Can the cops give you a ride?

cobb

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I grew up watching the old shows you see on Nick at night and it seems the cops were a generic service for a range of needs one may have. I think one show the cop actually rode in a taxi cab for some reason I cant recall.

Anyway, not being about to drive Ive asked the cops for a few rides. One response I got was a quiz about how much money I had and or a credit card. He proceeded to call a cab for me. Another said he would give me a ride, but his car was full of equipment in the back. Passenger seat looked empty, but maybe he had his AV gear taking up that spot or something. Another cop did offer one in his private truck, he was in uniform, but not driving a marked or unmarked car. Last cop I asked again asked about my money situation, told him I had 3 bucks an a credit card. He told me to ask a local store to call me a cab or wait 3 hours for the last bus to roll through.

All these happened at different times and places. Is there a code of when a cop can give you a lift? Can they help you with a cab?

Just wondering....
 

VWTim

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Most dept's have policies on rides, they can't do it. Also to be fair they have a cab list at dispatch, so an officer can call dispatch to call a cab company. They also don't like people up front for safety reasons.
 

cratz2

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Yeah, different depts will have different regulations... I'd have to hazzard a guess that most larger cities will have policies against giving rides for no particular reason.

In Indianapolis, unless you know the officer or possibly if you are a known 'good guy that gets himself into trouble' type character, you are quite unlikely to get a ride anywhere other than to lockup.
 

CLHC

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As what VWTim alluded to. But I was given a ride home by the CHP (California Highway Patrol) when I got into a wreck on HWY 101. The officer called it in and proceeded to drive me home, which was about a 30 minute ride from the scene of the accident to my home out in the boonies.

I'm guessing that it depends.
 

Lightraven

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My agency discourages giving rides. My personal policy is only to give rides that are job related: safety, witness to a crime, and of course, arrested suspect.

This also applies to people who need a tow.
 

BatteryCharger

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That's not their job, nor the service they are supposed to be offering the community. If they just gave rides to everyone willy nilly, they would be wasting a TON of resources and time they shouldn't be. If someone is a victim of a crime or an accident involving their transportation and has no other way to get home that's one thing, otherwise you should be taking the bus like everyone else who can't drive.
 

ibcj

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Giving rides without a legitmate reason is not the purpose of the police.

A friend and fellow co-worker was shot and killed two weeks ago when he happened to check on an car that was parked along the road. Think about it - if he was just giving someone a ride for no legitimate reason, there may have been two funerals because he was being a nice guy and giving someone a ride.

Police officers have a dangerous job and giving rides without a good cause only puts other peoples lives in jepordy.
 

Numbers

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No rides,
In addition to what Battery charger said,
I think that it is a general policy of governmental units to not compete with legitimate for profit businesses (except in cases of emeregency), in this case the bus and cab companies.
 

cratz2

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Not only the reasons listed, but it also:

1. Takes time away that the could be doing something perhaps more beneficial to the community.

2. Is a liability. If a few officers in each city give a handful of rides each night, over the course of a year, there will be MANY accidents while non-essential civilians are in police cars. There WILL be lawsuits.

If it's a matter of safety (car is broken down in a VERY bad neighborhood), that's one thing. But again, unless the person is known to the officer, there are FAR more reasons NOT to give rides than to give them.
 

Silviron

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And another reason that they don't give rides outside of official business is because if they get a 'hot call' on the way or happen to see a crime being committed with a civilian in their car, they can get sued if the passenger even gets upset, much less injured or killed.

Back a few decades ago it used to be pretty easy where I lived for an ordinary citizen to do a 'ride along'...... Until one night when something big happened, and units from all over town responded at high speed to a Code 3 / Code 30 call...

One ride along was badly injured in an accident, the other was just 'scared' to be going so fast.... They both sued the PD and the city, they both won big settlements, and the 'ride along' program stopped permanently.
 

Lightraven

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Big settlement, you say. . . ?

Hmm. I've gone pretty fast on some pursuits, maybe I should sue. Of course, I was driving, but still . . .big settlement.
 

paulr

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I think it depends on the location and the situation. I've been given rides by officers a few times but it was clear there was discretion involved (I vaguely remember one incident where my junk heap car broke down a mile from home and a cop pulled over wanting to know why I was walking down a normally non-pedestrian road carrying a toolbox, then gave me a ride when I told him).

It's probably more relaxed in a small town environment where people all know each other. As an extreme example, a couple summers ago I visited a friend who lived in a backwoods town, and we decided to walk to the next backwoods town up the road (about 3 miles, nice scenic stroll). We got there, did a couple things, and started walking back, when my friend decides she's tired of walking, and flags down a passing cop car and asks for a lift! I felt embarassed by that. But she and the officer knew each other and chatted it up on the way back. I still never would have done such a thing.
 
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Silviron

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Lightraven said:
Big settlement, you say. . . ?

Hmm. I've gone pretty fast on some pursuits, maybe I should sue. Of course, I was driving, but still . . .big settlement.

