5 ms·

> double standard vs a human driver who needs to pull over immediately when instructed by the police or face potentially grave consequences Especially where Po

> double standard vs a human driver who needs to pull over immediately when instructed by the police or face potentially grave consequences Especially where Police is so hasty to use their cruisers as weapons[1] [1] https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/06/10/arkansas-police-rammed-pregnant-womans-suv-traffic-stop-lawsuit/7645474002/ https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/06/10/arkansa...

soco 5y ago
On an unrelated note: why are the US police cars called "cruisers"? Are they a different category so to say?
- justsomehnguy 5y ago
  The best description is on the first result from search: > Police cars are called cruisers because that is what they do. They cruise about town, looking for trouble, and responding to those requiring assistance. Doubt the original poster meant any irony there, but... Still, Webster: > cruiser, noun: > 1 : a vehicle that _cruises_: such as > a : squad car > cruise, verb: > 1 : to sail about touching at a series of ports > 4 a : to go about the streets at random but on the lookout for possible developments So probably it is the origin. Wonder if there are similar designations in other languages. In my native one the term 'cruise' is restricted only for sail (as in v., 1 definition in Webster), so it could never be applied to a police car roaming the streets.
  - dotancohen 5y ago
    > In my native one the term 'cruise' is restricted only for sail Do you not used a cognate word for "Cruise control" in your language? In Hebrew "Shait" is used for sail, but also for the idea of cruise control and a cruise missile. I cannot think of any other uses, not even for patrol vehicles.
    - dagw 5y ago
      In Swedish at least the 'cruise' when talking about in ships and missiles is the same word, but "cruise control" is a completely different word (literally "speed holder"). You can't "cruise" in you car in Swedish.
      - jaclaz 5y ago
        In Italy our police cars are much faster, a police car is usually called "volante" (literally "flying"), the more correct name is "autopattuglia" which is more like "patrol car". Then we have the two different animal derived names, police cars are "pantere" (panthers) and the Carabinieri ones are "gazzelle" (gazelles). As well you can't cruise with a car, the cruise control (often untranslated) is a "regolatore di velocità" (speed regulator), but you can actually mantain a "velocità di crociera" (cruise speed) on a vehicle.
        dotancohen 5y ago
        > a police car is usually called "volante" (literally "flying") Don't all cars driven by Italians do that? I think that I've even seen a Punto with a single poor tire on the pavement once. :)
        jaclaz 5y ago
        No Pinto ever set foot (I mean tire) in Italy AFAICT, I think they weren't ever imported in Europe, but - seriously - I once happened to be overtaken by one of the few Lamborghini's they have, on a highway, I was going (cruising) at a "normal" speed (some 120 kmh) and had this strange "something blue" feeling in the rear mirror and by the time I realized it was the police flashing lights I heard "whoosh" and they were gone. (in some rare cases they use these Lambo's to transport transplant organs when elicopter was not available/couldn't fly) between cities: https://it.motor1.com/news/457740/lamborghini-huracan-polizia-video-trasporto-organi/ https://it.motor1.com/news/457740/lamborghini-huracan-polizi...
        5y ago
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  History. Transporting the verb "cruise" makes more sense circa 1915 when foot and mounted patrols are proportionally more common and the steering wheel interface had just recently been ported over from watercraft.

soco 5y ago

On an unrelated note: why are the US police cars called "cruisers"? Are they a different category so to say?

justsomehnguy 5y ago
The best description is on the first result from search: > Police cars are called cruisers because that is what they do. They cruise about town, looking for trouble, and responding to those requiring assistance. Doubt the original poster meant any irony there, but... Still, Webster: > cruiser, noun: > 1 : a vehicle that _cruises_: such as > a : squad car > cruise, verb: > 1 : to sail about touching at a series of ports > 4 a : to go about the streets at random but on the lookout for possible developments So probably it is the origin. Wonder if there are similar designations in other languages. In my native one the term 'cruise' is restricted only for sail (as in v., 1 definition in Webster), so it could never be applied to a police car roaming the streets.
- dotancohen 5y ago
  > In my native one the term 'cruise' is restricted only for sail Do you not used a cognate word for "Cruise control" in your language? In Hebrew "Shait" is used for sail, but also for the idea of cruise control and a cruise missile. I cannot think of any other uses, not even for patrol vehicles.
  - dagw 5y ago
    In Swedish at least the 'cruise' when talking about in ships and missiles is the same word, but "cruise control" is a completely different word (literally "speed holder"). You can't "cruise" in you car in Swedish.
    - jaclaz 5y ago
      In Italy our police cars are much faster, a police car is usually called "volante" (literally "flying"), the more correct name is "autopattuglia" which is more like "patrol car". Then we have the two different animal derived names, police cars are "pantere" (panthers) and the Carabinieri ones are "gazzelle" (gazelles). As well you can't cruise with a car, the cruise control (often untranslated) is a "regolatore di velocità" (speed regulator), but you can actually mantain a "velocità di crociera" (cruise speed) on a vehicle.
      - dotancohen 5y ago
        > a police car is usually called "volante" (literally "flying") Don't all cars driven by Italians do that? I think that I've even seen a Punto with a single poor tire on the pavement once. :)
        jaclaz 5y ago
        No Pinto ever set foot (I mean tire) in Italy AFAICT, I think they weren't ever imported in Europe, but - seriously - I once happened to be overtaken by one of the few Lamborghini's they have, on a highway, I was going (cruising) at a "normal" speed (some 120 kmh) and had this strange "something blue" feeling in the rear mirror and by the time I realized it was the police flashing lights I heard "whoosh" and they were gone. (in some rare cases they use these Lambo's to transport transplant organs when elicopter was not available/couldn't fly) between cities: https://it.motor1.com/news/457740/lamborghini-huracan-polizia-video-trasporto-organi/ https://it.motor1.com/news/457740/lamborghini-huracan-polizi...
        5y ago
throwaway0a5e 5y ago
History. Transporting the verb "cruise" makes more sense circa 1915 when foot and mounted patrols are proportionally more common and the steering wheel interface had just recently been ported over from watercraft.