Police wolf packs

[marianne237]

Has anyone else noticed that there seem to be even more "wolf packs"? Buena Vista between Bridgeport entrance and Lake Miona rec center have been busy, but now we notice that 466A heading east towards highway 27/441 is also getting bad. Are there any other spots around TV where the police are really showing their clout?

Not complaining...heaven knows I've had a lead foot in the past, but do want to be careful. A friend just recently made a "rolling stop" in his golf cart and had to pay a $180 fine. Ouch! He was guilty and admitted it, but it didn't make it any easier.

[Russ_Boston]

Thanks for the heads up! I'll drive carefully on my preview visit this month.

[redwitch]

Haven't seen any real "packs" but have noticed at least one officer daily on Morse Blvd. daily lately. He looks so cute sitting there and aiming his radar gun in both directions. So far, haven't seen him pull anyone over, just gunnin' away.

[mfp509]

They are out on Buena Vista between the Savannah Center and Saddlebrook Rec center. I usually set my cruise control because I have a tendency to forget.

I WISH THEY WERE AS CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT UNDERAGE KIDS DRIVING GOLF CARTS!!! BUT I SUPPOSE WE'LL NOT SEE THAT AT "CAMP VILLAGES"

[Talk Host]

If people would drive the speed limit, the police would not have to write tickets. It is unfair to put a negative spin (wolf packs) on the police for doing their job. In my opinion they are not writing near enough tickets.

[Russ_Boston]

I thought that was just one of those quaint Southern terms that i was going to have to learn!

[redwitch]

Russ, all I can say is I never heard the term on the West Coast but do remember hearing from my dad and a few other Southerners, so maybe it is. Who knows?

[ConeyIsBabe]

AGREEING with Talk Host; if it prevents one accident..... that's a good thing ;D

[redwitch]

Personally, I prefer preventative medicine when possible. The officers are usually out more as a deterrent than to give tickets. (If they want to give tickets, they hide. If they want to slow people down, they're there in force and then get the dolts dumb enough to speed anyway.) So, to me, posting where speed traps does more good than it does harm -- it means people prone to speeding on these roads will slow down from the git go rather than slamming on their breaks or downshifting when they see the officers.

[ejp52]

Maybe they should try investigating golf cart thefts rather than spending day in a group on Buena Vista.
My 2 cents.

[The Great Fumar]

I agree with EJP.....
Seems like with all the serious crime going on in these three county's our tax dollars would be better served by not preying on grandpa and grandma driving to wal-mart......I have never had a ticket but I would be madder than hell if I received a ticket for a bump-and -run on a golf cart (if the area was clear) to the tune of $180.00...
It sounds like a revenue raising plan to me and what better place to do it than a place with a reputation of being loaded.........
an unloaded fumar

[ejp52]

I agree with EJP.....
Seems like with all the serious crime going on in these three county's our tax dollars would be better served by not preying on grandpa and grandma driving to wal-mart......I have never had a ticket but I would be madder than hell if I received a ticket for a bump-and -run on a golf cart (if the area was clear) to the tune of $180.00...
It sounds like a revenue raising plan to me and what better place to do it than a place with a reputation of being loaded.........
an unloaded fumar

Well said oh great one,in my opinion it is exactly what they are doing,easy cash machine. :agree:

[gfmucci]

I'd feel really cheated getting a $180 fine for a rolling stop in a golf cart.* I'd at least feel like I was getting my money's worth getting that fine in a car.* :cop: :cop: :cop: ???

[JohnN]

*shrug* laws are laws and should be enforced

[redwitch]

Let's see ... golf cart theft damage: loss of personal property, a lot of inconvenience

breaking traffic laws in a congested community: property damage, personal injury, death

Chances of catching a golf cart thief, slim -- a lot of luck required even if doing a sting operation. I'm not even convinced an active police presence will stop the thefts -- it's just too easy to hop into a cart and drive away.

Odds of catching a speeder, pretty darn good. If nothing else, a police presence can and does slow people down. Running a stop sign is not only illegal, it's downright dangerous and probably even more so in a golf cart -- riders are just too vulnerable.

