Answering LE's 'questions' at a traffic stop

[clubsoda22]

i've never had any real problems with LEOs. But, the one time I got pulled over, the officer (campus cop) gave me crap for having a radar detector before spending almost half an hour writing the warning that he gave me because he didn't really know how fast I was going.

I'm glad that the campus safety officers at my college have no police powers because those guys hate me. I think they're just bitter that the volunteer firefighters get to have lights on their cars too as it tends to be the bulk of their complaints about me...also the attitude i gave them when they decided to search my dorm room for guns at 2:30am after i was overheared by one rent-a-cop making a pro-concealed carry statement after a string of violent muggings on campus. They drive around in their Chevy Impalas (those new V6 ones that put shame to the name) with amber lightbars and try to look as badass as humanly possible

They do, on occasion, pull people over when they have city cops riding along with them (sometimes city cops are around campus due to the high crime rate). It goes without question what i'd do if I saw their amber lights flashing in my rearview mirrior. Stop, put on the flashers, wait for them to put it in park and leave them watching my tail lights dissapear into the distance as I sped off. They would have a very hard time catching my car. No laws were violated as you do not have to yeild to utility vehicles (amber lights representing utilities). Even if there was a cop with him, as he did not identify himself, i'm golden. If they want to give me trouble about it when I get back, sorry officer, thought you were a tow truck.

Unfortunately these guys have a good working relationship with the city cops so i am pulled over and harassed by them often enough. They basically just pull me over for something inane then give me a verbal warning.

At one point i was confronted by a plain clothes detective as i was getting out of my car at half past midnight. He failed to identify himself and started giving me crap. He was one wrong move from getting a healthy dose of mace when he decided he had enough of my attitude and stormed off. I was being a real prick to this guy as i had no idea who he was and was being confronted in a dark parking lot in a bad neighborhood in the middle of the night and he was giving me crap. Basically, i was unappreciative. Later found out he was an undercover detective assigned to the campus. Got pulled over 3 times that week.

As you can guess, my attitude about cops is pretty poor. I'm friends with a lot of cops, but from my experiances, cops generally have to proove to me their not jerks through their actions. From my experiances, i've been dicked around more often than not at traffic stops and assume when i am pulled over that i'm about to get dicked around. This doesn't mean, however, that i don't put on me best "hello can i help you officer?" and play the game. I'm always polite at a traffic stop, but am also fairly hardcore about my rights and know them fully. I do not allow searches of my car and I make sure the officer keeps with the issue at hand. If an officer pulls me over because he says i was speeding, i'll flat out tell most officers that where i am coming from, where i'm going and what's in my trunk is not the issue if they ask. This is especially true if the officer is confrontational. I also will intentionally avoid sobriety checkpoints by turning onto a side street if i see one ahead. This usually results in getting pulled over, but as I see it, avoiding a dragnet is a piss poor reason to be stopped and i'll make sure it is known that i feel that way when stopped. I will not consent to feild sobriety checks if there is no probably cause, and avoiding a checkpoint is not probable cause. The way i look at it, the cop has as much right to make you walk the line if you weren't doing anything wrong as he does to make you get out of your car and do a dance.

 

[citizen]

.....and I JUST FINISHED bein' so proud of you in the other thread...

 

[clubsoda22]

I don't see how this post is any different. In the post which you said you were proud of me i said how i distrust athority and stand up for myself. I did the same thing here. Glad you see it that way

So i have a piss poor opinion of law enforcement, some would criticize it, but this comes from being endlessly harassed and seing cops do things in my work as an EMT that absolutely disgust me (i have seen police brutality you wouldn't believe). Yet, i remain professional and courteous. (with real cops that is, I hate these gung ho rent-a-cops with bitter passion and take every oppertunity to screw with them if they give me a hard time) I think that has an admirable quality to it as well.

I understand that most cops are alright guys, but knowing that the few that are not more than bullies with a badge and a gun, i feel i have to be distrusting until proved otherwise.

