I hate that shit. It’s been done to me more than once. The cop was a dick looking to fill his ticket quota/fuck up someone’s night. The poor bastard who got pulled over apparently did nothing to deserve it. The cop was looking for any excuse to write a ticket, which, in my book, is despicable.
Huh. So that’s where that bit of text went when I typed it the first time. Sorry 'bout that.
The same thing happened to me once. I was driving at like 3 or 4 in the morning (it was a good 7 or 8 years ago so my memory is hazy) and didn’t come to a complete stop before making a right turn on a red. There was nary a car in sight for a good 5 miles in any direction, save for the lone, obviously bored, highway patrolman. He was likely looking for drunk drivers, yeah, and there was a legitimate reason to stop me, sure, but he still gave me a ticket for the rolling stop!
Asshole.
I don’t mind bullshit stops late at night as long as I’m not in a hurry. If it keeps drunk drivers off the road, whatever. But once your suspicions are dispelled, let me get on with my business! Don’t give me some bullshit traffic ticket because you’re irritated you didn’t “get one”!
Ugh.
Want a fun paranoia bit? Cop pulls out on the road in front of me. We drive for a bit. Cop swerves into the breakdown lane, brakes, then pulls out again behind me. We drive for many miles.
God, that sucked.
I giggle with glee when people bitch about getting tickets for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. I mean, when you take your drivers test, they tell you the law, bigger than shit. Did you just forget? More than likely it is laziness. The law is the law, you can’t follow it, don’t bitch when you get caught breaking it.
And yes, you have to stop at the white line yourself, stoping behind the car in front of you doesn’t count, and that was covered in the little booklet as well. I realize it has been longer for some than others, but if I can remember a simple law like that after 15 years, I am sure some of you can remember it the rest of your lives.
Also, in case you forgot, if the view from the white line at the stop sign is obscured, you MUST stop at the line, THEN pull forward. You can also get a ticket for crossing that line, even if you DO come to a complete stop.
Just follow the damn laws and you won’t have a reason to whine and cry.
Just had the “drunk driver” stop this weeked, at about 1AM. My friend was driving me home after a hockey game and a few beers afterwards. He had a couple of beers during the game (it got aver about 10PM), and didn’t drink after the game.
We made a left turn at a light. The steet we turned off of was a street where you could only turn left or right (no straight), and there was a turn lane for both directions.
After we made the turn, my buddy noticed the police car behind us. He said, “Great, I’m going to get pulled over.” About 1/2 mile down the road, the lights came on.
The officer came to the window, and said we hadn’t used a turn signal at the light. (Both my friend and I believe he used a signal, but that’s immaterial). He wasn’t behind us when we made the turn, so he may have been on the street we turned on to. After asking us how much we had to drink, he went away for 10 minutes. The other officer came up, and said they could smell beer, and were suspicious of drunk driving. My friend got the sobreity test, and we were let go.
I understand being worried about drunk drivers. However, this pissed me off: the officer claimed that since he hadn’t used his signal, other drivers wouldn’t be able to tell if we were turning or not. We were in a left turn only lane, at an intersection with lights. Who were we going to run into? 
At least just say you were looking for drunk drivers, and some BS reason to pull someone over. At least he didn’t get a ticket for the signal…
I remember the first time a cop pulled behind me back when I was 16. I was nervous. I sweated bullets. I verrrrry carefully continued driving, wondering what the hell he was following me for. After a few blocks he turned off on a side street, and I realized it was nothing.
Not long after that, I did get pulled over. For speeding. He had me dead to rights too. I actually went to court to try to throw myself on the mercy of the court and try to get out of it. The judge kind of chuckled and said something along the lines of its time to learn a lesson and stop whining. I then went to the court cashier and paid the fifty bucks.
Now here’s what’s weird. Later that same day, that very same day, I got pulled over for speeding through a school zone. I said, “But officer, the lights are off. It’s after school zone hours.” He said, “well, we’ll just see about that. Get in the car.” and he drove back to the school zone sign. Sure enough, the lights were off. He said “Well, I guess you’re right. Sorry 'bout that.” and drove me back to my car and that was that.
After that, I’ve never been nervous about the police driving around or near me.
Buncha assholes in this thread. I think it’s perfectly normal to be nervous when a cop does something out of the ordinary and ends up behind you, regardless of the fact you’ve done nothing wrong. Although I’m unsure about the quota thing. Maybe they’re just doing their job. Regardless, feeling nervous is normal, and being angry about being made to feel nervous is normal too.
'round these parts, people left hand turn out of the rightmost lane and vice-versa so often that you learn to mistrust mere lane choice as a way of determining intent to turn. Didja check the blinkers on the car? If a bulb is burned out, maybe you are both right.
