How To Handle A Traffic Stop

[Evangelicalhumanist]

First, I'll say that this belongs in this forum because it's
about preserving one's health....& money.
This guy gives sage advice about how to reduce
the odds of getting a ticket....or possibly worse.
I'd summarize it but there are too many nuances.


Be safe out there, people....even those of you I loathe.

Pretty easy, really -- whenever you're in a situation with another person, a person with the power to make your life better or worse, try to make it easier for them. That doesn't mean plead guilty or any nonsense like that -- it just means remember that people's perceptions and feelings are real, and they'll act on them.

I remember once when me and Joseph (my lover) were flying from Toronto to Vancouver, and while we were waiting in the lounge, we noticed a horde of gremlins (okay, mechanics) crawling all over one of the engines on our plane. Eventually (long after we were supposed to have departed) it was announced the flight was cancelled and we'd all have to start making other arrangements.

We dutifully got into line at the service desk, and the person in front of us happened to be a member of the Canadian Parliament. Well, he screamed and yelled about "do you know who I am" and so forth, but didn't really get any satisfaction.

When it got to be our turn, I let Joseph speak (I'm a very bad flyer, and my nerves were already frayed). The first words out of his mouth to the agent were, "it must be so hard for you dealing with that, idiots who don't know you are not to blame and you have feelings." In only about 3 or 4 minutes, we were booked on another flight (this time without a stop in Winnipeg) in first class, and on our way.

Moral of the story: Don't **** off the only person who can help you!

 

[oldbadger]

Be safe out there, people....even those of you I loathe.

Back at yer.....
I listened to the first two minutes and then shut the jerk down....... luvved hi'self far too much and talked crap, imo.

As he explained that he had just been stopped for driving at 71mph in a 55 limit I wanted to shout the very first 'avoiding tickets' rule:-

Stick to speed limits!
They are there for a reason!

Do that and you don't have to worry about the rest of his stuff.

 

[oldbadger]

1. Know your legal rights, you are only legally required to provide your name, date of birth, driver's license, registration and proof of insurance.

2. Don't answer questions! Remember, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

3. Act as if you own them, they don't own you! For your protection, film and record the cops.

4, You aren't legally obliged to answer the cop's questions, but they are obliged to answer some questions.

5. Ask, the cop, am I being recorded? May I please have your name and badge number.? Why am I being detained? Am I under arrest? Am I free to go?

6. Let the cops know you do NOT consent to any search of your property!

7. We as sovereign citizens own the police, we must not allow them to own us!

Don't get stopped for a driving offence in the UK, then.
If you came up with that load of responses and actions I know exactly where you'd end up ....... ticketed or issued with a Court summons. In the UK our police can seize vehicles if they are uninsured, or in any way road defective.... you might even be walking home.

 

[oldbadger]

Know when to bend, & when not to (but doing so deftly).
But don't consent to a search. Don't admit any violation.

In the UK, if a cop thinks s/he can smell any kind of 'weed' within the vehicle, they can ask to search, and if refused can arrest on suspicion and then search.

Our ANPR systems can pick out when vehicles are not insured, taxed, tested etc and any stops for those failings are not going to end well (in the UK).
Speeding gets a fine and points..... you can show your best smile and still get one.

 

[oldbadger]

Know when to bend, & when not to (but doing so deftly).
But don't consent to a search. Don't admit any violation.

Oh Revolting!
You ain't goin' to get away with that, no matter what you do!

 

[Revoltingest]

Back at yer.....
I listened to the first two minutes and then shut the jerk down....... luvved hi'self far too much and talked crap, imo.

As he explained that he had just been stopped for driving at 71mph in a 55 limit I wanted to shout the very first 'avoiding tickets' rule:-

Stick to speed limits!
They are there for a reason!

Do that and you don't have to worry about the rest of his stuff.

The advice is useful to avoid getting shot by cops,
or having the K9 find drugs. (They often find drugs
when there are none.)

 

[ChristineM]

I once had some PA state cops stop when I was broken
down on the road. The very first thing I said was that I
had a permit, & that I was carrying a concealed handgun.
(This is required in MI, but not in PA.)
They remained at ease, & didn't even want to see & secure
Mr Glock. They helped me find a tow & a shop for a new
alternator at a fair price.

