So I got pulled over for the first time

[Grey_Focks]

Wednesday night, around 2:30 AM I got pulled over for speeding. Now, I was speeding and I do not dispute that. In fact, I was going 60 mph in a 35 mph road, which is a no-no, but it's a road I've been driving on for years, and after a while you just get used to it, and I mean it's 2:30 at night, there is NOBODY else on the road. Apparently except for a cop.

So first of all, he was driving what I guess you would call an under-cover car, as it just looked like a normal car, but it had those infamous blue and red lights on the inside of the windshield, and it didn't make that siren noise, which I was grateful for, because if it had people in the houses nearby would have undoubtedly woken up to watch. This isn't really important or relevant to the topic, but it's something worth noting.

He walks up to my window, asks for my license, registration and proof of insurance, which I hand over silently. he informs me that I was "flying" and I see no point in arguing, so I agree that I was speeding. He then asks me if I've had anything to drink tonight. I have not, but I also have the misfortune of working at a bar, and so I most likely reek of alcohol. I tell him this, assure him I haven't been drinking, but just to be sure he asks me to step out of my car and take a field sobriety test. he holds a pen near my face and asks me to follow it with my eyes, without moving my head. I do as he asks, but apparently even when sober I can't do this right, and he asks me again if I had anything to drink, and he tells me "honesty is the best policy". I tell him again I have had nothing to drink, and inside I think "Do I REALLY seem like I'm drunk? Chirst..." THEN I get the please of taking a hand-held breathalyzer (thanks for the spell check), to which it comes up "all zeroes". He then tells me I would be facing a fine of up to $200 and points on my license, and he lets me go.

So yea, that's my story. Kinda pointless, I know, but I felt like sharing it. For one, from the stories I've heard of local cops, I got VERY lucky and got one of the only "cool" ones.

Secondly, to add some discussion value, have you guys ever been pulled over? If so for what, how did it go, and did you almost shit your pants at the sight of those flashing blue and red lights. I sure as hell came close.

 

[Varun Garuda Maharaj]

just co-operate with them and everything should go smoothly BTW the word is Breathyliser (i think)

 

[Grey_Focks]

Citizen SNIIIIIIIIIIIPS!

Ouch, thats unlucky. I suppose I really am lucky, too, as I speed on this same road just about every night. In fact, I really do a lot of speeding, but I mostly drive on back-roads that cops don't care about. I also roll through just about every stop sign I encounter after 2 AM, and to be honest if he'd followed me for one more mile, he wouldn't probably watched me roll through one.

 

[TheMatt]

yah, you hear the siren look in the rear view and welcome to adrenaline city, population you. Even if you haven;t done anything it still makes your heart go a mile a minute.

you know what I hate the most? it's the, "well if there are no drugs in the car why are you so nervous?"

"Cause you;'re a cop and you scare the shit out of me?"

btw, there were no drugs in the car... that day.... thank god...

 

[Avaholic03]

Sounds like he was just looking for drunks.

I've been pulled over twice, both times got off with a warning. The important thing is just to be respectful and cooperative. Both times I should have got a ticket (doing ~45 mph in a parking lot on campus, and then doing 15 over through Kansas with Colorado plates).

 

[Shoqiyqa]

I've been pulled over once. It was very early on a Sunday morning, near a jail. I was driving a car full of 16-29-yr-olds, and the rest was drunk. I was sober, but stinking because someone had helpfully upended a can of beer over me half an hour earlier.

It took me a while to realise they wanted to pull me over. I saw the car sitting there, and then as we went past it lit up and pulled out behind us, but I thought they must have been sitting there waiting for a call, so I tucked into a junction to let them past. Then they moved in behind me, so I thought they wanted to turn there and moved out again, and they followed me, and then I realised it was me they wanted and pulled over properly.

"Is this your car?"
"No, it's my father's."
"Can I have your full name and address, please?"
"{full name and address}"
......... radio chatter .........
"It's coming up on the system as being registered to a {father's name} at {same address}."

In the end, I just had to take my proof of insurance to the police station within a week.

It probably helps that I was calm and polite.

 

[Lolth17]

If you're super polite (and NEVER admit that you KNEW you were speeding - pro-tip from a law student), then most often cops will be nice to you, unless you get a real a**hole. But it sounds like you did everything right, so grats on avoiding the ticket!

 

[Insanum]

I got caught speeding in my car by a mobile speed camera van, And had to attend a speed awareness course, But i didnt get pulled.

When i was on my RS125 Motorbike about 2 years ago i pulled out of my driveway, Out of the Cul-de-sac I live on, then out onto the main road (it's a residential road).

I turned one corner at 20mph (its a long sweeping bend) and then saw one of my friends. I turned into a dead and and then went to turn around. As i turned so i was parallel to the road a Marked Police Subaru Imprezta pulled right up to the bike and stopped my maneouver.

I got off the bike & they did all the checks, And to their credit they were both bikers, So we chatted bikes for 10 minutes and they did all the checks (im always 100% legal), and they we went on our seperate ways.

