# Ex-Cop Tells How to "Never Get Busted Again" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 31, 2007, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693 "2007-10-31T11:58:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/21 "2007-10-31T22:28:52Z")
[QUOTE=Atomicktom] ETA: When I heard he said he used to pull over college kids, Blacks, Mexicans, _and_ Vietnam Vets (since all were likely to have drugs), I figured: no wonder your success rate is so high; you pull over everyone! [/QUOTE] I heard the interview this morning on NPR too, but what I didn’t hear was what reason he was giving in all these stops for probable cause. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/22 "2007-10-31T22:55:25Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > AIUI rental copies of movies require an additional license fee, to get around that part of the FBI warning about being licensed for private home use only. Really, how does this make any sense? The store has no control over how you use the movies; the assumption is that you’ll take them home and use them privately, as licensed. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/23 "2007-10-31T23:17:51Z")
[QUOTE=OtakuLoki] I’ve got two things to say - first, for a put-up job (Which is what I believe this to have been.), what do the facts matter? What is needed is something that looks faintly plausible. Not something that would actually stand up in court. [/QUOTE] My entire objection has been to this statement of yours. > [@](#): > > Well, technically, keeping the movies longer than the official rental period can be described as theft. No, it can’t. No coherently, at any rate. I’m not saying that corrupt cops can’t make bullshit arrests, or that corrupt DA’s can’t make bullshit charges. All I’m saying is that your explanation is wrong. Keeping movies beyond the return date is not theft. It is a civil matter, not a criminal one. And _returning them late_, which is what he was arrested for, is not theft in any way, shape, or form. ---
**Author:** ![Yag\_Rannavach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/858c86/32.png) [@Yag\_Rannavach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yag_Rannavach)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/24 "2007-10-31T23:23:47Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] It is a civil matter, not a criminal one. [/QUOTE] Someone I know got arrested because they didn’t return movies on time. The case went like this: The store built up a certain amount of late charges (I think it was $200, maybe $300), and then reported them to the police. The police then took over that case and went and arrested the person at work. While arrested they were stupid and basically admitted guilt, and that’s where the story ends. I’m not sure what exactly they were charged with, or how much they had to pay/what their penalties were. I could find out if you’d like… ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/25 "2007-10-31T23:26:00Z")
[QUOTE=Yag Rannavach] Someone I know got arrested because they didn’t return movies on time. The case went like this: The store built up a certain amount of late charges (I think it was $200, maybe $300), and then reported them to the police. The police then took over that case and went and arrested the person at work. While arrested they were stupid and basically admitted guilt, and that’s where the story ends. I’m not sure what exactly they were charged with, or how much they had to pay/what their penalties were. I could find out if you’d like… [/QUOTE] Yeah. I’d be interested. It would certainly blow a big hole in my theory. ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/26 "2007-10-31T23:37:42Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] I got two tips for you so you will never get busted. 1. Stop breaking the law. OK I know you won’t do that so onto… 2. Don’t smoke in your car you fucking idiot. Almost all the pot busts I have seen start because the smell coming from the car would knock you over. No profiling needed. [/QUOTE] **Loach** Or 3. Get the damn law changed. Yep. My dad was a small-town cop and was constantly busting people this way. It always seemed to start with some minor offense that would probably rate a warning. Minor speeding, rolling through stop signs/lights or the like. The guy would roll down the window and the smoke would roll out in a cloud. Always the start of a very bad day for somebody. Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/27 "2007-10-31T23:37:56Z")
[QUOTE=Yag Rannavach] While arrested they were stupid and basically admitted guilt, and that’s where the story ends. [/QUOTE] Stupid? Considering that the store probably kept careful records, and he probably signed a membership agreement, I don’t think it’s that stupid. Less stupid than denying it, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Yag\_Rannavach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/858c86/32.png) [@Yag\_Rannavach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yag_Rannavach)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/28 "2007-11-01T00:02:19Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] Stupid? Considering that the store probably kept careful records, and he probably signed a membership agreement, I don’t think it’s that stupid. Less stupid than denying it, anyway. [/QUOTE] I’m working from the premise that admitting you’re guilty to the police is always stupid, unless you don’t care if you’re convicted of a certain charge. Denying it may also be stupid, it depends on how you deny it. “I never rented that!” or “Oh, yeah, my friend over here returned it for me”, or “I thought I returned that three months ago” vs “Oh, I’m sorry, I never returned them. I don’t know where they are now” Some of those make the case much, much harder for you to win. > [@](#): > > Yeah. I’d be interested. It would certainly blow a big hole in my theory. It’ll take me a few days to find out…I’ll post an update when I do. I know that the dollar amount of the late fees was key to them being arrestable. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/29 "2007-11-01T00:04:26Z")
[QUOTE=OtakuLoki] Well, technically, keeping the movies longer than the official rental period can be described as theft. [/QUOTE] And this is why we do Netflix. No late movies, ever! I’d guess that the unlawful gun thing was probably more of a factor than the movies, though. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/30 "2007-11-01T00:29:34Z")
Wait…I just realized that this guy was arrested on gun charges _in Texas_. Holy shit! What the hell kind of heat was this dude packing? RPGs? Depleted uranium? ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/31 "2007-11-01T01:01:14Z")
