A feel-good police story

The whole story

Japanese tourists driving 37 mph on an Interstate and changing lanes frequently caught the attention of a DUI taskforce. A heavy police presence in a brief chase occurred because the tourists didn't know they were supposed to stop for the flashing lights and after spiking of 3 tires, the chase ended, but the police did not charge the driver.

It is rare that a feel-good story like this happens. So often, heavy-handed police thuggery is the subject of a news report.

Quote :

Realizing they were dealing with language and cultural barriers, and not a drunken driver or fugitive, officers changed their strategy, Horne said. One officer consoled the boy and reunited him with his parents as others worked to get a Japanese-speaking officer on the phone.

They found one in northern Utah who spoke to the couple and learned they had arrived from Japan on Friday morning and rented a car to drive from California to Bryce Canyon in southern Utah.

The woman said she had no idea what she was supposed to do when the patrolman put on his lights and siren, so she sped up to get out of the way. She kept apologizing for crashing the car, not realizing they ran over tire spikes, Horne said. Patrolmen took the family to a motel and wished them safe travels.

A tour bus might be a good idea for them!

nochain wrote:

A tour bus might be a good idea for them!

Were they driving a cadirrac?...Sorry...aporogize in advance but it was robbed right in there...

We inexplicably get a lot of Japanese tourists in North Pole and Fairbanks. And I mean a LOT. I cannot understand it... why do they come HERE of all places??? It is deathly cold and covered in snow and ice. And these are tour bus tourists, it's not like they're out mushing or snowmachining or something. And they all wear surgical masks. Seriously. Why??

Recently when it was -40 several of them rented a car and late at night tried to drive out to a popular, remote spot to watch the Northern Lights. Predictably (because IF there are street signs here they are covered in snow & ice), they got lost, the sedan they rented went off the road, they got a flat, and had no cell phone service. Fortunately, a local happened by and went and called the troopers. They are lucky they didn't run out of fuel after they went off the road. Woulda froze to death.

Shoulda stayed on the tour bus.