| Author | Message | ||
     Phatkidwit1eye |
Seriously man...You could have totally busted my ••• had you wanted to.80 in a 60 is no joke. Thanks for being totally cool and letting me off. You where cool and profesional. Normally I would have been pissed when you wanted to search my tank bag, but I dont mind when I know a true profesional is on the job. This songs for you Officer... Now let me tell you about a man named John Law. He's a neighborhood cop, the toughest man I ever saw. A man who knows his duty, a man with a gun To the people in the neighborhood, John Law is number one. Freeze, we said. Stop. His name was John Law. For John Law, Neighborhood cop A man we know and love. When John Laws not Kickin ••• on robbers and rapist He's helpin little kids deliver newspapers When John Laws not chasin crackheads from their perch Hes helpin old ladys on their way to church Freeze, we said Stop His name was John Law For John Law, Neighborhood cop A man we know and love He walks the Beat Riding scumbags from the streets He turns his eye to petty crime Cause John Law will never drop a dime. Suburban Anarchists whove never broke the law Sing about police oppression, but theyve never met John Law. He doesn't •••• with young kids drinking in the Park But he makes the city safe for women after dark. | ||
| Skyguy |
I have been pulled over five times in the last year and given the "evil eye shaking finger" twice in the last year. IMHO most cops are pretty decent folks. Keep in mind I have also had the worst experience of my life because of an A-hole chippie (and my high rate of speed). I try to assume the officer pulling me over does not really want to give me a ticket. I think the relaxed attitude has a lot to do with the outcome of the stop. | ||
| Ztferrari |
myself and I (we?) have no had good luck with cops lately...been pulled over 3 times in the last 4 months. once because he said my W looked like and M and ran my plate wrong 2nd - because i was messing with something on my bike (pulling down passenger pegs with my feet) 3rd - didnt tell me why, but said i was going a little fast i guess i can say ive gotten lucky with no tickets, but i still dotn like getting pulled over one bit | ||
| Cereal |
The only time I was pulled over (on a bike) was when I was on my way home from getting my motorcycle endorsement. I was riding with the flow rush hour traffic heading down a hill and my speedo showed 41 in a 35. Cop pulled me over and said I was going 51 and was being very confrontational like he was trying to provoke me. He noticed that I had a Veterans plate and asked what I had done in the military. I told him that I was AF Military Police. He went back to his car to run my license and I’m think that I will be only getting a warning because… a) I was driving with the flow of traffic and doing nothing dangerous b) I knew my speedo showed 41 c) I am a former cop d) I had valid insurance and registration c) the time stamp on my temp drivers license showed that it was printed 7 minutes before he pulled me over. But alas! The motherf#cker gives me a ticked for 51 in a 35 and tells me I’m lucky he isn’t also giving me a ticket for reckless driving. I thanked him for the professional courtesy (sarcastically of course) as I was signing it and the a$$hole smiled at me and told me to have a nice day. | ||
| Panic |
Cereal: you left out the most heavily-weighted factor. You have a nice bike, he doesn't. Therefore it's appropriate for him to punish you. | ||
| Panic |
"when you wanted to search my tank bag" Yes, we see this on TV every day. Is it legal? Absolutely not, unless you're arrested. How do they get away with it? 1. the judge doesn't care 2. the cop lies ("the gun was in plain sight as I drove the other way at 70 MPH; I could see it wired to the muffler under the car ). (Message edited by panic on August 21, 2005) | ||
| Joemama |
I was in Fayetteville, AR with my old X-1 with the Force. A friend pointed ahead and said Sonic, but being as the exhaust was loud and the term in Arkansas is GUNNIT. Well I DID! Small wheelie in first, looked in rear view mirror, nobody there. I didn't think anything of it, turned around went back to SONIC couple cops on another stop. The cop was pretty nice, I was cordial, told him I was an idiot (yes, direct quote) he told me to be careful, He doesn't care if we ride in his town. ROOKIE comes up want me to get my ticket book? duuuh!Aise ole' | ||
| Hardcorps |
I happen to be in the law enforcement career, and most times when I give out tickets, it is because there is pressure from above. They say it is performance standard. "your a cop and part of your job is writting tickets!" said by a un-named Sgt of mine. If there is no pressure from above, I give a lot of warnings unless the person I pull over is a complete prick! Hard Corps | ||
| Swampy |
THERE ARE NO QUOTAS! You just don't want to be the guy with the least amout of tickets for the month. | ||
| Hardcorps |
exactly what Swampy said! Hard Corps | ||
| Oldog |
thanks guys,( our resident LEOs ) My o2 for the LEOs every one is stupid 15 minutes a day Leos just get to see lots of it, Got me a tickey 71 in a 45 local radar trap (part of my 15 that day) 600.00$ and traffic school, whew! no insurance points. | ||
| Loki |