Back to that point i made about police brutality, there was an EMS call a medic was telling me about where a person was beat half to death in police custody and was so fearful of the cops, he simply parroted the "fell down the steps" excuse the cops gave when asked what happened. The buildings steps are on the other side of the building and he had obviously got the crap beaten out of him right there. Also hered of one of the cops breaking a guys arm for pointing a finger at him. The other one was a racist K9 cop who would have guys giving him a problem when he stopped them for DWB (driving while black) step out of the car, warn them to stand still, then if they still gave him trouble he would ask them to hand him their wallet so the dog would attack them when they put their hand behind their back. Disgutsing, unprofessional behavior.

 

[clubsoda22]

Also, if this is about fleeing from campus safety, let me say i have not had occasion to do that, as i told them flat out that if they ever tried doing that to me they'd get rapidly dissapearing tailights. I could care less if there was a cop with them. They do it often enough when there AREN'T cops with them. If i need to be pulled over, they can call a real police officer. The cops are on campus due to the muggings, they shouldn't be doing traffic enforcement.

Say you're driving down the road and a guy in a random car flips you a badge and motions you to pull over, what would you do? At best this guy would get a roll of my eyes and be phoned into police as someone impersonating a cop. As far as i'm concerned, a chevy impala with an amber light bar trying to pull you over is campus safety pretending they're cops. If there's a cop with them, that's too bad, because he has no athority to pull me over in the state of PA in a vehicle that is not marked as a police car.

I have witnessed campus safety pulling people over by gunning it to get out infront of them then jamming on their breaks. I don't know about you, but that would just piss me off and they'd be lucky to get get off with only a string of profanities and a raised finger as I swerved around them.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I really find it funny that for many of you have posted so far that you think that just because a cop asks you questions that he is trying to know your business and catch you in a lie. Believe it or not, he will use the information accordingly and it will help make his decision on ticketing you. You may answer dumbly and talk yourself into a ticket - or not.

If you are driving too fast and have a reason for it that is valid, he is going to let you go. It has happened to me, being the stoppee. I was on my way to help pick up somebody who had been in an incident and while he was with cops, was very distressed. The cop who stopped me was cool about the deal and noted that my buddy was safe (small town cops and the radio chatter of the evening was the given incident in question) and that my going fast wasn't going to make matters better if I end up in an accident. He didn't even check my insurance and sent me down the road to complete my errand.

The cop used the information I presented to determine if I had a justified reason for speeding. Believe it or not, there are reasons why people speed that are justified.

At least in Texas, you don't have to allow a search, but the cop can detain you until they get a drug dog to sniff your car. That can take quite a while.

 

[NukemJim]

The courts have ruled that a person may not be held suspect for the mere excercise of their Constitutional rights.

Funny guy. And did you hear the one about the Irishman, the Pole and the Swede ?


NukemJim

 

[Zach S]

Can i get a show of hands as to how many here actually have a hassle during a traffic stop?

I have on several occasions. Mainly two LEOs that hated me for some reason. I've moved since, so its not a problem anymore.

 

[tailgunner]

Hassles by LEO's

A few bad experineces over the years and quite a few good ones, but the worst were in Victorsticks California and Hooterville (Blytheville) ARK. I would have to rate the big fat Qwik-Stop donut eating grits guzzling cow tipping cousin marrying local yokel moron in Arkansas as the worst.

 

[Hand_Rifle_Guy]

Hands up for being hassled at a traffic stop? I get to raise BOTH...

I got to run afoul of the local sheriffs a few years back. Got to spend the night in the pokey for no reason what-so-ever. Well, I shouldn't say NO reason, as mis-applied training and over-zealous incompetence certainly make for a solid case.

This utterly poisoned my attitude towards Law Enforcement for years. Regular cops I can deal with, but the Sheriff conjured up Deep Issues supplemented with Virulent Hostility. Not a nice frame of mind to live in when you're talking to guys that can arrest you.

