Talk to a Cop- The good, bad, and ugly!

Squid,

It's because the one that pulled you over had all the doughnuts. :lol: :lol:

Sorry Sarge, some things I just can't resist. h34r:

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

I don't know about that Karl, I still like donuts!

 

Cited for speeding late winter night, long ago on a NH highway. The bad news was that my car battery wouldn't start er up after, and the officer's regulations prevented him from offering a jump. The good news was that he called for the AAA, and let me sit in the cruiser until the truck came, so I would not freeze. I found out that the radar gun was calibrated with "tuning forks", which was quite fascinating.

At a road construction road block in AZ, the Apache Tribal Police Officer wanted to know all about hybrid cars, so we put the hood up and I gave the talk.

For bgdrewsif, "Every time I have been pulled over I slip into a mortal fear for reasons beyond my knowledge... "

Do you think it would help any to ask to ride a shift in a squad car? Immersion therapy?

Schimka, apologize if this is already covered in the thread, but have you ever got a Prius for speeding?

 

"EXACTLY. NEVER, EVER, answer anything with an affirmative, if you can't think of something neat to say, say, "I don't know", or simply say, "The posted speed limit", it's up to THEM to PROVE what they're accusing you of... (warning, that will drive cops nuts, particularly if they radar'd you, but stick to your guns and fight it out in court! I had one cop get really ANGRY because I looked him straight in the eye with a serious face and said I was doing 25 in a 25 when I was doing about 60 in my Cobra , because of the way it came about, I KNEW he was "eyeballing", and didn't have Jack, he got pissed, but didn't issue a ticket... as expected... please don't try this unless you're well experienced when dealing with cops....lololol)"

I thought I'd add my $0.02 on this one. Lying to a copper is a bad idea. It will only make them more likly to rip you a cite (or "pinch" you as we say here in Oregon.) And, in my state, some of those lies are criminal acts that can land you in jail.

Playing dumb doesn't work either. You have to remember that all the questions we ask are scripted (at least in my area) and they are all designed to be loaded questions. If you lie, we will tell the judge that. It you play ignorant, (i.e., "I wasn't aware I was speeding officer.") we'll tell the judge you weren't paying attention.

Your best bet at getting a warning is either being honest or comming up with something we've never heard before (easier said than done, we've darn near heard it all.) I ALWAYS reward honesty.

Having said that, there are some things you just won't get warned for. Every cop has their pet peeves. My is people who flash their high beams at me. (Although I don't remember ever pinching anyone for it.) But I NEVER give warnings for some things (such as Driving While Suspended and DUII).

For everything else, some cops use the "Attitude Test." The better your attitude the better your chances. I DO NOT use this. I use a two prong approach. First, was the driving behavior dangerous? If so, you'll probably get a ticket. Second, what will gain compliance with the law? Will a warning suffice or does it need to be a cite? This is highly subjective but it involves what you tell me and your driving record. This is the part where honesty plays a huge part.

In my mind someone doing 60 in a 25 will get a ticket most of the time depending on the why's and what for's. But if they're claiming they were only going 25 when I know they were going 60, they'll get a ticket everytime.

So sure, some things will always get you a ticket, but going 60 in a 25 in my area will get you a careless driving cite too. If they're honest, they probably will just get the speeding ticket and not the careless. If they lie, you already know you're going to court and they "just don't get it" so might as well make it worth your time and add the other charge because if you can prove one, you can prove the other.

 

Not sure about your jurisdiction, but the RCMP here maintain a database of "troublemakers." I know that sounds vague. There was some research done about 15 years ago to statistically correlate incidence of serious officer assaults to "attitude" problems.

The suspect need not physically assault the officer, not even more than some verbal sewage. Correlation to court appearances was also performed, eg the aggressive driver who tries to beat a speed/reckless charge.

It was found that subtle "persuasion" in the form of additional officers was statistically significant in reducing future incidents. It’s like Social Engineering, subtle but apparent force.

No beatings, the EyeWitness is running all the time, plenty of solid evidence if a suspect should happen to claim “police brutality.†Also plenty of other officers around for that important eyewitness backup to the EyeWitness running on the dash.

Once a person is entered in, a screen pop will appear next time the officer pulls over a person who is in the database. It's still up to the discretion of the individual officer to call for additional units.

A similar tactic was tried here in Winnipeg last summer to curtail the out-of-control punks racing down Portage. A woman in a crosswalk was killed by a little prick going 120 km/h: the posted is 60.

The city did a full blitz with that tactic and the street racing and arrogant driving plunged to almost zero. However it’s very costly and the city could barely do it for 2 months. I have to say those 2 months were enjoyable to drive or bicycle around.

 

Actually, I should clarify:

Rarely do I ever get pulled over in the same jurisdiction. The only way they would know if I was "problematic" in any way, was if their computer told them my entire driving history, in detail, whereas even tickets that were written and ultimately deemed "not responsible" (damn I love those words!!!) showed up.

Even so, it's not like I'm a criminal or anything, the most egregious thing I've ever been charged with is something like 80 in a 55, and most aren't really speed related, but stupid crap like an inspection sticker being expired, or a quick jaunt in the break down lane. The reality is I'm a BIT more careful when it comes to truly "hooligan" activities that can get me in REAL trouble, like seeing 160 on the speedo, or a power wheelie at 80+ in between two cars... h34r: Those are a bit more difficult to argue... :lol:

h34r:

 

Now THAT'S an AWESOME scare tactic!

+1

 

This was probably the most surprising part of your post. To me anyway. I've never actually felt any more, or less, threatened by additional officers showing up at the scene, but I can SORT of see the logic behind it...

 

True... True that, good point, I fully admit that did not cross my mind.

 

Yeah, no kidding... lying who you are is A BIT different from a statement made on something so judgmental such as speed.

The circumstance I was specifically referring to was one where the cop had absolutley NO PROOF of my speed, a winding road with lots of topography, for which he turned onto it just prior to a hill we both crested at the same time going in opposite directions. It was clear he pulled me over just to "bust balls", which is fine, that's his job and all, but he was one of those hot head cops that simply came to my window yelling, so I smiled and insisted I was doing 25, and the more I insisted the more pissed off he got until I finally said, "So fine, write the ticket and don't waste my time..." to which he angrily spewed all sorts of, "If I ever see you here doing this again... blah blah blah".

Sometimes, you cops make the situation WORSE the way you approach a given situation. In this case, what if I was a highly tense dude on the run with a gun, and the cop comes yelling into the window?

Granted, I do have to say those encounters seem rather atypical these days... Then again, I'm no longer a teenager (arguable point :lol: ), seems like cops like to pull that crap on the younger crowd...

 

First off, try to define "flying"... He saw you and jammed on the brakes, like EVERYONE does when they see a cop, and you only pop him for 34 in a 25!!! WHY DIDN'T you activate your lights THEN, AS YOU WERE PULLING OUT after him???? WHY?

Because of this, he did NOT know for certain if you were going to pull him over, thus he decided to try and get away from you, to "shake" you since he had the initial advantage.

IMO, you're BOTH being jackasses, YOU for not throwing on your lights earlier, and HIM for the stupid way he drove (the cell phone would have sent me over the edge though).

I would have had one eye on the rearview before taking that left on a red.

IMO, you should have given him a BIG fine, or even a court appearance, but to jail him and take his car? I do not know, was he a real prick to you?

Disclaimer: that's just my OPINION on the limited info., obviously, I have no idea of such things like whether it was in a populated area or not, near a school, etc., etc., etc.