German Police Stop Man With Mobile Office In Car 146
PolygamousRanchKid writes "Forget texting while driving. German police say they nabbed a driver who had wired his Ford station wagon with an entire mobile office. Saarland state police said Friday the 35-year-old man was pulled over for doing 130 kph (80 mph) in a 100 kph zone while passing a truck Monday. Built on a wooden frame on his passenger seat they found a laptop on a docking station tilted for easy driver access, a printer, router, wireless internet stick, WLAN antenna, and an inverter to power it all."
I've driven some long trips with a similar passenger-seat setup (minus the printer), but of course for use only while stopped. Since the police in this case had no evidence that the rig was being used while driving, the driver was ticketed only for speeding and for having unsecured items. Really, it seems like something that Skymall should offer in neater form; now I regret not picking up a surplus police cruiser computer when they were in stock at the local Goodwill.
Non story (Score:1)
Are the editors deliberately trying to drive Slashdot into the brink of nothingness? The amount of non stories, flame/click-bait and one sided "articles" is staggering. I wish there was an alternative site with the quality of comments Slashdot do have at times, to at least keep editors on their toes.
Re:Non story (Score:5, Informative)
http://slashdot.org/recent [slashdot.org]
Or you can submit your own awesome stories . . .
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There is some news here... (Score:3)
I didn't realize Germany had speed limits on its highways.
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Re:There is some news here... (Score:5, Informative)
Perhaps you should be using German names here. I'm really not versed in the road systems of world's countries, but I'm probably not the only one who - on the basis of having a third (neither American nor German) entirely different system in my country - fails to see the exact difference between a "freeway" and a "highway", not to mention the fact that whatever the difference between the two is in the US is probably different from the difference between the two in Germany
Fwiw, in America, there is a formal framework for naming conventions, (the ideal not being implemented is another issue). The conventions are based upon interruptions from cross traffic and the number of lanes (in each direction) both additionally affecting the limitations on speed. I don't know anything about the German system, other than the legendary limitlessness of the Autobahn.
Freeways (65 mph || 109 kph) are "free" of cross traffic (having nothing to do with tolls). Probably the same as the Turnpikes on the East Coast. (ymmv.)
Highways (55 mph || 92 kph) can have cross traffic, but the intersection always gives the highway the right of way -- cars crossing are required to stop first before proceeding. (ymmv.)
Expressways (45 mph || 75 kph) have traffic control lights at each intersection. (ymmv.)
Access to all three are fixed by design and prevents anyone from stopping for any reason other than an emergency. (ymmv.)
The exception is the Interstate (Federal) freeway's planned rest stops that can be accessed only to and from the freeway. (ymmv.)
"Roads" outside municipalities (you know them as towns or cities) are an extension of a street leaving or entering the city limits and can have any type of intersection or any type of restriction for stopping to access roadside commerce -- basically a combination of a highway and a expressway, becoming more informal as it becomes more rural. (There's further naming rules within the municipality for Avenues, Boulevards, Streets, Lanes, Courts, how many lanes allowed each way and how all of this affects speeds -- unrelated to this post.)
Some Interstate freeways have recently increased speed limits and can be at 70, 75 or in some cases, such as in Texas, 80 (mph || 134 kph); if it's posted as such. Otherwise, the speed limits mentioned are in affect.
If it's posted with the higher speed, it will probably say "Maximum Speed" instead of "Speed Limit". There's a difference. It's important, especially if you want to avoid a speeding ticket. For example: If you're going with the flow of traffic at 72 mph in a 65 mph "Speed Limit" zone, it's supposedly okay. If you're going 76 mph in a 75 mph "Maximum Speed" zone, it supposedly doesn't matter what the speed of the traffic flow is doing. Ymmv.
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Some Interstate freeways have recently increased speed limits and can be at 70, 75 or in some cases, such as in Texas, 80 (mph || 134 kph
Texas has recently opened a section of road with a speed limit of 85 (mph || 137kph) [slashdot.org]. Minor correction to the quoted section above. For any nations using metric (I'm looking at you, entire world), 80mph is approximately 129kph, not 134kph.
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Access to all three are fixed by design and prevents anyone from stopping for any reason other than an emergency or outright stupidity...
