Trolling for Dollars Local LEO Version 2013.08.11

Hah! I fought the law, but we both won.

The local gendarme decided to question the use of a license plate frame that covers the annual tag; it's current, just not visible. It's also been that way for at least a decade. Officer M. also let me know that one of my four tail light bulbs was out. I thanked him because I truly didn't know as I hadn't driven the car in nearly a month.

I got a warning for both infractions, but I can't help believing this was just another fishing expedition by someone experiencing a slow evening or hoping for some kind of big score; maybe both.

Anyway, I'll keep the license frame but cut it just enough to reveal the sticker. Then I'll check inventory to see if I have the correct bulb or buy a replacement.

I got pulled in my volvo one morning on the way to work. Was sitting at a light with the cop behind me. Soon as I pulled away, he lit them up.

He never saw a full size volvo with a 5 speed before and thought I had no brakes at all as I was sitting there with my foot off of the brake

glad you got a warning instead of a big fine

oldsaw wrote: Hah! I fought the law, but we both won. The local gendarme decided to question the use of a license plate frame that covers the annual tag; it's current, just not visible. It's also been that way for at least a decade. Officer M. also let me know that one of my four tail light bulbs was out. I thanked him because I truly didn't know as I hadn't driven the car in nearly a month. I got a warning for both infractions, but I can't help believing this was just another fishing expedition by someone experiencing a slow evening or hoping for some kind of big score; maybe both. Anyway, I'll keep the license frame but cut it just enough to reveal the sticker. Then I'll check inventory to see if I have the correct bulb or buy a replacement.

Old white guy with a beard driving an old Honda? That cop just knew you were trouble...

In reply to mad_machine:

I get that occasionally with the SHO's.......many people think I've swapped the 5sp into it.

One of my co-workers got a parking ticket the other day, not for improperly parked, but for being out of inspection.

He had current registration and tags, but because he was on a public street with expired inspection, he was fined $60.

Personally, I find this is a bit ridiculous. The cop doesn't know if they car is being driven. The owner may not have access to off-street parking, or the car could have been recently purchased.

slefain wrote:

oldsaw wrote: Hah! I fought the law, but we both won. The local gendarme decided to question the use of a license plate frame that covers the annual tag; it's current, just not visible. It's also been that way for at least a decade. Officer M. also let me know that one of my four tail light bulbs was out. I thanked him because I truly didn't know as I hadn't driven the car in nearly a month. I got a warning for both infractions, but I can't help believing this was just another fishing expedition by someone experiencing a slow evening or hoping for some kind of big score; maybe both. Anyway, I'll keep the license frame but cut it just enough to reveal the sticker. Then I'll check inventory to see if I have the correct bulb or buy a replacement.

Old white guy with male-pattern-baldness, a salt n pepper scruff, wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a big tach on its' back and driving an old semi-riced Honda? That cop just knew you were trouble...

FTFY...

We crossed paths in a convenience store where he was out of his jurisdiction. He followed me for nearly two miles before he flipped-on the blues; he had plenty of time to run the plate and check for priors before pulling me over.

Yeah, one of us was looking for trouble but I don't think it was me.

Related story....

I drove to work one day and took the family with me so they could shop til their hearts content while I slaved away.... On the way back to pick me up, cop stops the wife in the MIL's car..... Stops her for a license plate that can't be seen from 500' away. I'm lucky enough to see that it IS a license plate at 500'. And yes the plate has a smoked cover on it been on two cars for at least a decade. Plus tells us the plate light is out. It isn't. The light "socket" is cloudy, on top of being lazily covered in collision white paint coverage at some point in its life. They finally get her on an improper/suspended license and "illegal" window tint. They were hoping for a mobile meth lab. License is fixed and the tint is nothing but a $170 fine.... Thanks for being a douchebag.

Why was she driving if she had enough to get "Improper/suspended" license?

The window tint was just to justify the time wasted on the stop(as evidently license issue was sortable) The tint should be a "fix it" ticket though.....

In reply to yamaha:

Failure to update the address on it, plus being expired. That is what makes it suspended in WV.

