How scared are you of cops when they pull you over in your car?

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   ptosisposted 8 years ago

   How scared are you of cops when they pull you over in your car?
   
   I guess the answer would make a difference if the last time you were pulled over was 20 years ago or last week. Two decades ago was just scared of losing money via ticket and insurance rates but now scared of being shot, thrown to the ground or death in prison. Please answer when was the last time you were pulled over and if you were scared. If never pulled over, imagine being pulled over and write how scared you would be. Thank you.
   
   

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   Johnny James Aposted 8 years ago

   I am very scared.  I have been pulled over by cops who wanted to know "where I was going."  I asked them why do they need to know this and did this stop involve any driving infractions. Nope. So I just stared at the officer until he pulled away.  I have been pulled over because my "car was bouncing!!!!!"  To which I replied my shocks and struts are fine, however, I am driving on a gravel road, so besides this is there any infractions? Nope, stared at the officer until he drove off.  I have been pulled over more than 2 dozen times (no tickets, no warnings, no infractions) on these stops.  Just wanted to know why I was in a certain area, etc. Then when I hear stories of the 2 LA cop who sodomized two women on a traffic stop; the Oklahoma Cop who raped numerous women; Ohio cop who raped the minor in Ohio. Life is scary.  I remember in the 90s when a lot of abuse by clergy and cops were coming to light there was a lecture on what to do if a cop tries and pull you over.  We were told if you see the flashing lights while driving that the first this to do was (if you had a cell phone) was call 911 and tell the dispatch you are not evading arrest but that you would not pull over until you got to a public place. If you were on foot, and you know you didn't do anything wrong you were to tell the cop behind you (if you were not in a place with a lot of people) that you were not evading arrest but would walk until you got to a public place where you felt safe.  Those trainings are out the window and if you do not stop right away or if you reach for anything (cell phone, wallet) you fear getting shot.  Even recently a caregiver was shot by a member of swat while the caregiver had his hands up and trying to calm down his autistic patient.  The cop later said he was not targeting the caregiver but was targeting the autistic patient who was also on the ground with no weapon.  Heck, if SWAT can't hit a stationary target of a man with limited mental capacity to get away we are all screwed. I hate to say it,  but when someone has a gun, stun gun, other devices at their disposal it does not matter if 90% of the force is good.  You only have to be involved with the 10% who are messed up one time for your life to be over.

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      Ericdierkerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting. My wife is from a communist  country and she even thinks that cops are here to protect us. No argument that cop involved shootings are infinitesimal compared to black on black killings. Maybe if they stopped more folk that would go down

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      Johnny James Aposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I do not understand why my personal experiences affecting my perception of some police would result in a response on black on black crime or another person's perception from a comm country. I am merely responding as to my perception when pulled over

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      Ericdierkerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Oh my! sorry for being so insensitive about your perceptions. Your ten percent perception is really about .0001 and people should not believe these concurrences are ten percent likely.  Your experiences  that  you use to skew perceptions of others

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      Johnny James Aposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      You do know I said "if" 90%, as in not using a definitive statement of fact, but for example.  Additionally, the OP's question was about one's "personal" feelings since the question was "How scared are YOU..."  Therefore MY perception are relevant.

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      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      @Eric Dierker You are out of line with your comments on this answer.  93% of black victims were killed by blacks,  83 percent of white murder victims were killed by fellow Caucasians. (Of murders committed by Blacks, only 14 percent were of whites.)

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      Ericdierkerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      James you make a wonderful point. My nervous Nelly wife says "no trips to the park".  We are mixed racial in a community with more mixed racial than same race. Did you know that about .0002 percent of people die a violent death throughout the world?

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      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      @ James, 30 years ago in a Celica came home same bat time, same bat channel past a cop who hung out same location everynight. One day it was cold so put the hoodie over head, got pulled over. Asked where I was going, (home). All because of a hoodie

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      Ericdierkerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Wow I would sure be upset if the cop on my beat stopped a person that did not belong in my hood next to my child. It would just keep me awake at night knowing the cops were patrolling my hood. Oh the egregiousness of those pigs keeping me safe.

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      Johnny James Aposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Wow Eric, are you still whining and making sarcastic comments because I honestly focused on the OPs question as it pertains to me. I get it, you do not respect anyone else's opinion or stance if it does not agree with yours. Just move on. So tiring

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   junksellerposted 8 years ago

   I'm white. I'm not scared at all. I got pulled over a couple months ago. For a "dim" brake light or some other such nonsense. I suspect they were just looking for a similar vehicle. They were very nice, I was stopped for all of about 2 minutes.
   
   Now if I was black, I'd crap my pants.

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      Ericdierkerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Not here where the cops are black and hispanic,. We thank them for keeping an eye out. My neighbor 3 three doors down is a Navy police -- we love him for his service. Oh yes he is black and his wife Philippine.

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   Cissy1946posted 8 years ago

   When I was younger I was pulled over a number of times. Everything from speeding (it was a trap because the radar was set on the downside of a hill), being in the intersection when the light turned red (the argument was I had time to stop), not having a current inspection sticker (maybe I was guilty here), or not having a current decal on my license plate (I had put the decal on the front plate but didn't walk around to the back to put the other one on and, sure enough, I got caught. I lied and said it must have fallen off when in reality it was sitting on the seat next to me and I had put my bag over it so it wasn't visible. Since the front one was on he only gave me a warning and told me how to get a new decal). I wasn't fearful but I was a bit shook up the first time. So much so that I flooded the car and the officer had to come back over and restart it for me. He left laughing. If that had happened first I might not have gotten the very expensive ticket and the points on my record.
   There were a couple of times when I was followed though and that was scary. It was probably just the police seeing a lone female driving at 2 AM and making sure I got where I was going but it was still a little worrisome.

