dlh wrote:This is how you do it----true story---from West Texas about two years ago when dlh was pulled over in the afternoon by a trooper from the Texas Department of Public Safety:
as trooper approaches window dlh who has window rolled down very politely says hello sir how are you today?
Trooper: I pulled you over because you passed on the double yellow stripe back there.
dlh--well sir I am sorry, I drive the best I can--I was behind a truck pulling a john deere tractor on a trailer and he pulled all the way over on the shoulder so I could pass him and I tried my best to stay in my lane.
Trooper: Why didnt you stop when I first turned on my overhead lights?
dlh: [very politely] well sir when you got behind me I immediately pulled over.
Trooper: Where are you going?
dlh: I am going to my ranch which is close to "x city."
Trooper: To get to "x city" you should be taking this other road back here.
dlh: Yes sir but the road you suggest is actually farther from my ranch than this road we are on because I am just x miles from the turn-off here to get to my ranch.
Trooper: Well, next time you pass somebody just try to do it more safely.
dlh: yes sir (said politely)
Trooper gets in patrol car and drives off.
This whole exchange took less than five minutes and he did not even ask to see my driver's license.
dlh
That is all well and good. However, there are some abusive LEOs out there that politeness does not work with. I've run into three in my 45 + years of driving. Fortunately, they have been the minority.