6 Ways to Tee Off a Traffic Cop |
Posted: February 26, 2016 |
Whenever you see those red and blue lights in your review mirror, you will have all kinds of emotions flowing through your brain. However, all of these emotions are not to be shared unless you just feel like you have a shortage of court summons in your life. Leniency is always available; however, you can always ensure the opposite through the following actions. Arguing with the Cop If you at any point get into an argument about whether your alleged driving action was wrong or not, you can expect a ticket. After all, what is a ticket other than a promise to appear in court, and what is a court if not the perfect place to settle arguments? You almost force the hand of the cop if you become argumentative, because police officers are trained not to argue. That, quite literally, is the job of the court. Never argue! Blasting Music If you just feel like going to court next month, continue to blast your radio while the police officer is talking to you. This shows a complete lack of respect for the situation and for the badge. You are moving past your disagreement with being pulled over and disrespecting the person when you do this. Would you behave this way with any of your friends? If not, then do not do it with a cop! Explaining Points of Law Unless you have a law degree, if you try to explain law to a police officer, you will probably lose. Why? The officer is under no pretense to be correct about the law! Remember that your ticket is a promise to appear in court - nothing more, nothing less. You are being accused, not convicted, of a traffic violation. The officer is really not the one that you have to convince. Note: Even if you have a law degree, trying to explain points of law to a cop on the street is bad form, and lawyers will tell you this. Rebelliously Start Filming You may have seen more than a few YouTube videos of people who make it a point to antagonize a police officer by filming them in an aggressive, confrontational way. These people will usually pepper the officer with choice comments, daring the officer to step out of line in front of the camera. Although it is certainly your right to film the police (except in Illinois - it is a felony there), you do not need the additional attitude. This will only escalate the situation needlessly, as most officers understand what a camera is without being told! Refuse to Follow Physical Orders Not only is this a quick way to make a cop mad, but it may actually be dangerous. No matter what, you should always endeavor to follow the physical orders of a police officers. Make it easy for the officer to see that he or she is in no physical danger in order to immediately de-escalate the situation. Put your hands in plain sight as the officer walks up to your car. Do not make any sudden movements. Realize that in most places, just the act of driving subjects you to an automatic test of that privilege at the sole discretion of law enforcement, so get out when ordered to! Not Stopping Immediately If you lead a police officer on any kind of chase or trouble to stop you and pull you over, you are going to find yourself immediately in a disadvantageous situation once you are pulled over. When you hear the siren and see the lights behind you, make it a point to pull over as soon as it is safe. If you hear commands from the police megaphone, follow those commands immediately without arguing or moving in another direction. If you end up with a moving traffic violation, consider traffic school as a way to clean up your record. Refer to the laws of your county to see if you are eligible to have your citation dismissed through traffic school. You can also earn a safe driver discount by attending traffic school voluntarily, possibly reducing your auto insurance rates!
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