Granny's got a (speed) gun! Montana woman uses HAIR DRYER to trick speeding drivers into slowing down near her street - earning her the title of 'honorary trooper'

  • Patti Baumgartner of Polson, Montana is fed up with speeding drivers
  • She says cars are speeding by her house on South Finely Point in Polson 
  • Baumgartner is concerned, especially when she takes her grandchild out 
  • So she started sitting by the side of the road while holding a hair dryer
  • A photo was posted to social media, earning her 'honorary trooper' status 

A Montana grandmother isn’t waiting for the police to stop speeding cars from driving by her house.

Patti Baumgartner of Polson has grown alarmed at cars jetting down the road near her home where she likes to take her grandchild out for walks.

So she decided to take chair and sit down alongside South Finely Point while holding a hair dryer in her hand.

Baumgartner would then point the hair dryer at passing cars, making drivers think it was a speed gun.

Patti Baumgartner of Polson, Montana says cars are speeding by her home on South Finely Point

Patti Baumgartner of Polson, Montana says cars are speeding by her home on South Finely Point

So she decided to take matters into her own hands and hold up a white hair dryer while sitting by the roadside - making drivers think it's a speed gun

So she decided to take matters into her own hands and hold up a white hair dryer while sitting by the roadside - making drivers think it's a speed gun

Baumgartner says she is worried every time she leaves the home with her grandchild

Baumgartner says she is worried every time she leaves the home with her grandchild

‘We were talking about maybe something would slow the cars down. So, we decided to put me in a chair and I guess use the hair dryer as a speed thing,’ Baumgartner told KTVQ-TV.

Baumgartner’s son, Tim, took a photo of his mother with the hair dryer and posted it on Twitter in hopes of getting the attention of the Montana Highway Patrol.

It worked. Trooper Noah Pesola got a kick out of it.

‘I thought it was hilarious, I think that we have a speed issue in Montana and I thought it was a great creative idea for the public to try and combat that a little bit without making people too upset,’ Pesola said.

Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Noah Pesola (left) was so impressed with Baumgartner that he named her an 'honorary trooper'

Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Noah Pesola (left) was so impressed with Baumgartner that he named her an 'honorary trooper'

Pesola liked the idea so much that he made Patti Baumgartner an ‘honorary Montana trooper.’

‘It's not an official (title) or anything like that for the honorary trooper, which is kinda what I called it,’ Pesola said.

‘I didn't know what else to do for her, when she's doing something for the community and like she says she's got grandkids in the area so she's doing something for her grandkids’ benefits.

‘The best thing I could think of was give her a trooper hat and a badge to make her look a little more official.’

Baumgartner said that while she did not know if her hair dryer was effective, she plans to use it again to bring awareness to the issue.