General Chat
Q:
On a little test drive in my Caprice after eliminating a peice of useless equipment... Come to a stop at a 3way Intersection, the road to my left has a steep hill and I see the cop coming.
So I go right and put on my seatbelt while he is coming up ;) (Who wears seatbelts on testdrives it you have to jump out quick?) Well not even a quarter mile later is another 3 way intersection, I have no yield or stop, so I turn right, and then the road quicky veers left. Well it was a cumfy feeling normal corner in my boat.
Well then I go straight for about a half mile till the road ends into another 3 way intersection. (This last part was resi streets, thats why all the 3 way crap) So I turn right and go... Street has a good sized hill on it and is 25mph, so I put the tranny in second and coast at around 29mph according to my speedo. The cop is now riding me like he is queer and I want to brake check him so bad.
But I dont :( Took the second right back to my house down about a quarter mile. The street almost go's stright up my drive, so I yeild and floor it with the cop behind me and shot up the driveway.
Well I sat there in my car reving it and listening to for any stutters or backfires... needless to say I was happy with the part missing.
Then I hear this blurp blurp. So he motions me to come down to the street. So I go down there and it is this young fresh out of the acadamy kid.
He's like "Do you watch your speedo"
I said "Yes, normally, but i was watching another gauge because I was modding something"
He said "Do you know how fast you were going?"
I replied " Same as the car in front of me till Dehoop, then I just coasted down the hill in second"
(Now he becomes a prick) He says "You were going 15 over"
Me, thinking yeah right.. speedo said 29
So I said "Oh ok, whatever"
He is getting a little angry "Do you think you should watch your speed?"
I said "Yeah, sure" I love giving them short answers that never go anywhere when they turn into pricks.
So he ends it with "I dont want to see you around here rounding corners fast and speeding"
I reply "Alrighty"
So he sees me go around a corner that is like a S after I just yeilded, speed limits 25. So I got up to 25 by the time I exited the corner and I bet that is what set him off, because he was way behind when he was going through there.
Also arent they suposed to do the speed limit also unless the flashers are on? Like to catch up to someone? He was about a 1/8 mile behind me when I first saw him, and then he caught up to me after the first half mile.
Whatever..
SHIFT_PPSSHHHTT... I love it, I love it
1973 240z, 2.8L Turbo, BRE Style
z31 ECCS and MAF swap
Spooled Up Racing ®
http://spooledupracing.tripod.com/home.htm
A:
Dude, you just may as well have painted a target on your back when it comes to that cop now.
77 260Z Rat Rod
A:
no ticket? don't complain.
A:
instance power is hard to resist.. why do you think people become cops....to serve and protect....ahaahha...to power trip and get laid....
89' 240sx (RIP)
05' 350Z AE silverstone
A:
"Why do you think people become cops....to serve and protect....ahaahha...to power trip and get laid...."
I think there should be the word "some" between "think" and "people". I know some and that is not why they became cops. I don't believe in generalizing. There are many good cops out there.
-------Senkyoshi
1973 240Z 4spd Dual Webers
"I spend too much time raiding windmills"
Post Edited (Jan 3, 1:54pm)
A:
You shoulda put him in a sleeper hold a'la Hogan. That'll teach them dang cops to mess with you.
A:
I don't know your age - but I'll bet you're guilty of -
D W Y -
driving while young.
As for young or rookie cops - they have a lot to learn. Real Police work - not what they teach in the academy. That's what training Seargents are for.
Young, inexperienced, not use to the proper way to handle authority, a little scared of the job, trying to make a name for themselves.
How were you when you were first learning a nes job?
Of course there is the posiblity that the guy is just a jerk. Psych tests don't weed those out: sometimes the job and other cops do.
And then maybe not.
You meet them everywhere, not just in Police departments; unfortunately even on ZCar.
Ed and Jeanne's
ZXelda 1981 280 ZXT: ZXena 1990 300 ZX
1941 Buick Special Sedanette (Betty)
1956 Dodge Royal (Dorothy)
1971 Buick Riviera (Rita)
1975 Ford F-150 Stepside (Fiona)
1992 Firebird (Frieda)
A:
If you were tackfull you would have asked him if he was the cop in the Village people.
"YES I will finish what I sta"
.
1977 280Z blue 2+2,
1973 240z
1977 280Z coupe in restoration progress
A:
It may not be a case of age, just experience. Experience can (in a way) be defined as knowing how far to take something before it breaks, be it an engine, a relationship, or the parameters and responsibility of a job. Perhaps after he's witnessed a few murder scenes or chased down a few drug dealers, he'll see that someone out for a drive like you isn't a big priority. Just my $.02.
"The Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about. "
Early 74 260Z
90 5.0 Mustang LX vert (7up edition)
86 Isuzu Trooper
85 Kawasaki 900 Ninja
A:
In my 27 years of life I have had a cop actually help me ONCE. It was when my dog ran away. He had my dog in the cruiser and he was still a jerk when I met him to get my dog back. So 5 minutes of help in 27 years. Protect and serve my A$$.
78 ZT, 83 zx engine, T-5, custom 2.5 DP, glass pack exhaust, EVO IC, 2.5 IC piping, Cobra MAF, JWT 450 HP ECU, 440cc inj, 255lph fuel pump, RRFPR, man. boost cont., T-3 w/ clipped exh. .46 trim comp.
A:
aren’t you the same person that got a ticket after painting their car like a race car and then doing a "hole shot" from of an intersection?
the best defense is to maintain a lower profile. "flooring it" with a cop directly behind you is certainly going to give them cause to see what's up.
A:
people are so narrow minded. But I'll ignore them for now....
Why didn't you tell him that you knew your speed was 29? I don't understand, if you knew you weren't 15 over, why not say that??
A:
If you've been at the academy for 4 years or whatever it is, and doing nothing but shooting targets and tearing up the skid pan the first thing you're going to want to do once you're a full time cop is to start pulling over people and giving them a hard time.
Gotta be smart, dont go flooring it past any cops or with the music loud etc... I know a guy who rigged up a brake light kill switch he can flick to disable his rear brake lights if he has to break really hard around cops without being noticed. Haha, super dodgy though not to mention very illegal. I personally wouldnt do it! :)
85' 300ZX NA
86' 300ZX Turbo
88' 300ZX Turbo
89' 300ZX Turbo
300ZX Turbo Project
A:
I agree I think the fresh cops tend to be more prickish when it comes to the little stuff. Case in point:
I was in high school at the time, I just picked up my girlfreind and were heading down a two lane road with a suicide lane in the middle. Traffic is really bad and were crawling on at an intermittent 3 or 4 mph. A couple smart guys are trying to use the suicide lane as a merging lane and are shoving their way in to traffic. I figure, fair enough, I'll let one guy in, and then the guy behind me will let the next one and so on. I open up a little space for a Suburban to merge in, and he does, and next thing I know psycho-just-got-her-license-last-week chick tries to come piling in to the space in front of me. Well, a Honda Civic is a small car, but their is no way its going to fit, and it thoroughly pissed me off that the little girl who is now flipping me off practically sideswiped me. I had slammed on the brakes and thought I stopped before her. She was too busy waving at me and looking stupid to continue her maneuver so I drove around her and kept going. Fast forward 30 minutes and I'm pulled over by new-guy cop who pulls me out of my car and says I'm lucky he doesn't cuff me until the reporting officer arrives. Turns out little miss demo derby called the cops and told them I rammed her car. I'm frieked out because I'm a young guy and I've got this cop here telling me that hes gonna take me to jail for vehicular assault and hit and run. Thankfully the Sgt shows up shortly tells the other cop to take a hike and tells me there isn't a problem. He inspected psycho chicks car and mine and he didn't feel that our cars even made contact. Instead Psycho chick was getting her license revoked for six months for having a passenger in the car and driving with a learning permit only.