I wrote it all out for the first time on TFL a while back. Inspired one of the most acid-tempered threads I've ever seen on our politeness-first, high-moral-position-based forums that TFL was and The High Road is. Lots of unpleasant sentiment wrapped around ugly stories.

The biggest saving grace about that thread is that it allowed me to reconcile my attitudes so I can deal with LEO's without talking through clenched teeth and foaming at the mouth. But I must admit to carrying an outlook that some of my friends are aghast to learn about, i.e. I am ready and willing to start snarling in disagreement with a raised voice at any HINT of impropriety from any LEO's I might deal with.

I Will Not Be Harrassed. I have ammo/evidence of patterns of abuse, which allows for powerful confidence in the face of authority. I simply don't get intimidated any longer. That improves relations all around, as nervous activity attracts the WRONG kind of attention.

I would suggest not reading this. Or bring your hip boots if you must, and prepare to be outraged. It's vast, deep, and it flies fast and furious. Glad am I to have left much of it behind, finally.

Arrested on Suspicion of Being Suspicious, or, Why I HATE the Sheriff. (LONG)


I still hate the bus, though.

 

[Steve in PA]

In PA you can not be pulled over for not going through (evading) a DUI check point, so long as you didn't violate any traffic laws in doing so (illegal u-turn, etc)

If you actually have knowledge of police brutality and did nothing about it, then you are no better than they are. By your actions or rather in-actions you are just as guilty.

Its also funny how some people are "ready and willing to start snarling in disagreement with a raised voice at any HINT of impropriety from any LEO's I might deal with."

So, does the reverse also work?

 

[Beren]

I got pulled over last week. Turns out I made a right-hand turn at a red light when there was a "No Turn On Red" sign posted. Not that there was any traffic for over a mile in either direction, mind you. The officer pulled me over about a mile down the road while I was taking an on-ramp to merge onto a highway. I did the whole "turn on the hazard lights / dome light / lower window half-way" thing and was polite to the officer.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"No, sir."

"You turned right back there at a red light. It's posted No Turn on Red." (not exact wording, can't recall)

"I'm sorry, sir, I must not have seen the sign."

"There were two of them."

He goes on to explain how many accidents there are at that location, how horrible it would be for me to get points on my license, etc, and says he'll "see what he can do for me."

Comes back with a citation for $104 and no points. He explains the citation, due within ten days or a warrant may be issued, etc.. Then he pops the question that I hadn't even thought about again until I saw this thread:

"Where are you coming from tonight?"

Now, I wasn't expecting the question and I really had no idea what he meant by it. I'm sitting on the onramp to Route 30 for those of you who know it, and I'm stumped. After a few seconds of puzzlement, I look behind me at the vast array of city lights directly in my wake.

"...Greensburg."

He might have thought I was getting smart with him, but that wasn't my intent. He said "Alright" or "ok", and handed the citation over for me to sign.

I sign, and we wish each other a good night and a Merry Christmas.

A couple of notes:

The officer was very polite and respectful.

On leaving my car to walk back to his vehcicle the first time, he shone his flashlight into my rear drivers's side door window. I felt bad for him because it's a complete mess back there. Perhaps he was looking for a third No Turn on Red sign.

I did not notify the officer that I was carrying a firearm. (For the record, I have a valid, current PA carry permit.) Notification is not required under PA law, and the opinions I hear are split on whether or not to voluntarily notify police during a traffic stop. Some say it's a great idea, some say it just annoys the officer and makes them nervous. I figure it depends on the cop. Had he asked me to step out of the car, I would have told him I was lawfully carrying a firearm and asked him how he would like me to proceed - with my hands on the steering wheel as I spoke.

I've been stopped several times in the last 14-15 years of driving experience. (Not counting the time I got raided while "parked" with a girlfriend when I was 16. Gentlemen, never ever EVER write H-E-L-P on a fogged-up windshield!!!!! It's all fun and games until the cops see it!) In every instance, I've been treated politely and respectfully. Of course, I've also always been polite and respectful myself.

