[ScottBurson]

I once had a CHP officer tell me in so many words that if I hadn't admitted to speeding, he would have written me a ticket.

Stonewalling isn't necessarily the best strategy, particularly if you both know you were in violation.

[makomk]

This is quite likely to depend on the colour of your skin...

[tibbon]

I definitely considered this. I was driving through the border of a traditionally black neighborhood and college campus. I'm a white male, and it was some frat party weekend on the campus and I got the sense he was looking to nail drunk students.

If I wasn't white, I think its highly possible things would have turned out differently.

Every encounter I've had with police so far (a few traffic stops, being caught dumpster diving, being in a few parks in Boston after midnight), I've found it just to be better to be nice. I've walked away from every situation so far with zero tickets, arrests, handcuffings, etc...