV/truck, roll it over if the crown of the road is high.

 

I actually just looked through the DMV's manual, which I would assume is the gold standard for rules of the road in this state, funny enough I couldn't even find a place where it mentions you're supposed to drive on the right side of the road to begin with, free country I guess. But besides that there's nothing in there about gravel roads or unmarked roads. I thought it was pretty much standard teaching in drivers ed that you never drive close to the edge on gravel roads unless there is oncoming traffic or a blind hill, like others said.

 

That's pretty much it.

 

You know, I wouldn't have had near the problem with it if he had stopped me, mentioned that I was speeding (Gee...a couple MPH over) asked if I had been drinking and when he found out I wasn't moved on. What baffled me was when he literally tried to make me think I was doing something wrong when I was driving on the road exactly how I was supposed to drive to be safe. How my kids (who were in the car ) have been taught in driver's ed recently confirmed what I was doing.

 

The rule as I have always known it is you drive on the right side of the road unless conditions warrant differently. Well, general conditions on a gravel road are you drive towards the center of the road to stay out of loose gravel on the side and stay on top of the crown.

[PaulCrewe]

I was hoping this was apublic cervice announcrymny.

I too was disappointed. Guess I was expecting some form of a sober chewwry chips ahoy discovery

[Stumpy1]

Sounds like the SP had an agenda. We have one where I live that is a real ass. He pulled my wife over about a month ago for "running" a stop sign when she actually didn't. She was at work and parked in the first parallel spot in front of the stop sign and right before the sidewalk. She got in to leave and had checked both ways before pulling out and around the corner. It is a clear view both ways from where she was parked. He said that she just got in her car and took off without stopping at the sign. She argued with him that she checked and couldn't pull forward anymore or she would be blocking the sidewalk. He told her that she should have pulled out of the spot first and then turned. She told him again that if she would have, she would have been blocking the walkway. He wrote her a $125 ticket and went on his way. We took the ticket in and talked to the county attorney about it. She dropped the fine down and said that he was correct and that she should have pulled out of the spot first.

 

Last week, my wife is parked in the same spot and does exactly what she was told to do and pulled out only to block the sidewalk because traffic was coming. Guess who was sitting down the street and pulled her over for obstructing the walkway and making people go around the vehicle. We went in and had a nice little talk with the CA and had the fine waived.

[BigRedBuster]

That's a great story.

 

Now here is a sad one.

 

Just this weekend a 21 year old was driving in the same area I was driving. He lost control on the gravel, went in the ditch, rolled his car and was killed.

 

I will continue to tell my kids to drive on the road where it is the safest.

[Stumpy1]

Sorry to hear that BRB.

 

Part of me hopes that the officer that pulled you over had to work that scene and maybe realized he was wrong on your ordeal.

[BigRedBuster]

Naaaa. It was all county sheriff department at the scene.

[BigRedBuster]

Ok. It's about midnight and I'm still wide awake and I remembered this thread.

 

I wanted to update things.

 

My son left home today at around 9:00am for basketball practice and I didn't think anything about it. Typical day...right?

 

At 12:30 I get a call on my cell phone from him. All I hear is...."dad I need help. I'm on the gravel road". I can tell he is in severe pain.

 

The phone call nobody wants to get.

 

He was driving down the road. Lost control on the gravel...

 

When we found him finally... He was sitting beside his car covered in blood.

 

According to the police, his car had rolled at least 4-5 times. We don't know when exactly he was ejected from the car. He thinks he landed around 15-20 yards away from the car.

 

5 hours later he is out of the ER and in a hospital bed lucky to be alive.

 

This is my son.

 

I'm standing in the emergency room with the doc stitching up my son and we are starting to realize he is going to be ok.

 

A deputy is there that I've known before. I simply ask him if he knows this state patrolman that pulled me over a couple weeks ago. I tell him the story and he is shocked.

 

He took the patrolman name down and I told him I want him to tell him about this accident and that this kid was sitting in the back seat of my car when he was feeding me s line of Bull sh#t.

 

I hope the fu&*#r is bagging groceries at hyvee next week.

[tschu]

Jesus.

 

I grew up in rural Nebraska and yeah, there are 3 "tire lanes" on gravel roads, and you drive in the two towards the right and veer off if an oncoming vehicle approaches. You don't drive in the soft gravel unless you're asking to die.

