Word: patroller
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...recent weekend, the desperate highway patrol put in a new system that was reminiscent of an oldtime cattle drive. During the peak travel hours, 45 "pace cars," each with a large sign reading "It's 55" bolted to its roof, straddled traffic lanes on an assigned section of the highways. The patrol cars drove at a steady speed of 55 m.p.h., forcing cars to stay in line behind them. One patrolman would escort a caravan for a distance and then turn the cars over to the next officer...
...strategy was an enormous success. Only 79 drivers were so frantic to get to Las Vegas that they took the chance of making a run for it. Spotted by an airplane and a helicopter hovering overhead, they were soon ticketed by other patrol cars lurking on access roads. Normally, a dozen accidents take place on a big weekend, but only one occurred during the experiment: a drunk mistook a drainage ditch for an exit ramp...
Word of the plan's success spread so fast that 25 states, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and transportation men from Canada, France and England have already called to request details about California's caravans. "I'm really pleased this idea works," says Highway Patrol Inspector Walter Pudinsky, who thought up the new scheme. "We're all sick and tired of arresting people...
...their Continental rivals. "Britain has darn few salesmen," complains one English arms expert. "There's a lack of push among recent efforts, and morale is terrible." Nonetheless, Britain last year sold an impressive $1.5 billion in arms, accounting for about 8% of world transfers. Frigates, submarines and fast patrol boats went to Latin America. Iran bought more than 1,000 Chieftain and 300 Scorpion tanks. Black Africa, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have shown considerable interest in the Scorpion, a light aluminum tank with great mobility...
...sold to 50 foreign customers, including the U.S. Secret Service, in the past two decades), the Arava, a short-takeoff and -landing warplane that is being bought by Mexico and Nicaragua and the Gabriel ship-to-ship missile, whose performance in the October War against Egypt's Russian-made patrol boats impressed the U.S. Navy...