Wow Badge, you just have the thread that won’t die 
I just wanted to thank you again for coming in here and answering all our questions (and setting us straight) so politely.
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Ever “let one slide” if you happened across an infraction accidentally? I some guys that were once parked some place smoking pot in a car, and there was a sudden knock on his window. The driver rolled down the window, and a police offer said something like “You know what, I’m on my way over there to investigate a noise complaint and I don’t want to do the paperwork on this. Give me what you have and don’t let me see you trying to drive anywhere for a while.” Also, once I got pulled over for expired registration and when I pulled my license out of its little clear plastic holder, my… uh… other license was revealed to be sitting behind it. The officer actually chuckled and shook his head, then said something like “If I were in your position I’d be a lot more careful about keeping that out of my sight.” He didn’t mention it again, but he did write me a ticket for the registration. I got rid of that ID shortly after that, though, because that situation made me realize what a liability it was to be carrying that around with me.
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Do you think that most officers engage in “profiling”? Do most officers take it as a challenge if you choose not to answer their questions? Since I grew my hair long, I find that I get pulled over for stuff like “it looked like the registration on your plate was expired”, get questioned for a while and then sent on my way. I know I could refuse to sit there and jabber with the officer, but I figure that antagonizing them like that can only lead to trouble. It really steams me that I sometimes have to sit there and go through this, do you think that my method is best, or will I really get out of there faster saying something like “I’m sorry, but now that you’ve verified that my registration is valid, I’d really like to be on my way. I’m expected [wherever], am I free to go now?”
Thanks for your time, this thread has been hugely informative!
LC
It’s very sad that this is too often true. I always encourage people to file complaints, and my department takes them very seriously. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case, and I understand your reasons for not pushing it.
I agree with you and Spiff that if we don’t clean our own house, we can never expect the public to respect us. Things are getting better all the time, as the dinosaurs that still believe in “Us vs. Them” move on and younger cops with better attitudes take over. However, especially in urban areas where it is basically street warfare between the cops and the bad guys, it may never really change enough.
I keep hoping, though.
It does keep rising from the ground, doesn’t it? Who knew? 
Thanks for the kind words, and I’m glad that everyone has enjoyed this.
Badge
Well, let’s resurrect it one more time, shall we?
Atlanta is well-known for its speeders. I’m fortunate that I don’t have to drive on the interstates often, but it’s a reasonably harrowing experience when I do. I’m comfortable driving about five miles an hour over the speed limit, but generally not more. I keep to the right-hand lanes and get passed by everybody.
Often, other cars come flying up behind me, then hit their brakes or swerve at the last minute. I often feel unsafe obeying the speed limit laws. In your opinion, is it more important to stick to the speed limit or move with the flow of traffic?
Also, I tend to be one of the few drivers that obeys the lowered speed limit in an active school zone. Am I expected to obey a school zone signal that is flashing when it is obvious that there are no students present (e.g. on Christmas Day or a weekend)?
Thanks for your opinions and for this fascinating read.
Great thread!
My question concerns big cities and the speed of issue of warrants. My teenage son has more than a few tickets that he has not paid. (I refuse to, I tried to help with one by paying to get him set up with defensive driving and he blew it off.) Anyway, he recently got stopped AGAIN, and they ran his license, but no warrants! What’s the deal? Do they take forever sometimes? He is on probation, and isn’t nearly as concerned as I am, but what can I do. I’ll just sit back until they revoke his probation, or his driver’s license, whichever comes first.
(A frustrated Mom)
I think a happy medium is probably best. Speed up some to avoid being so badly overtaken, but don’t try to keep up with the really fast traffic. Most cops have a “sliding scale” when it comes to speed - it isn’t just the posted limit, but what is appropriate and common for the area that you’re in. Of course, you’re always risking a speeding ticket, but the risk probably isn’t too great if everyone else is driving like a bat out of hell.
Well, I really appreciate that you do respect the school zone limits. I can’t understand why people can’t stand to slow down for a block to increase safety for the kids.