Anyways, I felt alot better about the whole situation but I damn near had a heart attack from the first cop spouting off about all the cornholing I was gonna get at the county jail after he arrested me. Second cop was definitely a seasoned guy, was very fair and understood how to speak to people. As a rule I treat all cops with respect but I would definitely prefer to deal with an experienced dude.
'73 Turbo, not much stock. Sold now... :-(
A:
Cops...To protect and to serve? BS!
You better be prepared to protect your own self when it comes to defending your home or property in any kind of riot situation. The cops wont lift a finger for fear of being sued.
I wouldnt wait for a cop to protect me if my life depended on it...
Post Edited (Jan 3, 4:58pm)
A:
That's true, even with a record breaking response time if you're truely in trouble nobody's gonna be able to help you except yourself. Survival of the fittest after all...
85' 300ZX NA
86' 300ZX Turbo
88' 300ZX Turbo
89' 300ZX Turbo
300ZX Turbo Project
A:
There are more good cops than bad ones, at least that is what I'll try to keep thinking. In my experience, it has been about 75% 'good' / 25% 'bad'. This has nothing to do with the proportion of tickets issues, I'm talking about childish, immature, overbearing tactics that resulted in severly unfair treatment or 'harassment'. I usually have a run in with the cops twice a year or so. Houston cops are the worst, one put a dent in my car with a Maglite flashlight because he was pissed he caught me speeding and got a call and wasn't able to write me a ticket. Several other times I've been pulled over for no reason [cops concur with this] only because they say I ran over a steel mailbox [this one blew my mind, I was in lowered integra, stock otherwise], and another time because we didn't have the right to park 3 cars a longside a NEIGHBORHOOD street when my friend's car was overheating. There were cars allll up and down it by us, and the owner of the house we parked by was helping us by getting water! I can't imagine how minorities are treated if a punk white kid like me gets $H*T like this on a regular basis.
19[TT]91
My TT beauty is gone.
2[00]2 Honda 954RR
Suzuki 1200 S; sportscar eater
19[I4]94 Integra GSR Sedan
Long live the Z...
aka SAHTT
A:
I don't know why people are knocking police officers? They're the ones that get shot and killed trying to protect communities, but apparently some of you don't care about that. You only get angry because they catch you doing something illegal and make you pay for it.
I'm not saying there aren't prick cops. Of course there are. But if you get pulled over for doing something wrong, I'm confused as to why you would be angry at the cop.
A:
Well s-d-r
I don't think people should knock police officers in general. There are too many out there, like I said, that are good people that go out of their way to do what they think is the best for society, even putting their life on the line.
However, how many of us have actually been saved by cops?
My guess is 0. Probably one or two of us has had a friend or relative that has, I personally have not. Who's fault is that? Are the cops all at the donut shop, or are they doing a good job of keeping everyone safe already? The average person cannot differentiate.
Now then, how many of us have had a bad experience with cops?
My guess is close to everyone. In fact, I'd bet most of us have had many. My father is the most law abiding citizen [and he is a lawyer] I've ever known besides setting the cruise control a little high.
However, he was arrested while driving me and some of my little league baseball team home from a game [he was also the volunteer coach]. He was going 45 in a 40 [said on ticket]. Turns out the cop didn't bother to look up his DL, only that his name matched some mexican guy who lived 2 hours away and was 5'4 [dad is 6'4], who had a warrant and he took my dad in. The cop called my mom to pick is up and my dad was going ballistic and ended up being literally thrown around downtown before being released 6 hours later with a 'sorry'. It's hard to respect people that degrade your family like that. My dad kept telling him to just check the SS# or DL# and the guy told him to 'shut the **** up' infront of all us kids. Still makes me sick today thinking about it.
19[TT]91
My TT beauty is gone.
2[00]2 Honda 954RR
Suzuki 1200 S; sportscar eater
19[I4]94 Integra GSR Sedan
Long live the Z...
aka SAHTT
A:
(in my Caprice) dope runners favorite, is a fact, not you, the model is also a gang favorite, expect more..
Have you shared the left lane today?
A:
Rare, but true: I recently had a flat tire in my Trooper one night on the outskirts of town (away from streetlights). While changing it in the near dark (only had the interior light to go by), a cop happened by, stopped, and shone his searchlight on my tire until I could get it mounted. Like I said, a rare occurence in my experience, but it shows they can "serve". (he was a young fella, too!)
"The Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about. "
Early 74 260Z
90 5.0 Mustang LX vert (7up edition)
86 Isuzu Trooper
85 Kawasaki 900 Ninja
A:
Ahh Scott, that cop probably got bitched out for that later. Stopping by and helping a tax paying citizen out instead of cruising around, wasting gas, and harassing minorities :) From what I recall, as long as a cop is in uniform, and you pay taxes, they are supposed to help you out.
A:
There are cops and there are the ones that slipped thru the cracks at the academy-A$$holes with badges.
What gets hired by Dept's now is just criminal.Standards have been lowered so minorities can pass and this is what you get.
A couple of years ago at *TPD's academy there was this female cadet from Texas and her parents had$$$$.One day the instructors came in to their office to a voice mail from her PARENTS stating that the academy was "too hard'on their daughter and they(the staff)needed to lighten up.Completely incompetent but she graduated anyways.
*Tucson Police Dept. AKA THe Pathetic Dept.
Faster than a Motorola
A:
"The cop is now riding me like he is queer and I want to brake check him so bad. "
Well, how close was he EXACTLY? If you panic stopped short would he have rear-ended you?
Think about it... It's a Caprice---WHO CARES?!?!?!
Just watching that idiots face in the rearview mirror as he piles into me would be priceless, as wold the settlement I would get out of them.
We got stopped on Christmas Night. 130, maybe closer to 2AM.
Cop going the other way turns on his SPOTLIGHT and shines it RIGHT IN OUR FACES. Now, it THAT isn't a chickenshit way to make someone swerve (momentary night blindness) and give them "probable cause" for a stop I don't know what is! I look right at the speedo, we are doing the speed limit. I slide over to make sure I have the right angle, and check again, if we were "fast" when he shot us, it couldn't have been more than 1 or 2mph off the posted speed limit.
So he lights us up, after doing the U-Turn, and following us for several blocks---thinking drunk, I figure...
Up he saunters, and very coarsly asks my wife "Do you think it's safe speeding on ranslicked streets?"
