Ever been pulled over in your Tacoma?

Wait, what?? Cops can issue you a citation based solely on some ordinary citizen's word?? There's no way that's legal, not without proof at least. Maybe that guy was an undercover cop or something.

The whole "guilty until you're proven innocent" is completely against everything our justice system (is supposed to) supposedly stand for.

 

I agree and that wouldn't work here. Though we do use civilians as witnesses, we can't go solely off of that. Ie.. A women calls dispatch and says " I'm behind a guy and he's all over the road, we're west bound on Main St. A Deputy in the area catches up with them and observes the same behavior. He now has PC for a stop. The Deputy would take a witness statement to bolster his case.

 

He wasn't undercover, just an ordinary citizen that was willing to testify against me in a court of law...in the discovery I received it stated that the citizen and the cop went back thru my path of travel and the citizen told the cop what he had witnessed me doing, and this was after they issued me a citation based on this guys word, while the cop noted the info he needed for his report. No physical evidence whatsoever.

 

The only thing I left out was it was a guy and his wife that witnessed it. Like I already stated the cop told me the only reason I wasn't going to jail was because they didn't witness or observe me driving as the citizen had stated to them.

 

What a dick. Any chance he got you on a dash cam?

 

ah, okay thanks for clearing it up a bit. Still doesn't seem quite right that they issued you the citation before they followed through with the civilian's word on the whole ordeal, but maybe his "witness" was all they needed...still seems shaky to me.

^^ This I understand and completely agree with, if I saw someone driving who was obviously drunk and I called the cops and gave them his location and license plate # so that they could track him and catch him in the act, that seems completely fair. I'm just still a little confused as to why @SSATaco was given his citation without any real proof presented to the police, other than the other guy's word and his 'witness' that was in the car with him (seems awfully convenient). Who knows, maybe there's more to the story that only the police know, maybe they reviewed a traffic camera in the area or something.

 

No he didn't! I was curious that there was some kind of evidence but nothing more than this guys word based on the discovery I received. They just back tracked and went over my infractions and verified that there were 3 within 5 miles of travel to make it reckless driving.

 

well...like you said it was only a $160 ticket versus a much higher cost to fight it. But I dunno, if you get a good traffic lawyer and win your case (based on what we know it seems likely you could) you could come out on top. Don't know if it's worth the time and hassle though, but just based solely on principal I feel like this shouldn't slide.

 

If so, they never presented it as evidence. Short of trying to find the paperwork from the whole incident and going off my memory I don't believe I left anything out.

 

A twin?

 

Sisters?

I drove through there once late at night. They had a roadblock to confuse drivers in the middle of town (pointed right then no more directions). A Sisters cop stopped me soon.
The Oregon State Patrol showed up to make sure the Sisters cop didn't abuse my rights, I appreciated that. Sisters cop had to let me go since there was a witness.

Not a friendly place.

I've never been stopped in my Tacoma.

 

Got pulled over driving through downtown around 2AM last winter with just my parking lights on. Hadn't flipped the switch that extra notch over. Cop checked my info, then let me go.

 

I agree but I wasn't in any position to hire an attorney for $500.

 

