Celerity
Well-Known Member
Just got pulled over.
I was coming off an exit ramp (East and West bound exit ramps merge into this one, one lane ramp). I was ahead of the dude in a bimmer coming off the west bound exit (exit 10, i-84) and I slipped in ahead. He came up on me, hot, and passed me on the left. One lane, mind you. Act of war.
He jumps in front of me, and of course needs to shave off speed now because we're coming up to a light, and a light with - HEY you guess it ! A random state-police sponsored motor vehicle check !
So the police come out from their cars - Swarm the exit. 4 squad cars, 5 officers. The first salvo get the bimmer, the second get me. They stopped him to the right, and immediately questioned him. They request I pull ahead, and get on the grass with their cruisers.
I pass the two officers, slowly, and the fun begins as each cop looks over his powdered-sugar covered shoulder directly at my MAINE licence plate. All but one officer walks to my car, and the BMW is dismissed.
First officer:
"Are you guys racing or something?"
Me:
"No, I was coming off the exit, and he passed me on the left, then slammed on his brakes"
Officer:
"He said you were harassing him on the highway. Were you ?"
Me:
"No, I'm coming from the other direction."
Officer:
"Tell me you live in Maine and this could be a lot easier on you."
Me:
"Nope. I live in CT and I have an out-of-state registration in Maine."
Officer:
"You know thats illegal, right?"
Me:
"No, It's legal if I have in-state insurance and pay my area and state taxes."
Officer walks away, with my registration and licence (Which shows my address as of 1 month ago.
(If you read one part of this post, read this part)
Now three amazing things happen during this traffic stop. One, a car with no licence plate at all comes to the red light, and takes a right on red in an other-wise marked intersection. Nothing happens.
Second, a Charger comes off the highway, with Maine plates. He squeals slightly through the intersection on a green light.
Then, the most amazing thing happens. Something that I have never even HEARD of. I can't make this shit up. Picture this:
Two officers at my trunk. Light is red. 1988 Civic pulls up to the light. Dented, bumper hanging off. Tinted windows black. Bass thumping. DOOR SWINGS OPEN, and this black kid with a wife beater, loose jeans, and a fucking PICK in his fro crip walks TO MY CAR, puts his hand on the roof, leans in and says "Yo, you got a cigarette I can have?"
I looked around and over my shoulders. "Uh, I'm a little busy here"
"Yo, it's cool. thanks"
CRIP WALKS BACK TO HIS CAR, and while his car was blocking a line of cars at a green light, the light turns yellow and he leaves.
several seconds later, the officer comes from my trunk, to my window. I'm aghast.
"Would you mind if we searched your car?"
"Officer, didn't you just SEE That ?!"
He looks around. "See what?"
I snapped.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me. You totally missed the (n-word) that walked to my car, no more than 10 seconds ago, and asked me for a cigarette, while holding up traffic"
"We saw no such thing."
"Where did you get trained for this job? Do they give you a gun?"
"Hey hey hey kid, I don't need this attitude from you."
I looked dead forward.
"If I were to search your car, would I find anything I didn't like?"
"That's pretty vague." I was still staring straight forward.
"If you were honest with me, and told me if you were hiding anything, pot or whatever, I would be easy on you"
"No you wouldn't."
Silence.
"So do you object to a search?"
I took my keys out of the ignition and jabbed them at him "Here is the trunk key. Tell me what you find."
he didn't take the keys or anything. He walked slightly back to his supervisor and said "We've got a real fighter here"
Supervisor comes up. Here is where I snap.
"We could two things at this point. Do you want to hear your options?"
"Sure, why not."
"We could take your plates, your licence, and have your car towed and impounded. Or, you could take a ticket for driving an unregistered vehicle."
Here is what gets me in trouble.
Me: " No you can't."
The officers start doing the shoulder nods, silent, you could tell their blood pressure was rising.
"I don't give a damn what your friends, your mechanic, or anyone tells you. A Maine registration is illegal if you live in this state. We will tow your car, and take the plates. This will cost you a ton of money, and if you don't shape up, we'll put you in a cell to cool off."
"No you won't."
Again with the pauses and shoulder nods.. I continue....
"If you COULD take my plate, tow my car, and put me in jail - You would do it. Your option is quite frankly, insulting. And your attempt to intimidate me won't work. IF you COULD find something in my car, with or without me telling you, you'll throw the book at me. This lying and egging me on to say or accept things is unlawful, and honestly - Poor manners. I'm not going to "agree" to your ticket, when faced with some sort of ugly option. I don't agree to this at all - And I have a legal registration, insurance, and licence. By saying that you'll hurt me if I don't do it, well.. that's ignorant."
Several seconds of silence.
"Hang on just a moment. Don't even think of going anywhere."
I light a cigarette, and they walk back to the cruiser. 20 minutes I have a NEW ticket, this one with a $98 fine for the same infraction. They increased the fine. Just whammo, increased it.
"You can pay this, or you can opt to plead not guilty - Choice is yours. If I see you again, I WILL pull you over, and if you still have maine plates, I'll take the car."
Then the Celica wouldn't start.
Either way, I got the Celica to start, and stormed off. Man am I pissed. I am pretty sick of the sublime tactics that patrolmen use to "control the situation". I'm not playing part to it anymore. Having a Maine plate in CT is just as lawful as having any other plate, People with Maine plates go wrong because they don't pay their own state taxes - And thus, they get ticketted / impounded / suspended for evading taxes. But I pay taxes, and I have my car registered with my town to pay taxes on it - For the past year. And paperwork to prove all of this !
Wait till they get a load of ME.