I look out the passengers window at the partner, and eye him good, and as the guys asks the question, I roll my eyes visibly.
Wife says: "Speeding?"
Cop says: "You were dong 60mph"
W: "60? My speedometer said 45"
C: "We were doing 60, and you were pulling away from us. If you want to get argumentative about it, we can take that up in court"
W: "I'm not arguing, I've never had anyone tell me my speedometer is off by 15mph before, that's all"
At this point, I fairly loudly say "No, you were doing 45, I looked right as he tried BLINDING US with the spotlight trying to get us to swerve so he had an excuse to pull us over!" Then I look right back to the partner, and give him a SERIOUS Stare, and then roll my eyes again.
C: "Well, you need to slow it down!"
They both go back to the car and leave.
I was SOOOO P.O. I SOOOO wanted him to ticket us so I could get the calibration certificate out and shove it in his face in court.
But he KNEW we had his a$$ in a dead lie, and I made it clear to the partner through physical clues I knew it was a B.S. Stop.
I would have loved to be a fly on the separator when the partner told the other cop I was giving the "Oh, an a$$hole eyeroll" every time he talked.
Some cops are idiots. I love to screw with them when I know they are powerless, and they are more often than not when you think about it.
I wouldn't say he abused his powers in your case---he simply was being an a$$hole. Shining a light across the road right into oncoming traffic's windshield is a bit abusive. I had to resist the urge to tell him he's "#1" because of how UNSAFE the act was!
But think of it, you slam on your brakes, claim a small animal ran out into the road, and Billy Law has to explain why he was following so close and rearended you, as well as wrecked the prowler. Small town cops are the worst, they rarely have the psych testing the larger forces do, and standards are very low. Barney Fife was a harmless fool, but some small town cops are simply menaces. I LOVE watching Rambo for that moron cop who thought he owned the world. Got what was coming to him IN SPADES!
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
Post Edited (Jan 3, 7:58pm)
A:
good cops and bad ones so far for me out of about 15 yrs on the road i can say only 2 times i really had a prick as a cop....( and ive had my fair share of being pulled over)......i have no prob with cops at all i want them to protect me when i need it just not to abuse their power
A:
Some young punks were HAULING up/down my neighborhood one day. It was fart can up, fart can down for probably 5 round trips. I call the Sheriff's dispatch. Deputy who came was an ass to me, but finally drove up the street & told them there'd been complaints & to stop. He leaves, a few minutes later, I hear another fart can and then BANG! BANG! CRASH! CRUNCH! PSSSSSSS!
I look out & the kid had hit the curb in front of my neighbor's house, took out their mailbox which had a two-sided brick planter, tore up their sod, & nearly took out their truck. His Honda Civic with Forrest Gump's park bench on the trunk had the front end torn up and the front driver wheel was at 2 o'clock.
Same A-hole cop comes back & just lays into this teeny bopper with a Partridge Family hairdo. Victimized neighbor & I start laughing our asses off. When mommy shows up the deputy lays into her because he was just in their driveway & he saw her looking through the window when he was talking to the son & friends.
Moral of story, cops can be jerks to other people & it's funny.
Also, in my area they are vastly underpaid for what they do.
A:
In my part of Michigan, I've found the county sheriffs to be a lot more reasonable and open than Albion city cops. For instance: City cop wrote me that stupid ticket for hardware I don't need. Sheriff let me go with a cracked windshield AND blown tail lights with a warning over the summer. I have had experiences with break-downs in the country where a sheriff happened by and stayed around with a light until I got done what I needed done.
1976 280Z
Draw-Through Turbo, 10 PSI, 4 Bbl Holley, E88, L28 (Flat), 10:1 CR, 5 Spd
1974 Corvette Stingray:
350, 400 Automatic, T-Tops, 8.5:1 CR, 78,000 Miles
1994 Acura Integra:
1.8L, 5 Spd, 189,000 and Counting!
A:
I've noticed that as well, that county cops are always a LOT cooler and nicer than city cops. they must get paid more or something? haha.
'76 280z 4 spd - fixing
'79 280zx 2+2 auto (daily driver)
'85 300zx NA - RIP
Salt Lake City, UT
A:
"I know a guy who rigged up a brake light kill switch he can flick to disable his rear brake lights if he has to break really hard around cops without being noticed."
There must be two of us...
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
Maybe even three of us?
except it wasnt an actual switch, the brake lights just didnt work when the pedal was pressed...oops! :)
'76 280z 4 spd - fixing
'79 280zx 2+2 auto (daily driver)
'85 300zx NA - RIP
Salt Lake City, UT
A:
"What gets hired by Dept's now is just criminal.Standards have been lowered so minorities can pass and this is what you get."
That is more true than anyone can ever know. All in the name of "diversity of the workforce".
Well, diversity doesn't pull my unconcious body out of a burning car on the freeway, a 6'2" 250# Officer with physical fitness cridentials that makes a Marine Recon Scout proud does.
I watched it at the LAPD Academy---you could see the "special" recruits and the treatment they got. Sad.
Mediocrity is not what you want on a Police Force.
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
So what if I have a car that resembles a fantastic 70's racecar that changed the way the world looks at sports cars, and I did a hole shot from a intersection and the happend to be a cop across the way... Yes, I deserved that one, and he got a good show and a good story.
Dunno if 26 is considered "Driving while young"
SHIFT_PPSSHHHTT... I love it, I love it
1973 240z, 2.8L Turbo, BRE Style
z31 ECCS and MAF swap
Spooled Up Racing ®
http://spooledupracing.tripod.com/home.htm
A:
You brake lights don't work. I almost rear-ended you!
Uh, my brake lights work fine (tap tap tap of the pedal) I can see them lighting up in your windshield now.
Well, they weren't working a second ago! I almost rearended you. Step on your brakes again. (Walks back, checks, all bulbs FUNCTIONAL, Walks back up to my door.) Well, the seem to be working fine now, you should have that checked.
Uh, yeah, O.K. i think they are working fine, I checked them before I left the house this morning, I just replaced a burned out bulb when I got home from work last night. I know they work. I was worried you were following me a little too closely. Is there a problem? I mean, that's not particularly safe, is it?
Are you trying to be smart?
Uh, no. No not at all. I just was concerned you were following too closely. I got a ticket from the CHP for that once, ever since then, I have been acutely aware of how many people tailgate me.
I was running your plate.
Wow, I wonder if the CHP would ticket you for following too closely when running a plate.
Do you want a citation?
For what?
We can find something, I'm sure.
No, not particularly, I don't want any citations, SIR.
Then don't try to be a funny man.
O.K., but what if you hit me? That's not a safe following distance.
I'll be the judge of what is safe.
That would sound good in Court. Is your recorder running now?
You on the job?
Nope.
Why are you asking about my PVR?
Oh, I just thought it would be interesting to compare my tape if you wrote a citation, to yours, when we got to court if you did cite me for something.
Funny guy, slow down and watch it when you return to traffic, have a nice day.
