Man tired of speedy drivers, uses faux police car to slow them down

[Champ]

ALBANY, Ore. - Rick Pyburn was sick and tired of lead-footed motorists speeding past his home. Already, he had lost five chickens to hit-and-run drivers passing by at speeds well above posted limits.

Pyburn tried calling the police about his troubles — but with a strapped budget, the Benton County Sheriff's Office couldn't do much to help him out.

"They're so busy patrolling, they don't have the time to sit there," he said.

Then, one day, as he watched a sheriff's car cruise by his house, Pyburn got an idea.

With the help of a local sign company, he built the front half of a two-dimensional plywood Benton County sheriff's car, and set up the decoy in some bushes near the road, in plain view of oncoming drivers.

"Once I placed that on the highway, it was amazing," he said. "The traffic immediately slowed down."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=816&ncid=816&e=1&u=/ap/20041123/ap_on_fe_st/faux_sheriff_s_car

[underpants]

1. They used to have something like that on I95 between DC and Baltimore

The first time I saw it I immediately started to slow down and then I realised that I was about two feet behind the car ahead of me and two feet in front of the car behind me...I have nowhere to go and we were all doing 80 MPH.

These were made of plastic and after the first time you pass them you never pay them any more attention.

[mstrsplinter326]

2. now that his story is national news, there's no point to his ploy

good idea, but I feel sorry for the man now. Ingenious wasted.

[Book Lover]

3. Problem with this "solution" is...

I encountered something like this once. Unfortunately, I was looking for actual police help while walking along the road, and ending up with a mannikin dressed as a cop as opposed to a real cop didn't help my safety any.

[skygazer]

4. Well, I don't condone speeding in neighborhoods

But he bloody well ought to pen up his chickens!

[jdots]

5. The saddest case about this was on Long Island

An older guy was so pissed about street racers on his street that he poured oil all over a section of pavement.Two racers died and he got many years in jail. i have used a different approach with hidden junky old P/A horn speakers.I yell at them with the Wizzard of Oz voice and it scares the shit out of them.Some of these people are running N.O.2 and know if they get caught,it's good buy car.

[TlalocW]

6. He should just

Sit in a lawn chair in his front yard and aim a hair dryer at the passing cars to see if they'll slow down.

TlalocW

[Semi_subversive]

7. A friend of mine sits in the front yard with a paint ball gun.

Me? I prefer rocks!

[ieoeja]

8. State of Illinois used empty squads on tollways. n/t