CaptFiero
02-01-2009, 06:27 PM
This may be kinda out in left field, but I haven't seen it asked recently it might be a help for some of the younger guys on here.
Ya might want to grab a coffee, or if ya are off duty, grab a beer, this ones kinda long winded.
Edit: As I wrote this post, it kinda veered off, from a simple what should a guy do or not do, in order to make a traffic stop the least stressful for BOTH sides.
The 2nd part goes into a short story about a stop that I had that to this day confounds me. Maybe I am kinda looking for any input as to why it ended up the way it did.
Part #1
For the most part officers are just regular guys out to do a job. However sometimes that job does not make everyone happy.
I realize that when you pull someone over even for a routine stop, you have to pretty much assume a worst case scenario. Not only could the person in the car to be outright Pissed Off, but for him to do "Anything" from causing yourself bodily harm to simply trying to leave the scene.
Now that I have set the tone for this.
What can or maybe a better question, what shouldn't a person do to escalate, irritate, or simply put an officer on edge at a stop.
The first thing I try to do when I get pulled over is keep my hands up high, and when he comes to the window, have it down, and smile and usually try to crack some sort of joke about why he pulled me over. If he knows I'm not a threat, hopefully things will go smoother. Growing up in the states. Near Portland Oregon, I know from experience that a simple chrome wrapper from a cheeseburger in your hand can get a weapon pulled on you rather quickly.
So what should a person to keep the stress levels on both sides to a minimum.
Part #2
I have had a couple bad experiences 2 notedly up here, where I was pulled over and the guy was just flatly PISSED OFF even before he got to my car. He was actually yelling at me, to get my license and registration. I always wait until he can see what I am doing as the last thing I want to be doing is reaching behind my back to get something as he walks up. I casually grabbed my wallet with him there, grabbed my papers from the center console, he ripped them out of my hand and stormed off without saying a word. He walked around my car checking things then walked back to his cruiser. I still did not even know why I had been pulled over. I was not speeding, hadn't changed lanes. I wasn't tail gating anyone. This was on Marine drive going into Vancouver, near the Super Store. He was back there for a good 20 mins, he finally came back almost tossed my papers into the car, handed me his ticket book and said he was citing me for Tinted windows. I explained to him, that I had only bought the car 2 months ago, and the windows were like that when I bought it. He said he didn't care, then told me the tint looks like crap anyways. He told me to sign it, so I did. Then he stormed off got in his car and followed me for a couple mins.
Was the guy just having a bad day, or is he just one of the guys out there with a chip on his shoulder looking to take it out on anyone?
For the Record, I didn't dispute the ticket, I just went ahead and paid it.
I have met some really great officers over the years, guys that'll park there car, get out and talk to people and are generally nice guys. Yet others, that seem like they want to punish the world. There was one in Port Kells / Langley/ Surrey boarder. Back around 2001, I honestly don't remember his exact name, it sounded like Apel. He'd wander around the crowd of cars and honestly tell us what was legal and not so legal. The funny thing was, he was not trying to act like GOD, but he got the respect of the car guys there. When he said it was time to get going. Not one of the regulars questioned him. We just got in and off we went. Everything was always fine, until the drunks and dope smokers showed up, and it all got shut down.
Ya might want to grab a coffee, or if ya are off duty, grab a beer, this ones kinda long winded.
Edit: As I wrote this post, it kinda veered off, from a simple what should a guy do or not do, in order to make a traffic stop the least stressful for BOTH sides.
The 2nd part goes into a short story about a stop that I had that to this day confounds me. Maybe I am kinda looking for any input as to why it ended up the way it did.
Part #1
For the most part officers are just regular guys out to do a job. However sometimes that job does not make everyone happy.
I realize that when you pull someone over even for a routine stop, you have to pretty much assume a worst case scenario. Not only could the person in the car to be outright Pissed Off, but for him to do "Anything" from causing yourself bodily harm to simply trying to leave the scene.
Now that I have set the tone for this.
What can or maybe a better question, what shouldn't a person do to escalate, irritate, or simply put an officer on edge at a stop.
The first thing I try to do when I get pulled over is keep my hands up high, and when he comes to the window, have it down, and smile and usually try to crack some sort of joke about why he pulled me over. If he knows I'm not a threat, hopefully things will go smoother. Growing up in the states. Near Portland Oregon, I know from experience that a simple chrome wrapper from a cheeseburger in your hand can get a weapon pulled on you rather quickly.
So what should a person to keep the stress levels on both sides to a minimum.
Part #2
I have had a couple bad experiences 2 notedly up here, where I was pulled over and the guy was just flatly PISSED OFF even before he got to my car. He was actually yelling at me, to get my license and registration. I always wait until he can see what I am doing as the last thing I want to be doing is reaching behind my back to get something as he walks up. I casually grabbed my wallet with him there, grabbed my papers from the center console, he ripped them out of my hand and stormed off without saying a word. He walked around my car checking things then walked back to his cruiser. I still did not even know why I had been pulled over. I was not speeding, hadn't changed lanes. I wasn't tail gating anyone. This was on Marine drive going into Vancouver, near the Super Store. He was back there for a good 20 mins, he finally came back almost tossed my papers into the car, handed me his ticket book and said he was citing me for Tinted windows. I explained to him, that I had only bought the car 2 months ago, and the windows were like that when I bought it. He said he didn't care, then told me the tint looks like crap anyways. He told me to sign it, so I did. Then he stormed off got in his car and followed me for a couple mins.
Was the guy just having a bad day, or is he just one of the guys out there with a chip on his shoulder looking to take it out on anyone?
For the Record, I didn't dispute the ticket, I just went ahead and paid it.
I have met some really great officers over the years, guys that'll park there car, get out and talk to people and are generally nice guys. Yet others, that seem like they want to punish the world. There was one in Port Kells / Langley/ Surrey boarder. Back around 2001, I honestly don't remember his exact name, it sounded like Apel. He'd wander around the crowd of cars and honestly tell us what was legal and not so legal. The funny thing was, he was not trying to act like GOD, but he got the respect of the car guys there. When he said it was time to get going. Not one of the regulars questioned him. We just got in and off we went. Everything was always fine, until the drunks and dope smokers showed up, and it all got shut down.