Royal Oak P.D

Is MDOP one of those broad raning widely interpretable statues that grants cops alot of authority ?
 
I've lived in RO for 36 years and have been driving since I was 16 (with a 1970 Chevelle as my first car at that!). No tickets EVER until 3 years ago... I was on 11 mile at Main headed east doing 6mph over past Troy St (which is the street that the Library and ROPD are on). Boom - pulled over and given a ticket for a 5 over. Officer said he was giving me a ticket because my record was too clean! WTF!

So, being naive, I chose the option to submit my perspective/case/plea in writing. I typed a very nice and professional letter - probably spent a good 8 hours working on it.... referencing my take on the incident, but also that I've lived in RO for 34 years, no tickets ever, etc, etc. My reward? I got a bill in mail about 2 weeks later - no response, no reductions, no deal, no nothing. I was pissed!!! I paid it (In hindsight, I should have fought it in court). I hope the $100 was worth my voting against any future millages or other support of the ROPD. :shrug:

The real sad part is that my family knows a couple senior level people in the ROPD and a circuit court judge here. I could have very easily called in a favor. I chose to try to handle it on the straight and narrow - through the process... and I now see what it got me. It's also sad because most of the officers in the ROPD are real upstanding, understanding people that know how to use discretion. It's generally just the handful of @ssholes on street patrol that either like throwing their weight around, or just too stupid to use discretion when it's in THEIR best interest.
 
DBK-Sorry to hear about yet another issue with a ticket in Royal Oak.

Not trying to hijack, but last week a friend of mine had a meter maid issue a parking ticket to her as she was walking up to her car as it had expired approx. one minute before she got there. Meter maid said, "too bad" ticketed her anyway, so she said f**k it and left the ticket on the windshield for the day and didn't return to her vehicle until approx. 5 hours later (7 P.M.-ish). Upon her return, she found yet another parking ticket. How is this possible?

I told her to fight it all the way as I can't see the justification for the second ticket.
 
Yeah, the meter maid thing is out of control. I don't know about most of you, but I rarely ever keep change on me. They know this, and we know this. That HAS to be the reason they put those credit card payment machines at the lot over by Gusoline Alley, only to tear them out a few weeks later. "Hey, why have we issued 1/10th the parking tickets???" No sense collecting $1 an hour from everyone with a credit card when you can hammer 5 different people for $20 when they run out of nickels and go over. There's no way you can tell me that hiring a couple meter maids to watch the change-based machines is cheaper than paying for one machine that accepts CC/Cash, so it has to be based on ticket revenue.

The rare occurrences I have park in a paid parking lot, I always use whatever excess change I have to fill up other people's meters (which I'm told is illegal). Fuck the city on that one.
 
I love how they go trolling in the new parking lot south of Blackfinn too. I avoid any newly assigned parking like the plague as it seems to be the hotspot for cops and metermaids. Anything to generate revenue lately, that's for sure.

And I'm sick of restocking my damn ashtray with change for meters that run 'til 10 P.M.!!!
 
In East Lansing I had to drop off some paperwork at the SOS, and it never took more than 5 minutes usually. I always would just toss in a nickel and be good. One day I was in there for a good 15 minutes, and any of you who went to MSU know East Lansing likes to hand out parking tickets as well, and started to worry. I went out to my car and found I had time on my meter. The guy who owns the scooter shop next to the SOS had seen me come and go every day for like 3 weeks and saw my meter ran out so he tossed a quarter in it for me :D

I personally hate meters. I agree with parking tickets, to an extent... But sometimes this shit is just out of control.

I had a family member that made a wrong turn once and pulled in to a parking lot to turn around that turned out to be full of cars with 1 entrance/exit... So he backed in to a handicap spot and was pulling forward to leave when he got blocked by a cop and given a parking ticket for parking in a handicap spot. :roll:
 
I love how they go trolling in the new parking lot south of Blackfinn too. I avoid any newly assigned parking like the plague as it seems to be the hotspot for cops and metermaids. Anything to generate revenue lately, that's for sure.

Off topic, but has to do with money grubbing RO and a funny story about that parking lot you mentioned above....

Did you notice that the one way street that runs between that lot and behind OCC (Main to Washington)is now running the opposite way? Both OCC and the RO FIRE DEPARTMENT fought the city to leave the street running from West to East.......and they lost the fight.....The ROFD lost a battle with its own city over the direction of a one way street and the safety of OCC students because the city wanted it easier to access the new metered lot!!!! (True story) :)

FYI I believe the ROPD arguement had to do with the fire truck not being able to make a turn coming from the opposite direction!
 
