OT: How I survived seat belt school

Tonight I had two choices: go to seat belt school, waste 2 hours of my time, listen to a mad, shrieking, shrill of a trauma nurse preach the virtues of wearing a seat belt, and pay $20 of my hard earned money, or I could pay $100 for the seat belt ticket. I don't make $40 an hour so I opted for the former.

BTW, this thread is not intended to discuss one's feelings about seat belts. That is a whole other topic. :drink:

Since I am a two time loser, I knew what to expect as far as how this class would go and what I would do to occupy my time while attending this misleading and completely biased lecture.

If you are ever forced to go to a class, lecture, or any other event you don't gived a rat's ass about, here's one option you might consider. (cell phones won't work. one guy was called out for doodling on his tonight) If you don't already have one, get yourself a mini am/fm radio with low profile ear buds. Wear a dark shirt or coat. Sit in the back on one side of the room. Run the ear bud (under shirt) to the ear the instructor is blocked from. Now tune in your favorite station (or game) and watch the time fly by.

Note: AM doesn't always come in when inside buildings.

Put my melon through a windshield once-learned my lesson.

I must be getting old, but if you roll and don't have a belt on, you get tossed & die-at least 80% of the time.

Think about it.

TTinCO said:

Put my melon through a windshield once-learned my lesson.

I must be getting old, but if you roll and don't have a belt on, you get tossed & die-at least 80% of the time.

Think about it.

Click to expand...

u kidding me? gotta be a story behind that...let's hear it

Good advice TTINCO...

That said, how do you get nailed for not wearing a seatbelt?

Is Oregon a state where they can pull you over just for that alone?

Here in Florida, the cops can't pull you over just for seatbelt, they must pull you over for something else and then spot you beltless.

So in the event you see flashing lights, if you're unbuckled, just reach your left arm over and slide it up under the belt and do the one hand buckle job while you're stalling your stop time.

Tinted windows are also helpful to avoid such stops.

REMINDER...Traffic cops are carefully trained to get you to make incriminating statements.

So unless you want to lose all hope of beating a ticket, never confess.

You have the right to remain silent.

Seriously.

Common questioning techniques designed to elicit a self-incriminating statement include:

1) Why were you going so fast? or Why are you in such a hurry?

Answer - I don't think I was speeding. Why do you ask?

2) Why did you run that red light?

Answer - I don't think I did.

3) Do you always ride without a seatbelt?

Answer - Of course not, I just unbuckled it now after I came to a complete stop and turned off my motor so I could better reach my wallet and papers.

====
IMHO, anytime a cop makes a declarative statement such as, "I noticed you weren't wearing your seatbelt", my response is, "I believe you're mistaken".

Many drivers think that if they "confess" and act sheepish and apologetic, they can get out of a ticket.

And that may sometimes be true.

But on a seatbelt, I have no compunction about telling a cop that he was mistaken and that I had it on the whole time.

Since I'm not harming anyone in those infrequent times when I go beltless, the state can eat me before I'll confess to this "crime" and pay a fine.

barman, yes Oregon has a primary seat belt law. And like the officer said in the class, it's not the govt. demanding you wear a seat belt, it is the people who voted the law in. That very moment I was so tempted to say something, but instead I bit my tongue. By the end of class, my tongue was hamburger.

About what to say to an officer when pulled over, I agree you should never admit any wrong doing. I would suggest you say little or nothing. That's your right 5th amendment right guaranteed under the constitution. And if the officer is persistent with questions, all you have to do is say, "Sir, do I have to answer that question?"

One other thing about that dumb class. The trauma nurse giving the lecture and the officer who opened for her, were IMO seat belt crusaders, zealots, and fanatics. Did they have a legitimate point of view? Yes. However, the information provided could have been taught in about 5 minutes. Instead we were forced to view bloody pictures from 1976 and we were forced to listen to tragic stories of what might have been if only this or that person would have worn a seat belt. I imagine this type of "re-education" might have an impact on a teenager, but I will wager that anyone over 25 isn't likely to change after listening to that garbage.

barman said:

Good advice TTINCO...

That said, how do you get nailed for not wearing a seatbelt?

Is Oregon a state where they can pull you over just for that alone?

Here in Florida, the cops can't pull you over just for seatbelt, they must pull you over for something else and then spot you beltless.

So in the event you see flashing lights, if you're unbuckled, just reach your left arm over and slide it up under the belt and do the one hand buckle job while you're stalling your stop time.

Tinted windows are also helpful to avoid such stops.

REMINDER...Traffic cops are carefully trained to get you to make incriminating statements.

So unless you want to lose all hope of beating a ticket, never confess.

You have the right to remain silent.

Seriously.

Common questioning techniques designed to elicit a self-incriminating statement include:

1) Why were you going so fast? or Why are you in such a hurry?

Answer - I don't think I was speeding. Why do you ask?

2) Why did you run that red light?

Answer - I don't think I did.

3) Do you always ride without a seatbelt?

Answer - Of course not, I just unbuckled it now after I came to a complete stop and turned off my motor so I could better reach my wallet and papers.

====
IMHO, anytime a cop makes a declarative statement such as, "I noticed you weren't wearing your seatbelt", my response is, "I believe you're mistaken".

Many drivers think that if they "confess" and act sheepish and apologetic, they can get out of a ticket.

And that may sometimes be true.

But on a seatbelt, I have no compunction about telling a cop that he was mistaken and that I had it on the whole time.

Since I'm not harming anyone in those infrequent times when I go beltless, the state can eat me before I'll confess to this "crime" and pay a fine.

Click to expand...

Are you fucking kidding me. A "cop" (yeah right) advocating getting tinted windows. Cops hate pulling over cars with tinted windows. I am shocked that you could say this. I knew you were a "dope" but this is crazy. What's next with you.

Ex girlfriend's son took a friends brand new mustang out for a joyride. He was the one driving and wasn't wearing a seat belt, his best friend was the passenger and was wearing a seatbelt. Police reports say the car was going over100 mph on a hilly 2 lane road when it bottomed out and driver lost control and hit a tree. Girlfriend's son was ejected from the driver's side and survired was scraps and bruises, nothing major, was released from hospital after a few hours best friend who was wearing seat belt had to be remove from car after car was cut open, he was pretty much DOA. 17-18 years olds can be very careless at times. This was one instance where wearing a seat belt didn't save a life, it had the opposite affect.

After doing some clinacal time in a busy south florida trauma room I always buckle my seat belt. See it live in action while a guy is laying there being catheterized for his lacerated kidney's fom being thrown against the dashboard, and back into the backseat of the car. That was the most painful scream i ever heard. The Passenger who was wearing a seatbelt had a chest bruise, and some minor scrapes and bruises.

Look at my avatar. I see some crazy shit in my test lab.
Zeeman that is a terrible story. What is the point though. Going 100 mph is not very bright. Kids are kids though. That is not a good arguement to not wear a seatbelt. Please everyone everyone should be wearing a seatbelt.



Also please let your school districts know that you expect them to put seatbelts in school buses. They fight against this regulation strictly becuase the cost.