This depends on local laws of course, but I think that you can be cited if the light is flashing whether you can see a reason why or not. After all, there may be a reason that isn’t immediately obvious (like some school function). Better to be safe than sorry.
I’ve had one or two bad experiences with cops, so this thread has been a great learning experience for me. Yet again, thanks Badge.
I have a few questions that I’ve always wanted to ask, but haven’t had the opportunity to ask. Sorry if I ask a lot of questions, but I’ve really wanted to ask them for a while, but never get an opportunity to. So, thanks in advance, heh.
PS: I’m really fatigued, so there may be rambling.
1: There’s an intersection in this town that has two right turn lanes - one rt only, one rt and straight. Now, can I turn right from the 2nd rt lane, thus turning into the left-hand lane, on a red light? I always turn from the rt only lane, turning into the right lane. But I actually need to be in the left lane to get into the left turn lane to get on the road to my apartment complex, so I end up changing lanes really quickly. It’d be much easier to turn into the left lane, buuut I don’t know the laws.
2: I know it’s already been asked, but I like clarification. Flow of traffic. In Austin, I drive I-35 all the time, since it goes right through town. Due to merging traffic not watching where they’re going, and my inteense unease of driving between to lanes of traffic, I generally stick to the left lane, which has a big concrete barrier next to it, with nowhere for cops to possibly sit. Of course, this lane goes a lot fastrer than the speed limit. Posted speed is 55-65, depending on the area. The flow of traffic is generally 75 (I never drive over 80 because my car is ooooold). How likely is it that I would get pulled over for going with the flow in that lane?
3: Should I report tailgaters? I hate them with a passion, but sometimes I just can’t shake them (ie I’m on a two-lane road with little or no shoulder, and there’s passing allowed, but they just WON’T go around me).
4: One time, around 2am, I got caught at a red light. No big deal, but this time I was going straigjt instead of right, and the other 3 lights went through about 5 green cycles without my light ever going green. I ran the light. Would I have gotten a ticket? Also, the light for turning onto the road to get to my apartment complex will occasionally not get a green arrow for 2-3 cycles. If I run it, would I get a ticket? It’s incredibly anoying at 3am with no other traffic on the road to have to sit through that.
5: Can you really refuse to let a cop search your car? I’ve never been searched, and I don’t carry pot around with me or anything, but for some reason I’m under the impression that if you refuse to let them search your car that you could get arested for refusing or something. I have a lot of crap in my car (my trunk’s nearly full), and I’ve heard about cops literally tearing apart cars to try to find “something,” and I don’t want my interior destroyed. Thus, I’d rather not have my car searched.
(This might come in handy soon, since I might be moving back to TX in May. Last time I went to TX, I saw about 5 cars/moving trucks being searched by cops just past Texarkana in TX.)
6: 3 days before I moved from TX to MI, I got a ticket for speeding. Cop was sitting right behind a speed limit change, and I got tiketed for going 65 in a 55. Now, I’ve since gotten a MI license (my TX ticket didn’t show up on my check, because apparently TX and MI don’t speak to each other for speeding tickets/suspended license due to non-payment). When I go back to TX, will they run my MI license before giving me a TX license, or look up to see if I have any tickets/warrants in TX on, say, my SSN? Would my TX warrant show up on my MI license in TX, even though it doesn’t show up in MI for insurance checks? If they will find said warrant, can I go into . . . where ever I go to pay off a ticket and pay it off before trying to get a license? If I don’t pay it off first, could I be arrested at the DMV as I try to get a TX license? I got this ticket 2 years ago, and I have NO idea how much I owe.
7: My neighbors have screaming fights with each other almost every day. I live above them, and can nearly hear every word. I don’t know if they hit each other. Should I report this to police? I don’t know if they’re just screaming, or if there might be some hitting.
