"Don Bruder" wrote in message
...
slightest flack from anybody "official" about them, despite paper
carriers being "highly likely to be stopped" targets around here
(northern CA) because they and drunks tend to be about the only source
of boredom relief available for the cops between roughly 2 and 6 AM.

Red, blue, or white flashers, on the other hand, are (or are nearly)
universally reserved for cops, firetrucks, and ambulances, and putting
one on pretty much any other vehicle (never mind being stupid enough to
actually light it up in traffic...) is usually a quick way to get a free
overnight stay (at least) in the local greybar hotel.

A couple of years ago, I was stuck in traffic on southbound 101 going up the
hill out of Tiburon before dropping down through the tunnel and over the
Golden Gate bridge. Traffic was completely clotted and no one was going
faster than 3 MPH. I was in the left lane (not that it was doing me any
good) when I saw a car with a red light coming up behind me. I, and all the
other folks in the lane, merged into the next lane (not easy in the backup)
to let this guy through. Hmmm... An older Chevy Malibu with a red light
inside the car above his rear view mirror. Never seen a car or light set up
like that used by the cops.

I got on my cell phone and let the Highway Patrol know of my suspicions. I
stayed on the phone at the request of the dispatcher, gave her the license
plate number of the car, and told her which lane the car was in. As this
guy approached the toll plaza he turned the light off, but there were two
CHP officers standing at the toll booth. One of them stopped the guy, got
in the car with him and directed him to the parking lot, where other cops
were waiting. The other found my car, leaned in the window and thanked me.
The other cops in the parking lot hauled the driver out of the car and
cuffed him. That was the last thing I saw.

Who knows what else he had done, but it struck me that the cops take
gratuitous use of a red light pretty seriously.

Peter