I got pulled over by the cops last night.OK, so that's not that big of a deal. But I got pulled over by a cop because, well, he wanted to get a close-up look at my car. What happened was this:Wife and I were driving across town to dinner. We took our Smart Car, which you don't see much around the States and, in my opinion, is one of the coolest cars on the road. That said, it is still just a car.So we're driving through Westwood, when I see a cop tailing us. I made a few legal turns to see if he was actually following me, and after the 2nd turn, he turned on his lights and ordered me to pull over. In a threatening voice, he told me to turn off the engine, and then he slowly approached with his hand on his gun and flashlight out.He asked me for my DL and registration, and then pointed out that I have no license plates. Now that's true...but that's hardly a rarity in California, where most new cars don't have plates for the first 3-4 months you own 'em until the DMV gets around to sending them to you. In 20 years of driving, I've never heard of anyone getting pulled over for no plates...the worst you'd get is a ticket from a meter maid.Anyway, it quickly turns out that the cop just wants to find out more about the car - starts asking about what kind of miles it gets, where we got it, etc. He became very friendly and said "See you later" and that was that.Initially, I was kind of like "whatever" to the whole thing. But I started to think more about the incident, and I've gotten progressively more annoyed...maybe even angry. The guy wanted to check out my car so he abused his authority to pull me over? Sure, it's not the end of the world, but it does seem very creepy. Frankly, it gives me more sympathy for folks with far more serious issues - people of color who get pulled over just because of their color, etc. Anyway, it's not the end of the world, and I'll get over it shortly (probably by tomorrow morning), but it did open my eyes. I've spent most of my life working under the assumption that most people are inherently good, and that police, like most people, are generally good with just a few bad apples. I have friends who feel far more strongly that "most" police are in fact "not good", and I've always argued vehemenently against that idea. An experience like this, however, makes you think...Ok, done.
Replies
take a deep breath.. haha
after clicking the link \"I want one\" .. LOL.. makes my hybrid look like a MONSTER
i\'d rather get syopped by a cop wanting to ck out my car than 1 who wants to push you into being an asshole so he can arrest you on friday night so u cant get out \'til monday. & dont we all sometimes tell white lies to improve the situation @ nand??
chip
Hmm... I didn\'t really think about that when you intially told me the story. It is kinda creepy...
I would be rather put off my the whole thing myself. I see it as an abuse of authority. Like when an officer wants to get somewhere (for personal reasons) fast and he/she flips on thier lights to manipulate traffic. Some people don\'t have common decency or respect for others. Sorry this happened to you and hopefully you will \"get over it\" by morning.
Cop was bored. Aren\'t you glad that you ain\'t a cop? Take Care, V
This is something that has bothered me for years--the abuse of authority by police--I was once pulled over when I was in my twenties by a cop who asked me out!! I asked him why he pulled me over and he said, \"oh, you took that turn a little wide\"-then proceeded to ask me where I was from, where I worked, and if I would have a cup of coffee with him!!! Creeped me out big-time. I\'m interested in your car--will check for pics!! Hugs & love, Robbin
I\'ve had a cop comment on my car when they pulled me over once. Then again, he was writing a speeding ticket. But I understand your frustration--I couldn\'t understand why the hell he would ask about the car at a time like that. I think my repsonse was \"It does okay.\"