Traffic Stop/LEO Encounters

[mr surveyor]

In the couple of years or so that I have been following the discussions on this site, my attention has been particularly attracted to discussions of traffic stops and other encounters with law enforcement I.D. checks. From general appearances it would seem that many forum members have extensive numbers of traffic stops or checks. Lots of statements like "I always do....when stopped and ..." seem to be here as well as other forums. I'm nearing the double nickle in age, with about 39 years of driving experience, and have been stopped for a grand total of 2 "seat belt check road blocks" (early into adoption of the mandatory seat belt legislation), 1 "road block insurance check" (when the mandatory requirement for liability insurance was first initiated), and 2 speeding violations. Those stops were all a few years ago, and none since obtaining my CHL. So, of a total of 5 I.D. checks, 3 were general road blocks that were some 20 years ago (do they still do this sort of thing?), and two were actually my fault and deserved the stop. Admittedly, I was born, raised, and still live in the same small town NE TX area, which is a much slower paced life than the DFW, SA, Houston, Austin type areas, and we are possibly a bit less likely to "punch the pedal" than thse that have to constantly negotiate the freeways, Interstate highways, toll roads and other high speed on ramp/off ramp highways.

I'm just trying to figure out why some folks seem to have such an abundance of experience with requests for I.D with LEOs.

[frankie_the_yankee]

In my younger days I used to speed a lot. Had a lot of fun street racing too. It was the 60's, the muscle car era, and for a particular subculture of that day's youth, that was what we did. You know, The Beach Boys, cars, girls, the scene at the drive in restaurant, the whole bit. I was blessed with a Dad who (though far from "rich") bought me a brand new 1969 Oldsmobile 442 for a high school graduation present. What a great guy!

Obviously, some of these activities were illegal, but all in all I didn't feel too badly about it and still don't. Some of the best days of my life in fact.

Lucky for me, I never much got into the drinking scene, so I wasn't out there drinking underaged or DWI.

All this stuff brings a smile to my face just writing about it.

This was all long before the CHL era of course.

Later on, the street racing and drive in scene were displaced by work and family responsibilities, but I still liked to go fast. So I would pick up my share of tickets.

Nowadays, while I still like to go fast I do so much less frequently than in the past. It's fun to roll the throttle on my Harley and take it up to top end (which unlike the newer design of sport bikes is only around 110 mph max) once in a while. And there are still roads out here in the country that are deserted enough to do it - once in a while.

But when getting from point A to point B in my pickup, I tend to set the cruise control around 5 mph above the posted limit and just glide along. At that speed, the traffic cops tend to ignore me.

I also find speed limits here in TX to be much more reasonable than back in New England (where I originally hail from). This is especially true in the cities. (In the Northeast, almost all cities have blanket 25 mph limits that are widely ignored, making it easy for cops to set up traps and write as many tickets as they want.)

[BambooShoots]

It's not that a lot of folks now have extensive histories of being pulled over, etc.

It's because they are being reported more often now and or those with lots of LEO encounters tend to yak about them.

It's kind of like you'll hear a lot more complaints/problems about guns on a gun board because people who have improperly fuctioning firearms have a greater tendency to voice their opinion than those who have a properly fuctioning firearm. I mean, if there was a really bad restaurant you would tell others not to go there, right? And if a restaurant was decent and you had no complaints you'd keep it to yourself and not really go about telling everyone unless they asked.

[tarkus]

I'm just trying to figure out why some folks seem to have such an abundance of experience with requests for I.D with LEOs.

I drive highway speed out on the open highway.

[rkeller]

I have had my CHL since they first started (guess that is about 12 years or so). Since then I have been stopped once for speeding by the CHiP on a drive from San Francisco area to Reno in the mid 90s. At that time, I think the officer did not realize what the CHL was and assumed I was LEO in Texas.

Sometimes I have wondered what it would be like to be stopped by my local PD. Kinda courious how they would react. However that thought is always followed by questioning if satisfying my couriousity is worth $100+ in ticket fines. I decide it is not.

[rm9792]

I have been pulled over more in the last 8 months since getting a new mustang gt (with the racing stripes) than in the last 8 years, literally. I have only been speeding once thru manvel, 70/60. They have all kinds of pretense but never give me a ticket. I think they are hoping for a kid rather than a 40yr old bald guy. Best one so far was HPD and "Your headlights are too bright.", followed by "changed lanes within 100' of an intersection". FYI, 1 lane went into 2 and this was only for about 60' so by his logic no one ever uses the 2d lane or gets to turn right.

[nedmoore]

Some people drive a lot more than others. I rarely go over ten mph over the posted speed limit. Last year I had the cruise control on 70 on a 70 mph highway and was stopped and written a ticket for speeding. It was his word over mine. This week I will drive to Austin, Beaumont, and Tyler. My truck is my office!

[milkcartonkid]

Just this week i got stopped outside of Weatherford TX on I20 by the State Police, ultimately the stop was conducted for "following to closely" but i digress...
so i immediately pulled over (not knowing what i was being stopped for, certainly not speeding) dropped all of my windows and shut the car off. Hands on the steering wheel (daytime stop to BTW).
LEO: Good afternoon, (introduction by him) may i see your DL and registration please.
ME: (i am not of the "have DL/CHL in hand" ilk...soooo..) Yes, sir, its in my back pocket would you like me to get it for you now? (Glock 30 on my 4oclock)
LEO: Yes please, do you have a gun on you or something?
ME: Yes sir, I am a CHL holder and i just wanted you to know what i was doing while i was doing it..
LEO: Grab your wallet and dont reach back there.

after i showed him my CHL/DL he asked me to put my gun on the passenger seat and exit the vehicle. I walked with him back to his cruiser where we waited for my TLETS return. We bull'ed about the military and LE stories. He eventually said, "yeah you CHL guys...we dont worry about you at all. You are always very forthcoming with exactly where your weapons are and very respectful. He gave me a warning and told me that we were Good to go. Thanked me for my honesty and i was on my way. Great Encounter IMHO.

