[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by mlee

Soooo I got my first warning for no plate... If I'm ever pulled over again without the plate... what's next... ticket for sure??? Go directly to jail??? or does the warning even show in the system...

I really don't want to put it on there, (but may have to now) and I hear legislation is in the works to eliminate it for TX..

Warnings are logged. You might get a 2nd warning a week later and think you got off the hook. But, if you read that warning, it says that you COULD be sent a citation in the mail. We have that system in SA. I might write someone a warning and my partner writes them a warning a few weeks later. That second one could turn into a ticket. The whole point of a warning is to inform the driver of the mistake, have the driver come to reason and accept the fact a mistake was made, and agree not to make the mistake again.

Originally Posted by silentbob

I haven't had very good luck in my mustang. I get treated like a criminal when I've been pulled over. I've been given a ticket 2 times for 10 or less over the speed limit, no front license plate (the 05 doesn't even have a designated place for one), paper tag expired by 2 days, never a warning. I got 3 of those in one month. I'm never rude, I don't say much of anything but answer their questions and get attitude back in which I just sit there and take it. I don't get it. There's definitely a class system in practice when deciding which violators to nail.

Sounds like you run into the officers who like to write tickets. They are everywhere. Some write them just to write them.....for some it's their main job...others hate writing tickets. It all depends on the officer.

I must say that you are wrong in saying there is a "class system" put in place. There is no system. It depends on the infraction and the attitude. I wrote an asian female last week who ran a stop sign right next to her work. She claimed she stopped. I watched her and since I was RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER, I had a great view. But, she made no attempt to stop other than to slow to make the 90 degree turn. She lied saying she stopped...then said she never drove that way...then said she was only coming this way to get to mass...then said she was speeding to get to mass since she was late... Don't lie to me. I hate liars. She got a ticket. I'll write her another one too. She didn't understand what a warning was for.

Another elderly female ran through a complete red light which had been red for quite a while....at least 7 seconds. She almost T-boned a Ford Ranger in front of me who had to slam on the brakes to not get hit. She said she wasn't paying attention and never even saw a light. Yet, after talking a bit more, found that she regularly drives this stretch of road. Not paying attention could have killed that guy in front of me. She got a ticket.

Now...do those two people fall into a certain class? Would they be gang bangers? Nope. Would they be peckerhead drug dealers? Nope. But, they got tickets. So....that "type" of person talk just doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by DarrenJ

My son and I were pulled over on 73/74/220 over Memorial Day by a NCHP. My 16YO son was driving his '99 Z28 behind my '67 Camaro. Pulled him over, I pulled over too, was raining, I was driving "granny speed" because I didn't want ot be pulled over but I did speed up to about the speed limit to pass 2 trucks pulling campers (it was raining and they were throwing crap back on my windshield). Next thing I knew, the "bubblegum machine" comes up behind son, he pulls over, I pull over in front of him. NCHP is back chewing on son then comes up to ask me "what's your hurry"/"no hurry officer"/"then why were you running 76 and the boy was going 80 to keep up"/(huh??)"I wasn't going 76 according to my GPS"/"I know you were". Didn't take my DL/Ins/REG and threw my son's back at him as he walked back to his cruiser.

I got a ticket for 87 in a 60 when I had the cruise control on doing 67. I saw the officer waaaay up ahead as he had someone else pulled over (I had it at 7 over because the "unwritten rule" is to not pull over for less than 9mph (for most officers). He stopped me. I told him about the cruise control and I had 3 other witnesses who saw I was not speeding 27mph over the limit. He then ticketed my brother (the owner of the truck) saying he let me speed in his vehicle. This guy was a total prick. There are plenty out there. But, let's not be too quick to classify all of them as jerks. WE are not.

Originally Posted by Teleplayer

This is exactly what bothers me about cops. Since when is "attitude" or being "mouthy" a criminal offense? It's a big power trip. Don't piss off the cop because he has the power to retaliate.

I always wondered about warnings. Are those actual methods of law enforcement that are written down somewhere? It's an obvious method to show favoritism to certain people. Like if a friend or local politician is pulled over. Or maybe the wife of a cop. Think about it, someone breaks the law so you decide to pull them over. Why should there be any other element that decides if they get punished for breaking that law? They either did nor did not. Attitude or gender or who they are should not enter into the equation.

As far as I can see, every cop should get an automatic ticket every week because they always violate multiple laws every time I see one. They always drive way over the speed limit, and they also tailgate on the highway. Plus my favorite is when they jump out from behind a tree and point a radar gun at your car. If you jumped out from behind a tree and pointed something at them, that would be sufficient cause for them to shoot at you - so I don't see why they are allowed to do it.

With this attitude, I would write you every time....and then walk around your vehicle to double check EVERYTHING you could be written for. If you come off as a jerk and be disrespectful to me?..., me...being the person who puts my life on the line to save yours on a daily basis???....yeah, YOU get a ticket.

Originally Posted by five-oh

Actually, you're right in a way. Attitude and being mouthy are not criminal offenses. Should cops have to endure a tounge lashing because they are stopping someone that broke the law? Let's say you were a kid and your dad told you that you couldn't do something and you did. When you did and he confronted you about it you gave him an attitude and told him he was a dick for telling you not to do something...now compare that to when the same situation happened and you told your dad you were sorry and you'd try not to do it again...which one do you think would have better results on how much punishment is affected on you? I don't want to get into the argument about why cops do certain things, if you're not a cop you'll never understand. That's ok. I don't know your job and I might not understand why you do the things you do.

Me, I have a set standard in mind and attitude plays very little into my decisions. But if you irritate me enough, you can certainly talk your way into something I was just going to give you a warning for. Oue warnings are recorded and can be accessed to determine whether or not a citation is going to be issued. I don't care who you are, or how hot you are, you're going to get a ticket if you deserve it.

Everyone is a little different, some let attitude play more into it, some don't. Most states have a statute that includes a "privelege" doctrine that allows cops to break the laws in certain situations.

Hopefully this post will get closed soon...it never ends well when people talk about cops. Too much emotion.

All excellent points. And, that is a GREAT example.