Being pulled over by police for odd reasons

[Gyburc]

DH and I got pulled over last year. We were driving home from his parents' house, and had come to a junction controlled by traffic lights. We could either drive to the lights and wait for them to change, or take a side-road that opened onto the main road a little further along. We usually did the latter because the lights took forever to change.

So we turned off onto the side-road, then onto the main road, having beaten the lights  and suddenly we found a police car screaming up behind us, flashing his lights (he must have been doing 60 mph in a 30 mph zone). We pulled over, and he came over to ask for our details.

It turned out that he had been waiting at the lights, and had seen us drive up, then make a quick turn onto the side-road, and had concluded that we had spotted him and were trying to make a run for it.  Eventually we convinced him that we didn't have criminal intentions, and he let us go.

I was very glad, however, that he didn't look in the car, because we had an interesting collection of items on the back seat:

One plastic bottle of holy water from Lourdes
One 2-foot-tall animated beaver that sang a really annoying song
One 4-foot-long replica longsword - blunt, but without sheath.

I really wonder what he would have made of those... 

[Last_Dance]

My mom was pulled over for Being Young and Pretty. The policeman tried to flirt with her until she told him she was married, pregnant and tired: he immediately apologized and let her go.

My boyfriend was pulled over while he was driving his vintage Alfa Romeo, but that was just because the policemen were curious and wanted to chat about it.   

[Cami]

Nearly 20 years ago, I was driving down what is usually a busy road. It was very early on a Sunday morning, so the road was deserted. I drive down this road often and know that the cops often park on a side street to catch speeders. I am therefore ultra cautious going down that particular stretch and sure enough -- there is a cop. I automatically check my spedometer and I'm under the speed limit, so no worries? But wrong. The lights come on and he tails me. I pull over, roll my window down and he comes up. I immediately ask, "Why did you pull me over? I know for sure it wasn't for speeding." He blinks at me and says, "How do you know THAT?" I say, "Because I saw you and like every person on the planet when they see a cop, I checked my spedometer." He looks at me for a long moment and then says, "Oh." And walks away. Never even asked to see my license or anything. My dh contended that the cop pulled me over because he saw a pretty girl and wanted to chat her up.

[ladyknight1]

My bf at the time was driving and I was passenger. we pulled out of an empty secluded parking lot (make-out spot) and we were pulled over and I had to show my ID. Apparently I looked significantly too young and he thought some saturatory rape situation had been going on. I was 21 at the time (bf was about 22).

Another time I was pulled over, and it was a legitimate reason but it never occurred to me, even when the cop asked if i knew why I was pulled over. I'm from NYC. I was driving in Canada, coming home from a Blue Jays game (we had a room in Buffalo) and I happened to be driving in the left hand lane. The cop explained to me it was a "passing lane" and let me go when he saw my address. I'd only ever heard of that in driver's ed a decade earlier - no way in NYC could our traffic volume justify leaving a lane generally unused for all traffic, I'd totally forgotten about it being a thing.

Same in New Mexico, even on interstates. However, there are signs posted every few miles reminding drivers to leave the left lane clear.

[Sophia]

..."Because I saw you and like every person on the planet when they see a cop, I checked my spedometer."...

I have a theory that cops would have a LOT easier job if they didn't give nit-picky and speed-trap traffic tickets.  Years ago I watched a History channel show on Prohibition.  (For people outside the U.S., that was when they banned alcohol)  It mentioned that pre-prohibition everyone liked cops.  Even criminals had the "just doing their job" attitude toward cops.  Like arsonists don't have a problem with firefighters.  It was when prohibition made ordinary people doing ordinary things into criminals that things changed.  I think traffic-tickets-as-funding does the same thing today.  You see a police car on the road and your chest tightens and your mind tries to figure out what excuse they might use to get you. 

