Worst Traffic Stop, Ever...

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

Okay, I was reading the "Should you handover your HCP with your DL" thread and read "feeding pavement" and I was just wanting to see if anyone had any bad traffic stops they've been a part of... Obviously the LEO's do, but I'm thinking more of just a citizen perspective on this. I'll go first:

I was young and stupid, about 4 years ago, I know I'm still young and stupid, but I was dumber then... And I had just gotten a brand new car. It was a 2007 V6 Mitsubishi Eclipse 2 Door, Silver. Still have it, love the car. Anywho, I was on my way home one night after getting back from a mission trip to MS to help build a house for hurricane victims, and I got the bright idea to "see what this baby would do." Well, I was doing about 65 with cruise control on, and took it off, went from 5th to 3rd gear and firewalled the gas pedal. About a mile down the road, I saw some blue lights up against the tree line (the road I was on was very hilly and had a bunch of turns, not steep ones, but subtle that you can't see past) so I decided to turn off of the main road and get on a back road to go home Well, I didn't make the turn, went into the ditch and about 10 seconds later a THP car came screaming by with lights on, pulled a U-Turn and stopped about 20 yards from me, kicked open the door and screamed "GET ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW!" gun drawn. Pretty much crapping my pants at this point, I comply and he proceeded to tell me I was being arrested for evading. (IDK how he got that since the only time I saw his car or lights were when his car was sitting still after I had already wrecked) We got to the cruiser, he searched me and my car, didn't have anything, and then he came back to talk to me. He also told me that he clocked me doing 125 in a 65 and that if I would've made the turn he would have never even seen me. He asked me some questions and I told him the truth, totally, that I never saw him and was going home. He called my dad... I was 17, at this point I was like "Just take me to jail." My dad showed up, the THP opened his car door and said "Tony (My dad's name), I haven't seen you in forever, how is your momma doing, and how are you?" Tears of joy streamed down my face. 6 Months Later: One 8 Hour driving class and one day in court with a bunch of drug dealers and thieves, enough for me. Off my record... I think...

Thats my story. Anyone else have one?

[Westwindmike]

I don't believe I'd have told that.

[mikegideon]

I don't believe I'd have told that.

In that case, I'll just sit back and watch . I was real stupid when I was 17.

[brooksjr]

In that case, I'll just sit back and watch . I was real stupid when I was 17.

+1 except it was more like 17-23

[kb4ns]

IIRC, I was not real stupid at 17. I do believe I knew everything then.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

I don't believe I'd have told that.

I was ashamed of it, and still kinda am... but that I've grown up a lot since then.. For real. I thought I was tough crap when I was a kid.

[mikegideon]

+1 except it was more like 17-23

Stupid doesn't go away overnight, especially REAL stupid. It fades away over a period of years

[brooksjr]

Stupid doesn't go away overnight, especially REAL stupid. It fades away over a period of years

AMEN!!

[Il Duce]

i had one follow me for almost 3 miles and then decide to pull me over for the following

1)60 in a 40

2)60 in a 45

3)running a redlight (i was turning right on red after a quick stop)

4)not using a turnsignal (same light. you can only go right or left and i was in the far right)

5)not having corrective lenses (i had glasses on in license pic but had in contacts. i smarted off to him and said ill pop one out)

6)too dark of tint (ill admit this one)

needless to say they all got thrown out. the reason i was speeding was i was on my way to the hospital cause my mom was put in for emergency surgery, but officer d*ckinmouth didnt believe nor cared.

[Erik88]

Let me say that in my short driving career I've been pulled over 11 times. As far as I can remember they have all been deserved. However, due the fact that I am always respectful to the officer and I'm full of B.S I've only had 1 ticket.(and I got it thrown out)

The only bad experience I have had being pulled over was back in high school. A former friend of mine decided he wanted to chuck a watter bottle at some friends in a car beside me.(he always was an idiot)

He didn't know there was a police officer right behind us though. I guess he radioed for back up because within minutes 6 cops showed up. They told us we were all going to jail and that we would need good lawyers. They searched my car without asking( I guess they had probable cause?)

Anyways, I ended up leaving without a ticket or anything, the littler-bug wasn't so lucky though.

[EMTRN]

It has been years since I got a ticket. I deserved them all. I would not have written a couple of them though, apparently MPD has no problem writing for 5 mph over the limit.

[Guest bkelm18]

Been pulled over 4 times. 3 for speeding and one for cutting a red light a little too close. Got no ticket for the red light one. A reckless driving ticket for 76 in a 55 (you fart wrong in VA and it's reckless driving), some speeding ticket on base in SC (don't remember what it was for exactly since base tickets didn't really matter), and one by a THP officer for 72 in a 55 I believe. The one from the THP officer was dismissed. Guess the judge was in a good mood that day. The reckless one was about $300 I think.

