# Why did the police officer ask me this question? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 7, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081 "2010-02-07T23:53:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/21 "2010-02-08T19:07:53Z")
A classmate of mine was asked “When’s your birthday?” when stopped by a cop. That was because he forgot to put his new sticker on his license plate, which was the reason for the stop: expired plates. But the cop was cool about it, because it was like Dec. 1 and the plate had expired end of Nov. So my classmate just got a reminder rather than a ticket. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/22 "2010-02-08T19:14:03Z")
Still looking for the link to the Cincinnati imposter, but here’s another recent one: [http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?articleId=6d0773e3-ad53-46ec-abd3-03f8e031913a&headline=Lee+curbs+traffic+stops+because+of+impersonator](http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?articleId=6d0773e3-ad53-46ec-abd3-03f8e031913a&headline=Lee+curbs+traffic+stops+because+of+impersonator) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/23 "2010-02-08T19:17:24Z")
> [@torie](#): > > My husband does this. He’s a manager of a gas station and when he gets someone’s ID for beer or cigarette purchases he casually asks them how old they are. He says you’d be surprised how people hesitate and act nervous when it’s a fake ID. I would assume people would have studied their fake and learn the fake age and birthdate, but I guess everyone’s not that good. “How old are you, McLovin?” I think everyone’s got it already - it was Super Bowl so he was smelling your breath for alcohol, and since you didn’t ping anything by knowing your age right off, he was done with you. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/24 "2010-02-08T19:18:44Z")
> **[Cincinnati News, Sports and Things to Do | Cincinnati Enquirer](https://www.cincinnati.com/)** > > Breaking Cincinnati news, traffic, weather and local headlines from The Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/25 "2010-02-08T19:19:02Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > If you actually called him “police offer,” that stop may have gone differently. > > 😉 Yeah..let me fix that title. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/26 "2010-02-08T19:24:58Z")
It was Saturday night, not Superbowl, but it was after midnight. ETA: Thanks for fixing the typo! D’oh! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/27 "2010-02-08T19:26:25Z")
Ah, so _pre_ Super Bowl drinking then. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/28 "2010-02-08T21:31:02Z")
> [@torie](#): > > My husband does this. He’s a manager of a gas station and when he gets someone’s ID for beer or cigarette purchases he casually asks them how old they are. He says you’d be surprised how people hesitate and act nervous when it’s a fake ID. I would assume people would have studied their fake and learn the fake age and birthdate, but I guess everyone’s not that good. “What’s your sign?” is another common question I’ve heard used by the occasional bouncer. Most people know their own sign without much hesitation, but can’t confidently answer for the fake birth date. ---
**Author:** ![Richie\_Incognito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e36b37/32.png) [@Richie\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richie_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/29 "2010-02-08T22:07:09Z")
It sounds like he was looking for either a specific person or a specific vehicle. Once he approached you, he already knew he had the wrong person. This is likely the reason for the awkward exchange. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/30 "2010-02-08T22:43:50Z")
> [@Lunar\_Saltlick](#): > > Maybe he just got sick and tired of his job, his life and everything else.. … There is a certain Beauty in Truth. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/31 "2010-02-09T02:03:36Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Are you in the United States? Since last night was Super Bowl Sunday, police were obviously out looking for intoxicated drivers. If you seemed sober while answering the questions, they probably let you go to look for their next victim. Drunk drivers are victims? Since when? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/32 "2010-02-09T16:31:19Z")
Hey, man, those beers were _out to get me_! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/33 "2010-02-10T07:09:04Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > I got stopped last night by a cop in an unmarked car. When I passed him, I noticed the computer (it was on) and knew he was a cop. Our conversation was as follows: > > Cop: Did you know you have a headlight out? > Me: No, sorry. I didn’t know. > Cop: Can I see your license? > Me: Yes, but I will have to get out of the car. It is behind my seat. > Cop: How old are you? > Me: 49. > Cop: Ok, have a nice night. > Me: Huh? (in my head) > > So why did he ask me my age? Was it because he wanted to see if I knew the right answer, as he had already run my car registration? Was he thinking of asking me out, but I am too old for him? Was he testing me to see if I would lie? I lie about my weight, but not my age. 🙂 My guess is that he was testing to see if you are who you say you are and not someone steeling your car. It’s the easiest thing on your license for the officer to remember. ---
**Author:** ![Ivorybill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ivorybill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivorybill)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/34 "2010-02-11T19:07:37Z")
IANAL and my experience is limited to Louisiana, but here if you have a concealed carry permit and you ever pulled over (in a car or bike or on foot) after providing your ID or DL you must tell the officer that you have a CC permit and, if you’re carrying, tell her/him where you’re carrying. I’ve been pulled over just once since getting my CC permit and I found it helped. Following procedure to identify my status and tell him that I was not carrying gave me a chance to immediately establish that even though my inspection had expired I was normally a law-abiding citizen. He thanked me for following the CC law, gave me a warning about the inspection, and sent me on my way. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081/35 "2010-02-13T13:31:10Z")
\*Look for a woman driving a car with a burned out headlight. After stopping her, casually ask what her age is. If she answers “The moon spreads its glow o’er the hills”, respond with “Blue pens are better than red”. She will then hand over the manila envelope. Otherwise, wait for the next car with a burned-out headlight driven by a women.\* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-police-officer-ask-me-this-question/528081.md?page=1)