The trick is to play the game. To the extent you can....
Be old, white, female, polite, non-threatening, ordinary,
respectable, considerate, & honest (within limits...never
confess to anything).
You can never know if you're dealing with a bad cop.
But even they can be good to you. Encourage that.

A acquaintance of mine, who is a member of the Great Britain Rifle Team, crashed his car while returning from a competition. Not seriously enough to immobilise it. As he was checking out the damage a passing police car stopped. First thing my friend said was that he had rifles in the boot (trunk). The cop immediately summoned assistance and blocked the road stopping traffic before my friend had time to explain why. Next thing 2 police helicopters were hovering overhead and sirens blaring from both ways up the road. In the end, before he was allowed to open the boot there were 5 cop cars (2 of which were armed response cars) and 2 helicopters.

He opened the boot to show the police his locked and secure rifles who sent him on his way.

 

[Revoltingest]

Oh Revolting!
You ain't goin' to get away with that, no matter what you do!

View attachment 58195

Cops love inebriated Scots on tractors.

 

[Revoltingest]

A acquaintance of mine, who is a member of the Great Britain Rifle Team, crashed his car while returning from a competition. Not seriously enough to immobilise it. As he was checking out the damage a passing police car stopped. First thing my friend said was that he had rifles in the boot (trunk). The cop immediately summoned assistance and blocked the road stopping traffic before my friend had time to explain why. Next thing 2 police helicopters were hovering overhead and sirens blaring from both ways up the road. In the end, before he was allowed to open the boot there were 5 cop cars (2 of which were armed response cars) and 2 helicopters.

He opened the boot to show the police his locked and secure rifles who sent him on his way.

Good ole security theater.

 

[ChristineM]

Cops love inebriated Scots on tractors.

Helps keep the cells full

 

[ChristineM]

Good ole security theater.

Good old british overreaction.

But it least he wasn't shot

 

[Quetzal]

The advice is useful to avoid getting shot by cops,

Correct. Despite my own personal opinion of certain officers in the area, I would prefer to not get shot. What I find a bit interesting is that people believe that arguing with the officer is the correct step forward. (Note: This is in regard to benign tickets and not illegal searches, etc) Argue in court, not at the roadside.

 

[oldbadger]

The advice is useful to avoid getting shot by cops,

True. We don't worry quite so much about that.

or having the K9 find drugs. (They often find drugs
when there are none.)

How do you know that?

 

[Suave]

Don't get stopped for a driving offence in the UK, then.
If you came up with that load of responses and actions I know exactly where you'd end up ....... ticketed or issued with a Court summons. In the UK our police can seize vehicles if they are uninsured, or in any way road defective.... you might even be walking home.

I've seen video footage of car windows shattered by the police in the U.K. due to a driver's refusal to show his driver license and proof of nsurance there to the police. Can the U.K. police
rightfully get away with shattering the car windows around motorists who refuse to comply with the police demands to see the sovereign citizen's driver license I.D..?

 

[Suave]

Don't get stopped for a driving offence in the UK, then.
If you came up with that load of responses and actions I know exactly where you'd end up ....... ticketed or issued with a Court summons. In the UK our police can seize vehicles if they are uninsured, or in any way road defective.... you might even be walking home.

As an American, I'd be driving on the right side of the road, which would be driving on the wrong side of the road in the U.K. ....

 

[Revoltingest]

True. We don't worry quite so much about that.

How do you know that?

If you want links for the following, just ask.
K9s have a high false positive rate of drug detection
for several reasons. They're reliability is akin to
flipping a coin.
- Handlers give cues to the K9 to "alert", ie, the "Clever Hans Effect"
- Over half of our bills have trace amounts of drugs.
- K9s are made less reliable by roadside distractions.
- Cops mis-read cues by the K9, ie, a non-alert is seen as an alert.
- K9s are trained to alert for substances that are now legal, eg, marijuana.

You, a moderately intelligent fellow, might ask why cops
would use such an unreliable method to detect drugs.
- Cops like to go fishing, ie, to search a car to see what
illegalities they can find.
- Unless the driver gives permission, they need a warrant
to search the car.
- But a K9 search of the exterior is legal. If it alerts to
legal or illegal drugs, or to money, then this is probable
cause to thoroughly search the car.
- If cops find money, they get to keep it under civil
forfeiture, which is a tool that Biden championed.
No due process is required. To find money is by
itself justification to keep it.

