Quote :

"oh i was thinking the distance was the distance the bolt physically rotates not the position to which the force is applied"

lol....fail.

7/21/2009 2:47:54 PM

Quote :

"actually, he is NOT law-abiding, by his own admission he believes that some laws are worth obeying and some are not...and when they don't tip in his favor, he gets MAD "

boo ya

Quote :

"I've been pulled over going 5 under on Gorman before at night because a cop was following me all the way from Hillsborough to Avent Ferry and pulled me over once i turned right on red (after a full stop) onto avent ferry. He asked me why I was going so slow and I said because you were following me and I hadn't seen a speed limit sign so I was playing it safe with the city wide speed limit. And insurance in my car is expensive as is (I was driving a 2005 STi at the time). He made me do a sobriety test which I passed and then sent me on my way. Moral of the story...he was doing his job well and I had no qualms with it. But I guess I should have just gotten on TWW and bitched about it "

gg explaining yourself to the officer and not villifyin all cops, also smart move going the city wide speed limit when in doubt. No one does that, surprisingly

[Edited on July 21, 2009 at 2:57 PM. Reason : r]

7/21/2009 2:55:03 PM

Quote :

"He asked me why I was going so slow and I said because you were following me and I hadn't seen a speed limit sign so I was playing it safe with the city wide speed limit. And insurance in my car is expensive as is (I was driving a 2005 STi at the time). He made me do a sobriety test which I passed and then sent me on my way. Moral of the story...he was doing his job well and I had no qualms with it."

I fail to see how stopping a vehicle that was breaking no law (granted some highways have minmum speed limits, but 5 under isn't even close to that) qualifies as "doing his job well"....by that logic, arbitrarily stopping virtually every car on the road makes for the ideal officer (since hardly anyone constantly goes exactly the posted speed limit.)

7/21/2009 3:10:46 PM

gorman is a fuckin drug trafficking road

did you not know this, that whole little area, gorman, method, kent is a little fiesty area

and considering the speed limit is 40, going 35 would strike one as odd

]

[Edited on July 21, 2009 at 3:15 PM. Reason : not rippin on you im just sayin, i can see why the officer may have gotten curious]

7/21/2009 3:13:27 PM

^^ i think his point was that cops know people are people...they speed a little bit and, as long as it's not deemed dangerous, they let it slide (as a general rule)

but when someone sees a cop and starts acting suspicious, it throws up a red flag...if you have nothing to hide, why not go about your merry way as normal?

in this case, sure, the driver was doing under the speed limit because he wasn't sure and didn't want a ticket...the cop saw suspicious behavior in a nice(r) car and thought there might be something up

i take no issue with the stopping...the sobriety test was uncalled for unless he thought he smelled alcohol, IMO...but them stopping people that seem suspicious and then letting them go on their way after they find out nothing is wrong? yeah, i'm okay with that

[Edited on July 21, 2009 at 3:16 PM. Reason : carats]

7/21/2009 3:16:12 PM

well hot damn, lets just set up a permanent road block with mandatory vehicle searches then....you know since its a drug road and all, we're sure to net a few busts.

I just think citing 5 mph under the speed limit is pushing the envelope of "suspicious behavior"

\/ in raising revenue, yes...In reducing said activities, not so much

[Edited on July 21, 2009 at 3:20 PM. Reason : \/]

7/21/2009 3:17:27 PM

why do that when the current system of stopping perceivably suspicious vehilces is workin just fine?

7/21/2009 3:18:25 PM

Quote :

"in raising revenue, yes...In reducing said activities, not so much"

how so? in neither of the presented situations was a ticket written...how did it raise any revenue?

and since it's not raising revenue and it's not costing anything (the cop is duty regardless of whether they're actively stopping anyone or not), then yeah, it probably IS reducing said activities (at least in the area, if not overall)

7/21/2009 3:23:01 PM

^in reference to

Quote :

"why do that when the current system of stopping perceivably suspicious vehilces "

which I took to mean the practice overall, not in this one instance....I think we can all agree in many cases (such as these), the initial "suspicion" is a foot in the door to look for something else, and if going 5 under passes as suspicious conduct now, might as well randomly pick people to stop



[Edited on July 21, 2009 at 3:34 PM. Reason : .]

7/21/2009 3:31:40 PM

This is an absolutely retarded example, and nobody in their right mind should be bitching about what happened to this extent, but on principle:

It's not OK for law enforcement officials to fabricate reasons for stops and searches for any reason. If you aren't breaking the law, even if you aren't breaking the law in a very suspicious way, it's not OK for them to stop you just to make sure you're not breaking the law.

