I’ve been pulled over many times in my 9 years of driving. A couple of times I did deserve the tickets I received, but most of the time I got screwed over. Like the time I got a ticket for not putting on vanity plates I received one day before being stopped. Even though I explained that I had no screwdriver at home and I was on my way to work right now where there is a screwdriver I am going to use to put them on. Even though had both registration cards AND the new plates on the seat next to me. Or how about that time I got a ticket for not completely stopping at a stop sign at the end of a rural highway offramp at 1AM with no other cars in sight. But that’s not what I’m mad about right now.
This morning, I was doing my usual 70mph down the NJ Turnpike (speed limit 65). I got pulled over, and was instructed to hand over my documents. I did, and asked, “did I do something wrong, officer?” He replied, “No, but you fit the description of someone we’re looking for. Stay here.” Having not robbed any banks lately, I was a little annoyed, but willing to put up with the inconvenience because I don’t blame him for pulling me over if I do fit the description of a criminal. He comes back 15 minutes later and says,
“Do you have any points on your license?”
“Yes I do.”
“Ok, where are you going?”
“Work.”
“And where are you coming from?”
“Home.”
“And where exactly is work?”
“Excuse me, but am I being charged with anything? Because if not, I’m pretty sure I don’t have to answer these questions.”
“No, you’re not being charged with anything. You can go.”
“Great. And thanks for making me late for work.”
I don’t mind being pulled over if they suspect me. But after running my license, which must have taken all of 90 seconds, let me go on my merry way, dammit. At least I didn’t get a ticket for “looking like a criminal.”
I got pulled over last night because my “license plate frame is broken, and covering the sticker”. I didn’t have my drivers license on me, because it was in my racquetball bag, but I did have my passport. I told the cop I knew the number, but he said it didn’t matter, “I’m still going to write you a ticket.”
I knew there was a cop in the area, because my radar detector was beeping, so I was driving double plus good. I ended up only getting a warning for the frame being broken. So, I went to look at it as soon as he got back in his car. Nope the frame wasn’t broken, and it was right where it should have been.
I think cops just like to pull over sweet cars. I’ve been pulled over about nine times since I got my car in April, and I was in Brazil for a month of that. Lame-o!
I’ve gotten pulled over for this before. I believe the excuse was “We received reports that some kids were shooting bb guns at windows in the neighborhood you just left.” My thoughts were, REALLY? So, what, you’re just pulling over every car that leaves the neighborhood and running their licenses? Even if I HAD been doing that, he still wouldn’t have had probable cause to search my vehicle, so it was just a big fat waste of time.
The last time this topic occured to me was when some coworkers were discussing it. A woman there said she’d been pulled over many times in her life but had always gotten warnings. I mentally noted that, at that time, I had been pulled over 4 times and had gotten 4 tickets.
Another coworker (female) said she had been pulled over 3 times and had gotten 2 tickets.
The difference that I had noted was that I was male, the second woman was very obese and the first woman (who only got warnings) was pretty attractive.
Sounds like, flyingcloudofdoom, that you’re in my camp…you have a face/gender/attraction that doesn’t get you out of it.
First time (long story short), someone I was with decided to shop lift while I was doing legitimate shopping, and he got caught, so I went back, got his brother (since we were far away from his home, and I had no phone) and brought him back so he could handle the situation. On my way out, the cops decided to harrass me and block my car in. They said they wanted to search my car because they thought I might have other stolen merchandise in the car (complete BS). This was the conversation, pretty much word for word. Also note, I had two witnesses (my brother, and the brother of the idiot who decided to shoplift).
Officer Dickhead: May we open your trunk to look for stolen merchandise?
Me: No, you may not search my car.
ODH: Why not?
Me: Because I don’t have to let you.
ODH: We don’t need your permission. Who is this other person on your car registration? We can search with his permission too.
Me: That’s my dad.
ODH: [Calls my house] Hi, I’m Officer Dickhead. We have your son here and would like to search the car.
Dad: It’s my son’s car. What did he say?
ODH: He said no.
Dad: Then what makes you think I’d say anything different?
ODH: Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?
Dad: Do you?
ODH: Uh… [Click] Damn constitutionalists.
Me: Actually, I’m a libertarian.
ODH: Grumble… You can go now.
My dad gets massive thumbs up for intimidating the stupid policeman.
