Message auto-removed

[Name removed]

[HFRN]

1. here's something a cop aquaintence shared with me, that's made my encounters smooth ever since

1) you get lit up, pull over as soon as you can safely do so - put on your turn signal to indicate that's what you're doing

2) once you pull over, turn on your dome light if it's dark - dont be seen reaching around the vehicle (I do violate the rule of reaching into my back pocket, before the cop walks up, to get my license registration and insurance card to hand to the officer - ALWAYS KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THOSE 3 ITEMS ARE, AND KEEP THEM UP TO DATE!

3) have hands on steering wheel, window down, engine turned off (or keys taken out, put on dash)

4) have sunglasses off

5) do not reach for anything, without asking the cop first what you intend to do

6) most important, do not reach for anything while making eye contact, you might get the cop's gun pointed at you if you do

I'm a clean cut white male, and I always do this. The issues above are about showing a cop that you arent going to run, or pull a weapon, something they dont know, and have to estimate for themselves. That they can handle the stop without getting 'ampted up'

it goes without saying, that turning on the dome light presumes you dont carry illegal substances in your car, and that you dont drive while intoxicated. nobody is obligated to follow this advice, but if you do, your odds of getting an 'ampted up' cop go way down, and can in some circumstances, legitimately turn a ticket into a warning, as you're showing the cop that you do know and care about the safety issues of the circumstance (although, dont count on it or get angry if that isnt the result)

it's not about being submissive - it's about understanding, and cooperating with, the process that is occurring, that the cop has to process.

remember, you respect the uniform, not the person - and if you don't they take it personally, that the person isn't worth the respect of the uniform, and that's where a lot of cops get the chip on the shoulder

[handmade34]

5. yes...

it is often about "being submissive" ...kowtow to me and you will be fine...

it is a fucked up system and unfair to many... being white makes it so much easier for many of us


my daughter was a cop (now an ICE employee) I have known lots of cops and I worked as a Correctional Officer for awhile... I know too much to see this as a simple fix...

[HFRN]

6. never said it was a 'simple fix'

it's just putting probability on your side, understanding what they are doing

[Facility Inspector]

9. BINGO

someone gets it.

[kelliekat44]

2. Information given here won't mean much without some racial info along with it. nt

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. White guy here.

Let's see. They've been totally useless the two times I've had break-ins. Didn't do a single bit of forensic work. No 'dusting for prints', no 'collecting footprints', nada. They looked around at the damage, listened to me talk about what had disappeared, then told me to make sure I locked my doors and windows all the time, and left.

On the road, I've gotten a few tickets. One time I made the mistake of getting out of the car to more easily dig out my wallet, which I keep in my door side pocket, since I'm left handed. Guy instantly got hyper aggressive and shouted at me to get back in the car with my hands on the wheel. Mostly of the time they've just been grumpy/assertive.

[BillZBubb]

7. You've been lucky.

I don't have time to list them all, but I will share my first one on one dealing with a cop.

I was 12 years old. I had a morning paper route in a far suburban area. The route was covered almost 3 miles. I had to get up at 5am, ride my bike about 1 mile to the hardware store where my distributor left he morning papers. He had an arrangement with the owner to leave the papers in the front door area outside of the store since it was protected from the weather.

One morning I had arrived at my pickup point and started folding the papers and putting them in my bag. A cop car drove by, the cop saw me and immediately turned around and pulled into the parking lot. He hopped out of the car and shouted at me to stop what I was doing and come over to the car. I was shocked, but I did what he said without comment. Then he started questioning me in a very demanding and accusatory tone. What was I doing there? Did my parents know I was out at this time? Did I have permission to be around this store?

I tried to explain the situation. I thought it would be obvious to anyone who just looked: kid with bicycle, a delivery bag with the name of the paper on it, stack of folded papers, etc. etc.

Then he said get in the car. I did NOT want to do that: A, I was afraid. B. I was alone and I didn't know this guy. C. I had to get my route done in time to get ready for school. I tried to make excuses why I wouldn't do so particularly reason C. He didn't like my not obeying, so he grabbed my by the arm and hauled me to the door and threw me in the back seat. I started crying like a baby.

He then said to be quiet, he couldn't let me go until he did a "Juvenile Field Report" or something like that. Anyway, he asked me the usual questions and filled out his paperwork. He let me out of the car and drove off.

That was my first experience and I've had worse since that one.

[HFRN]

12. i had impossible paper route treatment too

someone complaining no matter what time i delivered, either 'too late'->6:35 when they wanted 6:30 or too early, someone getting pissed off because the insane pointer barked his head off at me when i went by the garage, high school kids spraying ketchup at me while collecting, lady who never had anything but a $100 bill while collecting

the only one who was nice to me was a pedophile (I'm not making any of this up)

[Facility Inspector]

8. Biracial White Latino

with spanish Surname.

Male

Clocked doing 102 in a 45 mph construction zone on interstate highway leading out of major metro area up North.

State trooper got me, I was in week one of detoxing from 30 year alcohol career and not in the best place mentally. Had a discouraging phone call that set off tons of bad emotions and I was just trying to get somewhere.

Anywho, when he lit me up, I put on my 4 ways, pulled out of the mainlanes, killed the engine, rolled down all windows and put my arms out like an airplane.

Trooper came, asked me what the fuck I was doing and I explained my situation and mental state. Plus that I had just quit drinking that very same week and I was trying to get to an AA meeting.

I apologized for fucking up on HIS interstate. His initial reactions were kinda snarly, asking me if it was MY car (I was driving a brand new car), but once we started talking, he started asking questions looking for ways to excuse my infraction (have you been in any trouble, any other speeding tickets). I asked his permission to reach for documents when he requested them.

He went and did his job in the cruiser, came back and let me know he could arrest me right on the spot for felony reckless and felony speeding with all construction zone enhancements, possible prison time, and 10s of thousands in fines.

I got 70 in a regular 45, and he told me to take the next exit and sit and relax for a minute. He thanked me for taking officer safety into consideration in the way I handled myself when he pulled me over.

He also said to take it easy since it would be a shame to wreck such a nice car.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

14. Reminds me of the one accident I caused.

Pulled out of a rural T intersection in front of someone coming from the side because I didn't see their brown vehicle blending in with brown tree trunks. Heard tires squealing behind me, looked into my rear-view to see the truck spinning out and going through a chain link fence on the corner, missing a 3 ft across tree trunk by about an inch.

When I went into court, everyone ahead of me was getting jail time, until he got to me, and I was the first person that day who HAD insurance, and after he heard that there was no actual contact between my vehicle and the other, he knocked it down to something like $110 plus court costs, then suspended half of it. (I was also the only person who wore a suit to court, everyone else was in regular every day clothes.) My insurance paid for everything else.

[mmonk]

13. Nothing negative until the last few years.

I was pulled over for speeding and before I could blink my eye, I was surrounded by vehicles including a K 9 unit and they were all in black get ups as if they were going to war instead of pulling someone over for speeding. My cousin, female, was taken into custody and at the jail in the holding area, was nearly beaten to death ( she had to brought back to consciousness a couple of times). She went through 4 or 5 surgeries as a result and is now permanently disabled.

[KG]

15. 55ish white guy. generally satisfactory interactions. still don't trust the bastards.