My First Traffic Stop!!

[bigcritter]

O.K., I'd read about it happening in earlier posts last summer or so, but this is the first time that it's ever happened to me! I got pulled over this evening by a Thurston County Deputy for doing 50 mph in a 50 mph zone!! The first words out of his mouth were "MAN, I didn't know those little cars were so PEPPY!" I saw him coming, and I had my cruise set for 50 mph, and I knew the speed limit was 50 mph for another 1/2 mile or so, because I drive that way every day to and from work, and I KNOW exactly where the speed limit sign is taking it from 50 mph to 40 mph. He told me first thing that he "wasn't going to give me a ticket", and later told me that "that was going to be his next car!" I told him that I knew I wasn't speeding, because the speed limit sign wasn't until the Espresso Stand. He said that the road changed from a county road to a city road when it passed Dutterow (intersection). Yeh, like the motoring public is supposed to somehow know that the road they're traveling on just changed without ANY signs depicting the change!! DUHH!! Although it WAS a little annoying having that bright spotlight shining directly into the rearview mirror (and THUS directly into my eyes!), he was very pleasant & friendly, and I even gave him a brochure! If it happened often, I would probably get a little upset and give the sheriff a call, but I actually thought it was 'kinda funny! I honestly think the guy just wanted to see the car, and used that lame excuse as his probable cause for pulling me over!!

[mvaldes]

When mine was new back in May, I was getting gas when a police car rocketed in, hit the brakes hard and two officers jumped out. I was startled at first, not because I was worried I did something wrong but that something else might be happening and I might be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their first words were, "we just had to see this car close up." We talked about the car, they sat in it, couldn't believe they both fit comfortably, etc. Hasn't happenened since.

[Big Panda]

Didn't get 'stopped', but I had TWO IMPD cars follow me for about 3-4 miles on my way home the other night. At first I thought it was just curiousity but then I was concerned they were checking out my TINT (20%, sides and back... ).

Then when I got to my street and turned off, thankfully they kept going. Maybe I was just paranoid....not the FIRST time I would have been accused of that!

[Dunerunner]

I think some LEOs haven't seen a smart and some may not know the "car" at all, thinking it may be electric.

[Dave Van]

I wish our first stop came out that good. But the officer that stopped us had an ego that did not allow him to NOT give us a ticket after he stopped us. We were stopped in a VERY small town in rural West Virginia. First words out of his mouth were 'these things aren't legal for the street'. After we showed our WV DMV paperwork showing it was a street legal car the ticket was changed to 4 mph over....which we were not doing. The problem is in WV ATV and those farm vehicles that are about the size of a Smart are allowed on paved streets in WV that do not have painted lines. I still feel the cop thought thats what he was stopping as there and 100's of those little trucks around here in use by farmers and hunters. We might have been able to go to court and fight it but $100 was easier and cheaper to pay. We don't go through that area any longer......

[chieftmc]

Originally Posted by Big Panda

Didn't get 'stopped', but I had TWO IMPD cars follow me for about 3-4 miles on my way home the other night. At first I thought it was just curiousity but then I was concerned they were checking out my TINT (20%, sides and back... ).

Then when I got to my street and turned off, thankfully they kept going. Maybe I was just paranoid....not the FIRST time I would have been accused of that!

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that somebody isn't after you

[bigcritter]

Originally Posted by Dave Van

We might have been able to go to court and fight it but $100 was easier and cheaper to pay.

If he HAD written a ticket, I would certainly have gone to court, since there's no way anyone could possibly be expected to know exactly where the county road/city road delineation is! 14 yrs. ago I was a Reserve Deputy in the county, and patrolled that same section of highway numerous times, and if I didn't know the point where it changed over, how could anyone else be expected to know? So......I would have certainly gone to court over that one, and I'm sure he knew it. I KNOW that the lady that I work with drove by while he had me pulled over, so I'll be hearing about it at work today!!

[smartie yank]

Hey Marty, it sounds like that spyware warning that you sent me a notice about may have been keeping an "eye" on you.
Cheers

[sato7]

Originally Posted by Dave Van

We might have been able to go to court and fight it but $100 was easier and cheaper to pay. We don't go through that area any longer......

all you had to do is contest it, they assign a court date and then the judges secretary reviews it and calls you to tell you they have dismissed it... they know they don't have a chance so they drop it... but you and MANY others just let them get away with giving out random tickets to increase their revenue hoping that you will just pay it to forget it.....

[Dave Van]

all you had to do is contest it, they assign a court date and then the judges secretary reviews it and calls you to tell you they have dismissed it... they know they don't have a chance so they drop it... but you and MANY others just let them get away with giving out random tickets to increase their revenue hoping that you will just pay it to forget it.....

You are correct about it just being a revenue source, this town is near Summersville WV which is always on the top 5 speed trap lists. BUT this was our first ticket EVER in all my years driving (I have had a CDL and chauffeur license) and since I was a bit undereducated on tickets we paid it.....Live and learn!