London Sneak Peek

Preview of our London trip... not much time to edit photos, so it's slow going!

Know where this is? It's a pretty famous line...

An Open Letter to Chicago Cops

One night this week while driving home, I was waiting to turn left at an intersection downtown. Vehicles going straight in my direction had a green light, so if there was no oncoming traffic I would have been permitted a left-hand turn. However, as there were cars coming and also pedestrians using the crosswalk, I waited behind the white line. 

It had been about one minute and the car behind me honked. I shrugged it off, thinking they were just another impatient driver. Ten seconds later, I heard the chirp of a police siren. I jumped out of my seat, turning to see where the cop was so I could ensure I was not in their way. While looking, the light turned red and I realized car behind me who had hit their horn WAS the police car. At this point the policeman reversed, flipped on his lights, went around me, and then made a left-hand turn while running a stale red light. After he rushed through the intersection, he turned off his flashing lights. 

This is just one of hundreds of examples I have personally seen where a cop abuses their power in order to not have to follow traffic laws. Cops routinely flip on their lights to run red lights, park in the road during rush hour, tailgate, drive on the shoulder of the highway, drive the wrong way down a one-way road... you name it, I've seen it.

Why should the everyday Chicago driver obey the rules of the road when our cops, the ones who should be setting an example, don’t have to and are not held accountable? Not only is it an abuse of power, they create potentially dangerous situations. Most of us were taught to be on the lookout for emergency vehicles and to maneuver out of the way so they can attend to accidents. What incentive do we have to clear a path if the majority of the time the policeman is using his lights to get to lunch/home/the station faster?

>> Sorry for the rant; I am just completely frustrated with the cops in this city. I submitted an edited version of this letter to two newspapers, so we'll see if it goes anywhere! <<