****
I mean, he REALLY got uncomfortable when I asked about his recorder, and said I had my own recorder detailing the conversation. He admitted to having one, on mine, and it would look VERY suspicious in court if his "had a problem". I think he thought I was some sort of IA Plant. Didn't want anything to do with me after that, even though he threatened to FIND an infraction, and stated HE was the JUDGE (Judges don't like hearing that out of a cops mouth, ESPECIALLY in THEIR court! muahahaha!)
Why do I carry a digital voice recorder with me in the car? I ALWAYS turn it on when I see a cop start eyeing me. I verbally detail my speed, traffic direction time, what road I'm on, what the cop is doing.... I got pulled over so many times in both my VW Bus, and then the CNG Powered Ford I started to get VERY short with cops who hassle me, and I wanted evidence of the WAY they talked to me. I had guys coming up YELLING at me "What the fu*k makes you think it's O.K. for you to drive Solo in the HOV Lane?" (Talk about Rage Problems and Anger Management! Ooookey!) My answer to the cop was "Well, Dude, CNG Vehicle, Dude! See the Stickers, DUDE? I mean, I'm AUTHORIZED, DUDE!"
Oh man, I used to LOVE making them apologize for pulling me over because they were Blind as a BAT, and looked RIGHT at my stickers and it JUST DIDN'T REGISTER!
Never try to outa$$hole and a$$hole!
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
the PVR sounds like a great idea.
Nothing is better than documentation.
I think I am going to invest in one.
ps i didnt know they carried one. thanks for that
'76 280z 4 spd - fixing
'79 280zx 2+2 auto (daily driver)
'85 300zx NA - RIP
Salt Lake City, UT
A:
I remember when this one new cop came to the old town I used to live in... Small town, about 2500 people. This dude must have had it out for me or something, because I got pulled over 3 times, and all 3 times it was him...
#1 - I got off work at 10pm that night, and needed gas in my car, so I leave work and head to the gas station down the street. It was pretty much a 3 way intersection right there, and the light was red. I pulled in to get gas. Was stopped for appx 15-30 seconds, only to find that the gas station was closed (but they left the overhead awning lights on so it looked open, so I pulled out on my turn off to head home.
Cop pulls me over and says "You know why I pulled you over?"
Me: No, sir.
Cop: You didn't go thought that light, it's failure to obey a traffic control device.
Me: Sir, I was just stopping to get gas... See my gauge is on empty, and they left the lights on
Cop: I've been pulling people over for this all night, I'm going to have to give you a ticket.
Fortunetly my parents are good friends with one of the other cops in town, and that other cop just happened to "have" the ticket book with my ticket in it from the other cop. They were forced to drop my case. YAY!
#2 Heading home from work (around 10pm again) some time later (could be months, I dont remember), Cop is riding my butt all the way the street I live down. I'm doing 25 mph (speed limit). I don't know it's a cop, and I start getting pissed off, and think it's some drunk dude tailgaiting. We hit the city limit; end of speed limit, I drop it into second gear and take off to get away from him. Doing 45 mph (all roads that don't have a posted speedlimit are 45mph), I pull into my drive, and he flicks on his lights, and pulls me over at the bottom of my driveway. He comes up asks for my info, tells me I was speeding. I reply no I wasnt. he comes back and says "You've lived around here long enough to know better than that" and leaves.
#3 Driving along doing 55mph, speed limit, pass by 2 cops talking to each other, they both pull out behind me. Speed limit drops to 45mph, slow to 45. Didn't speed, used all my signals, everything... Cops follow me for about 3 miles, untill the one right behind me finally flicks on his lights... Guess who it is?! Yup... Cop says "You know why I pulled you over" I say, "Nope" He said,"The regestered owner of this vehicle does not have a valid operating license" (WTF?!) I say, "Well, this is MY car, and here is MY lisence". Cop walks back to his car, comes back and says "Sorry about that, there must be something wrong with the computer" or something to that affect... That pissed me off...
I need a digital voice recorder... Good Idea.
---------------------------------------------------------------
(SOLD)
A:
As a police officer in Kentucky, I might be able to provide a little perspective on this...
1: You will never come into contact with a lone "fresh out of the academy" cop. After an officer leaves a training academy, he goes a number of months, possibly even exceeding a year, on field training with a more experienced FTO (field training officer.)
2: When the officer was riding your rear end, he was doing one or two things: The first may be that he was checking to see if your registration was expired. This is common practice and at certain times of night could be done on almost any car an officer see's. The second may have been that he was pacing you to determine your speed. This is standard operating procedure and is valid in court.
3: I read your entire original post, but I really stopped listening when you said you werent wearing your seatbelt. Its a really simple thing to do, and can keep you from choking to death on your own blood when you've got a piece of windshield through your throat. Thats a fantastic way to die dont you think?
4: If an officer gets short with you (or turns into a "prick" as you call it) maybe its not because you're treating him/her with a modicum of respect. We have a hard job, we appreciate courtesy.
5: Anyone in an official law enforcement vehicle that is currently in service for their respected agency can exceed the speed limit when needed to facilitate the duties of their job. It is only neccessary to run lights/siren when going through an intersection where the light is red, or when performing a traffic stop. It would make the job extremely difficult if not impossible if it was neccessary to switch on the lights every time we had to exceed the speed limit. Understand that once those lights go on, people start pulling over, which causes a SERIOUS traffic hazard in most cases. Its something that isnt done until absolutely neccessary.
I understand its hard for a lot of people to really understand what goes on behind the scenes. You certainly get a bad picture in movies and TV and film. Even COPS cuts out a great deal of the day-to-day job. But its important to understand that an ******* is an *******, whether he wears a badge or not. Wearing a badge doesnt make a person an *******. Every time I come in contact with a person, I begin by treating them with as much respect as I would give a family member or best friend. The way my attitude changes depends on that persons behaviors or actions. Think about that.
1991 NA 300ZX (z32) Slicktop Coupe, Cherry Red, Pacesetter Monza Exhaust, JWT Pop-charger intake, stainless steel 3" midpipes with high-flow cats.
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My cousin is in police academy right now, and I understand the rules of pacing. But why so close to read plates??? Michigan the font is the hieght of the plate and the tags are color coordinated. You way think a blind man could read a plate that close. I know that they have to be within + or - 3 mph pacing a car to get a accurate reading on the radar. I could care less that for some reason I attracted attention in a granny car. My whole problem is when they come off as if they are better than you and whatever you say isnt so, and if you dissagree.. you have an additude or are being difficult. Reason for short dumb answers because no matter what is said on my defense... it pointless even trying. I think in my 10 years of driving I bet I have been pulled over near 100 times, at least.. easy.
I owned a 85 volvo with racing stripes and silver sled painted on the side. Drove that for about 4 years in the winter and the summer when the Z was down. If I didnt get pulled over at least once a week in that thing I was surprised. Most of the time for no reason, just wanted to hassle me and look at my papers and give me some reason that i accelerated to quick from a light... Its a 4 banger brick with 106 hp when new, now has 350,000 miles on it, takes all day to hit 60... whatever.
My favorite!!! Day before Christmas eve, coming home from work, get off the highway and hit this slush pile and my muffler and tail pipe just fall off. Sweet.. Now for a upgrade. Stopped, picked up my muffler and through it on the passenger side floor. Not a mile later, pulled over for loud exhaust... Ok, good timing. So I tell my story and he sais well you should get it fixed... and I tell my story again and pick up my muffler and force it towards the window saying "Feel it, still warm!!!"
