Incident With Police Last Night

[Lachlan33]

Hey guys,

As the title implies, I was stopped by a police officer last night and it wasn't a very pleasant experience to say the least. I have a few questions regarding what the correct procedure is for cops after pulling someone over, what they have to say etc.

I have been driving my car for over 2 years now, almost every day. I rarely get pulled over, have been driving a total of over 3 years, never gotten a speeding fine, or wreckless driving or anything like that.

The other week driving back from the coast I got pulled over by a highway patrol cop and fined for not having an engineering certificate for my exhaust and pod filter. While I believe being fined for such things is a load of money raising BS, the cop who fined me was a nice bloke and I left knowing that the bloke was just doing his job, he doesn't make the rules, just enforces them. He was nice enough to just fine and not defect so I was cool with it.

Whenever I get pulled over by police (which is rare) I am always polite and so on and have always been of the idea that if you aren't a d*ckhead to the police they will treat you fairly and respectfully. Thats why after last nights run in I was, well, shocked.

Here is what happened:

I was driving home from penrith around 10pm, doing the speed limit, and I know everyone says this, but i was literally doing nothing wrong and minding my own buisness.

Next thing the car behind me throws on the flashing lights (I wasn't even aware it was a cop)

I pulled over expecting just an RBT.

I get out my licence and wind the window down waiting for him to come to the door

From the moment the cop spoke, I picked up that he was unhappy, the way he spoke was...well rude and demanding

Cop "Wheres your licence?"

Me "Here it is" *I hand it to him

Cop "Where are you going?"

Me "Im headed home"

Cop "Oh yeah wheres that exactly?"

Me "The Blue mountains"

Cop "You mean #####?" (He states my town)

Me "yes"

Cop "Where have you been tonight?"

Me "I was just out driving through penrith" (I was indeed, just out for a drive that night.)

Cop "Where exactly in penrith?"

Me "Well I just came past cranebrook area..."

Cop "This your car?"

Me "Yes"

And this is where he just snapped. Aparently my nervous tone I used to say "Yes" with was mistaken for 'attitude'

Cop "WHATS WITH THE ATTITUDE MATE?"

At this point I was thinking well ive somehow blown any chance at getting on this guys good side

Me (Totally perplexed and taken by suprise) "Uhh i...what?"

Cop "HOW COME WHENEVER I PULL YOU BLOKES OVER YOU ALL HAVE TO GIVE ME A BLOODY ATTITUDE"

Me (Thinking WTF) "Im sorry mate... Sorry." (I wasn't, but figured apologising for the claimed attitude was my best course of action)

Cop "How many points do you have left?"

Me "All of them"

Cop then walks around my car, comes back

Cop "Do you want a $200 fine and 2 points for an obscured front P plate?"

(Its been in the same spot for 2 1/2 years and NO ONE has ever questioned me on it as its...well perfectly visible)

Me "Not really no"

Cop then asks for an engineering certificate for my exhaust

Me "I don't have one...."

Cop "Yeah i know. What other modifications have you done?"

Me (Thinking ok if I say none he is going to go through the engine bay regardless so I might as well confess to the pod filter) "Just a pop filter"

Cop "Do you have an engineering certificate for that?"

Me "no"

Cop "What do you do for a job?"

Me (thinking WTF kind of question is that?) "I am in IT. Comptuers"

Cop "So how would you like to loose hundreds of dollars tonight? I could get out the book on this car and have you sent to pits for a dozen defects"

(Just for the record, my car is on stock rims, is not lowered, has an exhaust, pod filter and a front mount which has never been seen cause its so damn stealth)

Me "well i wouldn't obviously"

Cop "Lets start again shall we? Count to 10"

He holds up the breatheliser thingy

I passed, obviously

Cop then changes somewhat

Cop "Well your lucky I have better things to do tonight and don't feel like the paper work, heres your licence now go home"

Me "....thanks"

Now look, in the end I didn't get a fine so overall I wil just chalk this down to a pissed off cop and get over it.

But I have a few questions:

1: When they first come to your window, aren't they meant to say "This is being recorded and the reason I have pulled you over is the following"

This guy did none of that, yet every cop that has stopped me before has done so.

2: When they start asking you where you are going, where you have been, EXACTLY where you have been etc, are you allowed to just say "Thats none of your buisnesss" ? I know thats never going to win them over but I kenw from the start this guy had a rod up his ass and I really did feel like his questioning was...well, none of his damn concern.