Oldog, You are making me feel good about 6 months probation. With traffic school. 76 in a 45, the deputy rolled up behind me. His words, I just knew you were gonna pull the trigger. We chatted for about 15 minutes, ran me through, wrote the summons and let me go on my merry way. At a much more sedate pace. I don't feel sorry for the sod who was before me in court. 144 in a 55. On top of that he was in contempt of court for the citation. Judge just looked at him. The court officer just bagged and tagged him till trial date. (Message edited by loki on August 22, 2005) | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Byt he way a police officer is well within his rights to ask you if he can search the tankbag. If you say no, then unless he's got some more suspicion than you know, he must not search. A consent search is entirely legal. The operative word is consent. | ||
| Ryker77 |
I had thought that anything with in reach was able to be searched.. ie for a car the complete passanger area but not the trunk or under the hood. We have a local numb nuts cop that promise deals if you "tell him the location of the drugs" the DA won't even press charges on his cases. Speeding---- typically--- City cops get revenue from tickets. Thus they will hand them out quickly and they get paid more and drive better cars. Most county guys don't pass out tickets because there fine money goes back to the county and not directly to them. Some states now have laws that prevent LEA's from generating more than XX% from speeding. I know that my local city wants to expand the city limits just to get a pie of the interstate. I was quoted that they could get more than 500,000 a year in fines | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Ryker77 - not in a routine traffic stop, unless he sees something in plain view that would raise the level of suspicion to merit a search, like a gun handle sticking out from under a seat,or a baggie with white powder in the console. In a routine traffic stop, you are technically detained, but your right to privacy still exists, and your right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure still applies. The level of suspicion required for a search (with a warrant or not) is always probable cause, which incidentally is the same level of suspicion required to effect an arrest. Believe me when I say a routine stop does not give enough probable cause to merit a search of the tank bag. A cop who promises a deal like that should be arrested. However, there is nothing wrong with a cop asking if you have drugs in the car and where they are located. If someone is dumb enough to answer affiratively, they just gave the Officer probable cause to search. The moral of the story is never admit to anything  | ||
| Oldog |
Loki: I bet the boy will be walking for "A- While" AND going to the Wallet-open! [ or warming a bunk in the county jail ]  contempt of court on top of 144, looks like he used his 15 minutes in the court room,  glad to hear that you got out with probation. I travel for business so doing court was a problem NC will allow a speeding ticket 1, and if you pay an attourney, 500.00$ and cost of court, do school, no points, it's listed as "Improper equipment" Now the rest of the story, over supper with friends Greg warned me that the local LEOs sat right where, the un lit crusier was sitting, I had part of my 15 that day OTB just plain stupidity on my part! $600.00 no court and no points cheap, I now keep a lid on it as much as possible, every now and then a dash down the freeway ramp for grins I learned some thing Important there too, get caught street racing in NC they take your vehicle and sell it! If you ever visit NC be aware of this even a 2 some romping down a freeway ramp could be misinterpreted as a race ...... ride safe jim | ||
| Loki |
Only a $170 fine and court costs.....but 15 over is considered reckless. That is the one that would have killed me. 20 over is a mandatory visit to the court and no questions asked. Instead I get the probation($100 monitoring fee), traffic school($30 cash) and six months trying to stay clean on anything and everything. An eye opener of a day in court though. There are some really dumb people out there, me included at times. Failure to take the class is a go straight to jail offense. They give you six months to take it though. I think he used it up and borrowed some from the future. | ||
| Panic |
"By he way a police officer is well within his rights to ask you if he can search the tankbag. If you say no, then unless he's got some more suspicion than you know, he must not search. A consent search is entirely legal. The operative word is consent." Ah, yes: "Matter of Howard". The error here is that the police and prosecutors seem to forget repeated decisions that state firmly that you are under arrest unless you are, and feel that you are, free to refuse to answer and leave at any time. Physically cuffing you and seating in a patrol car while saying "you're not under arrest, you're being lawfully detained" is complete nonsense, and they have been repeatedly warned that anything that flows from such behavior is inadmissible. Since this is not true in a traffic stop (you have already been arrested - need proof? Try leaving while the cop is speaking... if you can catch bullets), so your answers to ANY questions are inherently obtained under coercion and devoid of Miranda, etc. including "are there any drugs in the car". The famous case was cops on a bus asking someone (who had done nothing) if it was OK to search his bag. The SCOTUS ruled that since their physical presence, demeanor, weapons, etc. were all intimidating his conclusion that he was NOT FREE TO LEAVE, and therefore arrested was reasonable, which made his consent void. | ||