I wanted to take off so bad for this bogus stop. After he gave me my ticket, 1st gear and a 1000 shy of redline with no exhaust is how I drove for 2 miles home.
I think I just have lost respect in a way for as many times I have been pulled over. Yeah I deserved the points I received I'll admit that :) but 75% of my stops in my book were just pointless and dumb.
SHIFT_PPSSHHHTT... I love it, I love it
1973 240z, 2.8L Turbo, BRE Style
z31 ECCS and MAF swap
Spooled Up Racing ®
http://spooledupracing.tripod.com/home.htm
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Post Edited (Feb 5, 9:47am)
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Zombie said:
>4: If an officer gets short with you (or turns into a "prick" as you call it)
> maybe its not because you're treating him/her with a modicum of
> respect. We have a hard job, we appreciate courtesy.
Lots of people have hard jobs. I wish I could just issue tickets when a customer irks me. Must be nice!
>5: Anyone in an official law enforcement vehicle that is currently in service
> for their respected agency can exceed the speed limit when needed to
> facilitate the duties of their job.
That is unfortunate. It is sad that police are allowed to put lives in danger by exceeding the very speed limits they swear to uphold.
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I'm afraid there would have been an imaginary cat race in front of my car, and of course I "panicked" and hit the brake so as to avoid the little kitty, "....could you get me that ambulance please officer, my neck really hurts?"
Let him explain the rest to his sarge...... With any luck the next thing he will be learning is how to say "Want fries with that?"
Seldom.....and VERY seldom do cops have anything to contribute other than the paper work they file after something happens. You gotta really wonder what motivates a person to take a job that pays crap to start, takes forever to get to a decent salary (if you are lucky), and you could get killed. Can you say 'ego'? Cuz that's what it's all about, ego.....they get to play "Big Man" all day, puff up at parties when they tell everyone they are a cop, or pretend they have what they weren't born with (in the case of lady cops). These are warped people carrying loaded guns, makes me feel REAL safe.
Ken
'82ZX n/a 2+2
'02 Sportster XL1200C
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ken,
so it's all about cops carrying loaded guns? trust them, they know what they're doing:
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Tony D,
I like the way you think! That sounds like something I would do.
I've been pulled over a few times but luckily I never had an a$$hole cop, plus I had been doing what they pulled me over for so I had no reason to argue with them.
Zombie,
You seem like a police officer that isn't an a$$hole and I can see your point as well. I try to be as polite and respectful to police officers like you and shutter to think that there are so many officers out there that are buttholes.
One tactic the police uses DOES bother me though. Why do you feel the need to shine your door mounted stadium light right into my side view mirror at night (as if your flashing blue lights and hi-beam headlights weren't enough)? Now, you may tell me that it's to keep the driver from seeing what you are doing. Fair enough, but do you know that it takes about 30 minutes for your vision to get accustomed to the dark and about 2 seconds (the amount of time it takes for you cops to shine your floodlight into my mirror) to ruin it. I love how the only thing I can see after a cop pulls me over at night is big bright spots where the road should be.
Did the instructors of 'Night pullover tactics 101' not think about this when they thought this crap up?
Crap like that makes me want to install hi-powered off-road lights on my back bumper and shine them right at the officers when they do that to me. Of course, they would be wired to my reverse so they would be 'legal backup lights' in case he wanted to write me a ticket for those.
tkr,
Love the Sledge HAMMER picture. I used to laugh my a$$ off at that show. He was the mascot of Over-the-top cops!
God must love stupid people, he made SOOOOO many of them!
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best lines:
Reporter: We're here at the scene of a liquor store robbery that was thwarted by the man beside me, Inspector Sledge Hammer. Inspector Hammer, tell us what happened.
Sledge Hammer: Well, Miss, I was in this store when two thugs entered and threatened the owner with shotguns. At that time, I drew my Magnum and killed them both. Then I bought some eggs, and some milk, and some of those little cocktail weinies.
Reporter: Inspector Hammer, was what you did in that store absolutely necessary?
Sledge Hammer: Oh, yes, I had no groceries at all.
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BOOK 'EM DANNO!
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First off, no ticket, don't whine.
Second, no they don't have to put on lights first. If they chose to pace you after a radar check they can without lights. In fact, police are allowed to lie and even break the law in order to catch criminals (I know it's only a ticket and a civil infraction but in these young minds they are catching a crook). When they start tailgating you, it's time to move to the right and let them pass, even if you don't want to. The good was simply flexing his muscle and letting you know the Buford T. Justice was around. :)
1981 280ZX Turbo
60,000 original miles
Still OEM (except for tires, fluids, and filters or course)
Swartz Creek, Michigan
It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and I'm wearing milk bone underpants.
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LOL
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
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The reason they light you up, and blind you once pulled over is
1) you can not see them approaching, and therefore are less apt to hit them should you have a weapon.
2) as you said, you now are night blind---so if you do come out of the car, and try to confront them, you can't see well at all, but they can see you clear as day
3) they can see stuff in the car really well from the reflection all over inside the car when they finally do approach. They used to go BATTY with my VW Microbus, because I had BLACK VELVET CURTIANS. The stuff simply SUCKS UP LIGHT! They would shine their skullbuster in the window, and couldn't see ANYTHING! If I had my backlight closed, they literally came up on me BLIND as to what was inside the van. Why did I have black velvet curtians?
1) because I know that it does to them, and after being stopped too many times to count, I figured making them more uncomfortable coming up on me was worth it because I had no redress against their mindless games.
2) it was the 70's, man!
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
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i know im going to get flamed for this , but here goes--
Why are most of the guys here that a crying about how they are being talked to by cops also the ones who are either screwing with the cops or finding ways to screw with them( bright back up lights- brake light cut off switchs so they can run away from cops)
if you have been pulled over 100 times in 10 yrs you have got to be one of the crappiest drivers on the road- nobody gets pulled over that many times without deserving something.
did it occur to you that when you are breaking the law and there wasnt a cop around to see you that maybe joe citizen did and called in your plate and after enough calls came in your car was on the list of really dangerous drivers that will be killing some innocent person some day. and maybe that " prick cop" who didnt give you a ticket is trying to save you from yourself?
you know the saying--if you cant do the time dont do the crime.
your driving rights are a privilige not a constitutionly protect right.
stop whinning and drive like you know the rules..
ok ive had my say so if you dont live in a glass house then FLAME AWAY!!!
____________________________________
1980 280ZX coupe
2001 maxima
1994 F150 4x4 van works custom truck
170000 and never needed mech repairs
1996 ford explorer -they cant all be good
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"if you have been pulled over 100 times in 10 yrs you have got to be one of the crappiest drivers on the road- nobody gets pulled over that many times without deserving something."
How about 7 times in 6 weeks? All by the same P.D.
It's called PROFILING.
But you aren't SUPPOSED to do that to minorities, so instead they do it on who is left: everyone else. To a much lower percentage of hits to be sure.