8: I have blue/purple hair and piercings. Does this mean cops will be more likely to pull me over to try to give me a ticket, even if I’m not speeding? Am I more likely to get busted for speeding 3-4 mph over the limit than a normal-looking person? I have no chance of just getting a warning, do I?
As yo can see, I had a lot of questions, heh. Thanks for answering. Yay for nice cops! I wish you were a cop where I live.
I thought of another one.
Why would a cop search your car? What do I have to do to not make a cop want to search? I don’t drink or do drugs, so I don’t smell of it. However, I do go to concerts where there’s that Pot Fog. If I got pulled over after a concert, do I have a good chance of being searched?
Yes, it can take a very long time in some cases. Once the judge orders the warrant, it has to be prepared by the clerk, processed, signed by the judge, processed again, forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agency, processed yet again, and finally entered into the computer system. In large jurisdictions, they may produce hundreds of warrants a month.
It may also be that no warrant will be issued. Here in Washington, warrants are only issued for failure to appear on criminal violations (like DUI or Driving while Suspended), not on infractions (such as speeding). If you don’t appear on an infraction the fine is sent to a collection agency to get the money and your driver’s license is suspended until the fine is paid. I know that this is not true in many other states, though.
Badge - great thread! And since you are in Washington as I am I’m hoping you can answer a question for me.
I’m 90 percent certain that my next door neighbor is growing pot in a building in his back yard. I base this on the fact that I can see light coming out from a crack below the roof every night, I’ve seen them carrying chemicals back there, they get a ton of ten minute traffic, and most of the time no one over there seems to have a job. I’ve considered making an anonymous phone call, but have researched that and it seems this is insufficient for a warrant. If I were to call the local sheriff and identify myself, would I be assured that my neighbor would never find out the tip came from me? He already hates us because he used to have rottweilers that he left free (presumably to stand guard), and I called animal control and got him in trouble when one of them chased me up my driveway. I honestly can’t think of any other reason he would constantly burn lights in an outbuilding that way, and have everything barricaded the way he does for any other reason beside having a grow room. Also, there is a fan to ventilate, and moisture accumulates all over the building even when the weather is dry. I’ve thought about calling for months, but frankly I’m afraid of what he would do if he had any inkling we might have had a hand in getting him busted. So … does this sound like a pot growing operation to you - and if so, how can we report him and be assured of our own safety? Thanks for the thread - and hoping you can help!
Pohjonen
No. Any turn on red requires that you be turning into the closest lane (in this case, the right lane).
Probably not, but it is always possible. We generally take into consideration the flow of traffic, but if you’re over the limit you can always get a ticket, and the law makes no allowance for “keeping up with the other cars”. If I were you, I’d get used to having cars on both sides and stick with the next lane and a safer speed.
It probably won’t do any good, since the chance of a cop being in the right spot to catch them is pretty slim. I hate them, too, and I usually end up pulling over to make them get away from me.
You can get a ticket in either circumstance. In the first circumstance, the light may have been defective so you might have a defense, but in the second one it sounds like it was programmed that way. You’ll just have to wait for the green light.
Absolutely. If an officer is asking for permission, that’s a pretty good indication that he doesn’t have the justification to do so without your permission. If he or she TELLS you that they are going to do a search, don’t do anything to obstruct them. If it’s an illegal search, deal with it later with a lawyer.
I don’t have any idea what type of checks they may do when you get your new license, but I would be pretty sure they will check to see if your license is good in the state from which you are moving.
I would strongly recommend that you contact the agency that issued the ticket and find out what you need to do to get it taken care of. Depending on a lot of factors, you may not be able to get a TX license or you might get arrested. It’s best to take care of it ahead of time.
Absolutely (do so anonymously if it makes you feel more secure). Even if it isn’t physical yet, it will surely escalate over time.
I don’t think that you’re really more likely to get a ticket, but you are probably more likely to get stopped. Cops often target people who look a bit “wild”, because they fit a profile for someone who is more likely to have drugs or warrants. I know that it’s wrong to make assumptions based on appearance, but it does happen.