The reason they pulled me? "You went a tad quick round that corner". In all fairness i dont mind being pulled if ive done nothing wrong, Most of the Greater Manchester Police are ok if you're polite with them.

 

[Liam1390]

I haven't been pulled over yet, but I was stopped at a sobriety checkpoint in April. When I was stopped I was nervous for several reasons.
I just recently started wearing contacts so my eyes were bloodshot, and I had my knife kit in my car as well, so if they searched my car I would probably get in trouble for it(although this was probably my paranoia kicking in). So when the cop started asking me where I was coming from, where I was headed, if I had been drinking, etc, I had trouble talking. Fortunately he let me go after a few questions, and I didn't get into any trouble.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

Sounds like you got off lucky then, nice one.

Iv never been pulled over, but once with my Dad, he was driving down the road and we saw the lights flashing. He shat him self thinking they where pulling him over. We pulled over to the curb and they drove strait past us! It must have been something on a report on the radio and they just needed to get past us. The look on his face was priceless.
Still remeber 8 years down the line.

 

[Gate708]

I have yet to get a ticket, but I did overheat in almost the middle of the street yesterday. Turned a corner, realized I was about to run a red light, threw it into reverse and it just went plunk-hissssss. I cop pulled into the intersection just as my dad and some nice guy pulled over to help me out.

 

[Pimppeter2]

IMO, if nobody got hurt you should be allowed to go with a warning.

Does that apply to drunk driving, or speeding in general?

Either way it is not a good idea.

 

[Jark212]

you should have shit your pants and said you were trying to make it home cause you have diarrhea lol.

Brilliant!!!

I've been driving for a bit over a year and I've never been pulled over, pure luck...

 

[chris11246]

Ive been pulled over once for doing 45 in a 35. There are usually cars left on the side of the road for carpooling so its hard to tell but I knew when I saw the break lights come on that they were gonna pull me over. I did accept that I was speeding but, the road is an obvious speed trap that no one i know actually does the speed limit on. Its a long straight road with no houses only trees on the side but because people used to drag race on it they lowered the speed limit to increase fines. I don't understand why they cant just double fines in the area or something instead of affecting everyone else. Although its probably just to get more money.

I was lucky tho because my uncle was actually the dispatcher that sent the cop to wait there so when I went to court to get the fine lowered he had an officer talk to the prosecutor and had him lower the fine because of the road and it being my first offense.

I wasnt the worst speeder there one kid was caught doing 113 in a 50 and his excuse was that his dad and uncle were in the car telling him to see what the car would do. The judge didnt care tho so it didnt help.

 

[Dags90]

The only time I've ever been pulled over was outside my house for driving an unregistered vehicle. I made the mistake of taking off my seat belt and getting my proof of insurance before the cop had made it to my door. That was the first and last time I let my mom take care of my registration.

 

[Thaius]

Once for being late on registration. The reason for pulling me over was valid, but my getting a ticket was not.

My dad's car had been assumed stolen, but after about 3 months it was found again; it hadn't been stolen, he had just lost it in the parking garage at the airport. Yeah, one of many ways my dad is a moron.

Anyway, I had to drive it on a 2 hour trip a little while afterward, and about 45 minutes in I got pulled over because the car's registration had expired. It expired during the time it was presumed stolen, and dad had not yet re-registered it. But even with this understood, and knowing it's my dad's car, I got a ticket. It was given to me, went on my driving record, everything. Their "logic" behind it was that I should have checked the car before driving it to make sure the registration was up-to-date. But tell me: how can I be held legally responsible for something I am legally incapable of fixing? Only my father can go in and renew the registration under his name: I simply could not do it. So why do I get fined for a problem that I cannot possibly fix? It's absolute crap.

The only other time was because I forgot to put on my seatbelt and the zero-tolerance seatbelt law had just been enacted, but my issues with that unconstitutional infringement of American rights would be far too long a post.

 

[JacobyPAX]

I've only been pulled over once. It was several years ago and it was my first car and I had forgotten to renew my tags. The cop ended up letting me off with a warning.

 

[Ganthrinor]

For future reference ask to skip to the Breath-o-liezor with a fresh tube. Field sobriety tests are bullshit, most people can't do them cold sober.

 

[xDarc]

Hello young man, welcome to the night.

I've lived at night almost exclusively for the past ten years. There's lots to learn...

But for starters, don't speed. Keep it within 4mph of the posted limit, or you WILL be pulled over.

They don't care if you are on your way to or from work, or that morning rush hour daywalkers all do a MINIMUM of 10 over the limit when you're on your way home. This is the night and these are the rules.

Play smart and you might get hooked.

Things happen at night. Crazy things.

 

[Pimppeter2]

IMO, if nobody got hurt you should be allowed to go with a warning.

Does that apply to drunk driving, or speeding in general?

Either way it is not a good idea.

Speeding, and only speeding.

Again, still a terrible idea. Why would I follow the speeding laws if this was the case? People who are speeding are assuming they wont hurt anyone, though there is a higher chance that they will, whats to stop them if they only get warnings for speeding without hurting anyone?