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   ptosisposted 8 years ago

   
   
   I have a 2000 Kia Sportage with over 160,000 miles on it.  And for the first time in twenty years I was pulled over coming home from Coronado Memorial Park. I was pulled over by DPS three days ago.
   
   Pulled over ASAP, stopped car, threw keys onto dashboard, reached underneath car mat to get wallet where the driver' ID was and reached up above passenger for insurance & registration as fast as I could before the cop came up.
   
   Cop came up very quickly on the passenger side. Too quickly. I was startled and froze like a deer in headlights. I was scared because I have seen many videos and it turns ugly really fast. I realized later on that the DPS must've buddy-up - they are scared also!
   
   DPS - Do you know why I stopped you?
   Me - No
   DPS - You were going 66 in a 55 mile per hour zone.
   Me - That's impossible, my car can barely go uphill. There are motorcycles with bigger engines that what I have. For me to go up hill I have to  use the 'hold' (gesturing towards hold button) or 'power' (gesturing towards power button & talking in a facetious voice when saying the word 'power')
   DPS - I have you on radar while I was coming from opposite way.
   Me - Is you radar calibrated ... (stopped arguing and mumbled to myself) I just going to have to fight it.
   
   Had further conversation, and I was schooled by DPS that there is a 55mph speed sign prior to Coronado exit coming from east. Yes it is a speed trap because tourists would not have seen that sign on I90 exiting left to go west back to Tucson.
   
   DPS is standing on passenger side of DPS cab, that's when I noticed that the cops were doubled up. That's why the cop was able to get to my open passenger window so fast while I still was getting my papers. That why I was startled.
   
   DPS comes back with an electronic thing for me to sign. and it wasn't a ticket just a warning. Thanked him very much for not giving me a ticket and I was on my way.
   
   A day after though, saw that video of the 2nd grade teacher being thrown to the ground and I started crying because that could've been me.
   
   Still scared. The great unraveling has begun when everybody is scared and hyper vigilant. Now - not only glad the ticket troll didn't fine me, but that not dead or maimed for life.
   
   Now thinking about it. If he was driving from the other way, wouldn't that DPS cab had to do a quick U-turn, and accelerate to a high-speed to catch up to me - all in the name of 'safety'?
   
   BTW - I wasn't speeding. I didn't lie about my car. It gets me there but very slowly.

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      Ericdierkerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I reckon ya'll be scared of bugs and snakes and danged rats. I do declare that fear is a weakness of lack of knowledge. I heard Christians are afraid of Muslims. Kind of bizarre how this victim status and identification works. Cop stopped gangster.

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      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      @Eric You have never seen my pictures have you? I take pictures of tarantulas, rattlesnakes. Bizarre is your confident ignorance. Check out my pics @http://www.redbubble.com/people/ptosis/portfolio    Your patronizingly superior 'tude is rude.

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      Rich kelleyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Nice pictures in the link. thanks

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   Diana Abrahamsonposted 8 years ago

   These days you have to wonder if they really are who they say they are. It is a tough question because cops that are peering through your window want a prompt response! Discernment is needed before you even stop your car.

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      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      It was very clearly a marked car and it was in daylight.

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   Larry Wall of BRposted 8 years ago

   If you know you have broken the law, you only need to be scared if were speeding at a very high rate, passing without signaling, etc.
   
   However, if you are only speeding a little, are stopped for a burned-out  tail light, or forgetting to turn on your lights--there is usually no reason to be scared. You just need to be more careful. Do not argue with the officer, be polite, and it should not be an overly unpleasant experience.

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      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Then how come when I haven't done anything wrong that I'm still scared of the police? Because they can do whatever they want and get away with it. And if report to IA get retaliation from entire force.

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      Ericdierkerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      ptosis, that is really sad to hear that your life is that way. My wife has been pulled over a few times -- she is a minority. Her experiences were cordial. She likes having cops in our hood. But now because of the media she is frightened of them.

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      Larry Wall of BRposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I have encountered a few officers who had a less than pleasant attitude. I have encountered others who were professional, polite and helpful. Suggestion,-- it stopped don't ask whats wrong. Just sit and the officer will tell you.

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      Ericdierkerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Larry, I have often thought of this - including leaving your hands on the wheel. I used to think getting your license, registration and proof of insurance all ready for them was just plain polite -- now I think it might make them nervous.

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      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      @ Eric  I did go to IA & cop was found guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer. Story here : http://www.ratemycop.com/index.php?opti … p;catid=15

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      Ericdierkerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      ptosis, my hat is off to you. Responsible conduct like yours makes our policing system much better. Your conduct is what we need more of. You made a difference, thank you

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      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      @ eric Thanks Eric. That was just one that is documented. Went to Rate My Cop to ask question before filing to make sure that I was correct in my thinking. That forum Q's is answered only by cops.

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      Brynn Thorssenposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I was the victim of a crime 2 years ago.  Actually, of several crimes, committed by my (now) ex husband after I kicked him out.  I had to call the police many times, and most of the time, they treated me very badly, like I was a waste of their time.

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   Rich kelleyposted 8 years ago

   Today I'm not scared at all. for almost 2 years now I only do the posted speed limit. I use cruise control all the time to ensure I don't exceed the limit. I'm more afraid of the irate drivers as they do anything to get past me as they sign their IQ when cutting back into the lane to cut me off.

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