A cop wouls want to search your car if he or she thinks there might be something illegal in there. Your appearance (as you described above) would start that assumption. All kinds of other clues will lead a cop to ask for permission to search.
As for what to do to avoid it, that’s difficult. Depending on circumstances, even the most legal person raise enough suspicions to trigger a search. One easy one is to keep the interior of your car very clean and neat. Then the officer can easily see that there isn’t much to hide. If you have a bunch of stuff piled in the backseat, I’m going to wonder what’s underneath.
If a cop pulls you over and smells “the distinct odor of burning marijuana” (standard police report phrase) that can be probable cause to search your car without anything else. Burning marihuana smells like nothing else, so an experienced officer can establish probable cause with just that.
Well, I’m 99 percent certain that they have a marijuana grow! What you’ve described would probably be enough to obtain a search warrant all by itself, but there is more that the cops will do to sew that up.
If you identify yourself, they will probably be able to find out it was you at some time. You can do so anonymously, then the cops can follow-up and develop their own probable cause (obtaining the power records is one of the best methods). Most counties have a tip line for drug tips, so call the Sheriff’s Office and find out of they have one. Then tell them all these things that you have seen and they should take it from there.
If you’re in Grays Harbor County, you can e-mail me (my e-mail address is in my profile) and I can pass on the information as an anonymous tip.
I was shocked to get a reply so fast. Thanks Badge! I guess anonymous is the route to go. Unfortunately, the only place you can see the light burning that I speak of is from my kitchen window, but if you say the police have other ways then they still shouldn’t need anything from us. Thanks again!
You’re very welcome. Let me know what happens.
Badge
Why would a local Police Officer ask for my employer name, my employer’s phone number, my phone number, and my Social Security number? This is after I gave him my Driver’s License, proof of insurance, and registration. Did I even have to give all that information to him? It was a seatbelt violation for which I did get ticketed.
Those are just boxes on the ticket form that he needs to complete. I believe that the information is mostly used to find you if you fail to appear in court.
In Washington, all of that extra information is optional and you do not have to provide it. It may be required in other states (I doubt it, though) so you would have to check your laws to be sure. Of course, you can just ask the officer who is writing the ticket and he or she should be honest if the information isn’t required.
Thanks Badge. A few more related questions if you don’t mind.
In your state, is it part the ticket form seperate from the carbon copy that would be given to the person being ticketed? My carbon didn’t have a place for the extra information that he asked about.
Is their any SOP in your state about not asking the optional information or telling the person that is being ticketed that is optional?
How long in your state has this information been asked?
[QUOTE=astro]
1: Why do pretty, chesty women often brag about getting out of speeding tickets by unbuttoning a few blouse buttons and flirting or crying. Are policemen really such pushovers for these women?
QUOTE]
I have to throw $0.02 in here.
Many moons ago, I was a deputy sheriff. My very first night out, I got to pull over a speeder - 105 in a 55. She, to this day, was still one of the most incredibly beautiful women I have ever laid eyes on. I was trying to be Mr. Professional Peace Officer and was doing the 7 step approach that I had been taught. When I asked her if there was an emergency of some sort, she looked at me with those eyes (!) and told me that her period had just started and she was trying to find an open service station so she could put in a Tampax.
My partner says that I looked like a trout for a moment or two, then told her that wasn’t sufficient. At that point, she put her hands on her hips and said, “You’re going to give me a ticket anyway? You cold-hearted bastard - the last four cops I used that on let me go!” My partner proceeds to herniate himself laughing; I crack up as well and a few seconds later, she realizes what she said and starts laughing, too. I wrote her up (I did cut her some slack and wrote her for only 70 in a 55) and we went on our ways.
The next day, a large sign appeared on my locker courtesy of my partner:
THE COLD HEARTED BASTARD OF XXXX COUNTY, TEXAS (county name withheld to protect the innocent and not-so-innocent :rolleyes: )
Badge, thanks for starting this thread. And thanks for your service as well.