[joshmlewis]

Yeah, that took some dedication, and because we aren't all as dedicated or physicist here are some practical tips I've learned:

1. When an officer asks how fast you were going, never say anything over the speed limit or that's automatic guilt. Just decline to know or tell. A lot of people say within a +5-10mph range over the speed limit because they think that is "ok", but in fact anything over the speed limit is speeding and is ticket worthy.

2. Look up laws in your area about loopholes. I once had a friend who got pulled over for doing a burn out in his Cobra, the officer was so aggravated he forgot to wear his hat when he got out of his car and the case got dismissed because of it.

3. Always be polite. Always, always, always. Even if they're real jerks, which has never happened to me, always be courteous and make things go as smoothly as possible. If you start being an ass they WILL remember it and will take that into consideration when writing the ticket and/or in front of the judge. You'll have a chance to give your side in court, so don't bother wasting your breath with the officer.

4. I once got out of a reckless driving ticket ($400+, I was young and dumb) because I just happened to know the director of the area highway patrol. It turned out I was in the top 5 worst tickets the highway patrolman had ever given out in his 20+ years of duty. My director friend told him I was a good kid and my parents were going to kill me anyway, so he let me off.

5. And really, the single most best way to not get a ticket, don't break the rules. Of course in this guys case the officer apparently was mistaken, but more times than not that's not the case.

This got large quickly. Just some things I've learned over a few years of driving.

[rdl]

The #1 thing I do when stopped is go out of my way to 1) prioritize officer safety and 2) avoid generating probable cause for a vehicle search.

i.e. pull over in a place which is safe for both vehicles and for the officer on foot, keep hands visible all the time, turn on dome light, put keys on dashboard, and be polite. Also I tend to announce any moves, like "my wallet is in my back pocket, reaching for it with my left hand", which is overly cautious, but subtly communicates to the officer that you are familiar with police procedures and concerns. You can usually see him visibly relax, at which point it's likely the interaction will be more pleasant. Don't volunteer more information than necessary, but answer questions politely and clearly. (usually, it's just "license and registration." and then "do you know why I stopped you" "no officer"...)

I've gotten >120mph written at 80mph in a 70mph by doing this, several times (I-5 + V8 + empty road...), which can be traffic-schooled. I don't care about a $150 ticket, I care about potentially getting the car impounded for reckless driving, or a vehicle search, or points.

[whackberry]

> my wallet is in my back pocket, reaching for it with my left hand

If I were a officer and someone narrated what they're doing like that I'd immediately find it suspicious. Just say you're gonna get your wallet, cops aren't all completely stupid.

"I'm reaching for my wallet with my left hand sir" sounds retarded.

[kooshball]

It actually makes a lot of sense. Just like you don't start grabbing stuff from the glove compartment unannounced. How those the cop know if you're getting a gun or not? The point is to make him feel safe so he doesn't accidentally shoot you for getting your registration.

[KingOfB]

Other Helpers:

- Use the most official title: 'Yes Trooper', 'Thank you sheriff', etc.

- Be honest, authentic and remorseful, but not apologetic. (I don't agree with #1)

- Be well groomed. After I got my beard and hair cut, I stopped getting tickets. I've gotten 8 consecutive warnings, most verbal. Before getting 'cleaned up', I got 9 tickets and 1 warning.

- Have a woman in the car. Doesn't have to say anything, just smile and reply to questions.

- Pull over, turn on the dome light and leave your hands on the steering wheel. I lower my window when a flashlight hits me, and only get paper work in response to a command.

My streak of warnings still dumbfounds me. I even got pulled over twice after a superbowl for a tail light and got a verbal warning twice.

[joshmlewis]

Yeah I didn't mean to be dishonest there. Honesty does help. But it also makes it an auto admission of guilt. Use discretion playing either card really in your situation.

[cperciva]

the officer was so aggravated he forgot to wear his hat when he got out of his car and the case got dismissed because of it

That really sounds like an urban myth.

[AdamTReineke]

It's possible (though I haven't done any research) that the law may require a uniformed officer to make the stop and the hat is part of the uniform. No hat -> not uniformed -> not a legal stop.

[cperciva]

Yes, that's the only explanation which would make any sense -- but it seems like a rather extraordinary combination of legislators and judge would be required to (a) write the law that way and (b) interpret a law so literally as to throw out a ticket over a missing hat.

[joshmlewis]

This is interesting actually. I kind of "took his word for it" and never put too much thought into it. After about 20+ minutes of Googling I have yet to find a definitive answer. I guess it just depends on jurisdiction. I'm not sure if I would have the guts to say, "Judge Officer here wasn't wearing his hat when he gave me this ticket." So I don't know, I read a few things that supported it and a few that didn't. I should ask my director friend if it's true. Ha

[culturestate]

> in fact anything over the speed limit is speeding and is ticket worthy.