[RedSuinit]

The strangest experience I have ever had with an LEO was when I was 16. I would like to note that when I was 16 I looked like I was 11-12, was 5' 4" and only weighed 120 lb. I was driving to a church function one afternoon on some back roads, going about 5 over and it was raining. Well an LEO driving the other direction turns on his lights, and began to turn around immediately after driving past my car. I pulled over, and waited for him to turn around and get behind me. He gets out of his car, walks up to the window as I am rolling it down and says "Do your parents know you took the keys son?" "Yes sir, they do." "Really? Your parents let you take the car without a license?" "Sir, I have a license." "Let me see it, and the registration." "Yes sir." I was fuming, I realized that I looked young but C'MON! While he looks at my license and the registration he decides to ask me a few more questions. "Where are you going?" "Church." "Do you have any drugs in the car?" "No." "Any dope, crack, methanphetamines?" "No sir. I don't do drugs." "Ever smoked weed?" "No sir." "Really?" He seemed shocked that the answer was no, and now I was really getting pissed. "Ever had any Alcohol?" "No." "Really? That's interesting." I am sure it was. "Do you know why I pulled you over?" "No, not really." "You have a headlight out, you need to get it fixed. Here is your license and registration, have a nice day." The he walked back to his car. Strangest LEO stop I have ever had.

[Il Duce]

just looking for something to get you for and pulled you over based on your looks

[Mike.357]

I/we (the posse) used to get pulled over all the time back in the day ( mid 70's) Seemed like at least once or twice a month the township cops would light us up. Never much seemed to be a reason ,we never got arrested or ticketed just hassled. I was blessed that Dad worked for the Reds and was buddies with the Chief of Police in the township. He gots the cops seats at the Reds games all the time. The knew who they were pulling over when they did it.

One time were were out joy riding late at night, drinking and smoking dope. It was before drinking and driving was a big deal and the Mothers weren't all that mad just yet. We got lit up ( in more ways than one) the cop pulled us over said I was weaving. I dunno maybe I was but who cared. he chewed us out, threatened to write me up and haul all of us in. Made us pour out the beer and dump out the pot, made me throw my pipe into the woods. Threatened that if he saw my car back on the steeet that night he was going to run us in.

So what did we do? Went back to my house to get my car off the street, went two doors down and got in Larry's car, skanked some beer from his Dad and went back out. All in all a typical weekend night in Delhi.

[Sandman]

I had just gotten my new car and I was testing her out in Maryville. Now the car is an Altima (not the coolest but handles like a dream). I was taking "13 curves" way too fast just to see how tight the car was. On the last curve there was a cop stopped on the opposite side of the road with cars behind him. Almost like he was waiting on me (there's no way he could have seen me coming). He turned his lights on, did a u-turn and pulled me over. He came stomping and you could tell he was very pissed off. He was on the brink of yelling and said he clocked me at 70 in a 35. Was I going that fast? Probably. He collected my information and went to write me a ticket. He came back with his clipboard and said in a pissed off kinda tone, "This is your lucky day. I am out of tickets so I can't write you one. This is a warning (hands me the paper off the clipboard). Rest assured, had I had tickets, you would be receiving one for reckless driving." I was in the wrong and I knew it. I thanked him and left very slowly.

[Guest Jamie]

"This is your lucky day. I am out of tickets so I can't write you one.

There's nothing worse than an unprepared cop...

( There's always a spare ticket book in the trunk of the patrol cars here. And if for some reason that gets used up, they'll hold you at the scene until someone brings them a new one. )

J.

[Links2k]

I got pulled over by MPD officer because I passed him. I was not speeding. I simply passed him. He was a bitter old guy. I figured he had missed promotions or been demoted and he simply was nasty to everyone he encountered. I have never been a civilian officer, but I was an Army MP and a country corrections officer when I was younger so I give the officers their respect regardless if they deserve it or not. I think after a while a cop can become jaded and simply treats everyone like a criminal. Around Memphis you are in a no win situation when trying to explain something to some officers. I would rather lawyer up and try to get my justice from a judge.

[rentalguy1]

1999, Somewhere in Ohio, in my 1994 Freightliner FDL120 pulling a 53' dry van loaded with God knows what. I am merging from a interstate onramp onto the highway. Local cop lights me up before I even get merged. I hit the emergency, turn on the four ways and stop, thinking that I have ran over something or I'm dragging a trailer tire thanks to a locked up brake drum. Newbie cops struts up and asks the old question, "know why I pulled you over?" I told him I did not, but I was sure he was about to tell me. He goes on to state that I had the gall to be going 56 in a 55 (for trucks, 65 for cars). I was dumbfounded. He goes on to ask if he can search the truck, to which I said no. He said something about probable cause, to which I told him to get off the front step of my house (he was on the side step talking to me). I told him to get a warrant, because this was more than a vehicle, it was my home (and it was, at least through the week). He told me that getting a warrant would take hours. I told him that it was ok...I had time. About a hour later, his supervisor shows up. He asks me what the problem was, and I told him to ask his little buddy. Newb starts to tell him the story, and supervisor stops him at 56 in a 55. Tells him to go home for the rest of the day, hands me my license and tells me to have a nice day. You gotta love driving a truck in Ohio!