| Bartimus |
Thanks HardCorps, I get pulled over now and then, and have received a few tickets in the past 40 years of riding. I have to admit, displaying respect, and cortesy to the men in blue usually result in a warning, and a lecture. I know you are just doing your job whether there is pressure from above or not, it's still part of your job, and I respect that. Glad your one of the good guys.  | ||
| Drfuyutsuki |
Almost every time I have been pulled over it's been in my cage and been given a warning, but the one time I have gotten a ticket I was on my bike and I deserved it 98 in a 75 (I really wanted to watch the fireworks with my son and I was 250 miles out.) The officer was nice and cordial, even said the next time I was in the area I should stop in and BS with the guys. Josh | ||
| Oldog |
Baggie with powder, this might belong in the tale section but it was too funny, I was in my early 20's when this happened. I was on my way to work one sunday AM, My room mate had borrowed my car the night before, he was a nice guy but had some shady friends with "bad habbits". The car had a dead inspection sticker, and needed tires. Norcross Ga at that time was mayberry south, and Buford T stops me, during the lecture Buford gets this big "Mule eating briars" grin, I'm thinking OH Damn! they have left something in the car, bet my face showed the alarm, Drug bust! my name in paper, Dad IS going to kill me! He unstraps his gun hand on the butt, and asks me whats on the console? I shakily answer I don't know. He then tells me to "slowly" reach in thru the window and get it, When I do I realize that its the Wrapper for the doughnuts I just finished, the white powdered sugar variety, the bag is all twisted up. As I turn with the mules' grin I hand him the bag and say to him Doughnuts! I saw his face drop about 6"inches, got the ticket but it was the best traffic stop I ever had! | ||
| Jeremyh |
refusing to let him search the damn thing will only give him an assured reason to give you that speeding ticket anyways or just haul you off and have your bike taken somewere you dont want it to be. | ||
| Jackbequick |
I've been pulled over four times in my life, every time I knew they had me fair and square (over the speed limit 3 times, ran a red light once). I was friendly, polite, and cooperative, and only got one ticket out of four stops. I like those odds, especially if I think about all the things I got away with. Jack | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Panic - you are absolutely right, I forgot to add that part. Silly me. You most certainly are not free to leave in a traffic stop. That is the two prong test that decides if a Miranda warning is necessary. Ask yourself, "Am I free to leave?" and "Am I being subject to questioning?" You must be Mirandized if you feel you are not free to leave and you are being questioned. A confession in this situation (ie without Miranda warning), could still in certain circumstances be used against you, but that officer will most likely be in deep dog pudding. However, if after a officer gives you a ticket after the traffic stop, and has told you that you are free to leave and decides to ask you if you have any dope one could argue that he is within his rights to ask that. Technically that occurred after the arrest. What do you think, panic? Steve | ||
| Panic |
Officially, I think it's admissible, but the Legal Aid Society will move that not believeing the officer's statement that he can leave was proper, and therefore his admission was coerced... There is no distorted recital of the facts, no argument so far from the truth that the police, prosecutor or defense attorney will not offer it under oath. Does anyone remember the appeal from a sexual offender level classification where the defense attorney argued for a downward modification on the basis that the circumstances of the crime were so unusual and narrowly defined that they were unlikely to occur again, and therefore the defendant was not as much of a threat to society? The conviction at bar was rape; how could this be of lesser impact; why wouldn't it happen again? Dramatic pause... The defense attorney earnestly argued, in all sincerety, that the offense would not occur again, because the victim of the rape was THE DEFENDANT'S MOTHER. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
When you get stopped, attitude is everything... A good one may help out of a ticket, a bad one will most assuredly earn you one.... My personal opinion....Before you break the law (ie; speed, wheelie, etc.), be prepared to pay the price. Man up, don't whine... Police have bad days too, after all we are just human. In Florida, you must have 2 things for miranda rights to come into play; 1) Custody, 2)Questioning... You can have one OR the other and Miranda is NOT needed... A traffic stop is generally NOT considered custody. | ||
| Panic |