[QUOTE=UncleRojelio] I heard the interview this morning on NPR too, but what I didn’t hear was what reason he was giving in all these stops for probable cause. [/QUOTE] From the article: > [@](#): > > We would pull over cars that had college bumper stickers, because we knew college kids often partied with marijuana," Cooper says. “We would pull over ‘Vietnam Vet’ plates, because a lot of our vets developed a habit over there.” > > “I feel bad about it,” he admits. “I would look for Mexicans. I would look for black people. It works.” So he doesn’t say why he would stop Mexicans and blacks. While this may not be the case for all of his busts, I’m always surprised at the number of people who allow searches of their vehicles. Cops look for a reason to pull someone over, such as a busted light or crossing over a line and then check the person. They will ask to search in some cases and too many people allow it. If you are doing something wrong, why allow a search? ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/32 "2007-11-01T01:44:25Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] I’d name it Toonces [/QUOTE] Just don’t let it drive. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/33 "2007-11-01T07:07:11Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] Really, how does this make any sense? The store has no control over how you use the movies; the assumption is that you’ll take them home and use them privately, as licensed. [/QUOTE] I wasn’t thinking of the rentee’s use of the rental. Rather the renter’s use of it. Which seems to be outdated information, according to **iamthewalrus(:3=**. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/34 "2007-11-01T09:15:05Z")
[QUOTE=TokyoPlayer] From the article:So he doesn’t say why he would stop Mexicans and blacks. While this may not be the case for all of his busts, I’m always surprised at the number of people who allow searches of their vehicles. Cops look for a reason to pull someone over, such as a busted light or crossing over a line and then check the person. They will ask to search in some cases and too many people allow it. If you are doing something wrong, why allow a search? [/QUOTE] Because they’ll tell you to sit there and wait until they get a warrant to search your vehicle. When Bonnaroo is going on, the cops in TN will sit just past the state line and pull over _everyone_ doing 1 MPH over the speed limit if they have out of state tags and ask to search the vehicle. I’ll note that they _don’t_ do this when the country music festival is going on (even though there’s plenty of “good ol’ boys” who like the wacky tabaccy and Bonnaroo has a higher attendance rate [and thus is more important in terms of tourist dollars]). ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/35 "2007-11-01T13:30:55Z")
From what I understand, it’s a pretty trivial DVD. > **[Never Get Busted Again, Volume 1: Traffic Stops - Windypundit](https://windypundit.com/2007/02/never_get_busted_again_volume/)** > > I just finished watching Barry Cooper’s Never Get Busted Again DVD that the blogosphere was all excited about a few weeks ago. As it’s subtitled “Volume 1: Traffic Stops”, I assume he hopes to release more videos in the future. (Actually, he’s also... The guy is, however, an ass. [http://nallforgovernor.blogspot.com/2007/02/loretta-nalls-review-of-never-get.html](http://nallforgovernor.blogspot.com/2007/02/loretta-nalls-review-of-never-get.html) Basically, if you are stupid enough to drive and smoke, this may save you. If you have sense enough to pour piss out of a boot without reading the instructions on the heel, it’s semi-worthless. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/36 "2007-11-01T14:11:27Z")
[QUOTE=Richard Parker] You mean, before the car has even been stopped? If so, I think you’re half bloodhound. If not, I think the officer is referring to deciding which cars to stop in the first place. [/QUOTE] I can smell it if someone is smoking cigarettes in the car in front of me, even with my windows up (but not usually with the air being recirculated). I think most non-smokers can. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/37 "2007-11-01T15:24:05Z")
[QUOTE=Renee] I think most non-smokers can. [/QUOTE] I am a non-smoker, and I sincerely doubt this. Are you talking about when you’re stuck in traffic or something? ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/38 "2007-11-01T16:12:12Z")
[QUOTE=Testy] **Loach** Yep. My dad was a small-town cop and was constantly busting people this way. It always seemed to start with some minor offense that would probably rate a warning. Minor speeding, rolling through stop signs/lights or the like. The guy would roll down the window and the smoke would roll out in a cloud. Always the start of a very bad day for somebody. Testy [/QUOTE] In the U.K. if you look suspicious or its late at night and the Old Bill are bored they usually pull you over because “one of your brake lights isn’t working”. They then do a full check of everything and if they find nothing out of order, then,surprise,surprise your B.L.magically starts working again. A car full of us was pulled over once in the early hours,we were all pissed up except for the driver who was stone cold sober. Whan the officious little cunt who had stopped us found to his disappointment that he couldn’t do our driver for Drunk in Charge he started do a full car inspection (including seeing if the WS Wiper bottles were full) He checked beneath the bonnet(U.S.hood)though I’m not sure whyand then gave our car a vigorous push to see if the handbrake was holding. It had been raining and the car was wet. The handbrake held but he didn’t and he slid face first under the bonnet and across my mates totally filthy,oily engine. His cop mates were rolling up in laughter but we had to sit there stone faced despite the pain of doing so because they can always arrest you for something. I’ve got a lot of respect for the police but this cunt deserved what he got. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/39 "2007-11-01T17:24:52Z")
[QUOTE=Lust4Life] One of the tips was to have a cat in the car cos it would distract the sniffer dog. So if I was a cop I’d now start pulling over and searching all cars with cats in them. [/QUOTE] My dog is a sniffer dog - for explosives though, not drugs. I can say he is not distracted by anything, cat or a steak - that dog has focus. So I don’t know what kind of slacker-ass dog this guy had. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-cop-tells-how-to-never-get-busted-again/424693/40 "2007-11-01T18:20:06Z")
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