 

[TheeBadOne]

the other side of the fence

from GlockTalk

Two Glen Ridge police officers were accused of roughing up a woman during a routine traffic stop in November, but when investigators checked a videotape taken from the dashboard of the patrol car, it showed nothing of the sort.

Instead, the woman was charged with filing a false police report and fined in municipal court last week.

Traci Rubin, 29, of Bloomfield pleaded guilty to a disorderly persons offense in Glen Ridge Municipal Court on Tuesday after the police department charged her with filing a false police report regarding the Nov. 3 arrest.

Police Chief John Magnier said Rubin was driving north on Ridgewood Avenue at 2:39 a.m. Nov. 3 when she was pulled over by patrolman Carlos Alvarez for speeding.

During the stop, Alvarez learned that Rubin had an outstanding arrest warrant for another motor vehicle offense in Bloomfield. He was joined by Sgt. Fred Egnezzo, and the two officers told Rubin she was going to be arrested.

A videotape taken from a dashboard-mounted camera in Alvarez's police car shows Rubin voluntarily getting out of her own car, a 2000 Honda Civic, and putting her hands behind her back to be handcuffed. The videotape shows her walking to the Glen Ridge police car and while at the police car, she can be heard saying out loud to the police officers, "I'm going to sue you."

Attempts to reach Rubin were unsuccessful, and she did not have an attorney representing her at municipal court.

After the Nov. 3 arrest, Magnier said, Rubin returned to Glen Ridge police headquarters the next day and alleged that the two officers had forcibly pulled her out of her car and shoved her against the car's trunk, causing bruising and injuries that kept her from her work.

Rubin signed a statement alleging her complaint against the officers, but did not produce a doctor's note or hospital report, Magnier said.

As a result of her complaint, the Glen Ridge Police Department conducted an internal investigation into the matter, including interviews with the people involved and a review of the videotape taken from patrol car camera, Magnier said.

Magnier said the Essex County Prosecutor's Office was informed of the investigation.

"We take these allegations seriously, and we're going to investigate it thoroughly," he said. "If we determine someone is lying, we're going to go after them."

On Dec. 1, Rubin was informed by letter that the police investigation had been completed and that her charges were unfounded, Magnier said. The letter also notified her to appear in municipal court to answer charges of filing a false police report, because of her signed statement.

"This was an integrity issue against all officers," the chief said. "She was jeopardizing the career of two officers for selfish reasons, and these guys were just doing their jobs."

Magnier said all of the patrol cars in his department have dashboard cameras and have for nearly a decade. He called the cameras a "tool for law enforcement" whether they're used in internal affairs investigations, crowd control, or to catch burglars.

Glen Ridge has a police department of 27 sworn officers and serves a population of about 7,200 residents.

http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=207936
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sounds like not only did the driver commit some violations of the law, but violated the rights of the Officers. This type of thing happens very often. What saved these Officers a great amount of trouble was the dash camera. Just imagine if they didn't have one. They'd be dragged through the mud by the media and in the courts. Promotions, if not their very jobs in jeopordy.

What should the Officer, if anything, do in this case?

 

[El Tejon]

Weeelll, they could sue for defamation. Don't know the worth there though?

 

[Sven]

HRG:

I wrote it all out for the first time on TFL a while back. Inspired one of the most acid-tempered threads I've ever seen on our politeness-first, high-moral-position-based forums that TFL was and The High Road is. Lots of unpleasant sentiment wrapped around ugly stories.

Will you forgive me for suggesting you take anger management classes? This was before we'd met.

-

Last stop by a LEO: Left the Chuck Taylor class 40 miles from home. Noted a cop sitting in the cul-de-sack where the training facility was, taking notes of the cars leaving (literally NO other reason to be there - he wasn't eating a sandwich). 30 miles later, other side of the bridge, I am somehow singled out of dozens of cars going the same speed. Unloaded handgun locked in a case in the front (legal in CA).