Yes, and how sad that is. The single most important factor in whether you get a ticket (or arrested): is it? 1. the severity of the crime? 2. probability of guilt? 3. probative value of evidence? No (insert loud buzzer noise here). It's whether the cop likes you or not. If he doesn't, you're in trouble no matter what you did ("what do you mean, your bike is legal. You have smart mouth" ). If he does, you get a pass ("no problem, Senator, I'll just put her body in the trunk for you. Have a nice day!" ). Exaggerated? Try asking a cop whether he ever writes tickets off as MOF. (Message edited by panic on August 26, 2005) | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Two types of people become LEO's, those that genuinely like to help people, and those that like to push people around. If you get pulled over by the latter type, which I hope is the minority in the profession, good luck. In my experience most LEO's don't like giving speeding tickets, but they will give you one if you are an a-hole. Also, some give tickets out of self-preservation. Quotas do exist (maybe not on paper), despite the repeated denials from every major department. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
Specific "user groups" can be targeted... That is how they can target drunk drivers and boaters, big trucks, motorcycles, reckless drivers, speeders, jet skis, illict activities in state parks, drug dealers and whatever else becomes a problem... I just worked a detail enforcing a law I didn't particularly agree with, but I still have a job to do... As far as the outcome of a traffic stop, some officers are jerks, most are not and all are human... If you are polite and respectful you MAY improve your chances of getting a warning (even if you disagree with the violation)... If you are a jerk, expect to be treated like a jerk (remember treat others as you wish to be treated?)... Of course you could always not stop and try and get away (NOT recommended) and help further perpetrate a bad image..... | ||
| Joemama |
Couple of things, You don't have to let them search your vehicle, but it would behoove you. You don't have to sign your ticket, but if you don't you get to take a ride to the station. Many an idiotic drug dealer with a broken tail light, have only been busted for drugs because they decided to not sign the ticket, then get hauled in and drugs found in the trunk when the car is searched in the impound lot. I got a ticket from a peace officer who was married to a lady I worked with. Court date was set for two weeks after, instead of the usual next month that I have seen. Didn't notice until THREE weeks that I missed court. I then talked to the prostitutor, I mean prosecutor, who told me, after I apologized for missing, he said no problem "Pay, oh, 125 dollars in court costs and don't get another ticket for about 6 months." That was at the desk at the window outside his office. Moral of this story, if you get busted, go directly to the P.A. and it will do you good. Get a lawyer for anything, may pay more, but at least you won't be Ben Dover's cell mate. I had a repeat offense while on probation for 4 at-the-same-time tickets, the judge threw it out because I wasn't asked to sign any probation papers  | ||
| Seth |
A quick note: It's great that everybody is offering advice and dictating police procedures but everyone should remember that every state is different, every department's policies and procedures are different. Be careful offering someone information that just may be wrong. | ||
| Seth |
My personal opinion....Before you break the law (ie; speed, wheelie, etc.), be prepared to pay the price. Man up, don't whine...} Exactly. I got a parking ticket last Tuesday; could I have pulled out my badge and had it "reconsidered"...sure but than I'd just be another double standard prick. Heck, I figure the $20 will go toward filling a pothole probably; I just wish I knew which one I'm paying for so I could write my name in it or something.  | ||
| Paint_shaker |
Seth.... I was in the situation a few years back.... parked in the diagonal stripped lines between the handi-crap spot and the curb (my tires were actually on the curb) and got the big $$$ parking in a handi-crap spot... I did not flash the badge and paid the fine.... You are correct about different states and jurisdications, but politeness and respect SHOULD help just about anywhere...Ride on!!! (Message edited by Paint shaker on August 30, 2005) | ||
| Diablobrian |
"parking in a handi-crap spot" while I see many who somehow weasel themselves into a permit, There are those of us even on here that can't really get around as well as we used to.(even if I am only 35) I take a little offense at that description of a consideration that is given to us gimps. Politeness and respect don't just apply to LEO's  | ||
| Paint_shaker |
Diablobrian, wasn't trying to offend. I know there are those that truly do need handicap parking. Unfortunately, it is WAY to easy to get a Handicap parking permit and there APPEARS to be a good amount of abuse. Of course, living in Florid-duh probably doesn't help either. And just for the record, the manner and location in which I was parked would not have interfered with anybody's movement (I do have a some respect). | ||
| Diablobrian |
Cool, I just see too many people using the area for "convenient shopping cart storage" aka too lazy to return the damn things to the store, Not to mention all those who play the odds that no LEO's will check the lot while they are in the store and park there with no permit. And, like I said too many WEASELS that somehow get a permit. Wish there was some sort of middle ground. Unfortunately you got hit with a punitive fine because of all the abusers. I promise I'm not usually one of those gimps running around with a chip on his shoulder  |
