Just to be clear to all....the Motorcycle guys WERE NOT POLICE. They are a private firm licensed by the state to perform escorts...mainly Funeral escorts etc etc..

As you will note all their lights are RED, not Blue as Blue IS Only, under Federal Law reserved for Goverment Officials. I do know some of these guys that operate the escorts, they are current officers that do this as an "extra" job...

BUT they carry no arrest powers nor hold any Law Enforcemnt powers as do our local Public Police Departments.

With that said, they did a great job...and IMO risk their lives to the extreme doing their job, a job well done today.

 

Thanks for clearing that up, Roy. I was wondering why their lights were all red with no blue. But how did they have the "authority" to direct traffic like they did today?

 

I would like to know as well. My friend and I were disappointed that we couldn't get up to the convoy for photos; we were stuck at the very end where the "cop" was telling us to back off.

 

So many folks took pictures of me taking pictures of cars today!




I was taking this picture in case you guys were wondering

 

Just to add some info, the escort were actually off-duty Washington State Patrol officers. They have a contract with the state that allows them to form a private company to provide escorts.

The motorcycles they were riding were private, not WSP vehicles, so they had red lights and no blue. They had the authority to stop traffic due to the contract with the state--and a little known fact, but private citizens can direct traffic by permit, as most of the "cops" working the traffice duty on construction sites in Redmond are actually private security guards.

These guys were good, and had a blast with you guys! My favorite comment from them afterwards was "Boy, I wish we could have blocked off one whole stretch of road and let you guys just run wild..."

 

Some more photos:

 

First, they ARE police, only they are off-duty and have their own agency to do events such as funerals etc., for extra money. They work under a permit that allows them to stop traffic and close streets for this purpose. Furthermore, they can only operate on back roads and not freeways which is why we didn't have them run back with us too.

 

Please tell me someone has a picture of Jeffrey taking a picture of Jason taking a picture of Kelly

 

I don't know if anyone did that but here's 3 pictures of us 3 doing that to each other at a Concours a while back. It was totally spontaneous for us to do that!

Curt taking a picture of us


Me taking a picture of Curt


And Paolo taking a picture of me

 

As I stated in my post, yes SOME do this as an Off-Duty "extra" job to make money. NOT all are off-duty Police, some are private Citizens that do this as their full time job. I do not know all the four that did a great job yesterday, but I do know one of them from when I DID the same thing as a Deputy Sheriff some years ago...and he is NOT a commissioned full time Police Officer. WHen I did it, my most frequent assigment was with the State Ferry Systems out of Kitsap County side.

There are a few of these companys licensed by the State under the "Emergency Vehicles-Exempt" law. Just as are Tow trucks, Private Ambulance Compaines, Boeing Security and a few other private Security Companies. I know of two that are owned by private citizen's and this is their full time business. They stay quite busy with escorts, mostly funerals and make quite a good living at it.

Under the license, which is re-newed yearly, they are given "limited" authority to operate Red Emergency Lights and Sirens in the performance of their escort duties. They ARE not empowered to stop any vehicles for traffic violations and or issues Traffic infractions or make arrests. They are EMPOWERED to stop traffic and perform traffic direction as well as travel at the speeds they do and other traffic violations with in the scope of their escort service.

They can contact a commissioned Law Enforcement Officer for the area they are in to request a traffice infraction or Police Action when there is a violation of not adhering to their directions durng an escort.

I do not know about ALL the private companys, but the one I was involved with perferrred to hire Off-Duty Officers for several reasons. Mainly their training and skill in the operation of these monster motor cycles at speed. Their ability to work various hours at a on-call notice, as well as their relationships with surronding Police Agencys that they will perform their work in.

MOST all the Bikes used in their job have been purchaed as ex-Police Vehicles at Local Auctions from various Depts. This is because they are already all set-up and just a quick change of the Blue Lense to the Red lense and they are ready to go.

I know this both from when I was a Deputy Sheriff, as well as when I left Law Enforcement and started my own Private Security Company. In the start when I provided Private Physical Security Service I had several of these "Licensed Emergency Vehicles" with Red Lights and Sirens. We provided a lot of service to the State under Private Contract.

I do not think, but could be wrong, that there has been any MAJOR changes in the law since I was involved in it from 1979 to 1995.

Not breaking any ones things here...just make it clear...and as I said prior, they did a great job!

 

A few pics of a new LP670-4 in WHITE sitting on what appears a showroom floor in Europe waiting for Delivery!!

This car is so frickn HOT!!

Pics came from another web site.

 

Anyone get a video of the talk yesterday? I'm a big Lamborghini fan but sadly couldn't make the breakfast. Any chance their future cars will work for tall chaps like me (6'6")?

 

I just wanted to thank everyone who had a hand in making Saturday such a success. I brought a friend and she was nervous. She managed to get a ride in a Lotus, a Ferrari F430 Scuderia, and a Ferrari Murcielago. She even had her picture taken by a great photographer while she sat in the SV. You all made her day. She's been telling all of her friends what a great time she had and what great people you all were.

Thanks everyone!

Trevor

 

Brian asked that question at brunch. They said they are working on it.

 

excellent! now, i just need to keep investing...