Sorry, while traffic laws are not felonies they ultimately cause far more harm than the theft of property. I think these officers are doing a good job at deterring those who are willing to speed and run stop signs.

Mind you, I do speed but not in urban or suburban areas. Give me a highway I know (like I-5 in California) and I'll happily barrel along it so long as I feel it is safe. I'll even run a good car through some fun paces on a back road that I know (Marsh Creek Road in the East Bay is a prime example -- much of it has no homes, just farm land, is wonderfully windy and great fun), but I will not speed where there is heavy traffic, homes, etc. There is absolutely no excuse for running a stop sign, whether in a car, a golf cart or on a bike or cycle.

[Peggy D]

Are radar detectors legal in FL? I know in some states they aren't.

[Village Kid 2]

Radar Detectors are legal in Florida.

[graciegirl]

Seems like the fine men in blue (brown?) should be trying to catch the golf cart snatchers. ...

[Talk Host]

Are radar detectors legal in FL? I know in some states they aren't.


Under what circumstances does a person need a radar detector?

[The Gray Hog]

Where were the black hats this a.m.?
We saw a cart, (not road worthy) going west on 466, turn around and head back toward Morse ???
For sure, they had made a wrong turn...but how did they get onto 466 and into all that traffic anyway?
Our cart was passed several times by carts going atleast 25 to 29 mph this a.m. on the cart paths and also on the streets. We were left in the dust, so to speak.

[Muncle]

Golf cart thefts appear to be the killer shark attacks of 2008. Keep the Bears with the Brownies active on Buena Vista. They catch as many construction people and folks cutting through TV as they do Grannies going to WalMart.

[Lil Dancer]

I wish they'd ticket some of the airheads driving the roundabouts. I had someone trying to turn left from the right had lane the other day, who cut me off and almost side-swiped me. Luckily I saw her in time.

[gfmucci]

Under what circumstances does a person need a radar detector?
That's a great question. Two that come to mind are:

Intent to speed ::)
Intent to not pay attention to how fast your're going. ::)

Neither one passes the straight face test. ::)

[renos]

I agree with you 100% Fumar. It has been proven over and over that exposure on roads by a marked crusier driving at the speed limit will slow down more speeders than than a radar trap employing 3 or 4 cops.

[Dutchman]

But with the change in the Homestead Exemption there's a lot of $$ to make up.

[redwitch]

Also have to factor in the price of gas today. Just cruising around doesn't happen much anymore. In my neck of the woods in California, you'd see the motorcycle police doing the routine patrols, the cars did the speed traps. The only time the cars patrolled was at night and they rarely patrolled the residential areas, just the businesses and this was when gas was $2.89 in California.

[Rokinronda]

Wolf pack??? Protect and serve is the well-respected motto that I am used to. STOP means just that....15 MPH means just that.... :cop: The traffic laws are there for very good proven reasons and justifiably enforced. Just my perfect driving record, honest opinion. Knock on wood! :bigthumbsup:

[travelstiles]

I was relaxing at the pool the other day and heard a local resident telling her friends that she can no longer drive a car, as she is legally blind.
So....................she now gets all around in her golf cart doh
I'm afraid this is more common than we'd like to believe.

[gfmucci]

... she can no longer drive a car, as she is legally blind.* So......she now gets all around in her golf cart* *doh* I'm afraid this is more common than we'd like to believe.
* There are many older people who are THANKFUL that they can still get around in their golf carts.* That is one of the reasons people move here.* "Legally blind" is not the same thing as not being able to see.* Those of us who are thankfully not legally blind are responsible for an added measure of care in this community.

[Russ_Boston]

I don't speed too much over the limit but anyone who says that they never go above the speed limit is paying WAY TOO MUCH attention to their speedometer and not enough attention to what is around them!

I don't have the links to prove it because I'm too tired to look them up but I believe that distracted driving (cell use, radio flipping, chatting to back seat passengers etc.) causes more accidents than speed alone.

[ejp52]

Enforcement is important yes but in my opinion they use it as a :edit: cash cow.