[Twik]

I was very glad, however, that he didn't look in the car, because we had an interesting collection of items on the back seat:

One plastic bottle of holy water from Lourdes
One 2-foot-tall animated beaver that sang a really annoying song
One 4-foot-long replica longsword - blunt, but without sheath.

I really wonder what he would have made of those... 

I believe that beaver could have gotten you five to ten in some places.

[Josiepug]

I was very glad, however, that he didn't look in the car, because we had an interesting collection of items on the back seat:

One plastic bottle of holy water from Lourdes
One 2-foot-tall animated beaver that sang a really annoying song
One 4-foot-long replica longsword - blunt, but without sheath.

I really wonder what he would have made of those... 

That reminds me of the time I was stopped at a border patrol checkpoint in South Texas and forgot that I had a blow up 3 foot tall alien buckled up in the backseat of my car. I was on my way to the Roswell Alien Festival via Big Bend National Park and in a moment of silliness had strapped him in. Luckily the border patrol agents had a good sense of humor and let me go after telling me a few places to check out nearby.

[Gyburc]

I was very glad, however, that he didn't look in the car, because we had an interesting collection of items on the back seat:

One plastic bottle of holy water from Lourdes
One 2-foot-tall animated beaver that sang a really annoying song
One 4-foot-long replica longsword - blunt, but without sheath.

I really wonder what he would have made of those... 

I believe that beaver could have gotten you five to ten in some places.

Yes, I truly believe it could have. The only reason we had it was that my PIL were desperately trying to get rid of it. We had managed to 'leave it behind' right up until we were pulling out of their driveway, and then FIL came sprinting out with it and I was just too slow rolling the window up. 

[LadyClaire]

Somewhat related..a few years ago, my husband ran out of gas on the side of the expressway. I was on my way home, and have to go down that same expressway, so he called me to bring him some gas. He was on the side of the road for about 30-45 minutes before I could make my way to him. Several police cars passed by without stopping. I pulled up behind him and was giving him the can of gas when a cop pulled off in front of him and asked if everything was OK. I assured him it was, and he went on his way. About 5 minutes later, another cop stops and asks if everything is OK. Then another cop, going the opposite way, pulled off along his side of the barrier and asked if I was OK, if I knew DH, and if I needed assistance. I told him everything was fine, and he asked me if I was sure, and did I need him to stay? I told him it was fine, and to go ahead and go on.

He was still having trouble getting his car started (turned out his fuel pump was going bad), so I went on home while he waited for the tow truck. He said he was waiting for more than an hour, and not a single cop stopped again after I'd left. He was highly miffed that a single man standing next to a broken down car is apparently not cause for a cop to stop, but I show up and no less than 3 of them stop and ask if everything is OK. I pointed out to him that for all the cops knew, I was the one broken down and he was some stranger who had stopped and was possibly a danger to me, and since a young woman had been abducted recently they were probably on high alert.

[guihong]

When DS was around 6 or 7, we were driving on an expressway when he finagled his way out of his seatbelt and turned around, waving to the nice policeman behind us  .   When the policeman approached the car, he sang out, "Wow, Mom, This is just like Cops!  Are you going to get arrested?"  Fortunately, the police officer laughed and advised me to adjust the seatbelt.

[cattlekid]

The fact that you had this car at your disposal makes me drool. 

I went home every day for lunch.  On the way home I had car trouble so switched cars to go back to work.  A 1966 Old 442 with a Hurst 4 on the floor.

I was pulled over at the end of the freeway entrance ramp going back to work.  Had no idea why til the officer got to the window and saw a 60 year old woman driving this hot car.  He told me I was coming down the ramp at 60 MPH.  Giving him my best Mom look, I told him I doubted it as I couldn't shift that fast.

No ticket - just told me to watch it.  I'm certain he thought I was a young kid (in Dad's classic car) out for a sneak joy ride.