Per advice on the forum, I:

-pull over quickly
-roll all windows down
-get insurance/reg/license out
-turn car off, put keys on dash
-both hands on steering wheel

Cop comes up, looks at gun case, looks at me. Runs information, decides to let me go - er... says he has a 'more important call, today is my lucky day'

To this day I SWEAR this was a setup attempted bust by LEO buddies sending information on my plates/car to buddies in another jurisdiction. "Hey Frank, there will be a white luxury sedan heading your way in a little bit - you may want to check him out".

 

[jimpeel]

-pull over quickly
-roll all windows down
-get insurance/reg/license out
-turn car off, put keys on dash
-both hands on steering wheel

I.E: I don't trust this man and fear he has been improperly trained and will shoot me at the least provocation.

I do the things I do so I won't be shot and, in the event I am, I am leaving as much evidence as I can for my family to use in court, as evidence of my cooperation, in their wrongful death suit.

 

[Bobarino]

i used to get stopped a lot. i drove like an idiot in my late teens/early twenties. then i switched to driving more sanley but diving a flashy sports car. i still got stopped a lot. i got a lot of tickets too. i would, of course, deny speeding or whatever they were accusing me of. i'd make excuses, try to be polite and strike of conversation. i had several officers tell me "you know, if you would have just admitted you were speeding i would have let you off with a warning." i tried that the next time and still got the ticket. so now i say as little as possible. i say yes or no to questions and thats it. i do not tell them if i know what the speed limit is, if i was speeding etc. i just say, "i don't want to answer that."

i also keep my lawyer that specializes in traffic stuff on my speed dial on the cell phone. few times, i called him up, handed the phone to the cop and said "its for you". he handed my phone back, walked back to his car and drove away. i've only had one ticket stick that i had to pay out of the last 15, and that was the one that i admitted my speed to the cop. it costs me $200 per ticket to the lawyer but its worth every penny of insurance savings and the seeing the cops get all pissed of in court when my tickets get dropped is priceless.

in case you couldn't tell, i haven't had very good expereinces with cops. they tend to be extremely disrespectful to young people in flashy cars. i've been called all kinds of names, had my car searched, dogs on my leather seats, cuffed and made to wait in the back of a cop car etc. all this and the only thing i've ever gotten out of all that is a speeding ticket.

i figure if they are going to treat me like crap, i'll return the favor.

in response to the originlal post. say as little as possible. its none of the cops business where you were, where you are going, whats in your car etc. if you feel like assuring yourself of a ticket, but having fun in the process, you can always be a smart ??? and answer the "where are you coming from?" question with "your wife's house. she cooks a mean breakfast."

Bobby

 

[Sven]

> I.E: I don't trust this man and fear he has been improperly
> trained and will shoot me at the least provocation.

No. I see a traffic stop in the eyes of the LEO and want to make them as comfortable as possible that I am not going to:

a) flee
b) use my car as a weapon
c) attack him otherwise
d) set him up to be attacked by someone else in the car

Beyond these steps, I agree that there is no reason to consent to a search, etc. But I feel the steps I outlined above helped me get off my last stop and I will continue to follow this procedure in the future.

 

[TheeBadOne]

Originally posted by Sven:

I see a traffic stop in the eyes of the LEO and want to make them as comfortable as possible that I am not going to:

a) flee
b) use my car as a weapon
c) attack him otherwise
d) set him up to be attacked by someone else in the car

Beyond these steps, I agree that there is no reason to consent to a search, etc. But I feel the steps I outlined above helped me get off my last stop and I will continue to follow this procedure in the future.

Very well reasoned thread.

 

[JohnBT]

I've never been hassled (see exception at end) and figure I've gotten as many breaks as tickets - and I got my first speeding ticket in 1966.

