yet another 'speeding ticket' story

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by myold88

You get pulled over for "no reason at all"? I thought the police needed a reason such
as speeding, broken tail lamp, etc....

You need probable cause.

[Angrybird 12]

Been driving 5th gens for over 5 years now and not pulled over one time for any reason... Must be an SS thing... Or some of you guys just look like you are up to no good..
Be safe and stay calm out there you never know who is watching you!

[beany323]

Originally Posted by Avenging Orange

Here s my problem with your "alleged" story. To start: if you talked to me that way..I would find a way to ticket you. You demand my supervisor over a traffic stop...you'll prolly wait an hour and still get a ticket. People tend to stretch the truth with their "I got pulled over stories."
A person who cooperates with me and is not a smartass.....will usually drive off with a warning or nothing at all. Remember folks, driving is a privilege, not a right.

not sure but to be honest if you pulled him over just because he was under or at the speed limit is a a hole move.

i used to get pulled over because the officer asked if my tail lights were aftermarket. I explained it was the "special" edition, then it was oh.. so it is fast?

every ticket i got i deserved.

[jimlem]

@Devryn

Yeah I can see how my 3rd paragraph may have seemed contrite. My bad. It was not fiction though. I've seen that exact thing happen quite a few times. Guys go out for a PD spot or several with many depts and get turned down by all. All of a sudden everything is F the cops they suck, I hate all cops. etc.etc. Some of those guys were friends of mine.

@The Rest of You

For those who thought I was referring to them I was not singling any one out. I would have quoted you if that was my intention. By the 3rd page, there was so much generalized bad feelings about cops mixing with Camaros that I was just referring to the overall bad feelings. I apologize if I offended anyone individually, that was not my intent.

And to the guy who chose the military over policing, I thank you and appreciate your service.

[Wileycoyote]

Having a class A cdl and driving a 18-wheeler for a living I can be pulled over in my commercial vehicle for no reason at all. Now depending on my attitude with the trooper depends on what level of roadside inspection will be done. That being said I show the officer upmost respect and comply with all his or her instructions. In my years of driving more than a million accident free miles I've passed all my roadside inspections with no violations, and have been named driver of the year for 2014. You would be surprised what a little respect and compliance will do for you.

[gajagfan]

Never been hassled because of the car I am driving. That includes a header mufflered big block '69 (still have), 2 4th gens, and the 1LE. Now I have been pulled over in all those cars for my actions behind the wheel, but those actions would have got me pulled over in any type of vehicle. I think many of you are kidding yourselves if you think the police care what vehicle you are driving. Tint, loud exhaust, aggressive driving will all increase your chances of being pulled over. Before you claim the police are against your car, maybe look in the mirror.

[Ernest T]

Originally Posted by myold88

You get pulled over for "no reason at all"? I thought the police needed a reason such
as speeding, broken tail lamp, etc....

Just because a cop thinks he has probable cause doesn't mean the driver agrees with it.

[Ernest T]

Some of you guys seem to think that being pulled over and ticketed is an 100 percent fair and accurate process. A cop can arrest anyone at just about any time as long as he has "probable cause". After the arrest, it's up to the court to determine guilt or innocence, the side of the road is not the place for that process. Being pulled over for a traffic is an arrest, when you sign the ticket you are saying you'll appear in court to adjudicate the alleged infraction.

[Angrybird 12]

I bet probable cause is so loosely defined that something we all do every time we drive would probably give them a reason to pull you over. Something as simple as letting your left tires cross the center line or following too close or or changing lanes where you did not give enough clearance for the car in the other lane, I see people do those things all the time and they probably don't realise they did it. I am sure if they wanted to pull you over all they would have to do is follow you a couple minutes.

[jimlem]

Originally Posted by Ernest T

Some of you guys seem to think that being pulled over and ticketed is an 100 percent fair and accurate process. A cop can arrest anyone at just about any time as long as he has "probable cause". After the arrest, it's up to the court to determine guilt or innocence, the side of the road is not the place for that process. Being pulled over for a traffic is an arrest, when you sign the ticket you are saying you'll appear in court to adjudicate the alleged infraction.

Trying to Help Here with Info you Can Use:

I apologize for length but hope it helps.

@Ernest
Very well said above, Ernest. This is me following you and seeing a tail lamp that's flickering on and off or a brake lamp out. That's enough PC to stop you. When stopped, we talk about it. You tell me you had no idea and you'll fix it ASAP tomorrow. Or you say you know about it but don't know why it started. Maybe I stand back there and have you test some lights. Then I can tell you exactly what, when and where it's happening. With PC I can cite you for the violation, or not. In the absence of seeing a bag of weed in your shirt pocket, all we have is an infraction for which you cannot be arrested. This is where most cops say get it fixed and drive safe and let you go on your way.

