Excessive on-ramp speed - the cop had someone stopped on the on-ramp that had run the light. I was turning right onto the ramp and a lady coming the other way pulled a long left out from behind an 18 wheeler. I could either stop or accelerate, in my 3000GT VR4, past the officer, who had just finished his other ticket. I accelerated, of course. He chased me down on I65 so I stopped with 2 wheels in the grass. He came down the side of my car with his butt against the fender and asked for my license and registration. I asked him why he stopped me and he said - excessive on-ramp speed. He asked why I handed him my Permit with my license and I told him that the registration was under my pistol in the glove box and I didn't want him to go all Barney Fife on me.... He grinned and told me to put the pistol on the floor and there wouldn't be a problem. I did and he sent me on my way with a warning after checking me out.

So a bullshit stop but he worked it out in the end.

I've been pulled over for the "Had a motorcycle that looked like this one with a partial plate number of this that got away from me the other night" excuse.

I mean, couldn't they get a bit more original once in awhile?

"Didn't recognize the vehicle and there have been some break-ins in the neighborhood."

I was headed to north Texas from Tulsa one night about 1:00 AM. A white station wagon was parked at an intersecting rural road 3 or 4 miles south of Bixby, Okla. As I passed, the unmarked white station wagon pulled out to followe me without any lights on of any kind.
In the full moonlight, I saw his white car behind me and I saw when his headlights came on prior to lighting me up.

Cop: Son I clocked you doing 80 mph coming through town.

(I was running low on gas when I got to Bixby and was glad to find a service station open. After gassing up, I drank a soda while chatting with the guy at the station.)

I was so stunned by the cop's bald faced lie, without thinking I blurted out bullshit!

Cop: Well, maybe it was about 70. That'll be $21.50.

Me: I don't have it. You'll just have to take me to jail.

Cop: If it'll help you, I can reduce it to $15.50.

Me: I still don't have it. You're just gonna have to take me to jail.

Cop: How much money do you have?

Me: I have a ten dollar bill.

Cop: Well, I'll take it and explain your situation to the judge and maybe he won't ask for anymore.

If I hadn't gassed up in that pissant town, that thieving SOB would have left an 18 yr. old kid stranded out in the middle of nowhere.

Two lame reasons I have been pulled over...

Not signaling going into a roundabout, but I did signal coming out. No citation, just a quick look at the drivers license and warning.

Not holding my lane long enough when making a lane change across three lanes of traffic. I held it long enough to make a second head check in each lane though. No citation for that offense, but he did cite me for window tint.

Just remembered another.

On the freeway with the projects to my right and an exit to them right there.

Merging freeway on my left.

A scumbag merging from my left to take the off ramp into the projects to my right.

Totally cut me off - nobody behind me, could have merged there - not enough room between us for a sheet of binder paper.

I laid on the horn and at that moment a highway patrol lit me up.

Reason - tailgating.

What utter horseshit! My first introduction into leftist politics. Can't cite the scumbag, got to get the guy with $$.

You bet your ass I took it to court.

Another one was when I was in the middle of an intersection waiting for a scumbag that hadn't signaled for a left turn let all the traffic pass holding me hostage mid intersection.

Cop wrote me for running a red light.

Total bullshit and obvious abuse of power.

He even checked to make sure I had a front license plate, pile it on if possible. Had a plate and told him I knew what he was doing.

Court with that too. Beat both of these and gained some disrespect for LEO in the process.

Chickenshit stuff for revenue is not OK.

I like LEO and cooperate, but right and wrong matter.

Allegedly Street racing. Apparently the female cop thought a red 5.0 mustang convertible looked close enough to the red Nissan Sentra that went flying past me that I got pulled and questioned.

Something like 30 years ago, I was driving from Portland to my parent's place in Boise for Christmas. It was early in the morning and I was in the mountains in eastern Oregon on I-84. There had been a storm the day before and the left lane was still snow-packed. The right lane was plowed and clear - wet, but clear. Temperature was above freezing. So I'm going under an overpass, in the right lane, cruising along at a couple MPH over the posted limit, which was 55 at the time. Some a-hole comes flying past me in the left lane (on the snow) doing at least 80. Well there was a state trooper parked on the on-ramp on the far side of the overpass. He flips on his lights and comes roaring down the ramp, passes me, and flags BOTH cars over. He came back and talked to me first. Didn't cite me for anything but he really read me the riot act, talking about reckless driving and so on. He was in a really shitty mood - his wife must have had a headache the night before or something. Of course, he'd probably been sitting there bored out of his skull for hours too. I'm thinking "WTF? I didn't do anything wrong!", but even at a relatively young age I was smart enough not to say anything beyond "Yes officer. Yes, I'll be more careful officer. Thank you officer." Anyhow, I went on my way and he walked up to talk to the other guy. He may very well have executed him on the spot.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
Wasn't there a member here who got pulled over for only having a rear license plate but he was from a state like PA where that's all you get?

