Ford and Cleveland Cops go on Hybrid Patrol

Any Cleveland hypermilers out there who want free gas cards?

http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000887063826/

 

that would be sweet, too bad i don't live in cleveland.

 

There used to be a local radio program that teamed up with the police to do something similar, they would drive around finding someone to follow and if they were driving well for some time they would get pulled over and awarded some kind of prize live on the air.

 

That's rad. I can't believe a PD is the institution taking such a progressive step, but kudos to Cleveland's. The article makes a good point - departments spend millions of dollars a year on beat fuel, so good for them for saving where they can.

 

i had that experience.....sort of. i was riding my bike (i was in my mid 40s) with a friend. we were in an upscale suburban neighborhood, with quite a few kids around when a squad car came along and pulled ME over!!! seems they had a program in which they gave out free fast food coupons to kids who bike with their helmets on.......and i was wearing mine. LOL....the kids who saw it happened were amused to see the old lady pulled over

 

before I got my hybrid I didn't used to speed, not that I do now either... I'm just saying, anyway... I hated having cops drive behind me, you didn't want to speed but you don't want to go the speed limit either because it always feel like you're pissing them off by holding them up and they just want to get around you. It seems like if a cop was following you it could alter your driving style, so they should use unmarked cars or something... you'd freak out when they put their lights on because you weren't doing anything wrong and then they end up giving you a prize... I imagine that'd really make your day. it would be really bad if someone was going to be pulled over to get a prize but they were driving a stolen car or something so they ran... we just wanted to give you a gift card! hahaha.

 

Here in SC, there are a lot of unmarked Camaros used by the HP. "Stealth" highway cruisers, they call them. I almost instinctively take comfort in the sight of a Camaro nowadays. Maybe this makes me a jerk, I don't know, but it thrills me to no end to see some a$$hat in an Expedition that flew by me ten minutes ago parked on the side of the interstate with a stealth Camaro behind him, hidden lights flashing. And you KNOW that Expedition driver isn't being targeted by a lost Cleveland cop for a conservation gift card.

 

this is part of the announced Ford hybrid patrol program, released after the Dearborn training sessions.

PDs are a good group to target to teach efficient driving techniques to- they HAVE to constantly drive in varied conditions in big cars (usually Fords). Might as well save some gas, compared to what they would otherwise burn.

The gas cards are just a gimmick to promote Ford's hybrids to the public, but a pretty good one, as they go.

The 'winning' officer in each PD when they compete for MPG gets a FEH, I understand?