-> Steve
I was coming off an exit ramp (East and West bound exit ramps merge into this one, one lane ramp). I was ahead of the dude in a bimmer coming off the west bound exit (exit 10, i-84) and I slipped in ahead. He came up on me, hot, and passed me on the left. One lane, mind you. Act of war.
He jumps in front of me, and of course needs to shave off speed now because we're coming up to a light, and a light with - HEY you guess it ! A random state-police sponsored motor vehicle check !
So the police come out from their cars - Swarm the exit. 4 squad cars, 5 officers. The first salvo get the bimmer, the second get me. They stopped him to the right, and immediately questioned him. They request I pull ahead, and get on the grass with their cruisers.
I pass the two officers, slowly, and the fun begins as each cop looks over his powdered-sugar covered shoulder directly at my MAINE licence plate. All but one officer walks to my car, and the BMW is dismissed.
First officer:
"Are you guys racing or something?"
Me:
"No, I was coming off the exit, and he passed me on the left, then slammed on his brakes"
Officer:
"He said you were harassing him on the highway. Were you ?"
Me:
"No, I'm coming from the other direction."
Officer:
"Tell me you live in Maine and this could be a lot easier on you."
Me:
"Nope. I live in CT and I have an out-of-state registration in Maine."
Officer:
"You know thats illegal, right?"
Me:
"No, It's legal if I have in-state insurance and pay my area and state taxes."
Officer walks away, with my registration and licence (Which shows my address as of 1 month ago.
(If you read one part of this post, read this part)
Now three amazing things happen during this traffic stop. One, a car with no licence plate at all comes to the red light, and takes a right on red in an other-wise marked intersection. Nothing happens.
Second, a Charger comes off the highway, with Maine plates. He squeals slightly through the intersection on a green light.
Then, the most amazing thing happens. Something that I have never even HEARD of. I can't make this shit up. Picture this:
Two officers at my trunk. Light is red. 1988 Civic pulls up to the light. Dented, bumper hanging off. Tinted windows black. Bass thumping. DOOR SWINGS OPEN, and this black kid with a wife beater, loose jeans, and a fucking PICK in his fro crip walks TO MY CAR, puts his hand on the roof, leans in and says "Yo, you got a cigarette I can have?"
I looked around and over my shoulders. "Uh, I'm a little busy here"
"Yo, it's cool. thanks"
CRIP WALKS BACK TO HIS CAR, and while his car was blocking a line of cars at a green light, the light turns yellow and he leaves.
several seconds later, the officer comes from my trunk, to my window. I'm aghast.
"Would you mind if we searched your car?"
"Officer, didn't you just SEE That ?!"
He looks around. "See what?"
I snapped.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me. You totally missed the (n-word) that walked to my car, no more than 10 seconds ago, and asked me for a cigarette, while holding up traffic"
"We saw no such thing."
"Where did you get trained for this job? Do they give you a gun?"
"Hey hey hey kid, I don't need this attitude from you."
I looked dead forward.
"If I were to search your car, would I find anything I didn't like?"
"That's pretty vague." I was still staring straight forward.
"If you were honest with me, and told me if you were hiding anything, pot or whatever, I would be easy on you"
"No you wouldn't."
Silence.
"So do you object to a search?"
I took my keys out of the ignition and jabbed them at him "Here is the trunk key. Tell me what you find."
he didn't take the keys or anything. He walked slightly back to his supervisor and said "We've got a real fighter here"
Supervisor comes up. Here is where I snap.
"We could two things at this point. Do you want to hear your options?"
"Sure, why not."
"We could take your plates, your licence, and have your car towed and impounded. Or, you could take a ticket for driving an unregistered vehicle."
Here is what gets me in trouble.
Me: " No you can't."
The officers start doing the shoulder nods, silent, you could tell their blood pressure was rising.
"I don't give a damn what your friends, your mechanic, or anyone tells you. A Maine registration is illegal if you live in this state. We will tow your car, and take the plates. This will cost you a ton of money, and if you don't shape up, we'll put you in a cell to cool off."
"No you won't."
Again with the pauses and shoulder nods.. I continue....
"If you COULD take my plate, tow my car, and put me in jail - You would do it. Your option is quite frankly, insulting. And your attempt to intimidate me won't work. IF you COULD find something in my car, with or without me telling you, you'll throw the book at me. This lying and egging me on to say or accept things is unlawful, and honestly - Poor manners. I'm not going to "agree" to your ticket, when faced with some sort of ugly option. I don't agree to this at all - And I have a legal registration, insurance, and licence. By saying that you'll hurt me if I don't do it, well.. that's ignorant."
Several seconds of silence.
"Hang on just a moment. Don't even think of going anywhere."
I light a cigarette, and they walk back to the cruiser. 20 minutes I have a NEW ticket, this one with a $98 fine for the same infraction. They increased the fine. Just whammo, increased it.
"You can pay this, or you can opt to plead not guilty - Choice is yours. If I see you again, I WILL pull you over, and if you still have maine plates, I'll take the car."
Then the Celica wouldn't start.
Either way, I got the Celica to start, and stormed off. Man am I pissed. I am pretty sick of the sublime tactics that patrolmen use to "control the situation". I'm not playing part to it anymore. Having a Maine plate in CT is just as lawful as having any other plate, People with Maine plates go wrong because they don't pay their own state taxes - And thus, they get ticketted / impounded / suspended for evading taxes. But I pay taxes, and I have my car registered with my town to pay taxes on it - For the past year. And paperwork to prove all of this !
Wait till they get a load of ME.
-> Steve