It's not just because it helps people avoid getting in trouble, either. If HUR had been drinking or drunk and the officer stopped him for the plate light (assuming he didn't notice the 5 miles over, which would have been a perfectly acceptable reason to make the stop, and assuming the plate light wasn't out at all) then there would be an excellent chance of the case being completely dismissed because any evidence gathered after the stop would be inadmissible.

That aside, it's more important to me that law enforcement operates within the law than it is that some drunk drivers might not get caught.

7/21/2009 3:32:00 PM

i can respect that my man

7/21/2009 3:34:50 PM

i, too, can respect that because, in theory, i agree with you

the problem is that it assumes that the law is black and white...which, in theory, it is (you either broke a law or you didn't, it's that simple)...but every single one of us would be pissed as hell at getting a ticket for going 1mph over the speed limit, even if, technically, we were speeding

but we all want to law to fudge in cases like that...you weren't breaking the law MUCH, so you should be allowed to slide (i mean, there are people out there breaking worse laws in a more significant way, right?)...if you want the law to be the law no matter the circumstances, then sure...but the fact is that every single one of us wants there to be some wiggle room and if that's the case, then cops deserve that wiggle room, too, especially when the result is the protection of the community as a whole

7/21/2009 3:40:17 PM

I don't want that wiggle room, exactly.

I routinely drive around 9 miles over the speed limit. I do that because I feel like it and because I'm gambling that even if an officer sees me, it won't be high enough priority to get him to pull me over. If it is, it's not like I'm going to be pissed because he pulled me over because I wasn't breaking the law very much, I'd probably just be pissed that I got caught. At under 9 over, if it doesn't get dropped (1 over probably would) it wouldn't go on my insurance this time and I'd have to pay the fine. I'm making a conscious choice to take that risk, and I understand the consequences if things don't go my way. Essentially, I don't think I should be allowed to slide, I think that I will be allowed to slide. I guess that's a slight difference.

I definitely don't think an officer of the law should be allowed similar wiggle room, because that's what they signed up for. They willingly take an oath to uphold the law/constitution/etc., I never took an oath to drive the speed limit edit: I guess maybe you do agree not to break the traffic laws on purpose when you get your license, I'm not sure - might be in the fine print. In that case, my hypocrisy-avoiding argument is that the speed limit isn't protected from me going faster than it by the constitution.

If you want to pull somebody to make sure they're not drinking and driving or trafficking drugs, wait until they do break the law or give you established reasonable suspicion that they've been drinking. That's how it works; nobody get's pulled over for being drunk - they get pulled over for going 5 over or for moving left of center or for rolling through a stop sign or etc.

[Edited on July 21, 2009 at 3:58 PM. Reason : around, not exactly]

[Edited on July 21, 2009 at 4:01 PM. Reason : edit:]

7/21/2009 3:58:10 PM

Quote :

"gg explaining yourself to the officer and not vilifying all cops, also smart move going the city wide speed limit when in doubt. No one does that, surprisingly"

Yeah, I mean I don't have any reason to hate on cops for doing their job. I'm not breaking any laws and have nothing to hide....I usually always cooperate

Quote :

"I fail to see how stopping a vehicle that was breaking no law (granted some highways have minmum speed limits, but 5 under isn't even close to that) qualifies as "doing his job well"....by that logic, arbitrarily stopping virtually every car on the road makes for the ideal officer (since hardly anyone constantly goes exactly the posted speed limit.)"

When you factor in location, time of day (late night) stopping me IS doing his job well because for all he knows I'm driving slow because I'm either drunk or trying to stay under the radar for other reasons (trafficking, high as a kite, etc). Driving isn't a right, its a privilege. And since the general population aren't smart enough to keep everyone else around them safe, officers have to baby sit and do it for us.

7/21/2009 4:04:08 PM

Driving isn't a right but protection from unwarranted searches and seizures is.

edit: though I'm pretty sure it's not actually the 4th amendment that keeps officers from stopping you for no reason in the first place.

[Edited on July 21, 2009 at 4:20 PM. Reason : .]

7/21/2009 4:15:06 PM

Quote :

"all that aside, all you police-fearing pussies "

the only pussies in this thread are the whiny tools that require the police to make them feel safe and secure.