Off topic, but has to do with money grubbing RO and a funny story about that parking lot you mentioned above....

Did you notice that the one way street that runs between that lot and behind OCC (Main to Washington)is now running the opposite way? Both OCC and the RO FIRE DEPARTMENT fought the city to leave the street running from West to East.......and they lost the fight.....The ROFD lost a battle with its own city over the direction of a one way street and the safety of OCC students because the city wanted it easier to access the new metered lot!!!! (True story) :)

FYI I believe the ROPD arguement had to do with the fire truck not being able to make a turn coming from the opposite direction!

I haven't been down that street in a while as I typically come from the east and park on the east side of train tracks just south of Blackfinn when I'm in the area. However, I had heard some rumblings about the one way street. Nothing surprises me anymore and city politics are beyond my level of comprehension. They try to steer us away from that sort of ridiculous, illogical behavior in engineering school.
 
if your wife was in the driveway, he cant pull her over, she has to be on the street. The only time the driveway comes into play is for DUI type issues. Plus officers cannot follow for more than 2 miles.
 
if your wife was in the driveway, he cant pull her over, she has to be on the street. The only time the driveway comes into play is for DUI type issues. Plus officers cannot follow for more than 2 miles.

Tell that to the cars chasing the guy who hit me!
 
if your wife was in the driveway, he cant pull her over, she has to be on the street. The only time the driveway comes into play is for DUI type issues. Plus officers cannot follow for more than 2 miles.

What if he turns his lights on prior to pulling into the driveway? Thats gotta be fair game...otherwise people would run and make it home...
 
if your wife was in the driveway, he cant pull her over, she has to be on the street. The only time the driveway comes into play is for DUI type issues. Plus officers cannot follow for more than 2 miles.

Yeah, we would like to think so, but not the case. I had a cop behind me on my way home one night, and pulled into my driveway, he pulls in behind me, I pretend I dont see him, get out of my truck, start going in the back door, he has a shitfit, and turns his lights on in the driveway (my MOM's driveway at that, 3am) and gives me a ticket for my 1-day expired tabs. I tried to fight it on the "i was in my own fucking driveway" plan, and I still got the ticket beacause I was driving on the street when he "saw" my expired plates. Fucking asshole just terrorized me for years when I was younger. Used to get tickets for "I didnt clock you going fast, but it looked like you were going fast"
No shit. Also known as VBSL. (violation of the basic speed law) I got them on my motorcycle, which to me, looked like it was going fucking fast on the kickstand LOL................


Rudy
 
i have a friend that is a cop, a friend that used to be and my ex-girlfriends dad is the ex chief of police in Mount Morris in Genesse county. So i definitely have had my share. But if the officer was in your driveway no lights and you got out of your car, he cant go after you. Any stops have to be made with lights on unless they are going to your house for disturbance issues that are non emergency. The moment you step out of the car your off the hook unless suspicion of alcohol/drugs or other illegal items.

Numerous times when I have been speeding and cops have been behind me I have pulled into the Mcdonalds drive thru or pulled into 7-11 and hopped outta my car and ran into the store. They can stare you down all they want, but cannot touch you. If they follow you out of the store and attempt to knock you for speeding, ask for a printed report or to see their radar gun. They have to show you otherwise your off the hook.
 
What if he turns his lights on prior to pulling into the driveway? Thats gotta be fair game...otherwise people would run and make it home...

If they manage to get you before you pull into your driveway, then yes, fair game. Happened to me when me and my ex were in the car. Cop tried to get me for saying my rear window was tinted too dark even though you can technically paint it black and its legal. The cop asked my name, license and all that. Then asked her name. Thank God of her last name, so we got outta it.
 
But if the officer was in your driveway no lights and you got out of your car, he cant go after you. Any stops have to be made with lights on unless they are going to your house for disturbance issues that are non emergency. The moment you step out of the car your off the hook unless suspicion of alcohol/drugs or other illegal items.

If a cop tells you to stop, it doesn't matter what you're doing or where you're at. If you keep going and 'pretend' not to see him, you're just asking to get tazed.
 
come to think of it, one of my friends told me of a michigan grandfather law he ran across a few years back. He is trying to find the paper work on it, but the law states you can only be pulled over by a 4 door sedan. So only the crown vics or impalas. No chargers because Dodge classifies it as a sports car. No magnums, no SUVs and no motorcycles.

If any of you are driving down the freeway and a state boy pulls up behind you with no lights, get off the freeway. Whether its your exit or not. Or if you know your speeding and they have the gun out, get off the freeway. State PD only can get you on the freeway.
 
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