Got pulled over

[Kelleb]

Am I the only one that doesn't have a serious issue with a police officer pulling me (or, really anyone) over if something looks suspicious? ???

[dink921]

Originally Posted by Kelleb

Am I the only one that doesn't have a serious issue with a police officer pulling me (or, really anyone) over if something looks suspicious? ???

define suspicious

[IamSuprAwsum]

Originally Posted by Kelleb

Am I the only one that doesn't have a serious issue with a police officer pulling me (or, really anyone) over if something looks suspicious? ???

Im all for cops pulling people over for suspicious stuff. In SayWhaa's situation it was unjustified. Every person I have talked to ever that rides a crotch rocket has been harassed in some way, shape, or form simply for the fact that they ride crotch rockets.

As far as actually pulling someone over due to issues with a tag, suspicious behavior, erratic driving, etc, go for it. Thats what they get paid to do. They dont get paid to harass people that arent doing anything wrong regardless of whether the cop thinks they will be doing something in the future.

[TotalChaos]

Originally Posted by jchauncey

Arent there monthly quotas? Dont try to tell me there isnt because if that was true then groups of 10-20 cops would not be hiding out over in the area on eisenhower south of the airport every friday afternoon and worse toward the end of the month. The speed limit is 40 mph but everyone is doing minimum 55 mph. Going with the flow of traffic puts you at 15-25 mph over the speed limit automatically so its easy pickings. If there is no quota and the idea is to protect drivers and not raise revenue then why does that occur? Going the speed limit in that area would obviously cause an obstruction in the flow of traffic thereby creating more of an unsafe driving condition.

No, there is no monthly quota. I'm not defending anyone at all, nor saying that everyone is righteous by any means. There's no doubt that some officers just like to do traffic enforcement and write tickets, that's all there is to it. There is no quota, and similarly there is no cap on how many can be written by anyone. Some just like to write tickets for whatever reason, and then there's the traffic team guys (usually motorcycles or odd unmarked cars), and that's all they do for a 8 hour shift is make traffic stops and write tickets.

I personally don't because I don't like giving someone a $300 ticket to make their life harder. Sometimes it's needed, and it's given in those cases. If someone is driving like a moron, and I can stop them at the time and they realize they were doing 30 over, blowing stop signs, weaving through traffic recklessly, whatever the case... then I consider that just as good as a ticket in most cases. If they either A) don't care or B) keep doing it over and over and over, they get an expensive piece of paper to hopefully remind them.

[IamSuprAwsum]

Originally Posted by TotalChaos

No, there is no monthly quota. I'm not defending anyone at all, nor saying that everyone is righteous by any means. There's no doubt that some officers just like to do traffic enforcement and write tickets, that's all there is to it. There is no quota, and similarly there is no cap on how many can be written by anyone. Some just like to write tickets for whatever reason, and then there's the traffic team guys (usually motorcycles or odd unmarked cars), and that's all they do for a 8 hour shift is make traffic stops and write tickets.

I personally don't because I don't like giving someone a $300 ticket to make their life harder. Sometimes it's needed, and it's given in those cases. If someone is driving like a moron, and I can stop them at the time and they realize they were doing 30 over, blowing stop signs, weaving through traffic recklessly, whatever the case... then I consider that just as good as a ticket in most cases. If they either A) don't care or B) keep doing it over and over and over, they get an expensive piece of paper to hopefully remind them.

I understand that but setting up shop in an area where the traffic is always doing twenty over the limit as the norm is just wrong.

[TotalChaos]

couldn't tell ya man, could be an directive from a supervisor... could be because of a lot of crashes there... could be that's just there spot. No tellin

[1997 GA16DE]

Originally Posted by dink921

define suspicious

I was going to say the exact same thing. Suspicious is weaving in your lane, or someone who is obviously trying to avoid getting near the cop. I'm personally not afraid of cops to the extent that you see people changing their driving habits. You ever see a cop going down the road and everyone around him is going 5 under, because they're afraid of getting a ticket? No one will pass him.

I'll be in my Red V6 (which I'll mention is LOUD, I mean, trackslut loud), and I'll still drive side-by-side with a cop with no hassle. I'm not shy around cops, but at the same time, I'm not stupid. Shyness will make you look suspicious.