Quote :

"you can fucking piss and moan all you want about it ONLY being 5mph,"

5 over was more of a ballpark. I do not stare at my speedometer the whole time i drive; most likely i was osscillating
between 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45. You of course as the model driver i am sure would have set your
cruise controller to 40 in the 40 in fear of the cops busting you for breaking the law in case you
speed illegally at 43 mph!

This may be hard for you tools to swallow but often someone driving under the speed limit 35 in a 45
is more of a red flag for the police to pull you. I'd say 5 over is almost status quo given
the margin of error of car speedometers and police radar guns.

Quote :

"He asked me why I was going so slow and I said because you were following me and I hadn't seen a speed limit sign so I was playing it safe with the city wide speed limit"

EXACTLY

Quote :

"well hot damn, lets just set up a permanent road block with mandatory vehicle searches then....you know since its a "

hell ya. i mean if you are not doing anything illegal then whats the problem AM I RITE!

7/21/2009 4:19:35 PM

no, you're not right at all

7/21/2009 5:39:33 PM

Quote :

"Perhaps though the cops should be out pulling over you and your stoner friends driving high to Wendy's to get a Frosty and 5 pc chicken nuggets."

hahaha

i've never been called a stoner, thanks for the lol

7/21/2009 8:10:54 PM

Quote :

"so can you ask/demand the cop to let you step out the car and inspect the light for damage?"

There is nothing that says you can't step out of your own vehicle and check or question why you were pulled over.

7/21/2009 11:31:12 PM

^ but there are a shitton of cops episodes that say if you do that you get a gun drawn on you.

7/21/2009 11:47:07 PM

this makes me laugh

7/22/2009 12:35:42 AM

Quote :

"Discrimination is the only reason this asshole cop pulled me. I bet he saw 5 "college aged" looking males (we were all 23+ and only two of the four are in college) and got a hard on for potentially giving a DUI or smelling Pot. Perhaps our Police Budget should be on the chopping block next time we have budget cuts if our cops are so bored that they have the time (using tax payer money) to pull over otherwise law-abiding motorist for Tag Lights being out; searching for trouble. "

lol

You have a record in The Soap Box for stereotyping people based on certain qualities, and NOW you are whining about discrimination for acting like a college student? Using the same standard you use for other things, is there some reason to think that college kids driving around at night are going to be the model of honest and responsible citizenry? I have no sympathy at all for you, and you deserve none.

7/22/2009 1:35:26 AM

Another question to ponder...

Is there a chance that your driving behaving, unbeknownst to you, but known well enough to the officer for him to be able to articulate in court based on his training and experience, gave him enough RS for an investigative stop for DWI and that he just told you that your tag lamp was out?

I mean, there have been times when LE doesn't tell you what you have been stopped for because of safety and/or as not to arouse suspicion, in an attempt to gather probable cause.

Example:

Pulling over a car that is crossing the double yellow line, not coming to a complete stop or not stopping at the designated stop bar, telling the driver that his or her registration is expired. Listening to their response, observing them retrieve their registration and body language.

7/22/2009 1:58:57 AM

^ a good example and one of the few exceptions.
Though, I do not know of any instances where the ruse was not revealed if it did not turn up anything. According to the OP story, the cop kept the story till the end, even telling him it would get him pulled every time.

7/22/2009 2:31:59 AM

Quote :

"ALkatraz All American 6193 Posts user info edit post Quote : "so can you ask/demand the cop to let you step out the car and inspect the light for damage?" There is nothing that says you can't step out of your own vehicle and check or question why you were pulled over. 7/21/2009 11:31:12 PM ScubaSteve All American 3456 Posts user info edit post ^ but there are a shitton of cops episodes that say if you do that you get a gun drawn on you."

"Officer, do you mind if I take a look so I can tell the rental company what to fix?"

7/22/2009 7:53:19 AM

It's pretty well understood that you don't get out of the car while the officer is dealing with you unless you clearly state it.

Quote :

"in this case, sure, the driver was doing under the speed limit because he wasn't sure and didn't want a ticket...the cop saw suspicious behavior in a nice(r) car and thought there might be something up"

So b/c a guy was following the law it was suspicious behavior? It's a speed limit, not a required set speed.

And saying anyone could be pulled for going just a few mph over the limit is retarded since speedometers aren't accurate enough, nor are radar guns. Nice try though.

7/22/2009 12:48:48 PM

Just because it'll get tossed in court, doesn't mean they can't pull you over for it.