In america, most emergency stops happen on the very wide shoulders. Everything else happens because of the complete morons that have ZERO drivers training in the middle of the freaking road. Like the morons with the giant pickup trucks that are in the fast lane and STOP in the fast lane to use the service road turnaround because they are too lazy or stupid to go to the
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I got a ticket for speeding up to pass someone who sped up while I was passing him (isn't _that_ illegal? but no one ever seems to get ticketed for THAT shit) in a max speed zone. The officer also wrote me for even faster than I was doing, what a fucking piece of shit. This is a mild example of why people hate cops. (People who live in the inner city and have had a friend or family member murdered by one in cold blood, who then got away with it, have much better reasons.)
All over the US the rules for freewa
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If it's posted with the higher speed, it will probably say "Maximum Speed" instead of "Speed Limit". There's a difference.
I'm curious where you get this and what exactly the distinction is, because I've driven all over North America (50 states, 8 provinces, and Mexico) and have never seen this in the US. In the States, the only signs I've ever noticed are ones that state "speed limit n", while similar signs in Canada use the word "maximum". I've always assumed this was simply a difference in word choice. I've seen cities such as Atlanta which set a "minimum" speed limit on certain roads, so I wonder if posting a maximum speed
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Just in case it wasn't obvious to someone interested, the other reply to the parent was also my reply that was mistakenly posted as AC (#42020027).
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And yet the California Traffic Code knows of no other road but "highway."
Actually, the California Vehicle Code [ca.gov] does know of other roads besides "highway". Inside the General Provisions and Divisions Section is a section for Words and Phrases [ca.gov] basically describing Freeway [ca.gov], Highway [ca.gov] and Expressway [ca.gov].
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...German highways are speed limited. By the way, there is no mention that this happened on a highway or freeway in the article. This may have happened on either of them.
"...Saarland State police stopped on the autobahn..."
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Some are unrestricted, but many are limited to 120kph for certain stretches. Also, the speed limits change (they're put up on big LED displays hanging over the highway) depending on traffic and weather conditions...
Non-story (Score:1)
I'm sure people get stopped regularly with 50" flatscreen TV's on the passenger seat, as part of regular traffic checks, speeding etc. But as the article states:
Since there was no evidence he used the office while moving, (..)
Re:Non-story (Score:5, Funny)
We don't have crime in Germany. It went out of style 35 years ago as old-fashioned.
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Except the Skinhead territory in South East berlin...
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Not surprising and not news. (Score:1)
There are numerous options for dash-mounting or floorboard-mounting tablets and laptops available on Ebay and other internet sites and there are plenty of legitimate reasons for doing so. Many auto-insurance adjusters operate "mobile claims" vehicles that are equiped with the ability to print and prccess claims right at the spot of the accident. Their are many jobs such as home health care providers where employees spend more time in a vehicle or away from an actual office space. The ability to scan and sen
Re:Not surprising and not news. (Score:5, Informative)
Is this really so uncommon in Germany that it warrants a news story?
In Germany, when you are driving a car, you are supposed to be . . . well, driving. And not texting, adjusting your make-up, fixing paper jams or spilling your hot coffee on yourself so that you can sue McDonald's. A driver may only use a cell phone if the car has a Freisprecheinrichtung (speaker phone) installed.
In the picture, the laptop on the dashboard suspiciously looks like it was installed to be used while driving. So the guy could check his email or use video chat while moving. If the setup had looked like it was only meant to be used while parked, the cops wouldn't have had any problem with it. But since there isn't any law prohibiting such a setup, the cops couldn't charge him. However, it looked like the laptop on the dashboard would obstruct his view. For that, they might have been able to ticket him.
So I would just say that his setup raises a few eyebrows. I suspect that the guy was some sort of traveling salesman who was on the road all day, and it was very convenient for him to have a full car office. But to use it while driving? Well, the cops probably gave him a harsh warning about that.
Re:Not surprising and not news. (Score:5, Insightful)
In Germany, when you are driving a car, you are supposed to be . . . well, driving. And not texting, adjusting your make-up, fixing paper jams or spilling your hot coffee on yourself so that you can sue McDonald's.