The second time, I was speeding a little bit (I was going about 50 in what I thought was a 45). The officer claimed it was a 35 (which, I found out as a drove away, wasn’t true). He insisted that he smelled marijuana smoke and he wanted to search my car. Note that I had three witnesses this time.
Officer Cumstain: I smell marijuana smoke.
Me: No, you do not smell marijuana smoke. I don’t smoke. I was just at a concert where people were smoking.
OCS: Well, I’m going to need to search your vehicle.
Me: I’d prefer if you did not. You do not have probable cause.
OCS: Please step out of the vehicle. [I step out of the vehicle] If you don’t let us search the vehicle, we will hold you here until we get the dogs, and we’ll tear your car apart until we find what we’re looking for.
Me: Well, now that my friends have heard you threaten me… go ahead, you won’t find anything.
OCS: [Proceeds to search my car, all he finds are a couple knives I happened to have in the glove compartment, but considering he was searching illegally and his stated reason was that he was looking for drugs and he didn’t find them, he can’t do anything about it, even if they were illegal, which they weren’t] What are these?
Me: Those are knives.
OCS: You cannot keep them in the glove box, that’s considered concealed.
Me: Actually, they’re perfectly legal to keep there because the blades are under 3 1/2". (This is true in Virginia)
OCS: [He returns the knives and I get back in the car] I’m going to let you off with a warning this time.
OCS doesn’t even bother to issue a “warning” slip like they’re suppose to, probably because he knew I could have gotten his badge number and gotten him fired.
I’ve had a few other run ins with incompetent cops. Another time one of my brother’s friends had an arrest warrant, unbeknownst to me. After arresting him, they wanted to search my house, and I asked for a search warrant. He stated that the arrest warrant allowed him to do so, and when I asked to see it, he assaulted me and barged his way into the house. Fortunately, my other brother and father were there within a few seconds, he let go of me, and tried to high-tail it out the front door. He refused to give his badge number (also illegal), though the officer in charge did yell at him in front of us.
Man… I think I’ve run into at least twice as many incompetent cops as I have competent ones.
I don’t want to be that awful holier than thou jerk who always posts in these threads, but… you know, I’ve only been pulled over twice? Ever? Once because I didn’t notice the DMV had never actually sent me my new sticker? Once because I legitimately missed a stop sign because I wasn’t paying attention. Ever wonder if it’s you?
While not exactly hated by law enforcement here, I was pulled over awhile back. I was approaching a light that had just turned yellow. I drive a 42 year old truck, which doesn’t exactly stop on a dime.
I had crossed the intersection (halfway through) as the light turned red. Looking in my rear view mirror, I see some wig-wags.
“Shit…” I think to my self. A motorcycle cop pulls behind me, but I cannot pull over as the signs on the street say “No Parking at Any Time”.
I see a driveway up ahead, for a Senior Citizen apartment complex, so I pull in. But the entry is a single lane, so I’d be blocking traffic if I stopped. I decide to drive further in, and see some parking spots. The cop is slowly following me the whole time, no siren, but the with wig-wags still on. Kinda like we’re in the world’s smallest parade.
Cop approaches elderly truck.
“Weren’t you a little late back there?”
I’m not going to argue with him, so I say “I wouldn’t have crossed if it wasn’t safe, Officer.”
He finally notices the Oldmobile.
“What year is this truck?”
“1965.”
Slight pause…“How old is it?”.
My first thought is “They let you carry a gun?!?”, but I said “It’s 42 years old.”
With very rare exception, I deserved to be stopped every time it happened.
However, one night I was driving my son’s friend home one night. They were around 15 at the time and didn’t have their licenses yet. On the way home I got pulled over for ‘swerving’. What a bunch of bullshit. That’s a generic no fault reason reason to pull someone over when they haven’t done anything wrong. It was late on a Friday or Saturday and I contend they pulling me over for a random DWI check.
It was bullshit. The real problem was my own fault. I had an unpaid speeding ticket in Oklahoma (I live in Georgia, and that’s where this all occurred). Reciprocity is a bitch, is all I got to stay. I received a nice night in jail because of that one.
Hah, move to Somerville, MA. It’s impossible to get pulled over unless you’re running down pedestrians.
My inspection sticker expired in January, no one gives a shit.
And here’s the thing, my car could probably easily pass inspection, but I feel like Kramer in the Seinfeld episode where he tries to drive the car on empty for as long as it will run. I’m seeing how far I can stretch this sticker.
