Yo Police Officers, What Kind of Mood do you Have to Be in...

[Ryan]

....well, I'll try to make this short....

I leave work at 4.30 to try to get home a tick early and enjoy my weekend. DC Traffic is always so much fun. Anyways, I get to 395 and merge onto it, to be directly pulled over right as I merge onto it. I'm thinking...I can't speed in bumper to bumper traffic, so WTF did I do?? I really couldn't figure it out...thinking maybe the cop owns a Hemi and didn't like my "Here Hemi Hemi!!" sticker on my back window...

So the cops walks up to my window and tells me why he pulled me over. My tint and my license plate cover. Tells me VA law its 50% (I thought it was 35%, but ok) and he was going to measure the darkness blah blah blah. The tells me about my license plate cover being illegal (it is smoked), which I knew that was. In all honesty, I never even thought about my tint b eing to dark, although ignorance is not an excuse...

Anyways, my questionis what is the typical deciding factor for you LEOs on the street on pulling someone over who isn't speeding or a moving violation? Bored?

*note: I'm not complaining about my tickets as I acknowledged I was in the wrong, I"m just wondering what is a deciding factor for you guys on pulling someone over.

 

[mswaim]

....well, I'll try to make this short....

I leave work at 4.30 to try to get home a tick early and enjoy my weekend. DC Traffic is always so much fun. Anyways, I get to 395 and merge onto it, to be directly pulled over right as I merge onto it. I'm thinking...I can't speed in bumper to bumper traffic, so WTF did I do?? I really couldn't figure it out...thinking maybe the cop owns a Hemi and didn't like my "Here Hemi Hemi!!" sticker on my back window...

So the cops walks up to my window and tells me why he pulled me over. My tint and my license plate cover. Tells me VA law its 50% (I thought it was 35%, but ok) and he was going to measure the darkness blah blah blah. The tells me about my license plate cover being illegal (it is smoked), which I knew that was. In all honesty, I never even thought about my tint b eing to dark, although ignorance is not an excuse...

Anyways, my excuse is what is the typical deciding factor for you LEOs on the street on pulling someone over who isn't speeding or a moving violation? Bored? Didn't get any the night before?

*note: I'm not complaining about my tickets as I acknowledged I was in the wrong, I"m just wondering what is a deciding factor for you guys on pulling someone over.

"Didn't get any the night before"?

Why is it everyone wants to blame others for their own mistakes and "shortcomings"?

Don't judge the cops sex life by your own, instead, try removing the tint and taking off the plate cover....... :idea:

 

[dgussin1]

"Didn't get any the night before"?

Why is it everyone wants to blame others for their own mistakes and "shortcomings"?

Don't judge the cops sex life by your own, instead, try removing the tint and taking off the plate cover....... :idea:

or cops could actually FIGHT CRIME or stop people who are making the streets unsafe. But I guess his license plate cover was going to hurt somebody, someday. Right? :bored: Just because it's a "rule/law" doesn't make it right.

 

[YesterdayAgain]

I didn't get any last night and damnit, I wanted to pull some folks over today!!

 

[YesterdayAgain]

The original question is good though I think. Goes along the same lines and the cop that tickets you for 1 MPH over. What's his deal?

 

[Ryan]

Guess you missed this brainiac...

*note: I'm not complaining about my tickets as I acknowledged I was in the wrong, I"m just wondering what is a deciding factor for you guys on pulling someone over.

"Didn't get any the night before"?

Why is it everyone wants to blame others for their own mistakes and "shortcomings"?

Don't judge the cops sex life by your own, instead, try removing the tint and taking off the plate cover....... :idea:

 

[Lawman85]

Easy one to answer. The deciding factor for me is if I observe someone in violation of the state law. I pull them over, check them through NCIC to see if they may be wanted and have a valid license, and usually issue a citation for the violation.

We used to give more warnings than we do now, but that created a problem. Citizens would call up and complain on officers stating " They just stopped me to harass me because I was ______ (fill in your own reason), and didn't have no reason to stop me.". So now, we have to issue citations just to show that we did have probable cause to stop someone and were not just "harassing" them.


And the "Popo" remark is quite rude.....

