Pulled over by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[spiderdan]

So it's a great Spider day here in Ottawa and I decide to burn some benzina. I decide to cruise the scenic Rockcliffe Parkway (now the George-Étienne Cartier Parrkway). Most of the Parkway is 60kph (37mph) except the curves. There is one very curvy stretch, which has recently been paved, with rocks on one side and a cliff going down to the river on the other. They also added a new guardrail to keep the cyclist and pedestrians away from guys like me. I came into this stretch downshifting from 5th to 3rd gear (gotta get that 4th fixed). I was twisting Angelina through the curves and was loving the sound of my exhaust bouncing off the rock wall. Came out of the long curve just past the Ottawa river "lookout" and noticed a big white car with a rack on the roof. I guess I didn't notice him at the lookout, now I know why they call it that...lookout for the RCMP!
I slowed down slightly as I approached the 1st of 2 traffic circles. Even used my signals lights (blinkers to some of you). Got out of the 1st one and he turned on his rack of lights. I was pulled over right before the Prime Ministers residence. (Phaetn you know where). Of course during the mandatory 5 minute wait (checking my plates in his database) I readied my insurance ownership and licence. As he approached my open window, I handed him my docs without him asking. Then in a very thick french accent he says "You go pretty fast back dere". And I said with a straight face, oh this car just looks and sounds fast.
Before he could reply I switched to french and asked him if he would prefer to speak in french. He switched to french and told me that I was going 85kph (53mph). I figure the posted speed in those curves is 30 or 40kph. (18 or 25mph) I laughed and told him that if I took my 47 year old car, that fast, in those curves, we wouldn't be talking, I would be in the Ottawa River.
He laughed, shook his head, gave me back my documents, recommended I slow down and then said "Ctin' bo char" (it's a nice car).
It pays to have grey hair!

[AriK]

Interesting tale Dan. If the cop determined that you were doing 85kph i would assume he tracked you on radar, no? They don't usually fabricate specific numbers like that. I ought to say, with these cars so close down to the ground it feels like you're going quite a bit quicker than your actual speed. That's what makes them so much fun to drive.
In all my time driving i gotta admit that i've never seen RCMP cops doing speed traps nor any traffic duty altogether. They tend to hang out near federal infrastructure such as major bridges or airport territory. Then again, i guess they have more prominent duties being in the nation's capital.
At least he let you off and complimented your car. Cops in Laval Quebec refrain from complimenting cars. They're out for blood and they set up all kinds of organized traps. Once they nail you, you're getting the ticket, no matter how grey you are.

[spiderdan]

RCMP have jurisdiction on all the Parkways here. Plus there are many rookies around posted on "embassy duty".
Figured the guy that pulled me over didn't have me on his radar and his quoted 85kph was a guess.
I'm sure I wasn't going much over 84kph.
Then again, at my age, I am easily confused with my Spiders' mph speedo and sometimes I forget.
That's my line and I'm sticking to it!

[rjkoop]

RCMP have jurisdiction on all the Parkways here. Plus there are many rookies around posted on "embassy duty".
Figured the guy that pulled me over didn't have me on his radar and his quoted 85kph was a guess.
I'm sure I wasn't going much over 84kph.
Then again, at my age, I am easily confused with my Spiders' mph speedo and sometimes I forget.
That's my line and I'm sticking to it!

Awesome Dan. Going to take my car out tomorrow to test out the new rear suspension... and tucked in bumpers (I figure I'll get even more looks - ) Looking forward to it. Have to watch out for those RCMP guys though!

[Frog2Spider]

I've been in the US for 25 years, but born in New Brunswick, educated in Winterton, Alberta, and lived 20 years in Vancouver, BC. While my associations with the RCMP have been relatively few, they have always occurred when driving a nice car or motorcycle above the posted speeds. This, I think, may have 'worked' in my favour, as they all have seemed to be vehicle enthusiasts. I had one stop me, just so he could look at my motor!

So your experience, Spiderdan, doesn't surprise me, And brought back very positive memories! Thanks.

They are, in my option, a group of well educated, well trained and very human individuals.

I wish the police here in the US were as good.

[DieselSpider]

In Montreal my mother got into the wrong lane and ended up going down a one way in the wrong direction driving a 69 Sedan DeVille pulling a 35 foot camping trailer. The officer who saw this ran up to the car and simply told her "No no Madam. Not nice", gave her directions on how to get out from the Olympic Stadium to the main highway and then after putting on his white gloves walked down the street in front of her car a number of blocks directing traffic out of the way waving her on when we got to the turnoff to get to the highway. No ticket or other drama. In Massachusetts they would have made her turn around and failing that called a tow truck giving her a ticket afterwards. Made that Summer Trip of 1975 more memorable. Very nicely done!

[phaetn]

Spiderdan I know that road like the back of my hand as it's on my commute home and probably only five minutes to my house.

The slippery when wet sign right at the base of the cliffs indicates 30km/h; the twisties ahead sign right before it is my cue to drop down from fourth to third and hammer on the gas to get that sweet sound of exhaust resonating off the cliff and go up the bends. Most of the time I hang back from traffic ahead and put some distance between us so I can plant the throttle for a few moments. It's fun on the way down, too, (exhaust is even closer to the cliffs!) but physics are against you should there be an "incident" and you wouldn't scrub off speed in the same way as if you are going uphill.

If people are wondering what it's about, here it is:
https://youtu.be/y2Y3JN_JmUM?t=101
It's actually much more elevated than it looks.

Dan, I think you're right on the money re the officer's duties. While there are sometimes traffic enforcement RCMP on the road (you can tell them by their radar mounts and/or light strip on the inside of the back window) most of the RCMP that you'd see around there are on embassy, Prime Minister, or Governor General detail. They use the parkway a lot because the Protective Services campus as at the end of the parkway in Gloucester (St. Joseph Blvd) so often they're on their way to their assignment. Last year I had the same kind of treatment: I didn't get the lights, but an officer pulled up beside me at a stop outside of the GG's Princess Ave. gate and we had a chat about speed.

Ottawa's a funny place in terms of law enforcement. We have the RCMP (national force) for dignitaries, embassies, and federal properties and NCC roads; OPP (provincial) for 400 series highways, outlying areas, and will assist in water rescues; and finally, the Ottawa Police as our local municipal force for everything else. Pop over one of the bridges spanning the Ottawa River and then you add in the Sûreté du Québec as you've crossed into another province. Ah, the joys of the capital.

Unusually warm weather over the next few days, so I think another week of Spider weather. Yay!!

Cheers,
phaetn

[4uall]

Son of a bitch

[spiderdan]

Jay, did he pull you over for impersonating Santa?

[Jimb]

RCMP with the latest technology can map your speed from 2 klms away in either direction.
By the time you see them they've made up their minds what theyre going to do.

[btoran]

I don't understand how the RCMP get electricity for the lights and radar. Do the horses carry batteries in their saddle bags?

[spiderdan]

They've perfected methane gas recovery.
They're also working on harvesting steam from the patties too.

[Jimb]

They actually go through a lot of horses. Seems they're always either breaking their legs running over the frozen tundra or breaking necks running into igloos.
Jim