I think you are slightly missing the point. It seems like the cop was gauging how quickly the question was answered rather than what the answer was. In this case the answer, “I have emphysema and can’t walk very far without being exhausted” probably would have satisfied him. But even if it didn’t, all that would mean is he would have taken the next step and checked the driver’s id (and maybe radioed to check the plates).
Waving the placard was merely my attempt to save us both the wasted time and hassle of having him get out of his car and come up to mine. It might not have been a well-thought out action but that is why I did it.
Except there was no initial crime or violation that gave this officer any probable cause to ask me what my disability was. I was legally parked, my car was stationary, in park, and I was not committing any infraction whatsoever.
I will agree that I mishandled the whole “airplane thread” and I understand the reactions I received (initially, at least) to my postings there. But honestly, that is the only subject I have brought up here that I feel misgivings about now.
Oh, and this was Davison PD. I would flat-out have been rendered speechless had this happened in Flint with the Flint PD. I mean, Jesus, they don’t respond to half the murder calls in the city. :eek: AND…I didn’t give this officer a shitty time. I was pleasant and friendly and I thanked him for his work.
No reason to check the plates, as the placard is tied to the individual, not the vehicle.
And to be honest with you, I’d be fine with the copper taking the wave-off on the basis of seeing a superficially valid placard. Does this mean people will borrow their disabled auntie’s placard and park illegally? Yes. Is that sufficient reason to subject all disabled people to “papers, please” style harassment? Not really, no.
You misunderstand probable cause. They can stop you for any reason they like. Hell, they can stop you on the highway just to make silly faces at you for 30 seconds. That’ll probably earn them a complaint and an internal smack upside the head for unprofessional conduct, but they can legally do it. Probable cause only is necessary for a search or arrest. Stopping you to talk to you doesn’t fall under either of those.
Oh, OK, thanks for that info. I didn’t realize that was the case. So then the only check required is the ID against the placard.
I was responding to the poster who said he had been on ride alongs with a cop buddy who would target cars committing minor infractions, in order to have a valid reason to pull them over and then question them to try and discover larger crimes. I was saying that I was guilty of no initial “minor infraction” that gave this cop any reason to light me up in the first place. And I was never pulled over. I was never driving. I was parked and the cop approached me in the parking space.
I think all of us have made that obvious to anyone that does not have their mind set like two week old concrete.
Right, the poster said his cop buddy looked for solid infractions so he wouldn’t be accused of profiling. Doesn’t mean he has to, period.
Besides, the cop saw a car without plates in a handicapped spot. Right there should be enough probable cause to check up and make sure everything’s fine.
He wasn’t trying to get you for DRIVING in a handicapped PARKING space illegally now was he?
Damn you are dense aren’t you?
LOL, would you stop this nonsense? Go look at the quote I was replying to. :rolleyes:
That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard all thread.
Ok, I’ve made my point on this stupid ass topic numerous times. Anyone who legitimately needed to understand has done so long ago. I am going to test myself and see if I can resist posting in this fucking thread again. Even though I know you bastards are going to continue dumping on me. We’ll see…
Yeah, I figure you don’t actually read what you write.
The cop didn’t know you weren’t guilty until he FUCKING CHECKED.
I hope from now on every damn handicapped parking space you and too many 1s and 0’s ever try to use is taken up by some teenage little shit illegally using grandma’s placard.
And you expected him to ascertain its validity at that distance via his superhuman vision? Or by clairvoyance? As for wasting time, no, checking up on things that arouse his suspicions is exactly what a cop does. It isn’t considered to be a waste of his time-- it’s the point of his job. And none of this changes the validity of my previous post. You though remain too obtuse to see the situation from any perspective other than your own. So don’t now try to tell us you were looking to save *the cop’s *time. That’s pure BS.
Well no, not even close. It doesn’t compare for stupidity with, say, your post quoted here. But even that isn’t the high mark. The really, truly stupidest post in the thread has to be the OP. When it comes to self righteous overblown and unjustified outrage, you’ve sure got it nailed. Selfish *and *stubborn.
I just noticed something way back on the first page. I asked you: “Out of curiosity, would you have been okay with him asking to see the placard and your ID if the wheelchair was visible to him?” to which you replied…
From that and the fact that you showed him part of your wheelchair instead of answering his “How are you handicapped” question or showing him your ID I infer that you seem to feel that possession of the wheel chair is more important then proving you can legally park there? Is that the case? I mean, you basically stated it twice.
That brings up some interesting questions…
Who should be allowed to in a HC spot? People that doctors/gov’t decide can park there?
-People who need wheelchairs?
-People who deserve to park there?
Is relying on a wheelchair more important the possession of a HC placard when parking in a HC spot? If someone didn’t have an HC placard (not didn’t have it on them, didn’t own one), but they were paraplegic, should they get to park there, legally?
If so, who should get to decide which non-placard holders get to use those spots? You?
Again, I remind you, you presented your placard and a piece of your wheel chair to the officer.
Also, when I asked you if you would be okay showing your ID to the officer if your chair was in plain sight instead of in the back seat you said you would be okay with it under the assumption that the officer didn’t see it.
Again, I’ll remind you, based on everything you’ve said in this thread, I could have parked in that spot and not received a ticket as long as I was in your car with your chair in the back.
Didn’t you say he initially approached due to your window tint? You said yourself that it was barely legal.