[kw5kw]

Just this week i got stopped outside of Weatherford TX on I20 by the State Police, ultimately the stop was conducted for "following to closely" but i digress...
so i immediately pulled over (not knowing what i was being stopped for, certainly not speeding) dropped all of my windows and shut the car off. Hands on the steering wheel (daytime stop to BTW).
LEO: Good afternoon, (introduction by him) may i see your DL and registration please.
ME: (i am not of the "have DL/CHL in hand" ilk...soooo..) Yes, sir, its in my back pocket would you like me to get it for you now? (Glock 30 on my 4oclock)
LEO: Yes please, do you have a gun on you or something?
ME: Yes sir, I am a CHL holder and i just wanted you to know what i was doing while i was doing it..
LEO: Grab your wallet and dont reach back there.

after i showed him my CHL/DL he asked me to put my gun on the passenger seat and exit the vehicle. I walked with him back to his cruiser where we waited for my TLETS return. We bull'ed about the military and LE stories. He eventually said, "yeah you CHL guys...we dont worry about you at all. You are always very forthcoming with exactly where your weapons are and very respectful. He gave me a warning and told me that we were Good to go. Thanked me for my honesty and i was on my way. Great Encounter IMHO.

I'm glad that you had a good experience with one of our Troopers!

[gregthehand]

Best one so far was HPD and "Your headlights are too bright.", followed by "changed lanes within 100' of an intersection". FYI, 1 lane went into 2 and this was only for about 60' so by his logic no one ever uses the 2d lane or gets to turn right.

When I started the academy I thought that it was illegal to change lanes before an intersection.... it ain't!

§ 545.151. VEHICLE APPROACHING OR ENTERING
INTERSECTION. (a) An operator approaching an intersection:
(1) shall stop, yield, and grant immediate use of the
intersection:
(A) in obedience to an official traffic-control
device, including a stop sign or yield right-of-way sign; or
(B) if a traffic-control signal is present but
does not display an indication in any of the signal heads; and
(2) after stopping, may proceed when the intersection
can be safely entered without interference or collision with
traffic using a different street or roadway.
(b) An operator on a single-lane or two-lane street or
roadway who approaches an intersection that is not controlled by an
official traffic-control device and that is located on a divided
highway or on a street or roadway divided into three or more marked
traffic lanes:
(1) shall stop, yield, and grant immediate use of the
intersection to a vehicle on the other street or roadway that is
within the intersection or approaching the intersection in such
proximity as to be a hazard; and
(2) after stopping, may proceed when the intersection
can be safely entered without interference or collision with
traffic using a different street or roadway.
(c) An operator on an unpaved street or roadway approaching
an intersection of a paved street or roadway:
(1) shall stop, yield, and grant immediate use of the
intersection to a vehicle on the paved street or roadway that is
within the intersection or approaching the intersection in such
proximity as to be a hazard; and
(2) after stopping, may proceed when the intersection
can be safely entered without interference or collision with
traffic using the paved street or roadway.
(d) Except as provided in Subsection (e), an operator
approaching an intersection of a street or roadway that is not
controlled by an official traffic-control device:
(1) shall stop, yield, and grant immediate use of the
intersection to a vehicle that has entered the intersection from
the operator's right or is approaching the intersection from the
operator's right in a proximity that is a hazard; and
(2) after stopping, may proceed when the intersection
can be safely entered without interference or collision with
traffic using a different street or roadway.
(e) An operator approaching an intersection of a street or
roadway from a street or roadway that terminates at the
intersection and that is not controlled by an official
traffic-control device or controlled as provided by Subsection (b)
or (c):
(1) shall stop, yield, and grant immediate use of the
intersection to another vehicle that has entered the intersection
from the other street or roadway or is approaching the intersection
on the other street or roadway in a proximity that is a hazard; and
(2) after stopping, may proceed when the intersection
can be safely entered without interference or collision with the
traffic using the other street or roadway.
(f) An operator who is required by this section to stop and
yield the right-of-way at an intersection to another vehicle and
who is involved in a collision or interferes with other traffic at
the intersection to whom right-of-way is to be given is presumed not
to have yielded the right-of-way.

[heliguy972]

Unfortunately I must confess my sin...I get stopped @ 1-2x per yr: Last month was speeding through a school zone (due to a 12 and 14 yr old daughters screaming and yelling at each other and my not paying attn when entered the school zone). Handed my CHL and DL, LEO did the whole procedure standing behind his car, taking no chances). In Oct it was following one of my employees in downtown dallas, which I don't know well, and she made an illegal left turn with me following, naturally the cop was right there and got us both. Spring 07 was pulled over for not having my state inspection current, I asked him how he noticed since I was going 40 mph he said he just has an eye for stuff like that. Summer O6 I was driving 'erratically' while I was reaching for a water bottle rolling around on the floor while I was driving. Late 05 it was crosing the double white line, got off with a warning on that one. And the list goes on and on and on...So my CHL gets a couple of LEO exposures each year.