But you don't have to do anything to get pulled over if you work the night shift on the wrong side of town, and just happen to be leaving an industrial park. You get pulled over because, statistically speaking the chances of you being in the area at that time of the night are good you are up to no good.
It literally took me going into the police department, and making a formal complaint to the midshift watch captian, as well as a followup complaint to the chief of police to stop my "midnight spot-checks"...
But hey, I was just a dirty hippy. Big guy, hair down to the middle of his back, driving a microbus late at night, with a beard to the middle of his chest.
Oh yeah, he's GOTTA BE DOING SOMETHING.
Don't have to have anything wrong with the vehicle, nor do anything untoward at ALL to get pulled over. It's the same as the DWB negroes complain about. It happens to everybody, and it's a NUSIANCE.
It happens once and a while, it's a minor nusiance.
Every week for 6 weeks, (Sunday Night, between midnight and 0230), but TWICE IN TWO DAYS ON THE 7TH WEEK???
It's bullsh*t! I didn't resort to the tactics I did until AFTER that little example. I STOPPED being totally respectful AFTER that occurance. I started carrying the PVR AFTER that little string of incidences.
I only hope others will be as vigilant as I, beause as the populace becomes less and less armed, and the police better and better armed, sooner or later there will be little to protect anyone should these vassals of state power decide to start doing things common in other countries.
And this is why I lament the lowering of standards for entry into most forces. As the standards go lower, the chances for corruption due to moral issues increases.
It's not a flame, it's a statement of fact.
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
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While I have been driving (only a year and a half) I personally have had one problem.
A VW Bug hit my 280zx, the cop was nice about it. Talked nicely I was nice in return. However after talking to the other driver he came back to me and said well I am find you at fault for the accident. I think its cause I was a 16 year old male with a damn sexy Z. I paid the ticket anyways no use in arguing.
A good experience
This happened about 3 weeks ago. My 200sx broke down in the MIDDLE of the road. I couldn't move it by myself and no one around seemed to be kind enough to help. A cop happened along and helped me push it into a parking lot after he stopped traffic. He then asked if I needed a tow truck or anything. I said I could either fix it or my dad can come tow it with his truck. He stayed anyways until I got it running. My short ram intake had come loose somehow.
However while driving with my friend in his civic...he has been pulled over for accelerating to fast, to loud of an exhaust, unneccesary noise, and in his camaro for no license plate(he had a temporary paper one on the rear window) somehow the cop missed it. However he drives like an idiot most the time, and his civic is a typical 16 year olds civic.
__________________
1991 300zx N/A - Project
1995 200sx SE-R - Daily Driver
1982 280zx 2+2 - Sold
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Most cases in L.A., the cops pull you over on profiling, they make up the infraction as they approach the car, and see something that can be used as an excuse for the stop.
For instance: Cop lights you up at 0230 on a two lane road with no street lights while he's in the oncoming lane 100 yards in front of you.
He pulls up behind you, hassles you, and says that the reason he stopped you is because you don't have a Rear Bumper.
O.K., now, go find a 1962 VW Microbus, put it in that same situation of lighting and 35mph oncoming speed, and YOU TELL ME, at 100 yards with the lights of the Microbus on and properly aimed by a California Gold Shield Garage----CAN YOU EVEN SEE THE REAR BUMPER?
Uh, no. No you can't.
You can't see it until you pass the Bus, and get behind him to see it.
It was a B.S. stop based on statistical averages, and the "justification" was derived AFTERWARDS. Had the cop lit me up AFTER HE PASSED ME, that would be one thing, but 100 yards IN FRONT OF ME?????
If you think he didn't make up the justification afterwards, you're smoking what he thought I was transporting.
And that's B.S. to stop someone like that. Period!
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
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Tony D-- sometimes i forget how it was when i was younger and had hair down to the middle of my back and looked the part.-- also i sometimes forget that the situation is much different from the area i live in than an area like L. A. i wouldnt last a minute there. no hard feelings?
damn middle agedness it screws with everything including my memory.
such angry youth-damn that rap music!!!
____________________________________
1980 280ZX coupe
2001 maxima
1994 F150 4x4 van works custom truck
170000 and never needed mech repairs
1996 ford explorer -they cant all be good
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Man, that was when I was more near 35 than 25!
I only recently shaved and cut my hair.
Not by choice.
As you can see by my writings, I "still have my hair" on the inside!
LOL
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
Post Edited (Jan 4, 9:57pm)
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ah you were lucky you got to cut your hair- mine just got all pissed and fell out!!! but at 35 i still had long by 40 it was going fast and now at 49 its a distant memory!
and yes i can tell it is still there -- dont give up the good fight - you can fool the man just dont give in or up!!!
____________________________________
1980 280ZX coupe
2001 maxima
1994 F150 4x4 van works custom truck
170000 and never needed mech repairs
1996 ford explorer -they cant all be good
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"you can fool the man just dont give in or up"
Hence my perverse pleasure with screwing with them now. Matching wits with the dimwitted is a hobby of mine.
Explains my presence here.
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
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TonyD - Did you think of the possibility that the officer had earlier seen the rear of your vehicle, maybe while running perpendicular to it on a side street?
WannaBREz - The reason for pacing sometimes is not so much to read the actual vehicle registration, but to check the little sticker that denotes the date of expiration. Those are often no bigger than one square inch, and it can be hard to even tell the color from a distance.
To many - There is a ton of useless asinine paperwork involved with every citation issued. Officers RARELY enjoy issuing someone a citation. No, we do not get some sort of sadistic pleasure from the act. Even in a case where a citation is not issued, a traffic stop (pulling someone over) is not something we look forward to. Much like a domestic violence situation, it is unpredictable. We dont know if the occupants of the vehicle have a pistol in their lap and are preparing to shoot us as we step up to the window. Its scary. Nobody I know or work with is so ballsy that they dont still get at least a little apprehensive when approaching a vehicle, not knowing who or what is inside. (this is one reason for the bright lights being focused on the cabin of the vehicle.)
I did not choose this job because it makes me feel like i've got a bigger weenie than other people. I chose it for several reasons: One, I get to help people, sometimes in an indirect way. (i.e. putting a drug dealer or rapist behind bars.) Two, the people I work with are great, and we get along like a big family. Three, the pay actually isnt that bad for being right out of college, and it is continuing to rise with experience.
Even though we often see some horrible and disturbing things (bodies going through rigormortis and decay, murder victims, assaults, car accidents, etc.) I know at least I can find some satisfaction in that by doing my job I can keep other people, joe citizen, from having to see these things. Pulling over and citing people for such things as speeding, disregarding stop signs/lights, excessive show of speed or other things can instill a sense of caution in drivers, and prevent accidents. I've seen the often horrible, mangled, disgusting results of car accidents, and I know that if alot of you people that talk about "fooling the man" so you can speed or whatever saw these things, you might feel differently.
The only place online I know that shows the grim reality of accidents is http://www.ogrish.com The things posted there are gruesome, but they are also real. Think about that the next time you think it would be neat to do 100 in a 55, or cut your rear wheels lose coming out of the Kroger's parking lot.