Having driven both in Germany and in the US for quite extended distances, there often is a significant difference. Germany has a much higher population density, and that translates to a much higher traffic density. Moreover, the fact that there are different speed limits for different classes of vehicles (80km/h for trucks and most trailers, 100km/h for many buses and some trailers, unlimited or 120km/h for normal cars) leads to frequent lane changes and other manoeuvring. On the US50, I can just put a brick on the accelerometer, tie the wheel, and go to sleep (or email) for half an hour. Driving on the German Autobahn is often (though not always) more like driving in, say, inner-city Boston. If you are not reasonably alert, there is a high chance of an accident.
In the us you do have the split car / truck limits (Score:2)
In the us you do have the split car / truck limits as well.
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In the picture, the laptop on the dashboard suspiciously looks like it was installed to be used while driving.
What difference in placement would you use between installing it for use while driving, and installing it for use during brief stops without needing the time to adjust position? I'm pretty sure using it while stopped at a red light wouldn't be an offence.
I'd better watch out... (Score:2)
You'll see "Police Stop Man With Mobile Workshop in Van", although I tend not to actually leave stuff I'm working on sitting on the front seats.
Fiddling with this stuff while driving sounds a bit dangerous, but who here hasn't used Google Maps on their laptop to work out where they are?
At least he wasn't using this while driving. (Score:2)
At least he wasn't [craziestgadgets.com] using this while driving.
double standard (Score:5, Interesting)
Because it's not like this is even a fractional amount of the setup most police squad cars have (at least here in the US):
* Multiple radios, usually 2-3 from what I've seen (emergency, local police dispatch, national or state frequencies, etc.)
* A laptop on a mount
* A printer
* A shotgun
* A radar gun
* spot lights
* fancy data uplinks
What exactly would the problem be with anyone having these things in their car?
Keep in mind that "all of the above", plus what the guy in Germany had, is common fare for many US truckers (well, except the shotgun, which I believe is now illegal for a trucker to have in his cab).
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What exactly would the problem be with anyone having these things in their car?
Having these things is no problem, using them while driving would be a problem. Remember that in Germany even using your mobile phone hand-held while driving is illegal (you have to connect it to the car's speaker system so both of your hands are free and you can focus on the road), checking your email on a laptop placed on the passenger seat while driving would definitely be verboten.
In this case the issue is that whiel teh setup seems to be designed to be used while driving the cops did not catch the d
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Training. Law enforcement go through much more rigorous training behind the wheel.
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Driving distracted is going to result in a greatly increased risk of accidents no amount of training can fix that.
Here in Phoenix I see cops using their dash- mounted laptops while driving all the time. They're ususally not giving enough attention to driving. I've even seen them miss some criminal activity going on right infront of them, because they're focussed on looking at their screens.
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its perfectly legal to have a shotgun in your truck in most states
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its perfectly legal to have a shotgun in your truck in most states
It's perfectly legal to have a shotgun in your truck in most states, but in almost no states is it legal to travel around with it in a useful condition, i.e. fully loaded and close at hand.
In many states, it is legal to carry a concealable loaded firearm while driving, but only with a permit, which may cost hundreds of dollars and require a test where you properly handle the weapon and put some rounds into a target zone, or may cost a few bucks and be available over the internet. Some states' concealed weap
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in almost no states is it legal to travel around with it in a useful condition, i.e. fully loaded and close at hand.
According to the map [opencarry.org] compiled by opencarry.org, ~35 states allow unlicensed vehicle carry, though some have some restrictions (must be visible, must be concealed, must be in glove box, may be restricted by local law, etc.).
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"concealable" usually has nothing to do with the actual laws.
Actually, I was using "concealable" in the legal sense, which doesn't involve long guns.
As far as I know you're permitted to carry a shotgun in your truck in every state, but the requirements for storage vary. In some it has to be behind the seat or otherwise stashed where you can't get at it, and the ammunition not attached to or placed within the weapon. (Even in California, a weapon is not considered loaded if the ammunition is in the same container, but to minimize potential legal harassment, it's still
The German Traffic Cops (Score:1)
German traffic cops would red tag half the cars in America as unsafe I once got pulled over driving me POS car in college which was hot wired, cops thought it was funny.
I have a friend from Austria/Germany. First visit to the US is standing in front of his friends house when a car drives by with no hood. He says to his friend did you see that! And his friend is see what? The car with no hood! Isn't that illegal? No of course not. ... ... ... America greatest country!
