This Sunday the time changes, so get ready to set your non-smart watch by hand. If you have time off, congrats—you get an extra hour of sleep. If you’re still working overtime, um... condolences.
When you drive in the U.S., you can see police all over the road. They may be following you from behind, they may be parked at the side running a speed check, they may be at some intersection with frequent accidents, running on low beam and watching traffic, or they may be on the way to an accident scene. Wherever there are people, you may see them there. Today, I want to talk about how to handle these people when it’s not a pull-over situation.
After reading so many articles about what to do after being pulled over, this one suddenly feels like I’m teaching you the non-essential stuff...
Seeing police is nothing to panic about, that’s old news. Let’s talk about some situations that are easy to overlook.
1: If you see a patrol officer following you, give way when you can and let him go first. This is not a must-do, but road rage is a global issue, and having him tail you increases the chances of trouble—especially with the sudden flash of LEDs and the siren that can go off in the blink of an eye when he gets a call. I’ve been scared by that twice; it was no joke. So do him a small favor: him happy, me happy.
2: Don’t race the police. Officers on the road usually drive a bit faster. This is not only them being overbearing; it’s also a pattern. Police will generally drive at the highest speed on that road; if you’re faster than them, congratulations—you’re the one speeding.
3: Combining the first two points, the most reckless thing you can do is cut in front of an officer. Need I say more?
4: When you see an assigned police vehicle, the book says to pull over to the right. But on the actual road, you should give the lane that’s easiest for them to pass, which may not be the right lane.
Thinking about on-the-spot reactions, I suddenly remembered a meme. Fire safety material says that on a floor with a fire, you should crawl because there’s less smoke. But in a real fire, you probably haven’t even reached the stairwell before you get trampled in the chaos... So perhaps the correct escape method is to knock out a nearby sprinkler head with your heel. Right, by the time it bursts, you’ve probably already become a roasted pig. Wet your whole body, cover your mouth and nose with a damp cloth, and then run like hell.
Back to the point. If you hit a red light, even though you are required to yield, it does not mean you can run the light. Running a red light can get you a ticket and is dangerous. So don’t panic. When it’s safe, yield the way out, and avoid crossing recklessly because someone with a green light may not see you.
5: If you’re driving on Zhuangkang Avenue and the car in front suddenly brakes for no reason, what you should not do is change lanes to drop them. There is a high chance they saw a camera or a stakeout officer.
6: Unless you know that officer really well, do not stare at him, and don’t wave or signal. Either could invite serious trouble.
7: Let me share a case from last week.
I was driving on such a road; there was a red light up ahead and I should have made a right-on-red there. But a straight-through car was waiting at the red light, blocking the way. On the right was a gas station, so I turned right into it, then drove out through the other exit and completed a right-on-red maneuver. I can confidently say I’m not the only one who does this, and I’ve done this probably tens of thousands of times myself.
But I got stopped by two stakeout officers. They told me I can’t enter the gas station lot for no reason—once you’re in, you’re expected to buy something—and gave me a warning
Okay, I’m not suggesting you can’t do this. Just stay sharp: if you borrow the road and see stakeout police, it’s better to slow down and do something there instead of ending up in the same situation.
Finally, one thing not directly related to police. By law, headlights must be on in rain. Wipers on, headlights on. It’s the law. Police may not strictly enforce every such detail, but doing this helps others spot you in the rain and lowers accident risk. It’s a him-good, me-good kind of thing.
Being a police officer is a high-risk job. As officers, they live under constant mental pressure every day. So let’s show a little understanding too—be polite to them whenever it doesn’t affect your own interests.