[cattlekid]

Scenario:  My uncle's band is playing at a bar on New Year's Eve.  Grandma (age 85), Aunt (age 60+), me (age 41) are being chauffered home in Grandma's Cadillac DTS by Uncle (Age 50+).  All of us had exactly one drink each, hours prior.  We are tooling down country road back to Grandma's house, no more than 5 MPH over speed limit.  Did I mention this is a COUNTRY road?

Out of nowhere, we are pulled over by a state trooper!  Why in the world he was on that country road at that moment is a mind-boggler.  Once he saw the unruly group in the vehicle and ascertained where we had been and where we were going, I think he took pity on my Uncle and let us off with an unwritten warning to slow down.   

[alkira6]

Wow, where do I start?

Let's start with a spring break road trip*cough* years ago.  I was on spring break from college and some friends of mine (exchange students) had chipped in together to buy an old car, fodly called the Land Whale.  I was the DD because they found after some experimentation that a guy from Norway,a guy from Denmark, and a guy from Scotland cannot drive a Land Whale without hitting parked cars on the street.  So, spring break, I was the DD. All is well until we reach Chicago.  I get pulled over once and stay on the side of the road 15 minutes answering weird questions while the other three remain mum.  The officer finally asks them questions and as soon as he hears the accents he lets us go.  We go through this 3 more times while in Chicago.  Come to find out we fit the profile of a hooker and her johns, so that's why we were stopped. Does this count as DWB (driving while black?)

Pulled over legitimately for speeding. Speeding a lot. Speeding as going 120+ in a 60 (please, yes I know it was wrong. I don't do that anymore).  Cop was spitting fire mad.  This is go to jail type speeding. The only reason I didn't go is that all officers were called to respond to something more important than me and he had to leave.  I stopped speeding (like this) after this encounetr.

Stopped for veering in traffic. After the officer saw the small deer embedded in the grill he heped me pull it out and let me go.

A few years ago DH and I lived near some sort of police training facility. They took the new cops out to the road leading from the forest to the main road and taught them how to do traffic stops.  Pulled over weekly for almost 3 years. Never actually got a ticket.

I have been pulled over in Scotland, Tennessee, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Illionois, Michigan, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, DC, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Texas, Missouri,and Virginia.  Out of all of these, most were routine traffic stops that resulted in nothing, one was a ticket for going 65 in a 55 (crossing over a state line and didn't slow in time), 4 resulted in my car being searched (nothing found), one passenger being arrested (a cousin that I was taking home who had a child support warrant ), and one citation for a broken tail light and no proof of insurance (both dropped after I went to court with proof of insurance and report of the fixed tail light).

All of the above happened during the three year period that I drove the Land Whale.  I sold it and bought the first Subaru wagon and have only been stopped for the above mentioned police training and for going 55 in a 40 (legit, paid the ticket).

[snappylt]

When he was 17½, one my sons got pulled over for a warning that one of his headlights was out.  My son said the officer took his license and proof of insurance to the patrol car and then returned them, gave him a verbal warning about the headlight, and then had a very pleasant chat for a few minutes about my son's career plans.

Why am I bothering to tell the story?  Well, about a month after that stop, my son happened to actually look carefully at his license.  His license had expired six months before, on his 17th birthday.  He had forgotten to go in and renew it.

How is the world did the officer stop him about the burned-out headlight and not notice that his license had expired?  It must have shown up on the officer's computer as an expired license, don't you think?

[ladyknight1]

I have been pulled over in Scotland, Tennessee, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Illionois, Michigan, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, DC, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Texas, Missouri,and Virginia.  Out of all of these, most were routine traffic stops that resulted in nothing, one was a ticket for going 65 in a 55 (crossing over a state line and didn't slow in time), 4 resulted in my car being searched (nothing found), one passenger being arrested (a cousin that I was taking home who had a child support warrant ), and one citation for a broken tail light and no proof of insurance (both dropped after I went to court with proof of insurance and report of the fixed tail light).

At least you have only 32 states and a few territories to go, then you will have been pulled over in every state!