Maxwell Smart (Score:2)
I'm trying to figure out what the story is. (Score:2)
I have a laptop mount in my vehicle that I use to hold a laptop running GPS software while driving. It gets live traffic updates from my phone's WiFi hotspot.
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Sounds like you might get in trouble if stopped.
It wouldn't be hard for the cop to (imagine) he saw you using it as a PC. In that you'd have to _prove_ you werent typing or whatever. Your word against a traffic cop always loses.
The Simpsons (Score:2)
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Simpsons already did it... (Score:5, Funny)
Needs a donut fryer.
illegal pass (Score:1)
so? (Score:3, Interesting)
ummm.. my ford escape has had all this and more for over 4 years. I have had one accident not caused by me, and the cops were impressed by my setup, not busting me for it lol.
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They didn't bust him for it either, they busted him for driving infractions they observed before they were aware of the equipment in the car.
Once they became aware of the equipment in the car, they still realized they had no proof (though some suspicion) that the equipment may have had something to do with the erratic driving. It looks like they cited him only for what he did, while pointing out the potential consequences if he was using the equipment while driving. In other words, the system actually worke
Summary? (Score:2)
When asked... (Score:5, Funny)
When asked what he was doing, did he respond, "Impersonating an office sir."
You can all groan now.
Cheers,
Dave
"Unsecured Items" (Score:3)
Buying a used cop car (Score:2)
A few years ago I was in the market for a car, and I considered a used police car.
The car makers usually have a police option group, including heavy duty front suspension and a heavy duty electrical system. Just what I need for driving up mountains with radios and telescopes.
Not to mention the intimidation factor. Around here, the cops like Ford Crown Victorias. And only cops drive them. Ford haven't sold them to private individuals for a long time, and they were never a big seller anyway.
...laura
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Problem with a used cop car is that the transmission is probably shot to hell. That's usually why they retire them.
Some explanations (Score:2)
Yes, German autobahns have speed limits, though obviously not everywhere. We have them because they are absolutely necessary. Germany has more than twice the population of California on significantly less area. The traffic often is accordingly.
For the same reason, it is absolutely forbidden to overpass another car on the right except under very specific circumstances (stop and go traffic, or direction lines at a crossing). This is the other thing which this driver has done. In contrast to the costly but soc
Sounds like a good homeless setup. (Score:2)
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Well, at least it wasn't "Man with mobile office in phone, stopped by police"
Re:Marketing strategy (Score:5, Insightful)
The funny thing is this "Mobile Office" resembles a lot of US Police squad cars, especially those in larger cities.
Built in computers with direct access to multiple databases, GPS tracking of the car as well as nearby police cars.
automated license plate readers, more radios than you can count, video cameras, and printers for your citation.
The sad part is the cops drive while reading from and typing on these computers.
Re:Marketing strategy (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah but cops get special training to do so in a safe and (&$&$/&)(/" Carrier Lost
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The sad part is the cops drive while reading from and typing on these computers.
They work in pairs, don't they? They probably aren't driving both at the same time.
Re:Marketing strategy (Score:4, Informative)
I don't know about you, but I've rarely seen a pair of officers in most cars unless we're talking about somewhere like Oakland, CA.
In the Dodge Charger squad cars, there simply isn't enough room for the electronics and a passenger - not unless the passenger is under 6' and 150lb at least. Not only do the newer cars afford barely any space, but the equipment takes up a lot. (This was much less a problem in a Vic.)
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I have lived in GA, SC, MO, NE, CO, AK and have never two cops share a car except for AK. Id often see the staties on the highway from Fairbanks to Anchorage, and they usually had two per car. I am guessing it was more because of the extreme circumstances of living in Alaska, particularly in the winter.
I also worked as a mechanic in GA for a few years back in the early 00's. Working at a Ford dealership means you see a lot of the cop cars. The cars were set up for one person in almost all police cars.
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My mother has that setup for her reality job.
Car insurance people who travel alot have that setup.
Minus the printer maybe but my mother users her laptop with a gps device for navigating.
of course both of those people use professional metal install kits.
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My mother has that setup for her reality job.
Really? What does she have for her fantasy job?
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Paladin armour.
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Meh, give me Saronite.
Re:Marketing strategy (Score:5, Informative)
You watch too much TV. Its hard to have dialog in the show unless there are partners.
Seriously, the only places you see two officer cars are in areas where crime is so rampant that cops are afraid
to go alone.
