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On dealing with the police, and surveying
holy-cow replied 2 years, 8 months ago 16 Members · 35 Replies
One of the few times I did get a ticket, I was the designated driver and had 2 best friends in the car. They had been drinking. I had cut the muffler off my car and it was very loud, I was forced to drive right past the parked cop car. Being nervous that I’d bet busted for the loud exhaust, I turned the wrong way onto a one way street and realized when I saw cars parked on the wrong side facing me. Got off that street just in time to pull over for the cops.
My passengers failed the attitude test and got me a pricy ticket. Both female, the second cop was a rookie and spoke to us while the other was writing the ticket. She seemed surprised by the fact that she was ticketing me but my friends had already pissed her off. She suggested they share the $ with me, which was her way of saying they caused me to get the ticket.
@flga-2-2
Alternatively (warning – very strong language):
When in my teens I stupidly scored 3 speeding violations in 14 months and learned correct protocol when ??lighted up? by law enforcement real quick like. Especially when the juvenile judge got ahold of me and said, ??Boy the next time I see you, you better have your underwear and a toothbrush with you.? That??s as close to verbatim as I can remember.
But I will never forget his title, and I swear, ??The Honorable Judge Robert E. Lee, Jr.? This was in 1965-1966, Daytona Beach. ????
- Posted by: @flga-2-2
out of respect for all law enforcement personnel, Is when pulled over, open the drivers and passenger side windows and place both hands on the steering wheel until directed otherwise.
Posted by: @half-bubble
Be different.
@350rocketmike I never put the window down. They would be able to smell my breath.
Lol
About 25 years ago we were working on a survey for the subdivision of a parcel that surrounded the home and smaller property of a little old lady. She was none too happy about the subdivision: her dead husband had sold the land and it had remained undeveloped for many years, during which she continued to treat it as her own. She’d threatened us before, so on this particular visit, we hired the Sherriff’s Dept. to accompany us, one Deputy. He went straight to the door and informed her of what was going to happen and she decided to accompany us as well…with a short handled garden spade as a cane. So off we went, the four of us, to recon a couple corners near her house. Metal detector sings about where it should and I dig away with my short-handled shovel. She barks “that’s not where the corner is” but quickly I struck upon something and opened up the hole a bit. My field partner knelt down to clear some dirt by hand, and that’s when she struck: a full swing, roundhouse blow with the spade, intended to land on the back of his head. The Deputy was interested in what was in the hole, not paying any attention to her, but the sudden movement caught my eye and I managed to catch the spade about a foot above his head and take it from her. The Deputy was slack-jawed and goggle-eyed that this little old lady would do that with him standing right there! He took her back to the house, put her inside and kept her there until we were done. Would have been ugly if she’d had a gun.
Doing some survey work in the
original townsite. I discovered a couple of lids but not your typical manhole lids.
So I decided to open them up. Of course, they have been there for many years and all of the paving and dirt and locked them up pretty good. So I took my 5lb sledge and started to beat the crap out of them until they opened.
Well… apparently a noisy neighbor saw me beating the street and called the city and police. A few minutes later I got a call from my buddy at city hall asking me “What in the hell are you doing pounding the pavement?” I explained and we had a good laugh. Good news is when I opened up the lids, inside was an original stone marking the intersection of the road centerlines. They haven’t been seen since the 50’s, if I had to guess. Measured real well too.
Now that’s funny. ??? ??? ???
I was afraid of getting a similar call a couple days ago when I was lying nearly flat on the ground, picking at dirt crumbles and tree roots to make sure what I was seeing was the top of a 1″ pipe. “Hello, police station, I want to report some white-haired geezer with a beard flopping around on my neighbor’s front lawn.” A similar call was made years ago when a friend of mine was attempting to read his water meter. A passing driver called in about a citizen in distress.
- Posted by: @richard-imrie
And while he passed the subsequent breath test by ten thousandths of a click, he said the fuzz then proceeded to take the car apart trying to find something wrong with it, that they could prosecute him for.