I was doing some temporary work in NJ, shuttling back and forth from FL.

I was driving toward a couple of town cops in NJ. They saw no front plate, pulled me over. One of them walked behind my car, saw the FL plate on the rear, let me go.

---

Memorable stop: Apopka FL cop hassled me for walking.

I had come home late from a trip, landed at the Apopka airport (totally deserted at night). Parked the V-Tail, my airport car refused to start. This was years ago, before we all had cell phones. It was either sleep in the car or plane, or start walking home. Twelve miles. I walked.

About 2/3 of the way home, I was walking south, very pissed off, and a northbound Apopka cop stopped and yelled for me to cross the highway and come to him. When I did not do that, he screeched into a U-Turn, pulled up in front of me, got out of his car with his hand on his sidearm, demanded to know where I was going.

"Home."

Wanted to know where I was coming from.

"The airport."

Wanted to know why I was walking.

"Car wouldn't start."

Demanded ID. I showed him my pilot certificate.

Wanted to know why I did not take a taxi.

"Seriously? Have you EVER seen a taxi hanging around the Apopka airport, waiting for a fare? Even at high noon? It's two o'clock in the morning. There is NOBODY at the airport."

Wanted to know why I didn't call a taxi.

"Have you ever seen a pay phone at that airport? I have been based there for several years, never saw a phone, never saw a taxi. Now, would you mind telling me why you stopped me? If I'm under arrest, please take me to your jail so I can get some rest. I'm tired, been flying all day, just walked eight miles with another four to go."

Cop got in his car and drove off.

When I was about 20 I was driving from Texas to Virginia. Got pulled over for speeding, which was valid because I had cruise control set about 73 on a highway marked 70. Whatever. It's VA, and I'm young, so I know I'm getting a ticket.

I roll my window down as the cop walks up, and he leans down and slaps the back of my head (not hard) and says: "damn Ronny, you don't recognize me?"

My name isn't Ronny, and I just stared at him and said "excuse me sir?"

He looks surprised, then says "never-mind." Walks back to his car and drives away.

Honestly I'm just glad I didn't get a speeding ticket.

Cop sitting along side of road in a gravel turn out, facing oncoming traffic with marker lights only. I gave extra room while passing on my way home from an afternoon shift. Dark, no headlights coming at me. Cop followed me into town, pulled me over for left of center. No ticket, assume he thought I was drunk @ 11:45...

133 in a 55 zone. Can't a guy have a bit of fun?

quote:

Originally posted by 4x5:

Today, driving in Idaho, I saw a Highway Patrol on the right shoulder of the road, so I got into the left lane. Once I passed him, I got back into the right lane, and he comes up behind me and pulls me over. The reason? I only signaled for 2-3 seconds, instead of the required 5. Fortunately, he only gave me a warning, but really?

What's the dumbest thing you've ever been pulled over for?

I actually got a similar warning once. Entering the freeway, didn't signal for six seconds, just four.

Dumbest pull-over? Got pulled over as a teen. I asked why, the officer said my taillight was broken. I said it wasn't, and went to check. He used a maglight to break the light, and said "yes, it is."

Got a flat tire in Colorado, passing through, late. The spare had a problem. I hiked to a gas station to use a phone (pre-cell days). Got back to the jeep, found the windshield smashed. Hiked back to the gas station, called the police. They arrived, put me in their car, too me back to mine, and called a tow truck. Told the driver to charge whatever he wanted, told me to pay it and don't be seen again, or face arrest. Never stated why. Extortion. A mere 700 to change a flat.

Got pulled over twice for going too slow. Uphill, mountain grade, slow lane. Vehicle maxed out. Could barely get going again. Thanks.

Got pulled over by a southern Utah deputy, remote area. Smart ass. I knew him. I asked the reason for the stop. He told me he had a message, be grateful he didn't put a bullet in my head, nobody would know, he said.

I'm all for a legal straight-up stop, and I wouldn't believe it if it didn't happen...but it did. Stops get made for all kinds of pretexts, and reasonable suspicion and probable cause are floating targets that often go untested. There are limits.