[Mike.357]

56 in a 55.

1 MPH? Wow, what an over achiever. thats got to be a record.

[rentalguy1]

It wasn't unheard of at that time in OH. The state patrol used to sit at the OH end of the I-77 northbound bridge and pop you as you came across...decelerating from the WV limit of 65 to the OH (truck) speed limit of 55.

[Dolomite_supafly]

My age 17 traffic story, or at least one of them was this.

I was living in San Antonio TX at teh time. A few friends and I decided we were going to 6th steet in Austin to hang out for a few hours. I had already asked my father for permission and he said no but I decided to go anyways. On the way there we were booking. The speedometer in my car only went to 85 but the needle was bouncing well beyond that. We made the roughly 75 mile drive in a little less than 40 minutes so I know we were going well over 100 and probably over 120 at points along the way.

Once there we hung out for a few hours, no drinking or anything like that. We begain heading back home and with the car into top gear I had it wound out pretty good so we could make it back home in the same amount of time.

As I approached an overpass a friend in the back of the car yelled "cop". I immediately pressed in on the clutch then jammed on the brakes causing the tires to lock up and the needle on the speedo drop well below the 85 for a slpit second. As I started to slide I let off the brakes and clutch, again the speedo started bouncing well above the 85 MPH mark. I saw the cop's brake lights light up and at this point I knew I was caught so I slowed, taking the next exit. I slowed way down and waited for the cop to hit his blues. He followed us for what seemed like an eternity until he hit his lights.

As he exited his cruiser he started a typical felony stop. After getting me out of the car and taking me to the rear of my car he slammed me onto the trunk yelling "What the hell is your problem kid?" I explained I was coming back from 6th street. He ran warrants on me and everyone in the car. He asked if I knew how fast I was going and I told him the speecometer said 85. This visibly upset him and he said he didn't fall out of a garbage truck yesterday. Then he wanted to see my arms because I must be high or something for going so fast. He then told me I had to be doing at least 120 in a 50. He went on to say he didn't get a chance to lock the radar on because of the overpass. He didn't write me a ticket but kept me there for a while giving me everything I deserved. He eventually let me go on my way but let me know if he ever saw the car inside of Austin again I would go to jail for something.

I headed back out onto the highway towards San Antonio but this time it took me over an hour and a half to get back because I did 45 MPH the whole way home.

This happened a VERY long time ago and had I done the same thing today I would definitely be going to jail.

Dolomite

[oldogy]

Yeah, some of those OH LEOs were ruthless in places at times. I had a friend who got a ticket on I-71 for just a few miles over while driving his motorhome. I think the road signs said that all vehicles over so many lbs empty were restricted to 55 and his diesel pusher with towed was way over that. BTW, I-75 and I-71 no longer have the dual speed limit signs, at least around the Cincinnati area when I was there last week.

oldogy

Edited April 11, 2010 by oldogy

[Guest Caveman]

I have a funny one. I was with my girlfriend (girlfriend at the time) She was a Hooters girl and I had just picked her up from work. I was pulled over for a headlight being out. The female LEO came to me and asked for my license and what-not, then walked back to her car and called for more units. I was wearing a wife beater as I had come from the gym and I guess she felt intimidated (I have a lot of tats and my head was shaved, plus I'm not a small guy) She waited until they got there then asked me to get out and handcuffed me while they searched my car. I'm not sure why as I had no criminal record, but I digress. After it was all over the female cop lets my girlfriend get back in the car then gives me her card and tells me to give her a call when I decide to "lose the hooters chick." I was mad at the time but I look back on it now and laugh.

[Worriedman]

When I lived in TX, I worked as Gen. Supt. for a bridge company. I averaged about 500 miles a day checking the different jobs, always in a hurry. I took defensive driving class so many times that I could, and did teach it. Had an instructor in Arlington, ex-fire fighter that had lost his right leg below the knee, we would set it up for me to trip him as he came from the back of the room to the front, loose the prosthetic limb and scream as he went down, he liked to get the kids attention, and that would do it.

Did a job in Covington a few years back, I think I paid for the new roof on the courthouse. I would walk in, the judge would see me, I would not even sit down, he would shake his head and wave me out to pay the court cost, never had a ticket go on my record down there, but I showed up a bunch.