LE encounter

[Thernlund]

Soooo... I'm on my way to work much earlier than usual this morning. I normally drive alone in the HOV lane because it's legal after 9am. We'll I was on the road around 8am today and it didn't occur to me what time it was.

As soon as I saw the motorcycle cop, I knew. Damn.

So he pulls me over and asks for the usual (license, reg, ins), and asks if I have a gun. I say I do, but my reg and ins is under it in the glove box. He's nice about it and just says ok, get it. I put the pistol on the dash and dig for the other stuff. Turns out I didn't have current proof of insurance handy, although I am insured. I gave him the old card and explained I didn't have current proof. He says alright, reaches in and takes the pistol from the dash and goes back to his motorcycle.

Now, he comes back BEFORE even filling out any ticket info and starts chatting me up about guns and whatnot (turns out AZ DPS are issued SIG P226's). We chat for a few minutes while he was writing up the info, and we're getting on fairly well. So I assume he's writing me a warning.

He didn't write a warning. He wrote me up! :banghead: Even handed me the clipboard to sign while still chatting me up. Bah!

I guess I deserved it. But honestly, if I thought I was going to get nailed anyway, I'd have probably just sat there quietly. I wasn't that comfortable with the conversation in the first place. And to boot, he could have let the HOV violation skate and wrote me up for insurance only, which I could have gotten dismissed with my valid proof. We all save face. But no. Hmph.

He gave the pistol back, said I could load it up once I was down the road, and sent me on my way.

He was nice I guess, but I wouldn't say he was "cool". It was almost cruel.

Some there's that story for everyone's consumption.


-T.

 

[Heavy Metal Hero]

Maybe try not breaking the rules next time?

 

[elrod]

Better to take your medicine and be nice, rather than really p**s the guy off.
He's just doing his job, and after all you were wrong.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

I'm confused. Is your complaint that he wasn't a jerk while writing you up? It certainly sounds like you wish he wouldn't have been friendly.

 

[Diggers]

Well I don't know.....look at it from his point of view.

He writes people tickets every day, its just a normal thing for him to be doing, and he did get you dead to rights in the HOV lane which seems to be a big deal in the ticket writing world.

Honest mistake by you but its still a violation. (other than speeding most violations are probably honest mistakes.)

That he struck up a conversation with you may have just been his way of trying to make the interaction a more positive experiance.

Yeah I know, getting a ticket sucks and its hard to think the experiance is at all positive, but maybe from the LEOs point of view its just another day at work so why not try to have an interesting chat while doing the job.

Interesting he unloaded you gun though, is that standard practice?

 

[JKimball]

[Nelson]Ha ha![/Nelson]

 

[Elza]

You’ll often find that in Texas as well. I have little love for the city cops around here because of their attitudes. However, Sheriff’s Deputies and Highway Patrolmen are the nicest folks you will meet. The single least friendly encounter with a Deputy or HP (don’t remember which) the officer was courteous and professional. Most are openly friendly.

 

[Thernlund]

I guess I'm not really "complaining" per se. I got a ticket. Big deal. I earned it, fine by me. But the conversation and the end result did not go together. I understand being friendly, and that's all good. But this was overly so given the final outcome.

Sort of like getting your dog all charged up over a ball your about to throw, then not throwing it and just walking away.

I suppose he probably didn't intend how I saw the experience. But I do think that it would have been less of a crappy morning if we'd both have just kept any discussion to the matter at hand.


-T.

I'll note that I have had it the other way. Total jerk, then lets me go. Pfff.

 

[punchdrunk]

I would call that a good stop, He was nice about a loaded gun and just wrote you a ticket you deserved.

 

[Acera]

He did his job well. You were lead to believe that he was a great guy, someone you would want as a friend. Right? This was his way of keeping the situation under control, and avoiding any escalation. Why would you get pissed and take on a negative attitude with such a nice fellow? Dude, he just played you. You were manipulated into a safe and nonthreatening mode. Nothing to be ashamed of, he was so good at it he took you by surprise. I am sure he is able to do that with a number of different personality types, comes from practice.