I blew by a city policeman sitting at a side street stop sign once and when he finally caught up to me and my dad's '67 Cutlass he said "Going a little fast there weren't you?" I said no and he couldn't figure out what to do next. He looked like a high school kid asking a girl out for a date standing there shuffling his feet. No ticket.

John

The only exception was my old story about my cousin buying a Playboy at a local convenience store in Rockville Maryland and these two rough looking characters in an old mud covered Ford with no hubcaps following us all the way to my parents house before they hit the siren and pulled guns on us in the middle of the street.

"Why didn't you stop when you heard the siren after you turned off Rockville Pike?"
I pointed at the tape deck.

"Why didn't you stop immediately after you did hear it 20 blocks later and looked around at us?"
"Sorry, I always run when I'm chased by rednecks who haven't shaved in 3 or 4 days and drive a car with a burned out headlight." Bold talk for a kid with 2 guns pointed at him, huh? (I'd been driving 25 in a residential neighborhood and staying in the middle of the road so they couldn't get by.)

The neighborhood kids by this point had surrounded us yelling "John, what's going on?"

The Playboy was rolled up in a brown bag and they were on a beer/wine sales stakeout looking for underage drinkers.

"Where's the receipt?"
"Belby's has never ever given a receipt. You know that."

And that was that. One of my favorite home from college Christmas stories.

I tell you though, it was worth getting hassled just to hear the ???-chewing my father laid on the shift commander a few minutes later. He didn't come right out and tell the guy he'd been miltary and State Police, but he didn't get any backtalk from the guy.

 

[Steve in PA]

"i also keep my lawyer that specializes in traffic stuff on my speed dial on the cell phone. few times, i called him up, handed the phone to the cop and said "its for you". he handed my phone back, walked back to his car and drove away"

Maybe this works in your state but it wouldn't work in PA. I'm not talking to anyone during the traffic stop except you. I don't care how many lawyers you have on your speed dial, but I've never lost a traffic citation in court due to someone having a lawyer with them. At the most it will get dropped down to a lesser infraction, you still pay, but don't get any points against your license.

I'm the one that leaves smiling, figuring the guy just dropped a couple hundred bucks on his lawyer and still has to pay the fine.

 

[P95Carry]

Hard to define ''hassle'' .... maybe it is a case of one's judgement as to whether you are being treated fairly or ''over -enthusiastically''!!

Did have one stop last June ..... wife and I did a mega long trip and this day - we had driven out of Pueblo CO in morning ... and then clear across Kansas ... to make SW MO to meet with friends.

Near latter stages of Route 160 .. I stopped at a ''T'' intersection ... traffic coming from right was that annoying slow stream with gaps - but not gaps big enough to be able to get out without seeming over-enthusiastic and getting tire smoke!

I stopped a tad over the line and a bit far to left (I was going for a left turn) .... this did mean in fairness, that a tractor-trailer had to sweep rather wide to avoid me as he turned left.!!

Anyways ... after about four shorter gaps ... my chance came and I took it .... but a State cop parked up nearby pulled in behind me and after the turn was complete ... on came the lights!!

Pulled in safely and waited... he comes to window (very ''jarhead'' appearance guy) and says why the stop. I apologize for the positioning error and hand him papers, D/L etc. He asks me back to cruiser ... he runs the D/L and licence plate ...... all is well there .. and then asks .. ''where have you been''? - ''why''? ....... ''where are you going''?? ........ who are you gonna see''?? (that seemed way unnecessary!). After this - albeit polite - ''interrogation'' ... he then asks me to stay in cruiser and ---- goes to my truck to ask same questions of my wife!!!

All was corroborated naturally but .. did seem a tad extreme .. even tho I had out of state plates. He wrote me a warning ticket and wished me a safe journey.

I was glad i did not have to give a ''yey'' or ''ney'' to a vehicle search request ... as I had a $h*tload of weapons on board .. along with a great deal of other clutter!! Was hardly short of ammo either! All that was to be able to enjoy a few shoots whilst staying with buddies on the trip.

