[Old-old-Ivy]

One week ago, the engine in my Saturn died, so while waiting to get that taken care of, I am borrowing my dads pick up truck. Two days ago, in a parking lot, a small Pontiac Sunfire backed into the truck when I was not there, and smashed the tail light because his trunk lid was open. They guy had a kid, and was all shaken, and I told him that we could just settle with cash since it was just the light. So he gave me $50, and the lights cost $40 according to car-parts.com if I buy it at a local savage yard.

So last night, I am driving with a broken tail light, because salvage yards are not open on the weekend.

A few bands that my friends are in were playing a show in a town 20 minutes away last night, I was at that show for most of the evening and had ONE beer. Around 2AM I was driving into my town, right off the ramp to go into town is a side street that takes me right to my house. While driving down the main street, and just before I turned onto this side street, I passed a police officer driving the other direction. Let me point out the distance here, from the start of the side street, to the end of the side street when I would turn again, I DID NOT see an officer following me, this street is roughly 1/3rd of a mile long. As I am driving down the other street, about another 1/4 mile from that intersection, I see some headlights approaching me at an insane speed. They were BOUNCING up and down, this cop was going so fast.

So I pulled in, right outside of my house, and get out of the truck to go inside, and the officer shines the spotlight on me, and informs me to get back in the truck. I asked him why, and he told me just to get back in. A few minutes later, he walks up to my window, and asked to see my license and registration, I provide it. I ask him again, why am I being pulled over. He tells me, I have a broken tail light. I told him what happened with the Pontiac in the parking lot yesterday, and he insists is should still be fixed regardless. I reminded him that salvage yards are not open on the weekend. Then he proceeds to ask me where I am coming from, I told him where... then he asked if I was drinking, the real reason for being pulled over. I told him I had A beer that evening, which is true, I had a nice pint of Blue Moon a few hours earlier, and nothing since. He then said "How many?" and I said "A beer, as in one, as in not a few". He then told me he was tired of listening to me, and that I was giving him an attitude. So he told me to wait in the truck, and he would be back. He also told me to turn my cell phone off, because I was texting while this was all going down.

So when he goes back to his car, ANOTHER police officer rolls up. A few minutes later, they both come over to the truck and ask me to step out. I get out and he is going to test me, so I blow into the thing, and then he tells me to stop. He just stands there looking at it. I said "What is it?" and he told me ZERO, not .01, or .02... ZERO. Just as I told him. At this point he is majorly pissed, and tells me to get back in the truck, because I am still getting a citation. A few more minutes pass, and he gives me the ticket. Finally I am allowed to get out of my car, and walk inside. Before I do though, I stopped the officer and asked him a few questions...

"Why would you need to go nearly 100MPH to catch a person with a broken tail light?" It's not like I was driving in some strange manner, or speeding or something, it was simply the tail light.

"Why did you need to pull in surrounding me?" "What was the need for the second officer in the first place, why pull two officers away from real duty?" "Don't you think you are letting actual drunk drivers go by wasting time with my tail light?" "Did you really care about my tail light, or were you hoping to snag a DUI tonight?"

He had very little to say about it, he told me that people were giving him attitude all night, so he was just going to start ticketing everyone! He had nothing to say to defend his speed when coming up behind me, or about how real drunk drivers may have received a free pass tonight because of their wasted time.

The thing is, I am pretty sure I do not have to kiss his ass, I can be all kinds of snappy with the guy as long as I am not resisting, or threatening. He came to be as a dick right from the start. Why did I have to get back into my car, like a drug dealer, with two cops with spotlights on me, surrounding me... when all I had was a broken tail light?

This is far from over, I am going to the city hall on Monday and speaking with the chief, and perhaps even speak to a lawyer. He did not cite me for any driving issues, so he had no reason to think I was drinking. He made me look like some street thug in the middle of the night around my neighbors who came out to see what was going down, because of the sirens and the lights.

As of today, I really, really think I hate police.

[pavlik]

I remember the time about 8 years I got pulled over by the police in my home town, whilst I was driving my mothers BMW, with three (male) friends in the car.

I was doing nothing wrong, not speeding, no loud music. Nothing. The only reason we got pulled over was because we were four guys in a fairly nice car.

The cop comes over to the drivers window and says to me "is this your car Sir?".

To which I reply "No" [rofl] (well it wasn't!)

Needless to say he did not see the funny side.

[alskdjreyfd]

You were texting as he was talking to you? That little tid bit kind of speaks of your attitude at the time IMO.

[Angeheade]

While it does sound like he was a dick, the point is driving with a broken tail light is against the law and warrants a ticket. It was unfair that you were treated like a thug, but he doesn't know you and you very well could be a thug. I don't think going to court will change anything, but you can file a complaint which chances are wont even be looked at. Seems to be the way things go now.

[Old-old-Ivy]

You were texting as he was talking to you? That little tid bit kind of speaks of your attitude at the time IMO.

I was texting while waiting, and he saw me from his car.

The tail light is a problem, I know... did it require him to drive at 100MPH to catch me though? Since when does a tial light need a back up officer?

[Buhoutsoupfap]

You were texting as he was talking to you? That little tid bit kind of speaks of your attitude at the time IMO.

So what? Nothing illegal about texting someone.

[Figelac]

Well, you were acting like a dick too. So fair's fair.

[Old-old-Ivy]

Well, you were acting like a dick too. So fair's fair.

