PORT ANGELES — John Ryan can move like a ghost through traffic on U.S. Highway 101, lurking in your rearview mirror completely undetected.
He’s like Santa Claus without the red suit, watching to see if you’ll be naughty by tossing that cigarette butt out the window or scoffing at seat belt laws.
And he knows if you’ve been speeding, most of all.
He drives a 2004 Chevrolet Impala, unremarkable to the untrained eye.
It’s just another sedan on the road until Ryan flips on the reds and blues.
Trooper Ryan is a member of the Washington State Patrol’s Aggressive Driving Apprehension Team, and his vehicle is one of 57 undercover patrol cars, which range from Camaros to Tahoes.
The ‘halo effect’
Motorists feel free to be themselves, which can often mean they don’t think twice before breaking the law, when they pass Ryan’s Impala, which is without the trappings of roof lights and State Patrol markings.
He calls it the “halo effect.”
“People drive good around marked patrol cars,” Ryan said.
“Not so much with this car.”
Earlier that day, a man zoomed past Ryan, driving about 70 mph.
“He had no idea,” Ryan said.