The cops are following me

quote:

Originally posted by Blake Manner:
...so the cop pulled me over and gave me a ticket for "having an air freshener hanging from my rear view mirror".

So why is that illegal?

That reminds me of a similar police encounter. On a Friday evening, about 5 years ago, I shot in a pool tournment at a local "cowboy/redneck" bar. Because I was in the tournament, I only drink soda. [I wanted to cash in the tournament]

The tournament ended about 10:00pm and I headed out the door. As I walked to my car, I noticed a police car in the parking lot across the street; but not having drank, I was not worried. I got into my car and headed off to more friendily space to spend my winnings.

As I suspected the police car pulled out behind me. After about 500 feet, the lights came on and the cop pulled me over. I turned into the first parking lot and turned off the engine. The cop asked me where I was coming from, knowing full well that he had just seen my coming out of a bar.

I told him that I had been at the bar. He asked how much I had had to drink. I told him that I had'nt had any alcohol. He asked whether I would submit to a Field Sobriety Test. I refused and offered to blow a breathilizer test [which is your right and actually advised by anyone that knows anything about criminal law, assuming that you haven't been drinking. FST are strictly subjective and open to the officer's "judgment"]. He insisted that I do the FST and I continued to offer to blow. Finally he had me blow and based on the results let me go; but not before giving me a ticket for having a blown out left brake light [the right one worked fine].

I, then, was stopped 3 more times, by 3 different officers, in less than a mile, for the same blown out brake light. Each time I assured the officers that the first officer had made me aware that the light was out and showed them my ticket.

But on the last stop, I asked the officer whether his car was equipped with a radio. When he answered that it was, I told him to get on the radio and inform all of his sheriff buddies that "the Black man driving the Silver Benz knows that his brake light is out, he has been ticketed for it, and if anyone felt the need to stop him to make him aware, they would need to bring a supervisor and be prepared to make an arrest."

Okay. Mine is about that length. And besides, I like to tell it.

In about 1994, I was making my daily commute, in my fire engine red 'Bird. It was about 6 AM.

As I round the wide turn of the on-ramp to the turnpike, I saw a very spify-looking police car coming down the pike at very high speed, but...with no lights on AND no siren.

Nothing was on the road. I thought 'Where is this local yokel' going in such a hurry?

I decided to follow him. So I amce off the ramp running pretty hard.

When I caught up with the police car, was doing 95 ane rising. I was about 10 car-lengths behind him.

After a minute of so he slowed. I slowed. He sped up. I sped up.

The repeat several times until he slowed, and I finally got bored with the exercise, and decised to pass him.

As I was passing him, I looked over and written down the side of the car was 'STATE POLICE'.

Ooops!!!!!

Needless to say, he hit his lights and pulled me over.

He pulled over and approach my car in a very light drizzle.

After asking for my 'stuff', he asked, 'Do you know how fast your were going?'

I said, 'I was following you.'

He repeated. I repeated.

He asked if I was trying to be smart. I said, 'No.'

I could write you up for going to fast for conditions, its raining out here.

I said, 'I was following you.'

He asked, 'Are you a lawyer?'

I said there was no need to call me names, at which point he turned and went back to his car.

He stayed there a long time.

When he returned to gave me my 'stuff' back, and said 'Be on your way, and no speeding'.

From that day forward, every morning when I came down that ramp they were waiting for me.

Over the next two years they got me three times.

PEACE

Jim Chester

He

Long ago when I was working for Panasonic in a White suburb I went to Burger King for lunch. As I drove back to work I noticed a cop followed me all of the way about to miles. I finally pulled into the Panasonic parking lot and just stopped about 30 feet in and watched in the mirror. I was wondering if he was going to come into the lot. For a while I didn't see anything then he cruised by the entrance to the lot real slow.

umbrarchist

Looks like most of us all have similar experiences. However I will slightly go off topic with my situation.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I was unjustly stopped (but never ticketed) by the pigs without probable cause.

I use to work for a hospital in a very white, conservative neighborhood in the mid nineties. My problem was I worked the swing shift which means I didn't get off until after 12 midnight. I had to drive several miles of surface streets to get to the freeway to go home. Seriously I've never been scared like this before.

This is how it would go down: I'm driving under the speed limit which is between 45-50 mph. Pigs would routinely pull me over and of course I comply with these assholes. Most of the time they would ask me to get out of my vehicle and ask me a half-dozen questions (sometimes submitting me to a DUI test) before telling me why they pulled me over. I remember this one mother f***** who actually called my employer to verify if I worked at the hospital. Anyway, here I'am out in the street with my scrubs on after midnight with these jerks. After asking me a load of bullshit questions I get down to asking them why did they stop me (I swear they all had a set of scripted answers because they all would say the same thing). Nine out of ten times their answer to me would be I was, "driving too slow." This was their alleged PC however we all knew it was about my skin color. And remind you, never once was I ticketed. But don't believe I didn't try to file a complaint against the police department after I left the hospital.

The only good thing about this situation was I'm glad I was able to keep a cool head with those MF's because it easily could have turned into a death certificate for me and there wouldn't have been any witnesses.

quote:

Originally posted by Tre:
So why is that illegal?

I suppose there is a BS law about a driver is supposed to have an "unobstructed view of the road" so they can't have anything on or hanging over the windshield.

But then there are the corporate types who have those stickers on thier windows in order to validate their parking spaces, so you know how equally the law is enforced.

And my only pig story is that some cop followed me on the highway all the way to the airport until they flashed their lights and stopped me at the terminal so that EVERYBODY can see they got themselves a buck. What did I do? I was driving too slow.

In the rain.

Advice for Brothers [and sisters]:

When stopped by the police and asked to perform a Field Sobriety Test, politely [but firmly] refuse, e.g., "No Sir. I will not submit to a Field Sobriety Test. I will; however, submit to a breathalizer test or a blood test, but I will not submit to a Field Sobriety Test."

Reason: The FST is subjective and open to the biases of the observing officer. On the other hand, the breathilizer and Blood tests are objective. Plus, the breathilizer is easier to challenge in court [e.g., the officers training in administrating the test, the equipment's age and caliberation date] and most officers will not take the time to drive you to the hospital for the blood test, if the stop was bogus.