[Sidney Lanier]

I drive the speed limits, whether locally or on the Turnpike or Interstates, and that way I don't have to keep watching in my rearview mirror. One doesn't have to stare at the speedometer to maintain the posted speed, on top of which most cars nowadays have cruise control which is extraordinarily helpful. I taught all my sons to drive and made it clear that if they drive correctly there is no need for a radar detector. If speeding tickets are a revenue raiser for the local community, I have no problem with that; it means I pay less taxes over the long haul. I agree too that stolen golf carts are a serious issue--but it's unrelated to speeding and other traffic offenses....

[captain1202]

Agree w/ Dutchman and ejp2 re: the cash cow, BUT.....I'd rather drive a little more prudently and save the property tax $$.

[Russ_Boston]

SL - I'm not worried about speed on the freeway since i can set my cruise and not worry about the speed. I've only had two speeding tickets in my life and both were for a speed of 37 MPH! One was on a four lane road that was nothing more than a trap set at 25MPH (for a 4 lane road?) in Pawtucket RI. The other was also 25 MPH but it was a beautiful country road with nothing but cows (and cops i guess :joke:). Can't really use cruise at 25 MPH on a winding country road can you?

[ConeyIsBabe]

Referring to the term "cash cow" when police are legally issueing tickets for speeding, etc. I would rather know my local police department has sufficient "cash" to serve and protect me.................... as opposed to the actual local police department in Grants Pass, Josephine County who does NOT have sufficient cash to protect its residents. At recent community forums the Police Chief urged citizens to be aware of the situation and be prepared to protect themselves. FACT!!!

[ejp52]

I'm allowed to voice my opinion last I checked,sorry if it bothers anyone.

[rdmills]

The lawenforcement folks are damned if they do damned if they don't. All you hear is complaints about speeders, then when they enforce the speed limits they are just doing it for the money. You also hear about golf carts speeding and going past stop signs, when the violators receive tickets the officers were wrong. Watch your speed, stop for stop signs and everybody will be happy.

[billethkid]

I think wolf packs is a disrespectful slur intended or not...my opinion.
And as I have stated many times before, speeding and reckless driving is a real problem here in TV. Many should not be behind the wheel and way too many do want to be courteous and YIELD. The more cops the better!
The more tickets the better. And if revenues are up because the grannies and grampas won't slow down....FANTASTIC!!!!

Remember at 60 miles per hour you may gain one minute for every mile per hour OVER 60......now just what the h :edit: do these violators think they are accomplishing? Nothing and hopefully earning a ticket.....make it progressive with no expiration...$200 then $400 then no license.

Go git em Dano!!!!!!

BTK

[captain1202]

Billie...

What do you mean by : "way too many do want to be courteous and YIELD."?? ???

What is wrong with yielding? I can't get over the number of dirty looks (and yes, even the finger) I get when I yield in my car for a golf cart. I know, I know, cars have the right of way but judging from the number of BAD cart accidents of late, folks would be better to do a little more yielding and little less fingering.

[Dutchman]

Since I may have been the one who was responsible for this 'cash cow' sidetrack. let me point out it was not with the intent to be disrespectful to any law enforcement agency. It was simply stating the fact that with a decrease in tax revenues municipalities need to either cut services or find ways to raise revenue (short of tax rate increases). I'm sure people would not favor job cuts in the police force so the alternative is for them to be more diligent in their duties i.e. enforcing the laws. If that increases the municipal coffers, so be it!

[marianne237]

Gee I didn't realize I'd upset so many people with my subject line. :redface: "Wolf packs" was always the designated terminology used when police had set up motorcycles and/or crusers to slow down drivers when I was younger and learning to drive. I meant no disrespect in its usage, but was only suggesting other Villagers be cautious in their driving in TV and the county roads.

There are so many incidents of crazy drivers in carts and cars around and we all can tell a story or two. My note here was only to call attention to the speed signs and be alert to slow down and pay attention to the Police out there!

[renos]

Billethkid sounds like you have a real problem with this subject from the sound of your last post. I don't see these wolf packs on other roads outside the villages. Don,t you think it may possibly be Sumter county see's a community (the villages) with quite a bit more revenue to tap into than the rest of the county? If you don't think so just look at te 2 towns just north of here Waldo and Stark on Rt301 who AAA considers a couple of the worst towns in the country for wolf packs.