Even cities that are known for two officer cars don't use that model all the time (NYC for example typically use one officer cars in the burbs). San Diego [ncjrs.gov] actually found it safer and more efficient to have only one officer per car.
The FBI collected information for a period from January 1960 to September 1962 and found that in American cities deploying both types of vehicles, 65% of the officers killed while on duty killed were in two-officer vehicles while only 35% were in one-officer vehicles. This statistic seems to indicate that the presence of a second officer does not guarantee personal safety. From Here [fcpp.org]
Every time a single officer is killed it becomes a big emotional issue but most departments run single officer cars in most areas for most of the time, with some exceptions for high crime cities.
Re:Marketing strategy (Score:5, Informative)
The FBI collected information for a period from January 1960 to September 1962 and found that in American cities deploying both types of vehicles, 65% of the officers killed while on duty killed were in two-officer vehicles while only 35% were in one-officer vehicles.
That seems like a rather natural correlation: Presumably when there is a potential for a dangerous situation to arise, a two-officer vehicle would be dispatched. Concluding anything about the safety of one-officer vehicles vs. two-officer vehicles from this statistic would be on rather shaky ground.
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Then I suggest you trace it to the source and read the whole study. Bear in mind that this isn't the only such study to arrive at the same conclusion.
Departments don't often deploy both in the same area. And they don't route two officer cars across town when one or more single officer cars are closer. They simply send more than one car.
Multiple cars with single officers are more efficient and safer than single cars with dual officers.
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Also twice as many officers are killed, or you have twice the chance for at least one kill, when a two officer car has a serious crash.
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Indeed. Plus, an officer on his own I guess is much more likely to wait for backup and choose not to take any unnecessary risks. It is probable that the "my partner's got my back" feeling causes recklessness.
Re:Marketing strategy (Score:5, Insightful)
The FBI collected information for a period from January 1960 to September 1962 and found that in American cities deploying both types of vehicles, 65% of the officers killed while on duty killed were in two-officer vehicles while only 35% were in one-officer vehicles. This statistic seems to indicate that the presence of a second officer does not guarantee personal safety. From Here [fcpp.org]
Without knowing the percentages of one and two officer cars and the specifics of their deployment, this statistic indicates nothing. There's simply not enough information. Assuming 1/2 of the cars have a single officer, and 1/2 of the cars have 2 officers, and they are evenly deployed, one could conclude that each officer in a 2 officer car is .833% safer than the officer in a one officer car.
That's not the only problem here. Why are we citing a study from 1960 to 1962? Hasn't the nature of crime and the style of officer deployment changed at least a little in the last 50 years?
Re:Marketing strategy (Score:5, Insightful)
That just tells me that being around cops is dangerous.... So avoid police that are in numbers.
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Being around cops is dangerous, no matter how many of them there are.
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...areas where crime is so rampant that cops are afraid to go alone.
It's called Detroit.
Re:Marketing strategy (Score:5, Insightful)
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Am I really the only one that considered the possibility that there's fewer deaths cause single officers are more likely to act more carefully?
Re:Marketing strategy (Score:4, Informative)
Am I really the only one that considered the possibility that there's fewer deaths cause single officers are more likely to act more carefully?
In fact that is exactly what happened, contrary to what all those who refuse to read the linked articles but feel compelled to pontificate think.
They also are much more aware while on patrol because they are not always talking with their partners.
I don't even know why the discussion is still raging, because all you have to do is look out your windows at the next cop car you see and take a head count. The vast majority of you will see single officer cars. If we eliminated NYC and Detroit and a few other tough neighborhood cities you will probably find that single officer cars are the norm everywhere in the U.S. On a recent cross country trip I was amazed to find two officer police cars, till I realized I was in Boston.
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s/act more carefully/run away/
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You watch too much TV. Its hard to have dialog in the show unless there are partners.
Seriously, the only places you see two officer cars are in areas where crime is so rampant that cops are afraid to go alone.car.
Around here, it's because cops prefer to cruise with a buddy (wouldn't you?), and have a union that's strong enough to call the shots. And, of course, because we have a chief and city council who are too spineless to press the issue (you just know the union's PR response would be "they're needlessly endangering our brave boys in blue").