I know someone who got speeding in a school zone dismissed in court by showing the judge that it was an early release date and the children were already long gone, even though the lights were still on.
I gotta second Epimetheus, though. I am guilty of multiple moving violations. If and when I get caught rolling a stop sign, running a yellow, speeding, driving agressively, u-turning, not using my turn signal, and/or passing unsafely…I’ll be long overdue. And if I get ‘harassed’ for a while and given a warning, I’ll be OK with that too, because its still less than I deserve for all the moving violations I would have if a cop followed me around 24-7. I know I am lazy about certain laws and supposedly save time by speeding and running lights, and it is a calculated risk everytime.
They can’t. Unless it’s a sobriety checkpoint, a cop needs a reason to pull someone over. The person needs to make some kind of vehicle code violation or be driving erratically. Even then, there’s certain standards that need to be met.
And Epimetheusp, while I do realize how fun it is to climb up on that high horse and “giggle with glee” when it’s lecture time, I think it’s time you get the hell over yourself. Those of us that are bitter we recieved stupid ass tickets for ridiculous little shit like failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign at 3 in the morning in a deserted intersection, are pissed because those tickets aren’t really for those offenses.
It’s obvious to me at least in my scenerio, that the cop was looking for drunk drivers, “fishing” if you will. See above. A cop can’t pull someone over for no reason, so they look for stupid shit like failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign or forgetting to signal. Things that all of us (those of us who don’t carry a DMV manual in their back pocket like dear Epimetheus do from time to time.
Trust me, I work in criminal defense. I see piles of police reports. Some of these cops couldn’t be more transparent if they tried. And I have no problem with that! What I do have a problem with, is getting a ticket for something that I would never have gotten pulled over for save for the fact the officer was “fishing” for something else and because he couldn’t get that big bust he was looking for, gave me a ticket for something stupid. Not speeding, not driving dangerously, but something stupid like failing to come to a complete stop at stop signal in a deserted intersection. Now the cops pettiness is going to cause me a whole lot of annoyance and money.
If I’m caught speeding, driving recklessly or doing something that would cause me to get pulled over on it’s own, that’s one thing. I won’t be happy about the ticket, but I’ll accept it. But when I’m stopped for what I know is just a bullshit cover up for a Officer Asshole’s newest fishing expedition and end up getting some petty ticket, I’m gonna be wicked pissed.
And yes, I know I wouldn’t have gotten pulled over if I had driven like a pimply faced 16 year old on their drivers test, but lets just try to be realistic for about 2.5 seconds, here. Who of us here can honestly say that they obey every single traffic law to the letter, every day of their lives?
Yeah, I didn’t think so.
Ahh, poor baby got a ticket for breaking the law. The law is still the law at 3am, sorry buddy. I don’t see getting a ticket for not coming to a complete stop as “stupid shit” though, but I guess I don’t feel above the law like yourself. Of course if you see knowing laws I need to know to have the PRIVILEGE of driving as "having a manual in my back pocket, you should be kicked off the road instead of given a ticket.
But we don’t know that the other car was pulled over for no good reason. Everyone is just assuming that a cop was fishing to fill a quota. The OP didn’t even notice the car for a while to know what it did or didn’t do. It could have had no taillights or brake lights, no plate, expired plates, stolen plates, the whole car could’ve been stolen. The driver could have been suspected of another not even car related crime. It seems a little pathological that a cop driving near you and pulling someone else over makes you travel a different route. An officer does need a reason to pull you over unless they are randomly selecting vehicles at a checkpoint. If you choose to give them a reason, you are partly responsible for the interaction. Nobody is saying that you should never roll a stop sign at 3am in an empty intersection, but if you do and you don’t notice the cop there, you have to take some of the blame. If you didn’t see the cop, what else aren’t you seeing as you roll the stop sign? Wouldn’t it be safer to come to a stop and then go on your way one second behind schedule? Is it the cops fault you broke the law in front of him? Is it possible that you weren’t an upstand and cheerful person and you gave the cop some attitude? Is it possible that instead of merely rolling a stop sign, you just sped through the intersection?
There is always another side to the story. I never even took driver’s ed. I learned my driving rules by reading the manual and checking local variances when I move…like responsible drivers should. Like I said earlier, I am not a perfect driver and if I get pulled over for it, I’ll deserve what I get.
If there’s a cop behind you and the lights aren’t on yet, you get one cut… he’ll turn the lights on if you do two violent maneuvers and he’s still in sight. Make it one he can’t follow without wrecking…
I’m not kidding. Random traffic stops do happen and they do result in “reckless driving” or “driving to endanger” citations which are very nebulously defined and while they may get thrown out in court are a damned good way to wreck your day.
