A weird thing happened on the way home, and I didn't find out I got here.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

Today after I left Skip's, his dad was listening to his scanner and they ran my plates. I didn't get stopped. There was a cop behind me, but he never stopped me or anything. Why would I get my plates ran if I didn't get stopped. Maybe they thought I'd stolen the car? It was wet and rainy, and I was a little one edge. Maybe I looked suspicious? I'm really paranoid now. Note: I don't have any identifying bumper stickers on my car, and I was going 30 in a 35. Any thoughts?
Duckie

[JohnKleeb]

1. Oh I forgot

Thats how I got you back, I reported that you stole a car, sorry about that one.

[knowbody0]

2. be afraid

like the rest of us

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. the cops were bored

and so ran your plates.

[Nite Owl]

4. Maybe they were looking for

a car with the same description?

[FloridaPat]

5. You were probably acting suspicious to the cop. Or he had an

alert for a stolen car of the same make, model etc of yours and just checking to make sure your plates went with your car.

[shesemsmom]

6. perhaps you car was same make as one reported missing or

belonging to someone who was in some trouble

[LDS Jock]

7. do you look like a terrorist?

or maybe a duck thief? or maybe you just look guilty.

[MnFats]

8. cops'll do that a lot...

....esp. when they're not busy.
....lots of reasons: to see if the registered owner has a valid license, recent prior violations, whether the plate matches the car, and yeah, in case it's stolen.
....not really worrysome if you've got proof of insurance, paid all your fines etc. they do catch a real bad guy by doing that now and then...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

9. Thanks that makes me feel better...

I've never been arrested, never plan on being arrested, and it scares the shit out of me thinking about possibly getting arrested.
Duckie

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

10. I think this is pretty common

Bored cops will run random plates just to see if anything turns up.

Then again, John Ashcroft does have a lot more time on his hands now...

[Gyre]

11. Seriously

The cop was just checking out your plates to see if there were any hits. If you're paranoid about the thought police, chill. They never share any intel w/ local cops.

If they've got a problem with you, they'll approach you in a public place or in front of your house to "ask you a few questions".

Gyre

[skygazer]

12. Don't be paranoid

It's a natural reflex on the part of cops to run plates on vehicles they get behind - never know when they might get a hit. The cop was probably not on a call or anything and just figured he'd check it out. I know a few cops and from what I understand, it's just standard operating procedure.

[nine23]

13. Don't cops use text messaging/mobile laptops?

n/t

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

18. No.

They do for some things, but most things have to be used on the radio. If an officer is in trouble or needs backup, uses the computer for it, and the network has a hiccup, he/she could die. Radio is used for everything important.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

14. A similar thing happened to me about 25 years ago

I had left my friend Janet's house and stopped to get gas at the local Quik Trip. My mother, a faithful police scanner listener, panicked when she heard the cops checking my plates (my license plate number at that time just happened to be our phone number backwards) while I was inside paying for the gas. They were probably bored, or maybe they just wanted to find out who that hot chick was! (ha ha)

[Shoeempress]

15. Cops do that sh@#. Taking hubby to Airport at 6:00 a.m. Monday,

Driving down the road, pass a cop pulled over, (the street's a speed trap) and he flips his lights on and follows. We pull over, cop comes over and says you have no front plate, we both go "WHAT!?". Hubby gets out to check, plate's there. Cop & I look at each other, he says hi. I realize I had a long talk with him at polls on 11-2.
Oh how are you, how's the family yada, yada, Him, fine wife due soon, sorry to bother you, and off we go. Clearly bored and pulled the first car over he saw to do something. Don't worry it meant nothing when they ran your plate.

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

16. I can explain.

Most likely, the cops have a BOLO out on a car similar to yours (one is missing or was used in a crime). BOLO stands for Be On the Look Out. Alternatively, they could have been training a new dispatcher and just giving the new kid some practice in handling radio traffic and using NCIC (the national crime computer system).

-GB, the daughter, granddaughter, and sister of cops

[Droopy]

17. You were doing 30 in a 35? He thought you were stoned!

You've got to be doing around 40 in a 35 to appear normal.