Neighborhood radar test

[sbhikes]

This guy did his own radar gun testing. It's pretty funny. http://www.cockeyed.com/science/radar/radar.shtml

[Dchiefransom]

Pretty funny, and interesting, but with so many drivers having radar detectors in their vehicle, how did he know they weren't aware of him?

[genec]

"In the end, I found a solution: Pink tricycles work, but to really slow traffic on your street, nothing beats a police car."

The most amazing thing tends to happen when police cars are around.

Ever notice that the normally speeding freeway drivers suddenly are going speed limit and are even using turn signals... when a police car enters the scene.

Most drivers know they are violating the law when they speed and perform other "acts" in their cars... this is easily confirmed by the presence of a patrol car and the way drivers suddenly "straighten up."

[CommuterRun]

In the end, I found a solution: Pink tricycles work, but to really slow traffic on your street, nothing beats a police car.
Hmm, I wonder if it would work with a plywood cutout of the rear of a cruiser. Positioned as if the cruiser were parked on the side of the road. Maybe until the drivers that regularly used that route figured it out......Then replace the cutout with a real cruiser.:D

In Japan they use police officer mannequins placed around town and near certain areas such as construction zones, etc. Probably wouldn't work here like it does there though. Their societal sense of right and wrong has much less lackadaisical gray area than is found in this country.

[genec]

Hmm, I wonder if it would work with a plywood cutout of the rear of a cruiser. Positioned as if the cruiser were parked on the side of the road. Maybe until the drivers that regularly used that route figured it out......Then replace the cutout with a real cruiser.:D

In Japan they use police officer mannequins placed around town and near certain areas such as construction zones, etc. Probably wouldn't work here like it does there though. Their societal sense of right and wrong has much less lackadaisical gray area than is found in this country.

Actually the mannequin idea has been used here... some small police departments have used this technique to "beef up" the force.

[bmclaughlin807]

Actually the mannequin idea has been used here... some small police departments have used this technique to "beef up" the force.

http://www.officer.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=38799
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070820/koddities/odd_cutout_cop
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/08/25/0825cutouts.html

[randya]

there is at least one guy in my neighborhood who buys older bicycles at garage sales and randomly locks them to street signs at intersections throughout the neighborhood so they are prominently visible to motorists.

[cudak888]

My own next door neighbor is an officer; I recall assisting her with a full-size tricycle that she had purchased for a relative. She had just arrived home, and was still in her full uniform.

There was not a single car that didn't slow down immediately upon the sight of her presence on the trike - one motorist even came up with a goofy attempt at a wave/nod towards us. One of the funniest things I'd ever seen in my life. "Trike Patrol" gags littered the rest of the day.

-Kurt

[Kerlenbach]

A guy crouching behind a car holding a radar gun would make me think he was a loon with a real gun. No wonder the cops came by.

[syn0n]

Hmm, I wonder if it would work with a plywood cutout of the rear of a cruiser. Positioned as if the cruiser were parked on the side of the road. Maybe until the drivers that regularly used that route figured it out......Then replace the cutout with a real cruiser.:D
I can't find the picture I have of it, but in Mexico they do the plywood cutout thing. It was a Crown Victoria profile, painted with cutouts for windows, etc. On first glance, it looked real. They put them on the highways for the purpose of slowing down traffic.

I don't really think it would work that well, though. With the exception of the inattentive, I think most people can tell they're fake a long way off.

[randya]

I think a $20 Hot Wheels radar gun is an invaluable tool for making your neighborhood safer. Great idea!

[The Human Car]

The most amazing thing tends to happen when police cars are around.

Ever notice that the normally speeding freeway drivers suddenly are going speed limit and are even using turn signals... when a police car enters the scene.
In ~75’ I had a friend who was a photographer for the state and he would drive around in a state patrol car to do some shooting at a location. He was a real laid back fellow and did not believe in going faster then 50mph even on the highway (at least a 55mph speed limit.) So one day on my way to work, traffic was abnormally thick but eventually I managed to get to the front and there was my friend driving 50mph in a patrol car so I honked and waved as I passed but everyone else was too afraid to pass. Funniest thing I ever saw involving a police car.

[maddyfish]

I have on of these Hot Wheels radar guns, it works pretty well when a car is coming right at you, or going right away from you. Range is about 50 feet. Pretty good for $12 from toys r us

[San Rensho]

The most important information that this exercise gleaned is that people don't drive with their noses stuck in the dashboard, looking at how fast they are going (nor should they, they should pay attention to traffic around them). People drive at a speed that "feels" safe.

In this situation, most of the cars were actually going slower than the speed limit because its a narrow, two way street and it doesn't "feel" safe to go fast. If the exact same neighborhood had a four lane, divided street, instead if this street, cars would go way above the speed limit because two lanes in one direction makes drivers feel more confident they can go faster, as if they were on a freeway.