Question for LEO's

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finesse_r

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Do officers of the law actually make comments like these. Supposedly these were comments made by SC state troopers and captured on their car videos.


1. "You know, stop lights don't come any redder than the one you just went through."
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2. "Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch after you wear them a while."
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3. "You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?"
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4. "If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."
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5. "Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that's the speed of the bullet that'll be chasing you."
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6. "The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"
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7. "Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."
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8. "Just how big were those 'two beers' you say you had?"
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9. "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can."
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10. "You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."
 
I'd rather ask them things like:
Your eyes look a little glazed, have you been eating doughnuts?
or,
When he stops you for speeding and asks "where's the fire?" you look at him longingly and say "in your eyes, officer"
 
I used to work with a guy whose father was a retired NYS Trooper.

He said that his father had a policy when he stopped somebody for speeding - if the person gave him an excuse that he'd never heard before, he'd let them go with a warning. :D

I guess you'd have to do something to amuse yourself all night long. ;) :D
 
I've heard. " Daytona is in Florida, not only are you speeding but you're headed the wrong way there pumpkin" haha

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I found those comments amusing but inappropriate. I can honestly say I never said anything to a motorist on a traffic stop other than "Good morning, etc Sir/Ma'am - I stopped you because ... May I have your license, registration, etc?"
Call me boring, if you will but I think traffic stops are serious business and I had no desire to deliver lectures or escalate situations needlessly.


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I had a friend who stopped this old boy driving a pickup. The man had a dog with him and when he walked up the dog growled and snapped at him. He jumped back and asked the old man if the dog would bite. The man said dunno, he hasnt bit me! My friend let him skate.
 
"Do you know why I stopped you?"
"No... Don't you?"
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I been retired about 6 months, and was riding my M/C in Palo Alto, Ca. got stopped by a very young rookie officer, Who asked "do you know why I stopped you?" To which I responded, I got an idea, but I ain't gonna tell you. Her training officer just about lost it, he almost fell off the fender of their patrol vehicle. She was reaching for the bracelets when he got her calmed down, and was kind enough to send my along my way.
 
Be a jerk when you get pulled over to the officer. It's never happened before and the officer will be so stunned he won't know what to say. :rolleyes: A few people I stopped sat there dumbfounded in the back of the car, as they were going to jail for what started off as a traffic citation.

Most of the officers I know have a simple, "I'll treat you as you treat me rule." Many polite and respectful people got a warning rather than a ticket from me. I had no desire to make people's lives harder or waste my time on traffic citations. If I stopped someone for a traffic violation, they were asking for it.

To answer the OP, if they were respectful, no, never. If not, I had no problem letting them know they just screwed up big time.
 
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I once wrote a cabbie a ticket for making an illegal U turn (heavy traffic in the center of an intersection). When we got to court he (the cabbie) pled not guilty and told the judge he did not make a U turn, he made two left turns. I could not help myself and broke out in laughter right there in court. The judge found him not guilty. I still get a laugh from this today.
 
Well, I retired as a watch commander, but not in the Traffic Unit, so I didn't hear much of that stuff my last few years. I do remember as a young slick sleeve sitting around trying to make up lines like that.
My favorite, even if probably not true:
"But Officer, I thought you didn't give tickets to pretty girls."

"we don't. Sign here".:D
 
Hillbilly77 said:
I used to work with a guy whose father was a retired NYS Trooper.

He said that his father had a policy when he stopped somebody for speeding - if the person gave him an excuse that he'd never heard before, he'd let them go with a warning. :D

I guess you'd have to do something to amuse yourself all night long. ;) :D
Click to expand...

That reminds me of the story of the guy who sees the lights going off in his rear view mirror and decides to make a little game of it, he drops the hammer down and runs it up to 100 for about 5 miles, then pulls over. The officer walks up to the car and asks what he thinks he was doing, the driver says, " Sorry officer, my wife ran off with a patrol officer a couple of weeks ago and I thought you were trying to bring her back!". My understanding is he got off with a warning and a good laugh.
 
old bear said:
I been retired about 6 months, and was riding my M/C in Palo Alto, Ca. got stopped by a very young rookie officer, Who asked "do you know why I stopped you?" To which I responded, I got an idea, but I ain't gonna tell you. Her training officer just about lost it, he almost fell off the fender of their patrol vehicle. She was reaching for the bracelets when he got her calmed down, and was kind enough to send my along my way.
Click to expand...

Any idea what violation she thought she was going to arrest you for? Being a comedian in public? Making wise without a permit? That's the real scary part. Rookies who think they can arrest someone for contempt of cop.
 
SC Trooper stops a teenager busting it to get to Myrtle Beach for Graduation week for 90 in a 55. After hefty roadside bond, the trooper tells him, "I'm issuing you a drag racing permit, after you pull out of here, you drive as fast as you can, if another trooper stops you, just show him this and tell him no problem Trooper, I've got my drag racing permit right here."
 