Not in WV on the tint.... Supposed to be a peel it and pay it ticket.... Tint is legal level here. His meter said 13%, but it started off life as 20% originally....

Hmmm, most places its a fix it.....I've never had anywhere I go give a damn about it.

I got pulled over by the wonderful municipality of Bull Valley on Saturday night at 11:00. I was talking to the Old Man on the phone when I see a car whip a U turn. I look down at the speedo. 45mph, I'm doing the limit.

"I gotta go. I'm going to get pulled over."

Sure enough, the cop lights me up, I turn on the left signal, and pull into a neighborhood.

"How's it going tonight?"

"Better if You didn't pull me over. What going on?"

"You're turn signal didn't come on. Here, I'll show you."

I had replaced a bulb on the left side, so maybe this is legit.

"You tail light didn't flash."

I explained to him about the replacement and asked if I could turn on the hazards to verify. Um no, they work. See? The truck in question is an 87 4runner. Japanese vehicles use the amber part as the indicators, never the red like US cars do.

"No, officer, they're both flashing."

"Well...your tail lights are faded, someone could run into you. Don't worry I not going to give you a ticket. Have a good night.

All the while my inner monologue is screaming, "Uh... you didn't see my turn signal until after you turned on your lights. Why the hell did you really pull me over, dick?

The only thing I can think of is he was trolling for drunks.

In reply to Appleseed:

Saturday night + 11:00 p.m. or later = prime time for drunks. You probably aren't far off. Having prosecuted a few hundred drunk driving cases over the years, it is absolutely amazing to me how many drivers show signs of impairment late on a Friday or Saturday evening. (Abrupt corrections, lane drifting, late/choppy braking, etc) I'm not saying they're all drunks, but once you know what you're looking for, you pretty much don't drive after about 10:00 pm on the weekends unless you absolutely have to.

slefain wrote:

oldsaw wrote: Hah! I fought the law, but we both won. The local gendarme decided to question the use of a license plate frame that covers the annual tag; it's current, just not visible. It's also been that way for at least a decade. Officer M. also let me know that one of my four tail light bulbs was out. I thanked him because I truly didn't know as I hadn't driven the car in nearly a month. I got a warning for both infractions, but I can't help believing this was just another fishing expedition by someone experiencing a slow evening or hoping for some kind of big score; maybe both. Anyway, I'll keep the license frame but cut it just enough to reveal the sticker. Then I'll check inventory to see if I have the correct bulb or buy a replacement.

Old white guy with a beard driving an old Honda? That cop just knew you were trouble...

You'd be surprised.

Window tint over 50% is a no no where I live. The drug dealers and gangstas usually are the ones who have the limo tint here.

kazoospec wrote: In reply to Appleseed: Saturday night + 11:00 p.m. or later = prime time for drunks. You probably aren't far off. Having prosecuted a few hundred drunk driving cases over the years, it is absolutely amazing to me how many drivers show signs of impairment late on a Friday or Saturday evening. (Abrupt corrections, lane drifting, late/choppy braking, etc) I'm not saying they're all drunks, but once you know what you're looking for, you pretty much don't drive after about 10:00 pm on the weekends unless you absolutely have to.

prime time for me to work. It's one of the reasons I spend $1.50 to get home on the AC expressway at those times. To avoid the drunks and Imperial entanglements

I like to refer to the local LEOs in my area as the auxiliary tax collectors. Sadly in my neighborhood they do little in the way of actual useful public safety type law enforcement.

Just a couple of weeks ago I was harassed for working on my car in the street (directly in front of my house, at the end of a dead end street), while I was being threatend with arrest(litteraly), a drug deal went down just out of sight of where we were. I know this because I know who in the neighborhood is up to no good, and where those sort of things happen, but the cops don't seem to care about that sort of thing. This is only the most recent episode bad police work in my ghetto neighborhood, not even including bogus traffic stops.

Oh, and a shocking number of LEOs in my area wind up in jail for serious felonies. (Rape, theft of assault rifles, child abuse, ect)

.Sorry for the rant/vent, I know that there are cops that do good work, and the work itself is often thankless, I just don't see any of them around.

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