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Blue Line” decals page
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Crossing the Thin Blue Line
Published 07.10.02
By Russ Tarver
"The
Thin Blue Line is a phrase known worldwide to police officers.
You've
seen them.
They
hurtle past you on Ga. 400, cut you off in the Phipps Plaza parking
lot, and linger for days in short-term parking at the airport. Nine
times out of 10, they're on an expensive car. Sometimes the stripe
in the middle of the black rectangle will be blue, other times red.
What
are these power decals? Do they really represent a close connection
to the police and fire departments -- and, rumor has it, immunity
from the law? My goal was get one.
Reaching high into the stratosphere of my social circle, I met the
proud owner of one of these stickers. We'll call him Joe.
Joe
lives in Roswell. He has a pool, a hot tub, an acre of property. He
also has a $50,000 SUV and a Mercedes. And what does he have on both
to elevate their elite status even further? You guessed it: power
decals -- two on the SUV and one on the Benz.
"Don't
use my real name. Those stickers cost me $32,000 over two years," he
said.
He
must be kidding. Let's say the average ticket is $125. That would be
an unlikely 256 tickets. He would've gotten a better return buying
WorldCom stock.
"Are
they really that good?" I asked.
"Well,
I got the first one from Sheila. Her brother's a cop. The other came
from Gwen. Her dad's a park ranger," he explained. "So far, I've
never been pulled over."
So
these were women he'd been out with -- and he'd spent the $32,000 on
dates.
I'd
have to delve deeper. I looked no further than my office parking
deck.
There
were two prospects in my immediate field of view. One was a BMW, the
other a Lexus. Both had stickers with blue stripes.
It was
time to track down the owners. BMW was willing to talk.
"I
used to work at a local police department doing consulting work,"
explained Yvonne (not her real name). "Through connections to the
sheriff at the department, I was able to get my sticker. They're
called 'Thin Blue Line' stickers."
"Do
they really work?" I asked.
"I've
been pulled over four times and I've never gotten a ticket. Three of
the times, the police made references to the sticker. The fourth
time, I volunteered where it came from and he let me go with a
warning. Yes, they've worked for me."
Yvonne
pointed out that she acquired the stickers for a legitimate reason:
She'd done years' worth of work for local police departments.
"How
do I get one?" I asked.
She
said I had to know someone in the force.
Dissatisfied, I began an Internet search to find out how I might
acquire a decal. After my five-minute Google search for a Thin Blue
Line decal proved fruitless, I decided to try looking for the fire
department's "Thin Red Line" (I guessed at the name). Perhaps it
would work just as well.
After
skipping over a couple of Thin Red Line movie review URLs, I quickly
found a website where I could order my very own Thin Red Line of
Courage decal -- for a mere $3 through the North Carolina Fallen
Firefighters Foundation. This was too easy.
As for
the Thin Blue Line decal, it was impossible to find. So the police
version must be legitimate.
Driving home from work one day, I notice a couple of less-flashy
cars proudly boasting power decals. One was a minivan, the other a
Ford Escort. Were they posing for the sake of impunity, or were they
simply expressing their support of the force? Perhaps they knew of a
website I didn't.
One
thing's certain -- and another is becoming clearer by the minute: If
you're looking to cheat the police out of a ticket, you're crossing
a thin line. Unless, perhaps, the one on your decal happens to be
blue.
Russ Tarver
Thin Blue Line
Thin Blue Line Decals
Thin Blue Line Stickers
Where can I buy a Thin Blue Line decal?
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