Yeah, the person injured got a few millions (he WAS badly injured, a couple million $ for hospital bills and loss of income and that kind of thing, (which was probably fair) but also a million or so 'punitive' damages, which just wasn't right since he asked to go on a 'ride along'.

The person who was merely frightened got like $100,000 for 'mental anguish'.

Dang lawyers and stupid juries.
 

Robocop

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This is a good question and most departments answers will most often be similiar. The factor within my department is indeed liability. I have insurance on myself and any prisoners within my car during normal business transports. If I am going to jail and have an accident or even get involved in a shoot out any passenger will be covered if they are in my patrol car for business or criminal reasons.

If I am simply giving a little old lady a ride to the airport and have a nasty wreck the first question my Chief will ask is why did you have a passenger and why are we being sued by this little old lady with a hurt back? It is sad to say but you can not trust the kindness of others very much these days and many officers start out to do the right thing and will end up in trouble for violation of policy.

Many cops in general will shy away from free transports simply as they want to take no risks at all. If it is an emergency then it is covered and if done correctly many incidents can be labeled as an emergency.
 

jtr1962

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As a general rule, no, except for a ride to jail if you get arrested. ;) The reason has mainly to do with liability. If they have a crash, the police department can be sued big time. Also, from a practical standpoint if the police happen to be called to a crime scene while giving you a ride they have two choices-either bring you along or drop you off where they happen to be when they get the call. Neither option is that attractive.
 

gadget_lover

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Many locations don't do extra services simply because the local businesses have asked the city not to compete.

Rides: Taxi
Gas : Tow truck
Locked out: Locksmith
Flat tire: Gas Station
First aid (non-emergency): paramedics

and on and on.

I know that in some states the locksmith loby has made it illegal to open a locked car for someone unless you are a licensed locksmith. The rational was to prevent damage and enhance security. The real reason was job security.

Daniel
 

Ronrph

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Have recieved 3 rides.
1) was pulled over having an expired inspection sticker. Forgot to get my car inspected ( and didn't renew registration either). Just tooling along doing the speed limit thinking everything is cool and the cop pulls me over. Gave me a ticket for not getting the car inspected- not for the registration- which was nice of him. Then he gave me a ride to work.
2) my cars transmission locked up at 50 mph on a dry road in the winter. Did several 360's just watching the world go by. Luckily wound up on top of a snow bank instead of hitting anything hard. Cop gave me a ride home to my door.
3) took a bike ride across NJ to PA knowing a friend lived right across the border in Bristol. Didn't realize the bridge there had no sidewalk and was very narrow. Asked the cop sitting there if there was a way across somewhere else and he offered a ride across. I got the impression it was actually sort of his job.
 

Bravo25

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Dang lawyers and stupid juries.
Yup. That is what we all call them when we don't agree. Truth is thats justice. Win, or loose. Like it, or not. Once you go through the court system you have received justice. It is not only justice when you win.

12 reasonable people disagree with an attorney, that has unlimited resources for his prosecution, (or an attorney for a government entity), and we throw around terms like "Dang lawyers and stupid juries."

I work in a building where there are a lot of "alplhabet soup companies", and the attitudes between them, and the local LEO are like night, and day. So I believe a lot of it is discression. Whether it occurs on the street, or the administrative offices.

The police are there to serve the public, not just contain them, and rule over them. This of course is just my discressionary opinion.
 

Pydpiper

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Bravo Bravo!

I have had a few rides for no reason, or better yet when there was potential for trouble. I used to hitch hike a 30 Km route to see a girl every Friday, the only traffic was on one of our larger highways, of course illegal to hitch hike on.. Every time I was caught I was questioned to my intentions, laughed at, then offered a ride home, to my destination or to the parallel desolate road.. Mind you, this was 20 years ago.. I even recall once when one officer radioed in and made an excuse as to why he would be unavailable for the next half hour.
After reading all these police associated threads I am quickly coming to the conclusion that there is a major difference with Small town police. Having said that the officers on the highway are provincial police, equivalent to a state trooper.
The things I used to do for the gals... :)

Ooh, a better one..
I was arguing with my girlfriend at the time, two in the morning, she was pretty mad at me for something that now evades me.. I lived in a dump apartment downtown above a business, not exactly high class.. As she was getting into her car I decided to prevent her from leaving by sitting on the hood. Next thing I knew we were travelling through town ( a one street business section) at a faster than comfortable rate of speed, I was hanging onto the windshield wiper arm.. I could see the police station getting closer then BAM, she hit the curb and sent me rolling onto the lawn of the police station, not a highlight of my life. A car pulled up to the corner and the door opened, "Dave, better get in here" I heard. The detective took me through a drive through coffee shop, we shared a laugh or two, then dropped my off back at my apartment, with a coffee. That could have ended much worse on many different levels.
Yes, I have grown up a lot since then, stopped dating bartenders too. :)
 
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