Totally illegal in the US and if he did not give permission for the LEO to do a search anything the LEO discovered would be inadmissible in Court. They must have probable cause and passing a DUI test is not one. They can look through windows, etc., but not the trunk and no hands inside the vehicle. They can perform a Terry frisk without your permission if they reasonably suspect you may be armed and/or dangerous (obvious firearm print throughs, prior warrants, stolen car, you match the description of a recent nearby crime event, you announce you are CCW, etc.). But not on a whim, they’ll have to back up reasonable suspicion in court.
That being said, the few times a LEO has asked if he can search I give permission because I have nothing to hide. Without exception in my experience they’ll either not bother with the search or poke around a bit in the trunk after I’ve opened it.
- Posted by: @flga-2-2
when pulled over, open the drivers and passenger side windows and place both hands on the steering wheel until directed otherwise.
Agreed on the driver’s window but if you have to reach across to lower a hand crank passenger window hold off till the LEO asks for it because that’s considered unusual activity which could be considered reaching for a weapon or hiding reasonable cause contraband that’s in plain sight.
Hands on the wheel during a traffic stop is reasonable. If there’s passengers they should put their hands on the dash, and most importantly be completely mute, the LEO’s purview is the driver only. Only do what the LEO asks, and help him feel safe. For example, when he asks for DL and insurance, tell him my DL is in my left rear pocket in my wallet and the insurance cert is in the glove box, can I get them for you? If he steps out of bounds and asks for permission for a search, or says his calling in a drug dog and it’ll be 30 minutes, then politely state that’s unreasonable and ask him to either write up a ticket or let me on my way. They can’t detain you for longer than it takes to deal with a traffic violation unless they have probable cause you are engaging in criminal activity.
That being said it’s a whole different ball game in the boonies when you’re remote 4WD desert camping near the Mexican border and are accosted by DEA, Border Patrol, ICE or even US military. Those boys get bushwhacked often enough their protocol is different, they’re not doing traffic stops, they’re solely looking for criminal activity. I’ll roll down the window and stick my hands out resting my elbows on the sill, accede to a Terry frisk, and a nondestructive search of my vehicle if they want to. Actually if I encounter Border Patrol on a difficult 4WD road I’ll flag them over before they pop their cherries and engage in chit-chat, road conditions, where I’m going, possible safe camping spots downroad, etc. They only ask where I live and when I say San Diego they’ll look over my rig for adequate water, SAT comms, spare and emergency gear and hidey holes for illegal immigrants, drug bales (which is pretty much impossible on a 2 door TJ). I’ll tell them of spots I’ve seen with footprints, empty water jugs, fresh trash over the last day or so. Rarely, they’ll tell me there’s a major operation downroad and to turn around now for my own safety but it’s a public BLM road so it’s up to me. It’s a non confrontational encounter and we shake hands and wish each other a pleasant day, in spite of the Terry frisk and vehicle search, that’s for their safety and mission task(s) and I’m willing to accomodate.
- Posted by: @holy-cow
I was afraid of getting a similar call a couple days ago when I was lying nearly flat on the ground, picking at dirt crumbles and tree roots to make sure what I was seeing was the top of a 1″ pipe.
Totally illegal in the US and if he did not give permission for the LEO to do a search anything the LEO discovered would be inadmissible in Court. They must have probable cause and passing a DUI test is not one. They can look through windows, etc.
So I was awakened by an officer whom thought it was a good idea to pound on my window whilst I was laying down in my seat, car off, in a parking lot for the park n ride, and scream at me at the top of his lungs while I got to inspect the rifling of his .45ACP without panicking, and trying to control an adrenaline flush that normally would have ended someone else’s life.
Nothing is illegal in if you’re dead and can’t tell your side of the story.
Luckily, I’ve been harassed or trained in high stress events so I kept my demeanor, and even raised my voice at him, and the other officers that eventually showed up to confer.
He lost his job. I testified against him. He got another job in another county and I never slept in a parking lot again.
- Posted by: @mike-marks
That being said, the few times a LEO has asked if he can search I give permission because I have nothing to hide.
And how many officers, if the driver has made them mad, will “find” something in your car you’ve never seen before?
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