1991 NA 300ZX (z32) Slicktop Coupe, Cherry Red, Pacesetter Monza Exhaust, JWT Pop-charger intake, stainless steel 3" midpipes with high-flow cats.
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He was fresh on shift coming from the substation DOWN A CANYON ROAD.
There is ABSOLUTELY no way he could have been runing parallel with me, and gotten to where he was, and turned around. I was on the ONLY road to get where he was coming from...unless he has some sort of helicopter car with I/R night Vision.
Like I said, it was a fabricated excuse. To top it off, he didn't issue any citations because the bumper was in the back of the van---I was responding to a callout at the powerplant, and literally had crawled out from under the van after having the engine out all day doing repairs!
To top it off, As I pulled out, signalled, and pulled down the road to the powerplant THE PRICK LIT ME UP AGAIN! I hadn't moved 300 feet from where he had pulled me over with the bogus bumper stop.
He pulls up behind me, and come up and says "why are you going down this road?" (poor training there, because he never asked where I was headed during the initial stop)
now, this was stop five or six in five or six weeks. I had about HAD it. I had been VERY polite up to that point.
My reply was in the "things not to say to cops": "It's a free country, BECAUSE I CAN!"
Then it's pulled everything out of the van on the side of the road in the middle of the night and search the hell out of me. What I should have said was "SCREW YOU, GET A FU*KING WARRANT!" But I was still intimidated and thought their function was actually useful to some sort of societal betterment. I ended up simply stating "you can do what you want, but do you hear that noise? I have 45 minutes to get up to that plant, or that noise stops, and when that noise stops I'm going to have to tell them why, so I want your name, your badge number, your partner's name, his badge number, and your unit number, and your watch commanders name---and if it's on a citation THAT'S FINE, but I WILL have someone calling about why you are continnually stopping me!"
I ended up going ballistic at work, and that got me an Official Looking Employee I.D. Card that said where I worked.
THE NEXT WEEK I had my fill. This time, I get pulled over and it's a FELONY STOP. I mean, the partner is out to the right rear of my van, WEAPON UNHOLSTERED AND POINTED AT ME, and the driver comes up to my side of the van.
He starts asking me questions, my interior light is on and my hands are visible. I can see this guy has his holster UNSNAPPED and his hand is on the butt of his weapon.
UNCOOL!
I looked at this guy, and said,
"Tell your partner to holster his weapon."
He did not comply.
"Call your watch commander, I'm don talking to you idiots!"
And with that I slid my window closed, and turned of fthe Bus.
I then waited by the roadside till Sgt came down. And then I told him (Presenting my New Employee I.D. Card) and told him that a felony stop is unwarranted, that the interrogating officer had no reason to unsnap his weapon, or to approach me in that manner.
Now remember, this is AFTER the Rodney Riots in LA, and I sat on the use of force committee afterwards that reformulated LAPD's policies. I was spending three nights during the week at the Police Academy assisting with an official on-duty training program.
I DO NOT TAKE HAVING A WEAPON POINTED AT THE BACK OF MY HEAD LIGHTLY!
The I then told the Sgt that if I was going to be cited for "some Bullsh*t reason" that they could damn well do it without their weapons drawn, and frankly with their nervousness it made me VERY uncomfortable. I wanted EVERYBODY's name and I.D.'s because I was lodging a formal complaint, because "I swear to fu*king christ every rookie idiot you have on the force working midshift has stopped me, and by fu*king now they ALL should know I work here IN THIS AREA!"
So the next morning (actually, later that same morning I went in and gave everybody hell at the staton. I filed a formal complaint, and the officers were reprimanded (the ones that drew their guns)
I made a BIG STINK.
There is reasonable, and there is unreasonable.
What the PD did there, over the course of 7 weeks, was UNREASONABLE.
One night, I was inside the gate, locking it up heading to the plant. It was a blind corner and rise coming to the gate. I hear a big engine KICK IT DOWN. I mean, like a car going 45 and then getting into it opening the four barrels.
It takes me only a split second to realize THIS IDIOT (whom I can't see) flooring it is going to come around the corner, over the blind rise, and see this BIG CLOSED GATE and hit it at about 60mph, and I don't want to be there when it happens!
So I RUN back to the bus, and jump in. At this point a car crests the hill with full brights on. Ful on the brakes, he hits his bubblegum machines.
I am aghast. I can't believe what I'm seeing. And I am PI$$ED because of the STUPIDITY. I yell someting like "You fu*king moron!" and get in my bus and drive off. He's yelling on his speaker to halt, and come back, I tell him "he's #1" as I drive up the road to the plant.
Wellllll, he gets all upset because I didn't stop. So he unlocks the gate (county sheriff) and follows me at some distance, becasue it's a PITA to get that gate open.
Eventually he finds me int he control room at the plant and starts reading me the riot act about failure to stop and all sorts of bullcrap.
I tell him to go pound sand, that there was no way in hell I was going to stay by that lgate and get killed by some drunk (for all I knew) racing down that road.
He gets all upset and starts talkingabout impounding my car and how I failed to obey.
Again "Pound Sand" I was INSIDE County Property, which I have the key to be at, where I'm authorized to be, and I had NO idea if he was real or not, and was not going to put my life in danger to suit his ego after witnessing how he recklessly charged the gate.
Long story short, where you are in Kentucky I figure police work is a bit more laid back. But out here, there are real dicks, and they get real upset if you know your rights, and call them when they are doing colossally stupid things.
Sorry, after the "7 Weeks Incident String" I stopped being charitable. If I get respect, they get it.
They start out like a dick, and they will be in for a very dodgy and recorded exchange that will not be complementary when played back in open court.
I helped and was involved in the P.D. very closely at that time, and that made the treatment I received all the more abhorrent.
To be honest, I have never been treated badly by the LAPD. They are very professional in their demeanor, as well as with the CHP. I have had EXTENSIVE discussions with them by the roadside assisting with accidents, disabled motorists, etc.
Fact of the matter is, the lower the standards, the more dicks you get, and they ain't RAISING standards. It will only get worse as time goes on, I have seen this in the years since I have been out here, and whenever I go home I see it in the smalltown patrolmen too.
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
Post Edited (Jan 5, 2:32am)
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I have never gotten harassed by the police before. If they pull me over for wrongdoing, then I fully admit it and leave it up to them to punish me or not. Cops love it when I put power into their hands and be humble. It has worked for me numerous times.
I was caught driving around in a large dirt lot on public property. The CHP came and gave me a scolding. I just told him I did not think I was disrupting anybody nor causing any trouble. Then the officer told me about the consequences of wreckless driving and how I can be arrested, etc. I told him it is completely up to him if he thinks it is appropriate punishment for me. The two officers looked a bit dumbfounded for a second. Then he told me to never come back and do it again. I wished them good night and left.
My last ticket was on the freeway. I was driving home from a friend's house after studying all night. It was 2am and I was driving 80mph on a completely empty freeway. The CHP officer and I were both tired so we got in a small arguement. He gave me a ticket. I took care of it AFTER finals week.