 

I'd be livid. I hope your son is fine, sounds like encouraging news from the doc. I'd be making all sorts of phone calls and visits to courtrooms if I were you.

[Count 'Bility]

You should also slow down and veer over when going uphill when not really having the ability to over.

 

Buster, sorry to hear about your son. Glad he's alright.

 

When I was 15, I rolled my pickup. I was on a school permit, and of course, my onry ass was a 6 miles off my "route". It was a road I had driven to a friends house hundreds of times. Came over the top of a pretty steep hill and down to a bridge over a creek. Goin about 60 or so like usual. They had just laid down a nice thick layer of gravel on either side of the bridge, so when I hit it, and "came back down" on the other side, I hit that loose gravel and lost control and when into the ditch on the left side. My front left wheel "ramped" a tree stump and sent me into a barrel roll. 4 times. Now's where it gets interesting. My pickup was a 1967 chevy. It was my restore project. No power steering. No power brakes. AND, no seat belts. Yes. Not even in the truck. It was grandfathered in by law at the time, that anything older than '72 I think? didnt have to have them. And weird, but not wearing a seat belt in this accident saved my life. The drivers side of the cab had been crushed into the seat. Had I had a seat belt on, I wouldve been crushed. I do not remember going into the ditch. All I remember is hitting the gravel and trying to get control. I then remember kicking the windshield out cuz the passenger door wouldnt open. Not being able to walk cuz my back is completely f'd. crawling up to the side of the road, giving up, and laying down for a "nap". Dont know how long I layed there. But was found by a classmate's dad. I remember the conversation in the ER. State P was on the scene cuz apparently in my deleriousness, I told the dep that I had some freinds with me. So they had state P and dogs and the whole 9 yards out searching for bodies. Not a good deal at all. it wasnt until being in the ER that I was coming to enough to say otherwise. it was also interesting that the State P at the ER was trying to tell my dad (old hardass farmer type. Came walkin in the ER to chew my ass for destroying the truck. Comical moment. My mom tells him im hurt, all he says is "he's in the hospital. he's fine. But the truck sure the hell aint") that theyre estimating I was goin about 85. Which was laughable. That' old pickup had a 283 in front of a 3 speed with 4.10's in the rear. I think one time with a strong wind at my back going downhill, I hit 70 once. LOL. My sophmore season of football ended that night. It was 18 days before my 16th birthday. I was cited for wrongful use of school permit. Went and got my liscense on my birthday as intended, but two days later, had a court date. Was fully expecting to lose my liscence for a couple years over the deal.

 

We sat in that court room for a full hour as they went through other cases and arraigments. Finally when everyone else was done (Hastings, there were 20 or so) the judge asks if he can help us. I tell him what I'm there for. He says im not on the list. So we go out to the clerks office, show them the ticket and such, and they got nothin, but said theyd check in to it. I NEVER heard anything back from them. As it turns out, there was a deputy on scene that happened to be an old family friend. And he was the one who actually wrote the citation. And wound up throwin it away. "kids will be kids. It's nothin you or I didnt ever do" was his comment to my dad. The only reason he had to ticket me at all was cuz the state P was on site. So to this day I thought that was pretty cool.

 

No drinking. No silly business. Just a sh#t day. just thought I'd share. And yes, I DO wear my seatbelt to this day, despite that interesting dynamic of that accident.

[wildman]

BRB sorry to hear what happened. But glad to hear your son is ok.

 

I wonder if this is the same State Trooper that tried to give my brother a ticket for txting and driving on a parked bike. Yes you read that correctly. We were going to the race track that afternoon. I was in my truck and brother and his gf took his motorcycle. Before leaving Lincoln she needed to go to the bank so we stopped. He was sitting on his motorcycle helmet off, key in his pocket and phone in his hand. I'm standing next to him. The trooper pulls up behind us, gets out of his car and asks him. Do you know why I pulled you over. I looked at the officer with a da fuq look. My brother asked him to repeat what he said. So the trooper asked him again do you know why I pulled you over. We started laughing. My brother asked, ummmmm when did you pull us over exactly. He responded I pulled you over for txting and driving. I instantly called the local police to report the incident. As I'm on the phone the trooper gave him a warning and left.