@Angrybird
On the other hand, while talking to you, I smell burning marijuana from the car. This gives me a reasonable suspicion a crime is being committed. I ask some questions and check it out a bit further and now believe I have probable cause to search the car and make an arrest if I find evidence supporting my Reasonable Suspicion. Bird, Probable Cause is not loose it's very narrow. You must be able to support it with very detailed facts from right then and there. It's like that on purpose to keep US cops from tuning into Mexican Federalis (sp?) or Russian KGB. It's called The 4th Amendment. lol

OK, Back to the Original Story: You start talking sh*t and accuse me of picking on you because you drive a Camaro and say I'm just wasting your time and holding you there to mess with you. Now we have a problem, and it's not you being a dick. It's that those accusations could be construed as an illegal detention if you complain to IA or the courts. That's serious stuff to a cop. If I have any inkling at all that you may be calling my supervisor or IA, I MUST document EVERY detail of the stop and it cannot be just me telling a verbal story to the boss. It must be officially documented. This means accounting for every reason for the stop and how long I kept you there and why. This equals a CITATION! This is the only WAY I can cover my butt on any further complaints you might make. The cite has all times, locations and reasons spelled out.

No matter how uncooperative you may be, you cannot be arrested just because I think you're being a dick. Cannot happen. As said above, in Ernest's post the side of the road is not court and we do not argue or play court on the street. You refuse to sign the cite, then we are no longer looking at an in fraction for which you can't be arrested. Now you've bumped it up to a misdemeanor for which you can be arrested (and definitely will be for refusal to sign). I have no choice. In my state it's a form of contempt of court and I can get bit in the ass just as easily as you. Signing the cite is not an arrest! It is a promise to appear. Now if you blow off that promise, the court will issue a warrant for your arrest and next time you get stopped, YOU WILL BE ARRESTED on a misdemeanor warrant and sit in jail until the judge wants to see you.

Believe it or not (I don't care either way) I am trying to help you guys gain some insight as to what's really going on in the cop's mind and why he most likely stopped you. Also on why he may decide to give a warning rather than a cite and how what you say and how you say it can easily influence how he decides which way to go. He's just doing a job like the rest of us. His job entails stopping cars for many reasons. This deters crime and accidents in that area by showing people the cops are out and about and doing their jobs so better drive safe and go commit your vehicle burgs somewhere else. No one is out hunting for any of you personally. lol

Sorry this is so long. I keep thinking if I can just get the right words down here, I can some how make people understand and keep future police/driver contact from turning into situations where someone says they hate all cops and wish bad things to happen to all cops. I guarantee no cops walk away from a stop with you and your Camaro and say they hate all Camaros and wish all their drivers would get in an accident.

It's all about being civil and polite- both ways. If you're accused of speeding and you know you weren't, by all means assertively state you think he made a mistake on figuring your speed and leave it at THAT! Don't argue. Don't ever answer "Do you know how fast you were going?" with a Yes or No. It's lose - lose in court. Don't call names or accuse him of being a liar and a crook etc. That will all come up in court too in exact quote or even on video. This will ruin your credibility in front of the judge. Funny story: Back in the old days, way, way before my time if you were a prick to the cop, he would write Adam-Henry (meaning AH, meaning A$$h*le) on the back of the cite and when the judge saw that you automatically lost and paid a BIG fine. Definitely illegal now but it shows things are improving and we are no longer in the dark ages.

Again sorry for length. I just hope somehow, somewhere, someone, on either side will take note and we can stop all the hating back and forth. Both sides have bigger problems right now. Half the world wants to boost you dream car full of lots of expensive mods you added after saving the cash for years. The other half wants to ambush and kill cops because a few incidents in the news are being blown out of proportion. God Bless all of us.

[ZED SLED]

Originally Posted by jimlem

Trying to Help Here with Info you Can Use:

I apologize for length but hope it helps.

I honestly believe your post covers about 99% of LE. It's the other 1 % that should probably be in a different profession. I too I have never been unjustifiably pulled over in my 40+ years of driving.

[atressler85]

Originally Posted by jimlem

Trying to Help Here with Info you Can Use:

I apologize for length but hope it helps.

Thanks for the insight, and I will definitely remember this if I get pulled over. I work in an office full of cop supporters, and we hate that the media likes to portray all of LE as evil, corrupt, racist, untrained, etc. Like ZED SLED said, I think it's only about 1% that should reconsider a new job.

I've had my Camaro for only 4 months and have had no issues, but prior to the Camaro, I had a grand prix and have been pulled over for speeding about 3 times (in 7 years). Every single time, I got let go with a warning. I was polite, complied with everything the cop said, and I'm sure it helps that I'm military (my license plate indicates it), but never got a ticket. Only a warning.

My dad, on the other hand, gets really angry when he gets pulled over and is always very rude to the cop... He always gets a ticket. I think a little courtesy goes a long way.

For all the LE here on Cam5, thanks for what you do.

[jimlem]

Originally Posted by ZED SLED

I honestly believe your post covers about 99% of LE. It's the other 1 % that should probably be in a different profession. I too I have never been unjustifiably pulled over in my 40+ years of driving.

Agree 100%. That 1% not only makes the public question all cops, but they also can make the other 99% on a dept. look just as bad. I worked with a couple. All you can do is keep you distance (a lot).

[TPAJETSKI]

Cops and lawyers. Two people nobody likes until they need one.