 

[Cougfan2]

Let it slide. go forth and sin no more.

 

[Thernlund]

You were manipulated into a safe and nonthreatening mode.

Heh heh. Looking at it that way, I suppose you may be right. I hadn't considered that.

For the record, I'd never take a negative attitude. That'd just be dumb. Worst I'd have done is just keep quiet and mind my business.


-T.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

You got ticketed in the HOV lane, man. Hardly anyone ever gets out of that one.

You got a nice scooter cop. You got to talk guns with him.

Tickets suck because you always feel like you're getting your pocket picked, but you knew better than to use the HOV lane, man.

Maybe you could send the officer's captain a nice note about how nice he was to you... they probably don't get a lot of those.

 

[opd743]

Just for my information, what is an HOV lane? If I have those around here I am not familier.

Acera is right, I do things like that to keep from getting shot, or to keep from getting in a fight, or to keep from Tasing someone. Just comes with the training and the job I guess

However, I am a great guy.

 

[Kimber1911Fan]

HOV is...

High Occupancy Vehicle??? Just a guess. Here in VA we call 'em carpool lanes.

K1911F

 

[stevemis]

Yes, it's "West Coast Speak" for the carpool lane.

 

[granuale]

You have to remember his job is to collect revenue for the jurisdiction. That's why he's there in the first place!!

 

[Roccobro]

Being a man with integrity, you have accepted your responsibility. Mistakes do happen ,and I've seen more judges give leniency for mistakes than I would ever have thought. Maybe you don't want to fight it or even go to court, but you just might get "pardoned" should you attend.

Motor officers are a special breed. They usually aren't too forgiving if they are made to "dismount" their steed for a violation. I also know sometimes those lanes are monitored by cameras. Possible he wanted to let you go, but was being watched or motored by a supervisor (they do listen to all radio traffic and some are even micromanagers(!) )

Justin

My Q is: did he empty the chamber, or just drop the mag? ( I don't know if yours has a mag disconnect)

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I got pulled over last Saturday night by a Glendale motor officer. He said I was doing 55 (in a 40) and was straddling the lane lines. I said I would neither confirm nor deny anything. I was probably doing close to 50, but not 55, and am certain I was not straddling any lanes. However, that is a trick they often use.

He asked for -- and I produced -- my license, registration and proof of insurance. He asked where I was coming from. You are not obligated to answer questions like this, but I saw no harm in saying I had just come from a "comfort food" restaurant down the street. He asked if I had been drinking; I had not. Then he asked me if I had any guns. I said I did (my carry gun, holstered on my hip), with a permit, and produced the permit. He said, "Yes, I saw it when you opened your wallet." Fully expecting to get a ticket for something, I was pleasantly surprised -- and relieved -- that he gave me a verbal warning.

All in all, while nothing dramatic or even particularly interesting, it was my first encounter with a police officer while armed.

 

[koja48]

I thought he was quite polite . . . you DID violate a law . . . pay closer attention next time.

 

[devilc]

Get his badge number and write the department a letter about how courteous and decent he was with you.
Cops can be raging pricks when you are armed.
He's just doing his job.
Speeding has wiggle room.
HOV is a yes or no question. . .

 

[Dope]

Bike cops don't give out warnings. I would never expect one from them.

Sounds like a pretty good experience otherwise.

Dope

 

[opd743]

HOV= Carpool lane, I get it now.

Those kind of citations are only given by the troopers around here. Stupid violation if you ask me, (If I wrote one I would be on the carpet in front of the Chief) We only have two way lanes of interstate that we are not allowed to patrol anyway!

And, You did not say what kind of a motorcycle cop pulled you over. State cops around here only do two things, write tickets and work wrecks. That's why I am not a State cop, I hate working wrecks and It took me three months to write twenty tickets.

Was it a state or local cop?

 

[Big Boomer]

HOV lanes should be banned along with all the Brady kids that want to drive in them

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

The motor guys most often belong to traffic division. They pretty much just give out tickets all day. That's about it. Sorry, you get one of those guys and you're pretty much getting a ticket.