My brother was pulled over one night on the way to drop something off for me at a military base. When my brother asked about the reason for the stop, the deputy said the taillight was out. It wasn't. Asked again, the deputy said my brother sped through a 25 mph zone, doing 35. My brother pointed out the speed limit was 35. Asked again, the deputy changed his story to say that my brother had failed to stop at the traffic light in town. Problem was, there wasn't a traffic light...in the entire town. The deputy eventually gave up, and my brother left.

Those would rank as the dumbest ones, I can recall.

I did get pulled over in Basrah, Iraq, for doing ten miles per hour on base. I believe the limit was five (don't recall). Seemed petty at the time.

I'm going to tell a good cops story.

Going west on I-20 in Arlington, Texas. 55 mph zone then. I'm doing 90 mph in a Z28, coming off of 100+mph. I'm having fun.

Coming up in the middle lane, two semis in line. Okay, got to pass on the left. Ease over, start to lean into the gas...DOH! Arlington PD cruiser in between the trucks doing 55 mph waiting for guys like me. I fly by, ease back into the middle lane, coasting down to 55 mph and here they come. This is going to be expensive.

Doesn't pull in behind me, but alongside me. Not unusual, sometimes they do it to eyeball the occupants before lighting them up. But they stay there. I look over and its two officers. The passenger window comes down and they motion for me to do the same. I do.

They both give me a thumbs up and the officer driving yells, "Nice car!". Then he floorboards it and takes off. I mean right up to at least 120 mph. Left me tooling at 55 mph.

I figured WTH. I hit the gas, matching speed. After about a minute, I noticed I was gaining and thought I'd better not push my luck. I backed off until they were out of sight, and my exit was coming up anyway.

Even today, when I'm passing a line of semis anywhere in the country, I look for those two.

Fooled me once...

Stopped for having a "drive off plate"/"temp tag" on a car I JUST BOUGHT.
This is how I found out there's no such thing as a "drive off plate" in 1990.
Then you were to acquire the plates before you drove the car in Georgia.(law has since changed)
Even though I had ALL the paperwork in the car, state trooper still wrote me a $200 ticket.
I had to fight it. (2 days off work and it was TOSSED OUT. Cost me more to fight it.)
Then proceeded to go all batshit crazy and tossed me over the hood of the patrol car.
Over me asking "is THAT what you pulled me over for?"
Ask me again why I don't trust the police.

quote:

Originally posted by 4x5:

Today, driving in Idaho, I saw a Highway Patrol on the right shoulder of the road, so I got into the left lane. Once I passed him, I got back into the right lane, and he comes up behind me and pulls me over. The reason? I only signaled for 2-3 seconds, instead of the required 5. Fortunately, he only gave me a warning, but really?

Got pulled over in central Washington last summer on my way over to Seattle one day for not signaling while changing lanes on the interstate. He was sitting on an on-ramp watching as I came by. There was some debris in the right lane so I moved over to the left and then back without signaling. There was not another vehicle in sight.

He asked if I knew why he pulled me over and I said "I have no idea". I wasn't speeding (excessively) and really didn't have a clue. He went on to explain that it was a new law in WA that signaling is ALWAYS required everywhere whether turning or changing lanes. I said, "Huh...well that sounds like kind of a dumb law but...OK, I'll keep that in mind". He agreed and gave me a verbal warning and let me go.

I was once pulled over by an undercover car driven by a uniformed SFPD officer. Apparently, someone pissed in his corn flakes that morning because the whole interaction was bullshit. He was approaching an intersection a full block away when I turned onto the street and he stopped to wait at the stop sign. I drove the entire block, came to a stop and signalled for a left turn. The officer just sat there. After a few seconds I figured he was texting or something and started to make the left turn. He jumped in front of me and blocked the intersection, then started yelling at me, saying I was speeding and demanding to know why I tried to make the left before he went through the stop. I explained that I wasn't speeding and that his delay at the sign made me think I could go. I should mention that until he blocked me, I didn't realize he was an officer. I just thought he was a civilian. He goes on to tell me he was waiting at the light because my car was popular with street racers and he wanted to see if I would be speeding. I literally rolled his eyes at him. He then said I was supposed to wait for right of way no matter how long it took him to get through the sign. Then he demanded to know where my front plate was (need to have it mounted in California) and I told him it was in the trunk.

Since I had an answer to every one of his demands, I think he was getting tired of the fishing expedition and left. He just up and sped off after I told him my plate was in my trunk. I looked at my girlfriend and we were both like, "what the fuck?"