 

[Lawman85]

or cops could actually FIGHT CRIME or stop people who are making the streets unsafe. But I guess his license plate cover was going to hurt somebody, someday. Right? :bored: Just because it's a "rule/law" doesn't make it right.

FIGHT CRIME? Please....they only do that on T.V....

 

[mswaim]

Guess you missed this brainiac...

Oh, I didn't miss it - I provided a somewhat flippid answer to a somewhat flippid question - you got exactly what you deserved.

Bottom line is the officer does not have to explain the reason for his actions, you were in violation so why question it? If you don't like it, fix it.

This forum was created to help answer real questions posed by serious people, not someone who hides their distain behind a "disclaimer" sentence thinking that makes it okay to take a shot...... :loser:

 

[Ryan]

My apologies...wasn't meant to be rude.. :beer: Fixed!

And the "Popo" remark is quite rude.....

I was not asking for an explanantion...I was just curious as to what a LEO's criteria for pulling someone over for those types of infractions. In my experience in being pulled over, its been typically for speeding AND then the added infractions mentioned...not for those specified in my thread.

As I said, I was just curious what deciding factors were for such a stop for you guys....

Bottom line is the officer does not have to explain the reason for his actions, you were in violation so why question it? If you don't like it, fix it.

This forum was created to help answer real questions posed by serious people, not someone who hides their distain behind a "disclaimer" sentence thinking that makes it okay to take a shot...... :loser:

 

[mswaim]

or cops could actually FIGHT CRIME or stop people who are making the streets unsafe. But I guess his license plate cover was going to hurt somebody, someday. Right? :bored: Just because it's a "rule/law" doesn't make it right.

You may think that particular law/rule isn't right, however as long as it is on the books you will have to adhere or suffer the consequences. If you feel strongly about it, contact your representative and ask them to lobby the legislature to change it.

Just to make this fair though, let me say this. PLace yourself in the LEO's shoes. If traffic in your beat area is moving well and speed does not seem to be the issue today, then an officer has the time to begin working on other issues, tinted windows, no tail or brake lights, plate covers, etc.

During those stops he will also find unlicensed drivers, car thieves, DUI's, drug dealers, etc. etc. etc.

Traffic stops are a key component in lowering crime overall, so if you don't want to get caught up in that effort, keep the tint reasonable, don't put covers over your plate and don't speed indiscriminately.

 

[mswaim]

My apologies...wasn't meant to be rude.. :beer: Fixed!

I was not asking for an explanantion...I was just curious as to what a LEO's criteria for pulling someone over for those types of infractions. In my experience in being pulled over, its been typically for speeding AND then the added infractions mentioned...not for those specified in my thread.

As I said, I was just curious what deciding factors were for such a stop for you guys....

I believe my post following yours might help provide the answer. Sorry if I was too pushy, however it seems that if one person posts something that comes off negatively, several will follow........as happended here.

Traffic stops are a large part of the job and lead officers to many additional issues, such as drugs, DUI's, unlicensed drivers, stolen property, etc. etc.

You never really know what is fueling a particular type of action either, sometimes it's your supervisors telling you to get out there and enforce the vehicle codes because of complaints from the public.

 

[Ryan]

No problem-o....

I think the last sentence is probably applicable in this instance, because there were two other people pulled over froma mile where I got pulled over.

Thanks for the input :thumbsup:

BTW, the public really complains about tint and license plate cover type offenses?

I believe my post following yours might help provide the answer. Sorry if I was too pushy, however it seems that if one person posts something that comes off negatively, several will follow........as happended here.

Traffic stops are a large part of the job and lead officers to many additional issues, such as drugs, DUI's, unlicensed drivers, stolen property, etc. etc.

You never really know what is fueling a particular type of action either, sometimes it's your supervisors telling you to get out there and enforce the vehicle codes because of complaints from the public.

 

[Noisycow]

If you don't want to be hassled by cops and have to listen to their vain babblings, don't make it so easy for them to pull you over. Down the road, probable cause won't be a requirement, but for now -- don't give them reasons to waste your time.