2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch made two major maneuvers to avoid an accident last Friday. It came down to the cop’s guessing he had alcohol on his breath and then the breathalyzer malfunctioning for the charge of “reckless driving” to stick. No video evidence. No other witnesses. Just one cop thinking a Nextel Cup Champion’s driving judgement was off… He was suspended from his job for the rest of the year, which likely cost him over $100,000.
If I’m given one chance for a dodge the cop can’t follow or being pulled over, the Kumhos are getting a workout.
Busch also got into a shouting match with the officers after having to take evasive action to avoid a vehicle that had right of way in an intersection where Busch ran a stop sign while speeding.
link
And even Busch himself admitted he was a jerk in so many words
link
Like I said…there is always another side. Had Busch not been a professional driver, but a mere mortal, the evasive action would have probably been unsuccessful and people would have gone to the hospital or worse. Busch ignores stop signs on the track too, and gets mad and throws things at officials and then gets fined points and money. And he gets into verbal and fist fights in the pits and the garages. Busch isn’t a great example for all that is evil about cops…care to try again?
Oh for gods sake. It’s not coming to a complete stop at a deserted intersection, not armed robbery.
Hell, even as traffic violations go, it’s not a big deal. You can’t even justify it under the guise of safety. The intersection was deserted and I slowed down enough to make it a rolling stop, I just didn’t do the whole “stop, count 3 seconds” thing. It was a petty stop, and nothing more. Did I violate the law? Sure. But the world isn’t as black and white as you seem to believe. I don’t feel I’m “above the law” but nor do I feel that I have no right to get irritated at what I, and I’m sure a majority of the driving population, believe is a petty stop and ticket, for an offense the highway patrolman likely has committed himself. I’m willing to bet money you’ve made a couple traffic violations yourself at some point in the fifteen years you have enjoyed the sacred PRIVILEGE of driving. Actually, I’d be very impressed to meet anyone who has never violated a single traffic law, ever. Glass houses and all that.
Get a little perspective, buddy.
And xbuckeye, I was only speaking for myself, since the snobby holier than thou tone of the poster I quoted really rubbed me the wrong way. I guess people really will jump on the slightest opprotunity to feel superior to others. I have no idea why the driver in the OP’s story was pulled over, so I can’t speak to that.
Sorry for the hijack.
Lezlers? I’ve noticed something. Everytime there’s a driving rant thread here in the Pit, without fail, you’re not happy until the thread always ends up being about you. Soon as I saw your name against this thread’s title I knew what I’d be reading. You’re consistent - I’ll give you that.
My favorite cop-tailing-me story occured a few years ago after I had picked my girlfriend up from O’Hare. I took a bit of a detour, so I ended up going to the south of the city by entering Lake Shore Drive from Sheridan. I hit Lake Shore Drive (speed limit 40 during the winter) flying, accelerating to about 55 or 60 before I notice there’s a cop directly behind me.
So, I think, what the hell am I gonna do? Well, I’m speeding, so I might as well keep on speeding. I slow down a little, without hitting my brakes, to 55 and continue on my merry way. Cop, of course, eventually pulls me over. I roll down my window, get my license and registration out, and put my hands on the steering wheel. He ambles over to my door and says “Do you know what the speed limit here is?” I answer “45” (which I knew was wrong, but whatever.) “Actually,” he says, “it’s 40 during the winter and 45 at all other times. I clocked you at 57 as you hit Lake Shore Drive like a bat out of hell. Did you not see me behind you?” “Actually, sir, yes I did see you behind me.” He looks at me, a bit confused, and says “Then why didn’t you slow down?” “Well, I figure, hey, if I’m speeding I’m speeding. You’ve already clocked me, what good is slowing down going to do?”
Apparently, my logic or bizarre behavior completely caught him off guard, as he left me with a verbal admonition and order to slow down.
The thing is that we all break the law from time to time. All of us. If you say you never break the law, then I simply do not believe you (jaywalking, anyone?). Sometimes we forget to use that lane signal. Sometimes we roll that stop. Sometimes we accidentally turn into the wrong direction of a one-way street. Sometimes we speed to better pace ourselves in the flow of traffic. Et cetera, et cetera, etc. There should be some reasonable flexibility in the application of the road rules. When an action is merely a careless oversight and in no way endangers the safety of the motorist or others (such as rolling a stop in the wee hours of the morning), the police should, at most, offer the driver a stern rebuke. I believe traffic laws should be enforced for our safety and not for revenue generation.
At 3 a.m.? Yes, it’s stupid shit, although I’d like to hear a compelling reason (outside of “the law is the law”) why it is not. Also, I don’t think you even could get a ticket in Chicago for rolling a stop if you tried.
Exactly. Thank you.
And Boo? That would be why I said “sorry for the hijack.”