Originally Posted by TotalChaos

No, there is no monthly quota. I'm not defending anyone at all, nor saying that everyone is righteous by any means. There's no doubt that some officers just like to do traffic enforcement and write tickets, that's all there is to it. There is no quota, and similarly there is no cap on how many can be written by anyone. Some just like to write tickets for whatever reason, and then there's the traffic team guys (usually motorcycles or odd unmarked cars), and that's all they do for a 8 hour shift is make traffic stops and write tickets.

I personally don't because I don't like giving someone a $300 ticket to make their life harder. Sometimes it's needed, and it's given in those cases. If someone is driving like a moron, and I can stop them at the time and they realize they were doing 30 over, blowing stop signs, weaving through traffic recklessly, whatever the case... then I consider that just as good as a ticket in most cases. If they either A) don't care or B) keep doing it over and over and over, they get an expensive piece of paper to hopefully remind them.

That's about what I said. Quotas are a myth, there's no set number that a cop has to hit in order to keep his job, etc. They're merely encouraged to do as many as possible, especially in the slow times. They are praised for giving a lot of big tickets and not giving enough may cause suspicion that the officer isn't doing enough work throughout the day. It's like my job. I do engineering for my company, but when times are slow, someone might hand me a mop and tell me to clean up the lab a little. It's partly to keep me busy, but as an Engineer, I've gotta think to myself: Haha, they're paying me an Engineer's salary to mop floors. IMO, there are better things cops could be doing than sitting on the side of the road with a radar, and there are MUCH worse things than driving over the speed limit.

You're right that it's not justified to give someone a $300 ticket and make their life harder, just to make a point, but I don't feel ANYONE Deserves a $300 ticket, I don't care if they're repeat offenders. If "speeding" was a $50 ticket and 1 point, MAYBE it would be justified, maybe. To be fair, in my belief, if you uprooted every speed limit sign in the country, except in school zones and neighborhoods, there would be no more, no less, accidents and deaths. If you simply ticketed people for aggressive or reckless driving habits, and raised the penalty for accidents, you would probably see more uniform driving habits, which makes traffic work better.

[Zealot]

Originally Posted by jchauncey

I understand that but setting up shop in an area where the traffic is always doing twenty over the limit as the norm is just wrong.

So cops shouldn't go where laws are being broken? I'm not a fan of tickets, but it sounds like they are just doing their jobs.

[IamSuprAwsum]

Originally Posted by Zealot

So cops shouldn't go where laws are being broken? I'm not a fan of tickets, but it sounds like they are just doing their jobs.

Thats not the point I was trying to make. I was using one specific area as an example where the speed limit used to be much higher. They are doing construction on the opposite direction on the other side of the road nowhere near where traffic moves going southbound. Its a 4 lane highway with a high volume of traffic yet the speed limit is 40 mph. I do about 45-49 mph though the area and people pass me like I am sitting still.

[Zealot]

Originally Posted by jchauncey

Thats not the point I was trying to make. I was using one specific area as an example where the speed limit used to be much higher. They are doing construction on the opposite direction on the other side of the road nowhere near where traffic moves going southbound. Its a 4 lane highway with a high volume of traffic yet the speed limit is 40 mph. I do about 45-49 mph though the area and people pass me like I am sitting still.

Yeah it sucks, but it's the law currently. I'd be speeding just like everyone else, but if I get pulled for it I'm not going to bitch that's it's wrong when I was knowingly breaking the law.

[blacksheep-1]

Am I the only one that doesn't have a serious issue with a police officer pulling me (or, really anyone) over if something looks suspicious? ???

No, I'm with you I've been pulled over about 20 times, mostly for things like "speed demonstrations" ,"excessive speed" stuff like that before the "dragrace law" went into effect. I've never had a run in with a cop.
I was pulled over once for blue dot tailights (which are illegal) while I was there some POS drives by and I look at the trooper and say "You pull me over, and you let some POS like that go by". The trooper says that I have a point, and gave me a warning.
I was pulle dover in Ga for excessive speed with over 12 guns in the car, no problem, just a warning.
I really think that most people that have problems with cops bring it on themselves, if a cop screws with you then file a complaint or go to court, don't be a dumbazz and get in the guys face.