Been pulled over twice while driving a Tacoma. First time was many years ago in my 2nd Gen. I was cruising along on a back road keeping up with the guy in front of me not really paying attention. Looked in the rear view and noticed an unmarked Charger as the little red LED for the dash cam was a dead give away. Looked down and I was doing about 20 over. I let off the gas and let the truck reduce speed on it's own as I knew I was already screwed and jamming the brakes probably wouldn't have done anything but piss him off. About a mile further down the road he lit me up. I pulled into the entrance of a subdivision there to get off the main road and as he walked up to the truck I figured I was done as it was a State Trooper. At this time I was still living in NC and had Firefighter plates on the truck. He came up to the window and asked if I knew why he was pulling me over. I replied " Yes sir, you got me going a little over the speed limit." He chuckled and said "It was a bit more than just a little." I replied with "Yeah, you're probably right, I wasn't really paying close attention to my speed and was just keeping up with the car in front of me but should have been paying more attention." He asked if the truck belonged to me which I told him it was in fact mine. Gave him my license and insurance cards and off he went back to his car. Pretty much knew I was screwed but was hoping he wasn't going to hit me for the full 20 over as that could be considered reckless driving and a slew of other issues. After 4-5 minutes he gets out of his car with a piece of paper in his hand and hands it to me when he gets to me and says " Let me explain how this works, this is just a warning, you don't have to do anything with it. Just slow down and consider it a professional courtesy." I thanked him and told him I appreciated him not hammering me.
The second time was literally days after picking up my 3rd gen still sporting a temp tag. My two year old daughter woke up with nasty croup and was having a tough time breathing. I put her in the truck along with my wife and away we went headed to Urgent Care to get her a Nebulizer breathing treatment so the poor kid could actually breathe. I was on one of the main roads by the house that is two lanes each way but has a posted speed limit of 45. I was hauling ass and trying to get to the Urgent Care as quickly as possible. I spotted the reflective tape of a State Trooper car up ahead and got on the brakes hard to slow down but I knew he already had me and at that point I was trying to get down to 45 from 80. He pulled out behind me and pulled me over. As soon as I pulled over I told my wife, "This is either going to go one of two ways, either I am going to jail or he's going to be cool and let me slide because of Sophias condition." He walked on over to the passengers window and before he could say a word I said "Officer, I know I was speeding." "He response was "You were hauling!" I rolled the rear window down so he could see my daughter and explained the situation. He just told me to get back on the road and take care of her and to just slow it down and be safe. I again thanked him and got the hell out of dodge. That's twice I got really lucky. Thru the years I've found if your polite and treat the officer like a human rather than be a raving lunatic it will help you out in the long run. Oddly enough here in NC and SC I have also found when you present them with your CCW along with your license and insurance cards and tell them if and where your pistol is located that their demeanor changes and they actually are a little more laid back with you.

 

Not that odd. I hand my CCW card over with my license, every time. They're always chill about it. If they ask if I've got the gun in the car I'll say yes and ask if they want control of it for the duration of the stop. Never had them take me up on it.

 

I haven't been pulled over once since I bought a radar detector (and had it turned on...yea, wtf why didn't I use it sometimes). I follow the other rules of the road to the letter, but just don't see a problem on some streets or areas or situations driving a little faster than what the engineers put on that sign. I got a speeding ticket for 80 bucks for 6-12 over after a family dinner and decided to go on Amazon and get one that was 80 bucks or less. That fine piece of technology saved my butt dozens of times over 9 years. I got 2 tickets during that time when it was off for 6-12 over. Recently, I figured I hadn't gotten a ticket in a long time so I just got a new one for 120. As far as attitude and so forth, all the speeders were by the book professional (i'm officer so and so with such and such department, you were going blank miles per hour can I see your license and registration), there was no opportunity for chit chat as they didn't offer it...

In Boulder, however, this one time...I had gone (underage of course) out with some friends and at maybe 11 or so the keg runs out at this house. So i've only had a few beers or so... ... and am the most sober driver there so hey, I'll run this guy to the store no problem. (why why why) Can I use your car? and Sure why not have 2 other people come. And Sure why not let them all take their SOLO cups with them. We go and pick up the keg and head back.

I see the cop behind me so I'm following the speed carefully and make sure to signal and completely (yes completely) stop at the right hand turn, etc, etc. The lights come on and I pull into a lot. The officer has a peek through the windows of the cherokee as she walks up, notices a keg, and asks for my info and explains that the tags are expired. I explain its a friends car but we can't find registration. There is trash everywhere...all 3 passengers (SOLO cups between ankles "hidden" with clothes etc) are looking for 5 minutes after she asks for it. No luck...she goes back to the car and I prepare to go to jail. She comes back and says, "Here's your license back. The registration on your friends car has expired so here is your ticket (etc etc). I noticed you are under 21 and have a keg in the back of the vehicle. I suggest you get to your destination and stay there. Have a good night!"

A goddess was on patrol that night.

Oh, I and almost forgot...my friend never did get me that money for "his" ticket. 150 bucks because I payed it late.

 

I only had one LEO ask for it only because he wanted to see it after I told him what it was. It was at a license checkpoint and the funny thing is he starting talking to me about guns and than me being from NY and when I said I had no issues BSing with him longer but did he want me to move out of line as to not hold the line up his response was " Ahh they'll be ok, they can wait. lol

 

I got pulled over for having my halos on red. Luckily I got a warning because it's a $150 fine

 

I got jacked today by a small town cop leaving Branchville, SC headed to Aiken, SC.
Sneaky ass was seating in a front yard faced towards traffic coming into town. Got
me for 44 in a 30 mph. I swear it was 35 in that town. Tickets in these little South
Carolina towns are nothing but a money making scheme. Talk about a shitty way to
start my day.

 

I was pulled over for having a tinted plate cover over my license plate. It was my first time being pulled over so the cop just gave me a warning ticket.