Why do police even ask?

[Guest sayers]

I take my wife to barter theater in Abington Va. today for her birthday. On the way back I get pulled over for doing 80 in a 65. Yes I admit I was speeding. I understand I broke the law and I have to deal with the fine.

He walks up, I have my hands on the wheel so he can see them. He asks for my licence, registration, and proof of insurance. As I hand him the stuff I say I'm a consealed carry permit holder and I am armed. He says ok. That's cool.

He goes back and runs my licence and then comes back and asked if I know why he pulled me over? I say because I was going 80? He laughs and says yeah. Then he asks why was I going that fast? I don't have answer for that, at least nothing that would hold water. So my question is why do they always ask that? Is there some magic answer that he is looking for? Overall he was real cool but I still got a ticket. It turns out that my proof of insurance is out of date and he let's it slide. Very cool because that could have gotten expensive.

On top of the ticket I got to hear the whole I told you to slow down speech from my wife. What a fun day.

[Raoul]

He's probably fishing. You act weird enough and things escalate.

[kb4ns]

I say because I was going 80?

It turns out that my proof of insurance is out of date and he let's it slide.

Put these two things together.

You were polite and (most importantly) honest. Twenty bucks says you would have been cited for the insurance if your response to the question would have been "I dunno why you stopped me."

Raoul's answer is also correct in some situations.

[vontar]

If you want to know the why they Ask the question,

Watch this.

This is part 2, but is directly answers your question

They want you to admin guilt.

However if you have time, I high recommend watching Part 1 as well, first if you really have the time.

[Guest mosinon]

I've always heard that the reason they ask you that is to get you to admit to the crime. If you say "I was speeding" and then try to fight it in court you've already admitted to the crime. If you say "I have no idea" then it is easier to get it thrown out.

I always just pay my tickets but I know one guy that loves to fight them.

[Mike.357]

I think they ask because their curiosity is piqued by people who knowingly break the law.

[Guest DanE479]

It's part getting you to admit, part fishing, part continuing/prolonging the interview process to get a better read on the driver.

Since most states now have some type of defensive driver class that will negate a ticket on your record, I see a ticket as less of an issue than it used to be. I always give a straight answer when talked to by the police, as truthfulness and a calm demeanor will often get you more than ignorance/feigned ignorance.

Of course, I really try to not speed any more (than necessary).

[vontar]

Well the last time I got stopped (last spring) I had had been in a 55 zone (first stop in over 10 years). I knew I was getting close to a 45 zone. I truly did not know exactly where it started.

A LEO pulled me over and he ask me do you know why I pulled you over.

I looked at him, both hands on the wheel claim, all the right stuff. I saw honestly I don't know. He told me he had me about 60 in a 45. He ask me if I had seen any 45 signs. I said right as you where pulling me over we passed one but you already had your lights on me there. He told me there was one about a mile back as well. He checked me out and let me go.

I don't believe I was doing 60. I do believe I was doing about 55. I have been back in the area since and I have found the other sign he told me about so I know now I was in a 45 zone. I believe I was about 10 over but I don't believe I was 15 over. Either way, no ticket so no harm, no foul. Since, yea I have slowed down some. I would rather buy me something I want then buy the cities something I don't want to pay for.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

So... What happens if, they say, "Do you know why I pulled you over?" and you just don't answer and hand him your stuff?

He get's pissed and what?

[Raoul]

He get's pissed and what?

Ay, there's the rub.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

"the rub"

[Raoul]

Sorry, Shakespeare. Means, there's the problem.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

ahhhh....

[mikegideon]

He get's pissed and what?

He throws the book at you

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

But if all you were doing was speeding... How much of the book can he throw, because if he throws too much... The entire ticket gets Ebow1'd (thrown) out the window

[mikegideon]

But if all you were doing was speeding... How much of the book can he throw, because if he throws too much... The entire ticket gets Ebow1'd (thrown) out the window

You'll see

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

[vontar]

Nope, you might get lucky and if he is having a good day, you are nice and respectful. There is a chance, small one that you might not get a ticket. I didn't. Just dont' get smart with them.

When I was 21, I got a speeding ticket 74 in a 55. Yup, I did it. (in KY)

When I was a bit older, back about 97, I got a failure to yield ticket the LEO didn't even see happen. Reason a near miss, another drive went out of the road, no car contact, no damage. She left then came back and found me down the road about an hour later ranting and raving so I called for an officer. He came out wrote a report, gave me a ticket. Knowing what I know now I would have frought but it was in OH and I was only up there for a couple days. To go back and fight it would have cost me more and it never hit my record in TN. Thank you twice TN for not being in the Driver License Compact.

I got pulled over once again in 97 in Speedwell TN late at night. COP pulled me over and said I appeared to be driving drunk and he was stopping me to check me out. I am sure it had nothing to do with I was just about a mile south of a bar that I had not been at. I didn't even drink back then. He found nothing wrong let me go after holding me up about 20 minutes and making me late for work.

Then I got stopped last spring for the about 60 in then 45 as I was told. Just watch the videos I posted if you have not seen them. You get both sides, a defense lawer and a investigator.

[Guest bkelm18]

I've actually been let out of two tickets for answering the "Do you know why...". First was for cutting a yellow light too close, the other for being a bit above the speed limit. Both times the officers said they'd let me go with a warning for being honest.

[Guest codeblue]

ha ha just knew some one was gonna ask thta question just had to keep reading ROTF LMAO

[dats82]

If I were a cop, I would ask all kinds of questions just to see what kind of craziass answers I got. Surely to goodness they all gather around the doughnuts and share the stupid answer stories; I certainly would anyway.

[DWARREN123]

The LEO's like the strange/funny answers they get!

[Guest Daelith]

I actually had a honest answer the one time I got pulled over - I told him it was a bad neighborhood (where Walnut Grove becomes to Union) and I was trying to get through it as quickly as possible. The officer let me off without a ticket.

[vontar]

I heard a joke that went someting like this

Toward the end of his Shift a cop saw this guy speeding and went to pull him over.

The guy does not stop at first but then pulls over. Then the cop walk up and yells at the guy, "What's the big idea?" The guy responds,"You know how much paper work you are going to cause me at the end of my shift that I don't want to do. Tell you what if you can give me an excuse I have never heard before I will forget about this and let you go with just a warning".

The driver thinks about it for a moment then says,

"Last week my wife ran off with a cop," he said, "and I was afraid you were trying to give her back!" "Off you go," said the officer.

[Raoul]

Good one Vontar.