AimHigher said:
Any idea what violation she thought she was going to arrest you for? Being a comedian in public? Making wise without a permit? That's the real scary part. Rookies who think they can arrest someone for contempt of cop.
Click to expand...

Obstruct and delay for continued arguments in NC.
 
I was driving through Georgia some 30 odd years ago when I spotted a police car concealed behind a billboard. I started flashing my headlights to warn on-coming traffic of the hidden police car when I noticed the flashing red and blue lights in my rear view mirror. I pulled over to the side of the road, and was already dreading the citation(s) and butt chewing I was sure I was going to receive from LEO. When the officer got out of his car, I just knew I was going to be in huge trouble as he was the stereotypical, red neck sheriff type (think of Sheriff Justice in the Smokey and the Bandit films). As he approached my car, I lowered my window and braced for impact. To my great surprise, the LEO said "Boy, who in the hell do you think you are - Paul Revere or something?" Before I could respond, he added: "Son, I've got an ugly wife and three fat kids, and what you're doing is keeping food off of my table. Now, if I give you a warning, do you think you could mind your own business while traveling through my county?" I was very surprised at what the officer said, but was smart enough to tell him that I agreed to his terms, and to thank him for the warning, rather than a ticket. By the way, that officer's words and actions forever broke me of the habit of trying to warn other drivers of LEOs in the area. This incident made me realize that unsafe drivers need the attention by law enforcement, and that safe drivers really don't have much to worry about.

Regards,

Dave
 
AimHigher said:
Any idea what violation she thought she was going to arrest you for? Being a comedian in public? Making wise without a permit? That's the real scary part. Rookies who think they can arrest someone for contempt of cop.
Click to expand...

I have a rule. Cop respects me. I respect cop. Cop doesn't, neither do I. I know the laws and my rights. Senior officers and I get along great. The rookies who thinks the badge makes them.... Not so much haha

I remember getting bagged for an out plate light. Rookie walks up, chest puffed out, stern face. His FTO who I knew was at the passenger door. Rookie slams his hands on my roof and almost shouts "license and registration pal!!!!!!" inhales deeply and puffs his chest again. I look over at his FTO with a WTH face, and the rookie screams "I said now!!".... Inhales and puffs the chest again.....

Looked him right in the eye and said " exhale kid, you've got enough air in your chest and head right now to float away before you even see my paperwork". I was almost sure I was gonna have to call an ambulance for his FTO due to him laughing so hard he started hyperventilating haha

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old bear said:
I been retired about 6 months, and was riding my M/C in Palo Alto, Ca. got stopped by a very young rookie officer, Who asked "do you know why I stopped you?" To which I responded, I got an idea, but I ain't gonna tell you. Her training officer just about lost it, he almost fell off the fender of their patrol vehicle. She was reaching for the bracelets when he got her calmed down, and was kind enough to send my along my way.
Click to expand...
*
The FTO did her a favor. That's not even arguably obstructing or anything else, and she would have ended up in a jam. I used to get some grief because I worked hard not to let some A-H bring me down to their level, but enforcement action is justified by the facts, not revenge for the attitude. Unfortunately, some agencies and academies foster that kind of crud instead of controlling it.

That doesn't mean I did not control my encounters - darned right I did. I'm going to see your hands, you are not opening the door; you sure as heck are not getting out of the car unless told, and you might be offended when you get told to shut the door and stay in the car, and I don't care if you don't like my lights in your mirror. I also had to control myself. I wasn't always perfect, but I tried like heck.
 
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Most LEO's I worked with would usually follow this basic rule...If they yelled at you, no citation....if they were all business, your getting written up..If the operator was a wise guy, instead of multiple offenses on one citation, you'd spend the time on writing each violation on it own citation, which would ashore the operator a couple of weeks in Traffic School.
 
AimHigher said:
Any idea what violation she thought she was going to arrest you for? Being a comedian in public? Making wise without a permit? That's the real scary part. Rookies who think they can arrest someone for contempt of cop.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, we actually had a female highway patrol officer in our state who had that kind of attitude. She would make traffic stops, and if somebody questioned anything she said, she'd zap 'em with the taser. After two or three of these instances, it finally went to court...complete with witnesses and videos of her zapping some elderly man. On the bright side, officers of this type are very few and far between.

Last I heard, I think she's cleaning bathrooms part-time at Walmart.
 
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The local commander of the CHP station retired and came to work with us. He told me that he had a partner with him when he was working on graveyard while he was still on the road. His partner fell asleep and it irked him. He noticed a car pulled over at a turnout with some guy taking a power nap. He worked his way around and came up on the guy again, hit the siren and lights. His partner woke up and said what cha got? He says this guy was doing 15 over! His partner went over to write him and got blasted with "What the hell ya talking about? I been parked here a hour! The partner sheepishly come back and my friend told him, "No one sleeps on me!" No wonder he made commander huh?
 
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In Britain the standard cop question to speeders is still, "Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?" Despite the fact Stirling has not raced in decades, EVERYBODY knows who the cop is talking about. I guess the US equivalent would be Mario Andretti.
 
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