 

[Ryan]

I've been pulled over 2 times in the truck previously and none of those LEOs mentioned the tint, as I said, I never even thought of the tint being 'dark', but his lil scanner thing proved that it was :shrug: I don't consider it hassling since he was doing his job and I was in the 'wrong'.......

If you don't want to be hassled by cops and have to listen to their vain babblings, don't make it so easy for them to pull you over. Down the road, probable cause won't be a requirement, but for now -- don't give them reasons to waste your time.

 

[Lawman85]

If you don't want to be hassled by cops and have to listen to their vain babblings, don't make it so easy for them to pull you over. Down the road, probable cause won't be a requirement, but for now -- don't give them reasons to waste your time.

Thanks for your useful comments and hidden cop bashing.

 

[Groovyash]

or cops could actually FIGHT CRIME or stop people who are making the streets unsafe. But I guess his license plate cover was going to hurt somebody, someday. Right? :bored: Just because it's a "rule/law" doesn't make it right.

Last month my shift made eleven stops for "minor" items like you elude have no merrit in "fighting crime" Of those eleven, Four had no insurance. Four had no liscence. Two had warrants outstanding. Two were DUI. Three had pot. One had a stolen gun. One was a convicted pedophile with his 11 year old niece in the car w/o her parents knowledge. The three who had nothing else wrong other than the equipment violation got a warning. (In case your doing the math most had multiple offenses on the same stop.)

You'd be surprised at what "Fighting Crime" actually consists of, don't assume you know more about doing the job than those who actually do it.

Dan

 

[Ryan]

I guess being a 'law abiding' citizen I didn't think of that aspect of it.

Keep up the good work fellas :thumbsup:

Last month my shift made eleven stops for "minor" items like you elude have no merrit in "fighting crime" Of those eleven, Four had no insurance. Four had no liscence. Two had warrants outstanding. Two were DUI. Three had pot. One had a stolen gun. One was a convicted pedophile with his 11 year old niece in the car w/o her parents knowledge. The three who had nothing else wrong other than the equipment violation got a warning. (In case your doing the math most had multiple offenses on the same stop.)

You'd be surprised at what "Fighting Crime" actually consists of, don't assume you know more about doing the job than those who actually do it.

Dan

 

[Sonik Blur]

Whoa whoa, wait a minute! Why is everyone jumping on the police officers? That really torques my wrench when people get all pissed off because THEY broke the law. If a cop gives you a ticket for going 1 mph over, then so be it! Technically, 1 mph over is violating the speed limit. Now are police officers going to be that strict, no. (At least I hope not.) But people always hate the police until they need the police. There are a lot of laws that I will agree are dumb BUT THEY ARE LAWS! And unless you can change that, they have to be enforced. I was cited $75 for tints on my 96 GT, did I like it? No. But I took the tints off and never had trouble again, the judge even threw the case out so I didn't even have to pay a dime. Bottom line is: Police officers have a job to do, and that is enforce the laws; and if an officer has a bad day sometimes that might affect the judgement of the officer. But that's the way it is and there will not be any changing that until we get Robocop or something....!!

-Mike

 

[Ryan]

Whoa Whoa...no one is jumping on the police officers and the ones that are getting close I'd appreciate it if you stopped.

My whole friggin point of this thread was to see how Police Officers decided on pulling someone over for a non moving violation (is that the right term?). Never once did I complain about the tickets or bash the police officer. So unless your a LEO step away from the keyboard and just read!

Thanks!:read:

Whoa whoa, wait a minute! Why is everyone jumping on the police officers? That really torques my wrench when people get all pissed off because THEY broke the law. If a cop gives you a ticket for going 1 mph over, then so be it! Technically, 1 mph over is violating the speed limit. Now are police officers going to be that strict, no. (At least I hope not.) But people always hate the police until they need the police. There are a lot of laws that I will agree are dumb BUT THEY ARE LAWS! And unless you can change that, they have to be enforced. I was cited $75 for tints on my 96 GT, did I like it? No. But I took the tints off and never had trouble again, the judge even threw the case out so I didn't even have to pay a dime. Bottom line is: Police officers have a job to do, and that is enforce the laws; and if an officer has a bad day sometimes that might affect the judgement of the officer. But that's the way it is and there will not be any changing that until we get Robocop or something....!!

-Mike