The FBI collected information for a period from January 1960 to September 1962 and found that in American cities deploying both types of vehicles, 65% of the officers killed while on duty killed were in two-officer vehicles while only 35% were in one-officer vehicles. This statistic seems to indicate that the presence of a second officer does not guarantee personal safety.
No. And they are less likely to kill innocent bystanders or other people who aren't actually a serious threat, too. Maybe when they're alone, they're less likely to be assh
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I've seen this elsewhere, too. (Score:2)
I went to a weather-watcher's class, and another person there actually had set up their vehicle for storm chasing. He had a whole office in his car. I suspect that those who get videos of things like tornados probably can market them pretty well.
At least for fame, maybe for money.
Anyhow... these things and more have been standard issue for news vans for some time now. I don't see what the big deal is, as long as he isn't using it while driving.
Also, being set up for use while in the driver's seat does n
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Re:Speed Limit? (Score:4, Informative)
He was driving on the Autobahn 8, but on a segment limited to 100km/h.
Re:Speed Limit? (Score:5, Informative)
Of course there are speed limits on the German autobahn, contrary to what many non-Germans think. As far as I know, there are even more autobahn-kilometers with a speed limit than without (both fixed speed limits and variable ones depending on traffic/weather/...).
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I just read the headline and figured some nutjob had a copy of MS's new Mobile Office(TM) for Win8/RT/Surface or whatever else they've been blathering about lately....
So, ya...that wudda been strange.
cheers,
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That's supposed to be a jab at the female members, or what?
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How about "Please kill yourself before you kill somebody else".
Re:Serious comment (Score:5, Insightful)
Why? The COPS have that exact same setup and they screw around with the laptop while driving. And I can guarentee that cops are not "expert" drivers that can do that safely.
How about we demand the police stop doing the exact same thing.
Re:Serious comment (Score:5, Insightful)
I have 3 times actually seen a cop driving in a car talking on their cell phone, despite a law here banning using a cell while driving. I even managed to get a video of it one of the times. I think the reason respect for cops has decreased so much over the last couple decades is that people are realizing they are hypocritical, power drunk assholes, and not just a few 'bad apples, but the majority of them.
Re:Serious comment (Score:4, Interesting)
Respect for cops has not decreased over the last couple decades. My guess is that you are about thirty or thirty five years old, so you only have a couple decades of memory [me too, by the way; I'm 33]. Cops have always been disrespected for being hypocritical power-hungry douchebags simply because they in fact always have been hypocritical power-hungry douchebags -- cf. Javert from Les Mis.
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Yup. Grandma grew up in the 20's and she would always spit at a police officer. Usually on the ground but in the cops direction in disrespect. Cities like Chicago and NYC are Legendary in their history of all the cops being dirty corrupt or just plain old scumbags.
Your local Police department is no different than your local Street Gang.. Except the street gang is more honest, they let you know they are out to get you, the Police use the lie of "we are here to help"....
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They got nothin' on New Orleans, those were some bad, bad cops. Mean MothaFuggahs, personal experience, ....nuf sed
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I have 3 times actually seen a cop driving in a car talking on their cell phone, despite a law here banning using a cell while driving. I even managed to get a video of it one of the times. I think the reason respect for cops has decreased so much over the last couple decades is that people are realizing they are hypocritical, power drunk assholes, and not just a few 'bad apples, but the majority of them.
In my city, the cops have junior college deplomas in criminology. The more recent graduates have bachelor degrees in criminology and cyberfraud. They train with "incase" and other software tools, they learn law, as required. The driving of the beat is a step forward to forensics, or other crime investigation careers. A few of our policewomen and policemen have mba and/or law degrees. Read where I am from.
Re:Serious comment (Score:4, Insightful)
It is simply an image of how the line of thought for police officers has become, "Oh hey, I am the law!"
Power drunk for talking on a cell phone while driving, no. Doesn't change the fact that it shows a blatant disregard for the very same rules he'd pull someone else over for violating.
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We seldom see two cops in the same car here in the states. And, as GP states, you can and will see the cops dicking around on the computer while they drive.
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Yeah, I know. Wouldn't it have actually been a story if it had been instead; "Police Stop Man with Mobile Car, in Office",...?
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nobody ever uses that silliness "kph". please, let's stay with km/h on slashdot.
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In Naperville you can go over to the tigerdirect / compusa store and get all kinds of stuff from there warehouse.