I always put myself in the officer's shoes. They probably have the most stressful job in the world. They deal with the dirtiest scumbags and dipshits of society on a daily basis. I know I'd be an ******* all day long if I had to deal with the crap they deal with. The last thing they need are lies from a driver who broke some traffic law. I give them respect because I expect the same from them. So far, it has worked.
I suggest everybody join their local sheriff, police, or highway patrol association. Usually, they will give you a sticker to put on your rear windshield. If you are a law abiding citizen, it's a good deterrent to getting "looks" from the police.
1971 240Z
"Fear is exciting for me." -Ayrton Senna
A:
I noticed that sticker in your hatch glass when over there with Mike!
I was an associate member of ALADS for a while. Not the same thing, but never put the sticker in the window, I don't really sticker up my vehicles.
But I did stick it on a hanging suction cup thingie (you know--like the origami cranes and the prayer sticks---total JDM thing, lol) and had it hanging from my rearview mirror.
That was after the "Felony Stop" incident. With all I was doing with the LAPD at the time, I knew the procedures and it was funny the way the OC local cops were verbally escalating EVERY confrontation.
Poor Training is what I chalk it up to.
When I was in Tahoe (story in archives) I ended up giving a mini-seminar to some deputy sheriffs who were really interested in my control and movement techniques with the moron who tried to steal the laptop out of my hotel room.
Like I said, respect goes both ways. If they come up on a routine traffic stop (not talking about an infraction stop, just a random let's make up the excuse as I approach the car kind of stop) and start verbally escalating, and beingrude (same as they are trained about "rude rules") then I will not be nearly as polite and conversational as if they are pleasant.
I mean, do you guys really know why they always ask "do you know how fast you were going?" Because the majority of the motoring public will self incriminate on a spontaneous utterance! They had NO IDEA how fast you were going when they saw you going in the other direction. But if you say "65?" then miraculously the answer becomes "yes I had you at 66 in a 55" I mean this is how they are TRAINED to interact.
The less you say the better. And if someone lies and replies "Yes officer, I was going 55" And then he says "Well I paced you at 65 in a 55" chances are he's still fishing, but now its on the recorder that you conciously were aware and stated your speed, and if his PVR was not on when he started the pursuit, and he says "Pacing Yellow Datsun Southbound on Van Ness after observing erractic lane change, paced at 65, initiating stop" into it---well then there is a little problem.
I know a little bit more about police work in the LA region that I care to let on about. There are all sorts of things that you can do to keep yourself out of hassle situations, and there are things they do to make their jobs easier.
Like ZOMBIE says, there is a hill of papaerwork with every stop. The PVR's make it easier, and make for crystal clear notes after the event.
Lots of times they are just fishing. If you are a smart fish, and play their little games in the same manner they can get upset, but they will end up knowing not to mess with you in teh future unless you have a REAL violation. And that is the key. There simply is a lot of B.S. hassle stops initiated simply because of demographics and the area I live in. I know the games to play to make it stop. But it took a while to find out the tricks.
I digress...
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
I am not a crappy driver by no means... I make my living driving for 2 companies.
And yes Tony you nailed it on the head, PROFILING!
Drive a 70's sports car that looks like its straight off the track that some believe is too loud, and then drive a 4 door sedan. I guarentee you wont attract hardly if any attention in a 4 door sedan.
Now, take that 4 door sedan, put on some truck tires, paint racing stripes on it, and some dialogue that suggests its a beater car, put dual pipes on with cherry bombs.
I guarentee you, your 4 door sedan now attracts as much attention as a 70's sports car.
And it doesnt help that I live across the street from 2 old folks apartments. One lady says everytime I start my Z, or she sees me leaving or coming home, she calls the cops on me. I know because my retired supervisor neighbor says they get call about my Z alot. Do I care??? Nope. If ya doent like it, ignore it.
SHIFT_PPSSHHHTT... I love it, I love it
1973 240z, 2.8L Turbo, BRE Style
z31 ECCS and MAF swap
Spooled Up Racing ®
http://spooledupracing.tripod.com/home.htm
A:
sounds like a as many people here have problems with authority (as much as cops have trouble with exercising their power).
A:
I have never been pulled over in either of my Z's ('90 NA 2+2 with Monza exhaust, '91 Cherry Red Pearl Slicktop Coupe with Pacesetter exhaust.) I've been driving these cars since I was 16, so thats for 5 years before I began working in law enforcement. And I've never....ever...been pulled over. Seriously. Ever. I've driven my Z's regularly in Louisville KY, Lexington, Richmond, Frankfort, Owensboro, Oldham County, Finchville, Shelbyville, and I've skirted through a number of other places. Never been pulled over.
Why wouldn't I be profiled? I'm driving a fast looking, loud exhaust having newer model asian sports car.
I think theres something some of you guys are leaving out. An officer CAN NOT pull you over without first having a reason. Expired tags are a reason. In certain parts of kentucky, not being buckled up is a reason. Driving behavior determined as excessive (i.e. when you break the rear wheels lose) is a reason. But no officers going to pull you over and fabricate a reason for doing so. At any time, the supervisor can ask the officer the reason for the traffic stop, even right after he calls it in to dispatch.
And anyway, no officer is going to pull you over just for the "fun" of it, because its not "fun." Its always scary.
1991 NA 300ZX (z32) Slicktop Coupe, Cherry Red, Pacesetter Monza Exhaust, JWT Pop-charger intake, stainless steel 3" midpipes with high-flow cats.
A:
Tony-remember the CRASH scandal at Rampart?
If you looked at the officers"time on the job",all involved with the exception of a few Lt's had their "Hire date"shortly after the standards dropped.
None of the skirt-wearin' reporters had the balls to bring it up.
Faster than a Motorola
A:
"An officer CAN NOT pull you over without first having a reason. Expired tags are a reason."
TECHNICALLY, the way they train you in the academy you are correct.
IN THE REAL WORLD: BULLSH*T!
"But no officers going to pull you over and fabricate a reason for doing so."
Again, it's where YOU ARE. You are in Kentucky, for gawds sake. No offense, but driving through Graves county , the entire of the WKP, Purchase Parkway, and all over the midwest I have not been pulled over.
I was pulled over more in 5 years living in and around L.A., than I had my ENTIRE DRIVING LIFETIME TO THAT POINT.
Living in the boondocks, you rarely have any contact with the nuroses of the citydwelling idiots that I run into on a daily basis having to drive into and out of the L.A. Basin Daily.
I look forward to driving ANYWHERE ELSE. I can drive from one end of your state to the other and not hit my brakes once. Not so here---many people, too many people.
Some of the crap you see in the movies DOES happen. And chances are being in a big city or around a big city, you will be exposed to a number of people who did not pass the psych eval for the larger departments, but got into smaller city and local municipal departments. These are the people who cause problems---and there are a LOT MORE here than probably anywhere but New York City.
Say all you want about how it's SUPPOSED to be, but in the real world the movie "Training Day" was not that too much of a stretch...
And that comes with someone involved in the Academy Training of people on that force from 1989 to 1995.
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
I stoped assisting in training in 1995 due to other commitments, but I could see the effects of relaxed standards every day at the Academy.
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"