Why, because I questioned him? I have every right to do that.

[Figelac]

You gave him an attitude. It's rude. They are doing their job, just like anyone else, and they get sick of all of these *******s that have a problem with authority. Be polite to them, and they will be polite to you. This applies to everything in life.

[Andrew1978]

Well get this, couple weeks ago im out by myself coming back from my girls house

much like you the cop drove past me going the opposite way and about a 1/2 mile later i realize the same cop has now pulled up.. right on my ass

Well i just continued driving and the ******* flipped the lights on like i knew he would

Asked for my license and insurance, walked off with it came back and told me to have a great night

[rolleyes]

Had no reason to pull me over, whatsoever

[Old-old-Ivy]

You gave him an attitude. It's rude. They are doing their job, just like anyone else, and they get sick of all of these *******s that have a problem with authority. Be polite to them, and they will be polite to you. This applies to everything in life.

He was a dick right from the start. I have no problem with authority, authority is not the power over another person though. He is a police officer, not an SS officer. If he is being rude, and I feel like the reason I was pulled over was insane, I have every right to question.

Do you want to live in a police state?

[gardenerextraordinaire]

A lot of minor infraction pull overs result in drug busts or arrests. Stereotypes tend to suggest that cars with broken tail lights/lights out, or other minor violations are usually driven by people who are more likely to commit a crime. So he was probably looking for a criminal and instead got a normal citizen.

[Angeheade]

Well get this, couple weeks ago im out by myself coming back from my girls house

much like you the cop drove past me going the opposite way and about a 1/2 mile later i realize the same cop has now pulled up.. right on my ass

Well i just continued driving and the ******* flipped the lights on like i knew he would

Asked for my license and insurance, walked off with it came back and told me to have a great night

[rolleyes]

Had no reason to pull me over, whatsoever

What time was it? I know around here we have graduated licencing systems in place and new drivers can't driver after midnight. After 12 they can pull over anyone they suspect to be on a new licence, so in short, everyone! Not sure if they have something like that where you are though.

[Mambattedge]

What if new drivers have a job ending late, so they have to drive home after midnight? Should they quit their job, because of such a silly law? Not hereby implying you made the law, though.

[juptVatoSoito]

What if new drivers have a job ending late, so they have to drive home after midnight? Should they quit their job, because of such a silly law? Not hereby implying you made the law, though.

Well new drivers wouldn't take a job that required them to drive after midnight.

[Loxaeed]

The backup was probably because you responded that you had a few to drink. He probably didn't have a breathalizer on him to test, so just called someone with one.

The fast drive to pull you over was probably because you didn't see him, and he thought you were ignoring him. So he sped up to catch you.

Honestly though, if you get pulled over, it doesn't benefit you in any way to be impolite. Just apologize for everything and be polite. In most situations, the cop probably would have just let it slide, but because you cop an attitude, he'll go out of his way to make trouble for you. Besides, a broken tail light is an issue regardless, so it's not like you were doing nothing and got pulled over, it was for a legitimate reason.

I don't understand when people question cops and be rude to them, it will not end nicely if you do that. If you have a legitimate complaint about a cop doing something wrong, don't act out there. Gather evidence and proof, and file a proper complaint.

[Old-old-Ivy]

Well new drivers wouldn't take a job that required them to drive after midnight.

They can, exceptions are made when a young driver is going to and from work.

[Old-old-Ivy]

The backup was probably because you responded that you had a few to drink. He probably didn't have a breathalizer on him to test, so just called someone with one.

The fast drive to pull you over was probably because you didn't see him, and he thought you were ignoring him. So he sped up to catch you.

Honestly though, if you get pulled over, it doesn't benefit you in any way to be impolite. Just apologize for everything and be polite. In most situations, the cop probably would have just let it slide, but because you cop an attitude, he'll go out of his way to make trouble for you. Besides, a broken tail light is an issue regardless, so it's not like you were doing nothing and got pulled over, it was for a legitimate reason.

I don't understand when people question cops and be rude to them, it will not end nicely if you do that. If you have a legitimate complaint about a cop doing something wrong, don't act out there. Gather evidence and proof, and file a proper complaint.

I was not ignoring him, almost nobody drives down this road at night. I would notice any lights, even if they were at the start of the road when I was nearly at the end. I usually pay attention to things like this.

He asked me where I was coming from, before he asked me about drinking... did I have to tell him? I mean, I know I smelled of bar at the time, so there was little left to his imagination as far as where I was. I never said I had a few though, I said I had one beer. The thing is though, why would the other cop need to be there for a tail light?

What good is proof? Who will I tell? Why should I tolerate a person who is indirectly paid by me treating me like some second class citizen? Why did I NEED to get back in my car when I was 20 feet from my front door? Why did he need to spotlight me? Why the sirens? The fact is, I was not driving fast, I was not driving in a bad way at all. He came there with the intention of getting a drunk driver, and when that did not happen he went dick. He told me he was having a bad night, and decided he was going to ticket everyone. Did you miss that? All I know, I looked like I was in a scene from cops, when I did nothing more than have a broken tail light.

[quack!]

What make model was the Saturn and how many miles were on it?

[Angeheade]

They can, exceptions are made when a young driver is going to and from work.

Yeah, here you have to get a waiver signed by your employer and present it to the officer if they pull you over to prove you have that limitation waived.