I've a question for our police officers..

[brtaus]

Originally Posted by JProberts

You cannot uncover evidence using illigal tactics, this will not hold up in court, stopping someone without probable cause is not legal.

probable cause = no front plate if required by law, illegal turn, weaving in/out of lanes, etc. The cop is not going to say he pulled him over for a broken tail light when his tail light was/is clearly not broken.

[1SS/RSCamaro2010]

I was messing around with my buddy nd we were goin 60 n a 45 nd the cop ended up pulling him over instead of me but he just got a warning. The cop asked if he knew the guy in the Charger or Camaro (ME)..lol he said ya that i was his friend nd the cop didnt care just told him to slow down. so i got LUCKY..

[Rayner]

Originally Posted by brtaus

Nothing wrong with that. Although, I am sure Rayner would think so probably thinking the cop should have known where/when the Suburban was going to be stolen from and been next to it to preven it from being stolen.

No. But if you don't mind, I'll answer for myself, thanks.

Actually, the story he was given was likely BS. I was once pulled over by a cop and when he got to my window, he said "Oh sorry, we got a report of X,Y, Z in the area and your car looked similar."

I found out later through another law-enforcement source that what he did is what many cops have taken to doing when they want to find out if you're drunk. Had he gotten to my window and smelled alcohol, the stop would have turned into a DUI stop -- because my car "looked similar" to a fictional car he was supposedly looking for. But since he didn't smell alcohol or weed, I get the "oh sorry, I was looking for someone else."

Don't tell me cops don't dream up reasons to stop people. As I've said, I have cops in my family and cops that are friends and hear stories all the time.

[brtaus]

Originally Posted by Rayner

Now now. Let's not change the rules of the discussion. The statement you made was that cops never tail someone waiting for them to make a mistake. To which I stated I have seen it as have many others. And when are you more likely to make a mistake? When you're glued to yoru rearview mirror because a cop's been behind you for 5 minutes and you are trying to figure out why.

No one ever said anything about them pulling someone over for 'no reason.'

Right, I am saying a cop will not just be sitting at a red light, and as cars drive by, say, hey lets tail that car and wait for them just to do something wrong and pull them over. If you are driving down the road and cops pulls out behind you and travels a few blocks or even miles behind you doens't mean he is tailing you.

Originally Posted by Rayner

Are you serious? Never? I've seen countless times where they have 5-10 cops lining a freeway with one guy on a bike sitting on an overpass during rush hour. The bike cop will shoot the beam at as many cars as he can, call out the make and model and the cops lining the road will reel them in one by one. This goes on for hours. I've seen this happen around here a LOT.

Yes, I am serious, I have never seen a speed trap like you are describing. I have seen cops on the side of the road, shooting radar at folks but nothing like what you are describing. Then again, in Phoenix, we have photo radar, so they don't really need to do that either.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Rayner

Actually, I believe causing an obstruction to the flow of traffic is just as dangerous as speeding, if not more so.

Also, every speeding ticket I ever got was for going LITERALLY the same speed as everyone else on the road (within 10 mph of the limit). Yet I have on several occasions seen some jackhole clearly doing 100 mph, dodging around cars and generally risking everyone's life....and they never seem to get nailed.



Considering the accident threads I've read in my short time here, I'd say the idiots are the other drivers. The ones I've seen telling their accident stories here were all either rear-ended or had someone *else* blatantly do something stupid in front of them that they could not avoid.

Perhaps you should commend US for not causing those accidents.

As long as you are going the posted limit you are not technically obstructing traffic, it is when you are driving below the posted limit you can be ticketed for obstructing traffic.. those that are driving faster than you would be the ones that should be cited for wreckless driving.

Who in their right mind would start a thread stating, "I was speeding and caused A wreck", of course the only ones you read on here are the ones not caused by the Camaro driver...Then again I have listened to many people that have been involved in accidents and I have yet to hear anyone ever say it was their fault... It's always the other guy's fault,(even my own wife before we got married ran into the back of another car and blamed them for stopping too soon) and unless you are there then you don't really know do you?

[brtaus]

Originally Posted by JProberts

Your kidding right? Then you need to come to the DC area. I have seen speed traps with 6 state trooper cars on route 29 not to mention I-270.

Bastards!

No, I am not kidding, I have never seen a speed trap like you are describing. I have seen cops on the side of the road, shooting radar at folks but nothing like what you are describing. Then again, in Phoenix, we have photo radar, so they don't really need to do that either.

[JProberts]

Originally Posted by brtaus

probable cause = no front plate if required by law, illegal turn, weaving in/out of lanes, etc. The cop is not going to say he pulled him over for a broken tail light when his tail light was/is clearly not broken.

So are you saying all cars have these problems or always weave in and out and do illegal turns? Yeah ok, cops never pull peple over witout a reason, yeah ok. Yeah your right all the reasons you stated are probable cause, but it's not always the case as others have pointed out due to being pulled over illegally. I'm not making this stuff up, I have been pulled over illegally, arrested for something not pertaining to being pulled over and had the case thrown out becasue of this. Experience doesn't lie dude.

[Rayner]

Originally Posted by brtaus

Right, I am saying a cop will not just be sitting at a red light, and as cars drive by, say, hey lets tail that car and wait for them just to do something wrong and pull them over. If you are driving down the road and cops pulls out behind you and travels a few blocks or even miles behind you doens't mean he is tailing you.

