Professional Traffic Stop in Reston - Fairfax County Police

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Went out to dinner tonight with wife and daughterat Reston Town Center (Rio Grande Cafe) while OC.. No issues. Left the parking lot and went down to the Fairfax County Parkway. Apparently, there was a "NO TURN ON RED" sign that I missed and I made a right turn when traffic allowed. Moments later a zillion of those new bright Blue LED lights (I love thosethings)... then the spotlight in the rear view. I had my driver's window open and left arm and hand were in site. I put my right hand at 10 o'clock on steering wheel so that it would be in site too. (At this point I still had not idea why I was pulled over and was not sure if he followed me from the restaurant or had a "man with a gun call, etc.) He came to the window, we greeted each other and he told me why he stopped me. He then asked for my license and I explained it was in my pocket but that before I reached for it I wanted him to know I was under arms and Open Carrying on my right side. He said "ok" and that was the end of the discussion regarding the firearm. A noticed a second unit pull up behind the first and the first office returned after about 5 minutes with a written warning and asked me to be more careful regarding the signs and gave me a written warning.

I will be sending one of my post cards to Fairfax County PD for the professionalism showed.

Not that it matters and/or that he even saw my shirt.. but I was wearing my VCDL shirt. Maybe it brought me good luck.

http://www.flyboyed.com/ocdo/trafficstop.wav

or

http://www.flyboyed.com/ocdo/trafficstop.mp3

7 mins 11 seconds.

Ed

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edit: postcard sent.

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Did you actually stop and then turn, or did you roll through. Hehe.

Anotherright-turn-on-red twilight zone, is atWhiele and the Parkway... west on Whiele and then turn north onto the parkway. The sign is there, but the only light indicating a green arrow is directly above the white line where you stop. So your head will be out of the window and leaning all the way back to see if you can go on the arrow.

:dude:

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matt605 wrote:

Did you actually stop

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yep.

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matt605 wrote:

Did you actually stop and then turn, or did you roll through. Hehe.

Anotherright-turn-on-red twilight zone, is atWhiele and the Parkway... west on Whiele and then turn north onto the parkway. The sign is there, but the only light indicating a green arrow is directly above the white line where you stop. So your head will be out of the window and leaning all the way back to see if you can go on the arrow.

:dude:

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I went to drop my date for sunday off and on the way home I ALMOST went on red at that intersection, but I caught it at the last second:shock:

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Personally, I think the new extra-flashy gumball machines are unnecessarily distracting, and a hazard to any nearby traffic.

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marshaul wrote:

Personally, I think the new extra-flashy gumball machines are unnecessarily distracting, and a hazard to any nearby traffic.

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Fairfax sure does like putting on light shows

Actually its funny...I've been fasinated at the progress Fairfax has done with their crown vics over the years...when I was growing up I remember the 80's crown vics with the halogen lightbars (with the rotators inside), Federal StreetHawk bars if I remember correctly...then the 90's came, and so did the Tomar 925 strobe lights, later the 950 strobes. Then the 2000's and the Tomar 930L and currently, theTomar Blade (the low-profile bar that looks more like a roof-rack when the lights are off).

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Yup, and they just keep getting worse with time. Lower-profile, more distracting. How is more of bad things supposed to be progress?

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Well spoken Ed....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great respect for you and your family.!!!!!

Please do take time out to appreciate the courtesy for the officer on OA.!!!!!

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I knew what you meant.

But the PDs would no doubt call it progress, and it was them I was intending to criticize.

They work well enough from the perspective of an officer alright. It's me as a driver that suffers. :shock:

I can envision it now -- a future were police lights cause fender-benders like the proverbial bikini-clad woman in the crosswalk, leaving them free to patrol the ruins unmolested by rogue controlled vehicles. :lol:

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marine2000 wrote:

Well spoken Ed....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great respect for you and your family.!!!!!

Please do take time out to appreciate the courtesy for the officer on OA.!!!!!

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Thanks.

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Ed, that was a great story. You seem to have done everything right and so did the Officer, The cards are good but I'd like to throw out one suggestion.

When most of us complain, we demand in the letter that the complaint be noted in the officers file (I certainly do).

I wonder if you should have a sentence on the cards, asking for it to be included in his personal file. I've had good results doing that and generally get a letter stating that they are proud of the job officer x is doing, and his file will be noted.

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peter nap wrote:

Ed, that was a great story. You seem to have done everything right and so did the Officer, The cards are good but I'd like to throw out one suggestion.

When most of us complain, we demand in the letter that the complaint be noted in the officers file (I certainly do).

I wonder if you should have a sentence on the cards, asking for it to be included in his personal file. I've had good results doing that and generally get a letter stating that they are proud of the job officer x is doing, and his file will be noted.

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+1 outstanding suggestion!

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peter nap wrote:

Ed, that was a great story. You seem to have done everything right and so did the Officer, The cards are good but I'd like to throw out one suggestion.

When most of us complain, we demand in the letter that the complaint be noted in the officers file (I certainly do).

I wonder if you should have a sentence on the cards, asking for it to be included in his personal file. I've had good results doing that and generally get a letter stating that they are proud of the job officer x is doing, and his file will be noted.

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Good idea for next time (if there ever is one...) I have not been pulled over in years and this card was sent last night.. but NEXT time I will be sure too. I know sometimes I am quick to criticize with a postcard and my point with showing the card is that I am (or try to be) just as quick to praise.

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ed wrote:

peter nap wrote:

Ed, that was a great story. You seem to have done everything right and so did the Officer, The cards are good but I'd like to throw out one suggestion.

When most of us complain, we demand in the letter that the complaint be noted in the officers file (I certainly do).

I wonder if you should have a sentence on the cards, asking for it to be included in his personal file. I've had good results doing that and generally get a letter stating that they are proud of the job officer x is doing, and his file will be noted.

Click to expand...

Good idea for next time (if there ever is one...) I have not been pulled over in years and this card was sent last night.. but NEXT time I will be sure too. I know sometimes I am quick to criticize with a postcard and my point with showing the card is that I am (or try to be) just as quick to praise.

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Run another sign and you can have a next time

But a good encounter to say the least!

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Wow - very interesting to hear the exchange between you and the officer. Glad all turned out well. :celebrate

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I'm very happy to see people on the forum just as quick to praise as to criticize LEOs. Kudos to you Ed!! And to the officer who handled himself and his job so very well.

As I have said before, I look forward to the day that we have post after post about positive LEO interactions. I very much hope that LEOs from other sites who visit here note this thread, the fact that there is no anger over the LEO doing his job and pulling over the OP and that the praise in the postcard is not because of a warning ticket rather than a fine, but because of leaving legal carry as a non-issue.

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I look forward to the day when positive interactions are the norm, and people no longer feel the need to discuss police action on way or the other.

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Can somebody remind me of the rationale behind the "Thank You" cards....I know it was posted somewhere at some point yet it alludes me.

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bayboy42 wrote:

Can somebody remind me of the rationale behind the "Thank You" cards....I know it was posted somewhere at some point yet it alludes me.

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Since I sent it I will tell you why. I criticize what I consider wrong behavior, in writing, on the phone, in person and on the net. I also try and do the same for positive behavior. The thank you not was basically for thanking the officer for not making any big deal about the firearm. It was all (and only) about the traffic stop. I would have send it even if I had received a citation.

Ed

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It's because we're so quick to bitch at them when they screw up, so Ed's being just as quick to praise them when they do it right.

Edit: NOTE TO SELF: Self, be sure to go to the last page of the thread before you respond, just in case Ed already took care of it.