3: From reading my account, can anyone think of something I could have said to the guy to let him know i thought ha was being an ass, without further infuriating him? Like "I don't apreciate being spoken to in that manner" or something?

4: Is it possible that my car has been 'flagged' or something? Like maybe when he was behind me he ran my plate and something came up that caused him to pull me over and assume I was going to give him an attitude?

I see now why some people carry a tape recorder in their car, I WISH i had had one because the cops attitude compared to my answers to his questions was just so un warrented it left me speechless. I have never dealt with a cop like that before, in the past I have always found them polite and professional. This guy was just an ass.

[Jdfnq]

Sounds like you just copped an arsehole copper mate..... At least he didn't book you for anything......

Sounds like he was just having a bad night.....

[GTRsean]

You will come across good one's and bad one's. Just like everybodys different....

Now if you were in a camry instead of a skyline......

[R DIRTY 3]

Yeah i agree. Bad day for the guy and unfortunately, you copped it. Every person in every job has a bad day and snaps from time to time. You came away with no fines etc so id say forget it and just move on.

If you were that concerned about it you can probably make a report or something against him, but i cant see any good coming from it.....if anything, he would target you if seen again.

[__PhaseShiftDown]

Don't worry about it m8.. there is always gonna be cops like that. Maybe he's just having a bad night.

I've been pulled over a few times, and luckily they were all nice. :-)

[Lachlan33]

I know he was just a jerk or having a bad night or whatever, ever other cop I have dealt with has been far nicer. But can anyone answer my questions regarding whether they are legally required to record the convo and inform you of the purpose for being pulled over etc?

[typevu]

Must of been intense!

[Jpower]

Cops will have there power trips champ.

As long as you got off without a fine then I'd be happy just to cop that treatment... Maybe he was even testing you to see if you would snap back and then it would of been down hill from there.

*sigh* The life of an import owner. We are the target of cops and thieves.

[R DIRTY 3]

I know he was just a jerk or having a bad night or whatever, ever other cop I have dealt with has been far nicer. But can anyone answer my questions regarding whether they are legally required to record the convo and inform you of the purpose for being pulled over etc?

I doubt they have to have it recorded.

[baby34]

err f*k the police, all you bitches suck up to them and now u see why i hate em.. bitches.

[ras1983]

maybe he's jealous he doesn't earn as much as you and has to put in hours that can destroy family life? Having said that maybe they earn more than we think... does anyone actually know what the salaries are for different police ranks?

Edited October 18, 2008 by ras1983

[dan_the_man]

just let it go. he probably saw some decapitated dood in a car accident earlier and is feeling off.

[dan_the_man]

err f*k the police, all you bitches suck up to them and now u see why i hate em.. bitches.

you probably hate them because you keep breaking the law and they keep catching you. chin up buttercup

[Col-GTSX]

he might have has PMS...

[TS-R34]

err f*k the police, all you bitches suck up to them and now u see why i hate em.. bitches.

LOL, calm down Dr. Dre.

Edited October 18, 2008 by TS-R34

[Lachlan33]

I did wonder if it could have been related to heaps of car related deaths yesterday and the day before, maybe it was a bad time to be a P plater and on the road. We all have crap days at work but that still doesn't give you an excuse to take it out on the next young bloke you see. I just noticed earlier my phone has a voice record function. From now on I will be using that if I get pulled over. Maybe the knowledge of them being recorded might ensure they remain above board and professional in their conduct.

[GTAAAH]

pff doubt it's a bad day i've never seen anyone in an office environment cop it that bad, it's all just a big power trip with some of them, some of the most racist arrogant pricks i've met have become cops, theres no personality test, if u feel like being a dog it's the ultimate job

[Johnny]

One day expect someone with bipolar disorder whos out on a drive loaded with methamphetamine and pain meds to go hannibal lector on the cops face and leave him permanantly disfigured for not being a compassionate human being.

[PM-R33]

Yep some are f***ing assholes. I had my car searched inside-out for drugs one night and questioned about what i do for a living, how much money had been spent on the car and whether i had any drugs or weapons in the car. I was absolutely speechless!! I was picking my gf up from town and this happened infront of the entire town strip. I've never been more angry at a cop in my life.

Just cop it on the chin mate, only thing you can do these days.

Edited October 18, 2008 by PM-R33

[SHANE666]

LOL, calm down Dr. Dre.

hahaha

yeah, dw mate. I've only had a bunch of good coppers so far. I think your 'be nice' attitude really works in terms of establishing a 'good image' sort of thing - drivers who give attitude should expect to get no abmonishment.