No it doesn't. But when he makes all the same turns as you -- it's a safe bet you both aren't just going to the same destination by 'coincidence.'

I will agree not all cops tail drivers if you will agree that you can't possibly know every cop's motivation for following closely behind a driver for 10 blocks.

[Kilo-9]

Originally Posted by DCSS

I don't like dealing with traffic, stopping cars to much other stuff happening... but, my thing is if I see someone(any type of car-nice-old-new whatever) committing a blatent violation and I KNOW they can see me and still do it...then they will be stopped. Just me though.

I make it a practice to not participate in these threads because they usually turn into a cop-bashing fest. However, I read the above quote and it really expresses my personal view on traffic enforcement. You would not believe how often this happens...some drivers' "common-sense-o-meters" are in dire need of repair. On a daily basis, I get tail-gated, passed by speeding cars, passed on the right by speeding cars, people run or coast through the stop sign that I'm sitting at, etc. Really?! You can't expect to do this stuff right in front of a plainly marked Police car and not get stopped.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by brtaus

Yes, I am serious, I have never seen a speed trap like you are describing. I have seen cops on the side of the road, shooting radar at folks but nothing like what you are describing. Then again, in Phoenix, we have photo radar, so they don't really need to do that either.

Sorry but last year I saw it twice in South Carolina on interstate 20 just outside of Columbia.. One cop on an overpass and about 5 or 6 cruisers with cars pulled over on down the road.. but in saying that , those cars were speeding and breaking the law, speedtrap or no they were breaking the law and deserved the tickets..

[Scrappy Doo]

Originally Posted by Big Brunsy

I usually just take the speed limit and add 10mph. I have never been stopped for anything less than this. It all depends on what mood the officer is in, or if hez sitting there just waiting for someone to come along and give a ticket to, ur probably not going to get out of it. I was doin 85 in a 55 down some back county roads on my way to the fair one year and met a Sheriff. He just stuck his hand up and pointed down, saying SLOW DOWN!:mad0260: I figured me must have been on his way home to get laid or something, but then again I never get anything other than a warning from Sheriffs around here.....except for the ones in Sioux County....they suck

This is all that is wrong with this thread....

So going 30 over and getting warned for it makes some cops cool. Getting tagged for 30 over makes some cops jerks. i understand it.

Not everyone likes cops. The problem being in that there is no universal system when it comes to tickets. You may get stopped 4 times for 15 over. You may end up with 0 tickets. I may get stopped for 15 over 4 times anfd get 4 tickets. Another guy may get 2 tickets and so on.

The deal is if you are doing something worng, be prepared to face the consequences of YOUR actions. Don't try to blame others for something YOU did.

[Rayner]

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

As long as you are going the posted limit you are not technically obstructing traffic, it is when you are driving below the posted limit you can be ticketed for obstructing traffic.. those that are driving faster than you would be the ones that should be cited for wreckless driving.

If 100 people are on a 60 MPH road going 70 mph and one guy is going 60 -- who is the obstruction?

And as it's been states numerous times (even by some cops) going a mere 10 miles over the limit isn't by definition 'wreckless.'

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

Who in their right mind would start a thread stating, "I was speeding and caused A wreck", of course the only ones you read on here are the ones not caused by the Camaro driver...Then again I have listened to many people that have been involved in accidents and I have yet to hear anyone ever say it was their fault... It's always the other guy's fault,(even my own wife before we got married ran into the back of another car and blamed them for stopping too soon) and unless you are there then you don't really know do you?

Nope, I don't. But neither do you. I think we can agree on that, right? I won't claim to know the intimate details of every accident posted to this site if you also agree that you don't know them either. Therefore, your sarcastic 'thank you' for your insurance going up due to those "stupid drivers' is a bit unwarranted.

[Rayner]

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

Sorry but last year I saw it twice in North Carolina on interstate 20 just outside of Columbia.. One cop on an overpass and about 5 or 6 cruisers with cars pulled over on down the road.. but in saying that , those cars were speeding and breaking the law, speedtrap or no they were breaking the law and deserved the tickets..

Ever heard of "keeping up with the flow of traffic?"

[brtaus]

Originally Posted by Rayner

I found out later through another law-enforcement source that what he did is what many cops have taken to doing when they want to find out if you're drunk. Had he gotten to my window and smelled alcohol, the stop would have turned into a DUI stop -- because my car "looked similar" to a fictional car he was supposedly looking for. But since he didn't smell alcohol or weed, I get the "oh sorry, I was looking for someone else."

Well, if that were me, and I would have gotten pulled over like that, and gotten the DUI, and it was written in the report(which they would have to include in your DUI report) about them being on the lookout for a vehicle due to a report of a stolen car (or whatever), I would fight that in court and have them prove it and show the reports of the stolen car (or whatever) which gave that officer a reason to pull me over. If not, there was no probable cause to pull me over to begin with, thus the DUI would be inadmissable in court.

Originally Posted by Rayner

Don't tell me cops don't dream up reasons to stop people. As I've said, I have cops in my family and cops that are friends and hear stories all the time.

I never said that. I am just saying there has to be a reason to pull someone over in order for it to hold up on court. I have friends who are cops as well, and they pull people all the time for making an illegal turn. Tell me, how do you prove you didn't make an illegal turn?