CAUSE OF EMBARRASSMENT FOR POLICEMAN

[lazy-b]

CAUSE OF POLICEMAN'S EMBARRASSMENT

While setting up a new workshop I came across this old
police cruiser spot light, I forget how many lumens but it
has a bunch.
This light was standard in Miami, Fl police patrol cars in
the early 60's.
It was not uncommon for an officer to be using the light
checking doors, windows or hunting prowlers, and upon
finding someone that runs when lit up with the spot light,
the officer throws the light down on the seat and runs after
his man.
Upon returning to the patrol car he sees and smells the seat
smoldering and burning a hole the size of the spotlight that
was left on and facedown to start a fire.

It happened with such frequency it left the embarrassed
patrolman without any valid excuse.

 

[charlie sherrill]

We had a running tab with the local upholstery shop until they started mounting them to the outside of the cruiser. For a while we had remote controlled spotlights. This spotlight was mounted on the blue light bar and the control was mounted near the console.

 

[ky wonder]

I have had the same experience in my brand new big Polaris ranger with one of the new plastic spotlights, I see the result every time I get in the thing

 

[kthom]

That's an aircraft landing light bulb. Used many of them in the spotlights mounted on the drivers (and sometimes passenger side) door posts beginning back in the 60's and until I ceased to operate howl cars. By that time, there wasn't much of a real door post to mount them on! They were definitely much brighter than the standard bulb that came as OEM with the lights. And yep, they did generate a lot of heat! Also tended to attract lots of bugs when left on for a bit during the time of year when flying bugs were out and about.

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

cool!.......

 

[4011]

Yep! Burning vinyl stinks for over eight hours!

 

[JSR III]

Back in the 80's I had a brand new Ford F 150 and had one of the plastic ones plugged in and in the cab. It had a button so you could turn it on and off. Oldest daughter, then probably 3 or 4 turned it on and then set it down on the seat. Didn't take long for the seat to melt and I am just grateful that I returned in time to save her from serious harm but can't say the same for my new seat.

 

[rockdawg]

Had a buddy who done this to his truck bench seat. Turns out, it made a nice cup holder for him.

 

[Brian41]

Sounds like many of us made the same mistake. I set one down I didn't know was still on a vinyl boat cushion. Burnt a nice hole in it and did stink too. A little blue duct tape and you could hardly notice it. I got into the habit of unplugging it after that when I wasn't using it.

 

[KKECK5]

BACK in the late 60's and early 70's i also hated the magnetic bubble gum light they gave us when driving an unmarked unit....If i was by myself, i'd plug it into the cigarette lighter and place it out the the driver's window up on the roof. The problem is the cord would keep wrapping around the steering wheel as you drove around corners. On a couple of occasions i managed to pull the light of the roof.