This actually varies per jurisdiction, though that's still a good general rule. In Florida, for example, you can't be ticketed for 1-4mph over the limit thanks to a law that was passed to eliminate speed traps.

[rhizome]

For #1: "Why were you going so fast?"

[vacri]

It may not always be a good idea, but for me, when I get pulled over, I get out of the car immediately. In my 20s I was pulled over so many times for 'random' car checks that were really about bored policemen passing time, that I started to get out of the car first to upset the dynamic.

It helps that I'm really tall, but it's worth it for the look on their face when it turns from 'bored paternalism' to 'we might have to watch what's going on here'; it takes some of the initiative from them. It's a subtle way to change the power dynamic, especially if you're tall - you can no longer be talked down to, plus you're free to move. Being free to move isn't about posing a physical threat, but being able to control your end of the conversation better, plus you can watch what they're doing. Of course you should always, always remain polite, but screw being in the entirely submissive position of being locked into your seat.

Incidentally, the 'random' checks have stopped in the past 5 years that I've had a newer car... and curiously my mother has never been 'randomly' stopped.

[nopassrecover]

Absolute worst idea. This counts as an act of escalation (it counts as a threat to police safety) and is likely to end up with a definite ticket and potentially a handcuffed trip to the station if you don't get back in your car fast when ordered.

Particularly if you're physically imposing you run the risk of a panicked officer pulling their weapon..

[vacri]

To quote myself: being free to move isn't about posing a physical threat. I'm not standing over them, and rarely approach them directly - it's not like I'm panicking the officer.

As for the 'handcuffed trip to the station', that's never happened to me, and I've done it close to a dozen times. I've also never ended up with a ticket while doing this.

What kind of backward country do you live in where you're not free to move around police officers if you're not actually being arrested and you're not threatening them?

[DerKommissar]

The problem is one of statistics.

Whenever they pull someone over, which is often, they have to judge what you're going to do. For them, the chances of you doing something crazy like speeding off, pulling a gun, etc. is not insignificant. That's what they're thinking about when they're walking up to your car. They've been trained about what things to look for. And getting out of your car is the way many violent interactions begin.

If you just get out of your car and act nice, I doubt it could really be a problem. It's just a dicey thing to do, making any sort of act that could be perceived as aggressive towards an officer.

[vacri]

I have found the police to be politer and less patronising when I'm standing out of my car talking politely than when I'm sitting in my car at random traffic stops. Also, where I am, people are not armed as a rule, so fear of guns is there, but at a minimum. If having guns means you have to be too scared to get out of your car for fear of arrest, I'm not interested in having them. It's a somewhat ironic twist that the whole purpose of having an armed population in the US was to keep government authority in check, but here at the coalface of government authority, it gives them even more power out of fear.

And getting out of your car is the way many violent interactions begin.

It is, which is why you remain polite. It's not going to work if you're angry. It does (usually) change the way they talk, since on their part you now need to be managed, which means not going on a power trip. Remain friendly and they won't fear for physical safety, and you're now in a conversation where you're much less a submissive.

[nopassrecover]

"since on their part you need to be managed"

You have been very lucky to get reasonable officers. Most I have talked to (or seen in media / documentaries) have been trained to escalate with force if you are not submissive - get out of your car leads to "GET BACK IN THE CAR NOW HANDS ON THE WHEEL", answering back ("Why? I'm doing nothing wrong") leads to verbal escalation/shouting, shouting yourself leads to handcuffs, resistance (even passive) to physical force or (according to media accounts) tasering. Granted my sample size is potentially biased, but I thought this was the norm. On the other hand, when I've been relaxed, calm, and collected while remaining in the car I've had no issues and otherwise pleasant conversations with officers.

[joshmlewis]

Yeah, I agree with the above poster, horrible idea. Most cops in my experience aren't what the internet makes them out to be. They do their job because they want to serve and protect citizens and having to "change the power dynamic" and "avoid being talked down to" is just silly and jumping out of your car will put cops on edge very quickly. You don't want that. Most of the time they pull someone over it's because you've done something to look shady or you're actually breaking the law.

[vacri]

Every time I've been pulled over to date has been for Driving Whilst Young or Driving An Old Car, and has never been for breaking the law. Shady? I can't answer that, because I'm not sure how one drives shadily.

Those times I've been pulled over have been about bored police passing the time on a power trip, not 'protect and serve' stuff (as evident by my comment above regarding never having a ticket nor being taken in cuffs). It's a power play, and changing the dynamic is a subtle form of passive resistance. Like I started out with, it may not always be a good idea, but for a random stop, you're not going to end up cuffed fro leaving your car.