[IamSuprAwsum]

Originally Posted by blacksheep-1

No, I'm with you I've been pulled over about 20 times, mostly for things like "speed demonstrations" ,"excessive speed" stuff like that before the "dragrace law" went into effect. I've never had a run in with a cop.
I was pulled over once for blue dot tailights (which are illegal) while I was there some POS drives by and I look at the trooper and say "You pull me over, and you let some POS like that go by". The trooper says that I have a point, and gave me a warning.
I was pulle dover in Ga for excessive speed with over 12 guns in the car, no problem, just a warning.
I really think that most people that have problems with cops bring it on themselves, if a cop screws with you then file a complaint or go to court, don't be a dumbazz and get in the guys face.

Do you smuggle firearms?

[blacksheep-1]

Do you smuggle firearms?

If I did, my window tint would be legal that's for damn sure

[Lil Ze']

I got pulled over for doing 2mph over 2 years ago. After the cop searched my car and me he told me the real reason. I was a young kid driving a 30k car, limo tint with 22's. He thought drug money all the way. It was fucked up, but all part of the game I guess. It will never stop and if white people think its bad for them it's ten 10 times worse for black people. True Story.

[1997 GA16DE]

Originally Posted by Zealot

So cops shouldn't go where laws are being broken? I'm not a fan of tickets, but it sounds like they are just doing their jobs.

This really doesn't need to be covered again, but if traffic is consistently going 20 over in a certain area, the speed limit is too low. Most drivers drive at a comfortable speed, no matter what the limit.

If traffic moves 80 in a 60, and you change the limit to 70, people will still go 80, if you change it to 50, people will still go 80. You take the limit away, people will still go 80. At some point, you have to question what's legal and what isn't. People govern themselves in a safe manner, 95% of the time, just because traffic is flowing at 80 doesn't mean that all of those people are doing anything wrong.

If I made it illegal to use your car's AC on a certain stretch of road, would you say "Well, those people were breaking the law, they deserve the $300 ticket"?

[1997 GA16DE]

Originally Posted by blacksheep-1

If I did, my window tint would be legal that's for damn sure

...or just buy a panel van. It's completely legal to paint or panel over your rear windows, but 15% tint would be illegal.

[1997 GA16DE]

Originally Posted by Lil Ze'

I got pulled over for doing 2mph over 2 years ago. After the cop searched my car and me he told me the real reason. I was a young kid driving a 30k car, limo tint with 22's. He thought drug money all the way. It was fucked up, but all part of the game I guess. It will never stop and if white people think its bad for them it's ten 10 times worse for black people. True Story.

But that's the whole point, white or black. What do you all consider "suspicious"?

If you think someone is selling drugs, catch them in the act. Don't come to their home and say "You have nice things, I'm going to search it, now."

[Lil Ze']

I agree with what you're saying absolutely, but I'm willing to bet that around 75% of the "suspicious" stops cops make for drugs or whatever, something fucked up comes up. Everyone gets harassed by a cop or two. Its how you handle it that makes the difference. But yeah there are some douche bag, asshole cops and there are some really cool ones.

[TampaDude]

Under Florida Statute 318.18 (3)(b), you can't even be fined for 1-5 over. You can only get a warning.

You were DWB, though, and that's a serious felony.

[Zealot]

Originally Posted by 1997 GA16DE

This really doesn't need to be covered again, but if traffic is consistently going 20 over in a certain area, the speed limit is too low. Most drivers drive at a comfortable speed, no matter what the limit.

If traffic moves 80 in a 60, and you change the limit to 70, people will still go 80, if you change it to 50, people will still go 80. You take the limit away, people will still go 80. At some point, you have to question what's legal and what isn't. People govern themselves in a safe manner, 95% of the time, just because traffic is flowing at 80 doesn't mean that all of those people are doing anything wrong.

If I made it illegal to use your car's AC on a certain stretch of road, would you say "Well, those people were breaking the law, they deserve the $300 ticket"?

I never said the speed limit wasn't too low. I'm not even a fan of speed limits, but it's the law. Are the speed limits not posted? Do you not know the consequences if you break them? I don't see what the issue is here. Just because everyone else breaks the law, it doesn't make it any less wrong.

The wonderful thing about laws is you can change them, so if you don't like them do something about it. Honestly, this the one area I agree with perdition on. Starve the beast.