Because K9 searches are so unreliable, the winds
of change are in the air regarding it justifying a
warrantless search.

 

[oldbadger]

I've seen video footage of car windows shattered by the police in the U.K. due to a driver's refusal to show his driver license and proof of nsurance there to the police. Can the U.K. police
rightfully get away with shattering the car windows around motorists who refuse to comply with the police demands to see the sovereign citizen's driver license I.D..?

Hello Suave....

And what an idiot that driver was!

Total idiot.... Wasting police time, refusing to show his licence and insurance details, refusing to leave a vehicle that the police were definitely going to seize if the driver could not prove he was insured.
I hope that driver had a free day because otherwise he was going to miss a few appointments.

If the National IT register shows that a car is not tested, taxed or insured.... if a Constable can see that a vehicle might not be roadworthy...... if a Constable sees a vehicle being driven erratically, dangerously or incorrectly......... if the National IT system flags up an offending vehicle etc etc etc..... then the police may stop it.

I'd love to know what happened to that driver and any convictions he received after that day.

 

[oldbadger]

As an American, I'd be driving on the right side of the road, which would be driving on the wrong side of the road in the U.K. ....

That's not a joke here....... I forget the names now, but an American based at a USAF base in Lincolnshire drove on the wrong side of the road and killed a young motorcyclist, subsequently fleeing back to the States to claim diplomatic immunity. When President Biden took power (The Trump org did nothing) the British family were compensated but I don't think that the US driver got touched.

 

[oldbadger]

If you want links for the following, just ask.
K9s have a high false positive rate of drug detection
for several reasons. They're reliability is akin to
flipping a coin.
- Handlers give cues to the K9 to "alert", ie, the "Clever Hans Effect"
- Over half of our bills have trace amounts of drugs.
- K9s are made less reliable by roadside distractions.
- Cops mis-read cues by the K9, ie, a non-alert is seen as an alert.
- K9s are trained to alert for substances that are now legal, eg, marijuana.

You, a moderately intelligent fellow, might ask why cops
would use such an unreliable method to detect drugs.
- Cops like to go fishing, ie, to search a car to see what
illegalities they can find.
- Unless the driver gives permission, they need a warrant
to search the car.
- But a K9 search of the exterior is legal. If it alerts to
legal or illegal drugs, or to money, then this is probable
cause to thoroughly search the car.
- If cops find money, they get to keep it under civil
forfeiture, which is a tool that Biden championed.
No due process is required. To find money is by
itself justification to keep it.

Because K9 searches are so unreliable, the winds
of change are in the air regarding it justifying a
warrantless search.

That might be true where you are, but my friend trains dogs for various duties, explosives, drugs, money detection specialities and general security, prison duties. He doesn't do general police dogs.

But you are way off if you think sniffer dogs get it badly wrong.

 

[oldbadger]

If you want links for the following, just ask.
K9s have a high false positive rate of drug detection
for several reasons. They're reliability is akin to
flipping a coin.
- Handlers give cues to the K9 to "alert", ie, the "Clever Hans Effect"
- Over half of our bills have trace amounts of drugs.
- K9s are made less reliable by roadside distractions.
- Cops mis-read cues by the K9, ie, a non-alert is seen as an alert.
- K9s are trained to alert for substances that are now legal, eg, marijuana.

You, a moderately intelligent fellow, might ask why cops
would use such an unreliable method to detect drugs.
- Cops like to go fishing, ie, to search a car to see what
illegalities they can find.
- Unless the driver gives permission, they need a warrant
to search the car.
- But a K9 search of the exterior is legal. If it alerts to
legal or illegal drugs, or to money, then this is probable
cause to thoroughly search the car.
- If cops find money, they get to keep it under civil
forfeiture, which is a tool that Biden championed.
No due process is required. To find money is by
itself justification to keep it.

Because K9 searches are so unreliable, the winds
of change are in the air regarding it justifying a
warrantless search.

Again......our police can search with reasonable suspicion, or immediately after an arrest.
And weed is still illegal here.

The whole country is fed up with uninsured, untaxed, unlicensed, drunk or speeding drivers, and where our police take them and their motors off the roads, that's good.