In an only obliquely related note, I love how people slam on the breaks to 5-10 under the limit when they see a cop. assholes

7/22/2009 12:56:50 PM

^ The funny thing is that they don't realize that is what the cop is looking for generally. If you slam your fucking brakes on it makes it incredibly obvious that you know you're speeding, etc. If I were a cop I'd pull those people over first every fucking time son.

7/22/2009 1:03:40 PM

^^agreed, but the cops know its a waste of time. They're also probably instructed by their superiors NOT to do that, since the court system is already overburdened.

^&^^I totally agree. It really pisses me off. When I see a cop in a trap I'll brake (but not excessively to the point of obviousness) or if he'll see my brake lights I'll downshift to engine brake instead. Of course both of these methods only work if you're moderately speeding.

7/22/2009 1:16:05 PM

I dunno, at this point I could care less if the cop saw me put my brakes on. As another TWWer put it, "it only matters what they get with that radar gun". I've gotten 2 tickets (68 and 70 in 55) when I acted completely reasonable and polite with the cop only to get the ticket anyway (I don't have anything else on my driving record, never gotten pulled over without getting a ticket, never excessively speed over the rest of traffic) so I only give a shit about that damn gun now.

7/22/2009 2:10:15 PM

chances are when u see the cop youve already been clocked

7/22/2009 4:03:08 PM

yea that does suck. I got pulled by a park ranger last week, at unstead. took my license, b/c he said it was suspended. DMV said it was not.
you are in wilmington, a college party town and you guys look like your in college. add 2 and 2 dude.
It was stupid that he pulled you over, but most cops are. really. I know a few.

Morale of the story is that the Police, at this age at least, are just one of life's pains in the ass, that you can't do a damn thing about. sucks. you complaining won't do a damn thing anyway. it certainly won't prevent the next time your destined to get pulled over. just say yes sir, and do the best you can to get away from them. Don't ever trust one. they'll fuck you, even if your the good guy.[i]

7/27/2009 9:02:56 PM

NCSUSanman wins this thread

7/27/2009 9:09:02 PM

Quote :

"that you can't do a damn thing about."

ya i can and should be able to do something about this. Unless of course we truly have divulged into a Police Authoritarian State. Perhaps i need to gain money, influence, petitions signatures, media attention, a strategic letter to my congressman or whatever by is not why we attempt to model our government as a democratic one?

7/27/2009 9:48:32 PM

i cant believe this dude did not get a ticket and was pissed

any cop interaction in which i am not in trouble is a good one

7/28/2009 8:55:50 AM

Quote :

"i take no issue with the stopping...the sobriety test was uncalled for unless he thought he smelled alcohol, IMO."

This is outside of the discussion, kinda, but I've heard from cops that driving under the speed limit is a big indicator for drunk driving.

7/28/2009 9:16:31 AM

What was i possibly thinking going 44 in a 40mph zone.

7/28/2009 11:00:21 AM

do you think they can hear you cry from where you are?

if not, you should totally send them a tape...might tug on their heartstrings a little (IF THEY HAVE HEARTS, THE SELFISH BASTARDS)

7/28/2009 11:11:26 AM

If I were of a minority ethnicity we'd have all the heart felt liberals of TWW embracing my situation and would have a newspaper article written by the Wilmington NAACP blasting racial profiling.

Since though I am white and subjectively labelled to resemble a "college student" my situation is brushed off and boohooed by the circus. Double Standard FTW

7/28/2009 11:55:22 AM

^are you arguing that you are being discriminated against because you are white? lol

7/28/2009 11:56:31 AM

I think he is crying out his panties as much as most of the posters here.

But you have to be a retard not to see a double standard in the example given.

7/28/2009 12:00:05 PM

^^^ omg boohoo

7/28/2009 12:41:02 PM

life is so tuff

7/28/2009 1:03:49 PM

Quote :

"yea that does suck. I got pulled by a park ranger last week, at unstead"

def NOT a winner

7/28/2009 4:05:45 PM

LOLHURISAPUSSY

7/28/2009 4:47:29 PM

Quote :

"we truly have divulged into a Police Authoritarian State"

wat?

7/28/2009 5:41:11 PM

Quote :

"in his defense, he's an ENGINEER, which entitles him to going 5 over the speed limit."

Not to be a douche bag, but I would much rather be an engineer with a ticket than a police officer.

7/28/2009 7:15:30 PM

this is some jerry springer online shit. someone should end this ridiculous thread

7/28/2009 7:35:22 PM