All was perfectly legit but ... for the circumstances it did seem I had an unnecessarily complex stop and ''grilling'' .... funny thing was my wife said '' I knew you were gonna get pulled today'' ..... that tho was perhaps cos the pedal had been to the metal .... quite a bit

 

[spartacus2002]

Whenever I've gotten pulled over, I've been very respectful, turn on the interior light at night, cut the engine off, yessir/nossir, hands on the wheel, and I've gotten nothing but polite and respectful treatment back. I don't do it because I am overawed by them, but because they don't know that I'm a safe stop -- and I want to go overboard to let them know I mean them no harm, not because I fear them, but out of respect for them, because I imagine that these days every traffic stop means a gut check for them of "am I going to make it home safely tonight?"

That being said, I am very disturbed by the "high and tight" look of many younger police officers. THey are not soldiers, zookeepers, or rulers. They are there to serve and protect. If an individual wants to live a life of danger and living on the edge, he should join the Marines, not the police. The blurring of the line between the military's and the polices' authorizations on use of force greatly disturbs me.

 

[TheeBadOne]

I am very disturbed by the "high and tight" look of many younger police officers.

Don't forget about those evil looking assault rifles too!

 

[clubsoda22]

Steve as far as police brutality goes, i have heared many stories from fellow medics but have only once had to deal with it myself. What i witnesses was minor, but unprofessional none the less. A handcuffed perp who had wrecked his car spit on one of the cops wo proceeded to give him a good whack, i was in a township known for cowboy cops. I decided that filing that in my report would only result in a bad situation between myself and these guys as they are all a bunch of inbred ogres at that department. I'd never seen stuff like that until i started working in the city. The suburban cops where i grew up were courteous and admirable guys. There wasn't one i didn't get along with.

Steve, i can tell you're one of the good ones.

As for getting pulled over for evading a sobriety checkpoint, although it's not a valid reason to pull you over, it is done. Note they're not gonna pull you over for "evading the checkpoint" but rather a bs excuse.

As for the guys having the lawyer on speed dial, even though i have a strained relationship with some cops, i don't go out of my way to piss them off. Be polite. Personally, if i think the officer will let me off if i tell him where i'm going i do it. If i'm going to a event from home i'll let him know it. If i'm coming off duty at the firehouse i'll definately tell him. However, if i just came back from a wild party at 3AM (I do not drink) i'd probably feel better not telling them as it's likely to raise suspicion. Even if i'm pissed about getting pulled over, the "hello officer" face gets put on and i don't give the guy crap. I'm thoughtful and courteous, i even roll down my heavy tinted rear window on the drives side so the cop can see in. The only time i actually got really irritated at a traffic stop is when one of the rather laid back city cops told me that his supervisor told him to pull me over as i was enroute to a fire call and that i was simply to be held and released. His supervisor has issues with volunteers. I don't understand this guy at all.

 

[Steve in PA]

Sooo.........I was a Marine Corps grunt.......who wore a high and tight, but now that I'm a LEO and no longer in the military, I can't wear a high and tight, because of "the look"????

How do you know this person standing beside your car door wasn't in the military, since that is a major jumping off point for getting into law enforcement. Personally, I don't wear a high and tight anymore for several reasons, but who knows.....maybe if its a hot summer

"The blurring of the line between the military's and the polices' authorizations on use of force greatly disturbs me."

I'm missing something??? What blurring are we talking about. Military has theirs......LEOS have theirs......apples and oranges.

Why do some people think the LEO has to get you to admit to speeding, etc?? We don't. All I have to do is testify that I saw you do it. You don't have to admit to anything. I know what to do next......issue you a ticket, see you in court.

Actually the correct thing to do is not ask you why I stopped you, but to tell you why I stopped you. Have I asked the driver? Of course I have. Its a bad little habit that once picked up is hard to break, but for the last several years I've gotten better