I was stopped this morning by a State Trooper?

[BearStang]

I started out early this morning for my 35 minute commute due to the inclimate weather. I passed a State Trooper sitting in the median turnaround, two trucks blew by me and the Trooper begins to pull out. I thought he would nab one of the trucks that just passed for driving too fast for conditions, but he promptly pulls in my lane behind me. For the life of me, I could not figure out what was wrong, I was only doing 50 because of the weather, I had my lights on, what gives? The lights flash and I pulled over. The trooper approaches and begins to give me grief about my tinted license plate covers. I stated they weren't tinted, just dirty. He made me take them off right there on the highway. I then cleaned them and showed him that they weren't tinted. He just stated something about moving violations and obstructing the view of your tags. He wrote me a warning and I went on my way. Shouldn't he be doing something productive? Just my opinion.

[OnMy3rdStang]

That figures!!!! They always pull over the people who arent doing anything wrong rather than somebody that needs to be pulled over

[Tod]

Originally posted by BearStang
Shouldn't he be doing something productive?

yea really. why do cops insist on giving some of us a hard time when they should, oh i don't know, be arresting criminals or something.

i've already gotten stopped for what he explained as "not having a plate on the front of my car". and when he came to the window all he did was ask "is this your car? can i see some ID and your papers?" after i handed him everything he not only didn't look at them, but he just stood their looking at me and the inside of the car and finally said, "well make sure you get the plate on the front put on or 'next time' i'll write you a ticket." and handed me my papers. i got stopped because the guy probly thought i was just kid who probly stole a red sports car and descided to stop me in morning rush hour traffic making me late for work. btw, on the way home i saw and counted over 50 vehicles WITHOUT liscence plates on the front of them. i didn't see THEM getting stopped. sorry, it just bugs me when cops have nothing better to do than pick on the people with fast cars.

[MTU 50]

Thank God I live in the fine state of Michigan where we don't require that ugly *** front license plate. I feel sorry for all you front platers out there.

[Stang Runner]

I like that to here!!!

[Mr 5 0]

Bear:

I agree; the Trooper was wasting his time and yours with that stop.

If only they would get it through their heads that stopping and harrassing law-abiding citizens and drivers for petty, non-moving infractions and 'document checking' while speeders and overweight trucks fly by is a great way to lose our support.

I think a lot of 'attitude' you experienced from this trooper comes from embarrassment at
being so petty and wasting your time - and his. He has to justify the stop so he makes a big deal over nothing; all too common, I'm afraid.

I respect police; we couldn't function without them and they have a dangerous and probably depressing job but when they waste time with things like dirty license plate covers, you have to wonder where common sense went.

Glad you didn't get a ticket out of it. Who knows, maybe he was 'profiling' you.

[Old Guy with 87 GT]

Sounds like 'Hit or Miss Profiling'
It seems like the trend in law enforcment has been leaning toward 'hit or miss' investigation. A lot of times people get caught breaking the law by this method; a lot of your major drug busts and DUI busts happen because the officer decided to pull some one over without having a 'real' reason, other than 'a feeling' that they might be breaking the law.

What happens is this: they come up with a petty reason that they stopped you, but the real reason is that they want to check you out and make sure you're not breaking any major laws. How many times have you heard - "They stopped someone for a routine traffic stop" and discovered they were wanted for murder or that they have ten kilo's in the back seat.

Unfortunately, honest people are the ones that take the inconveniences of this type of law enforcment, in my opinion it's another way of violating the 4th amendment and in most cases people are profiled for this type of invasion of privacy. "Well, that guy looks like a criminal, lets go check him out.". I do my best to respect the law ,and Lord knows, a lot of criminals get caught this way. That's how they got Timothy McVay, isn't it?

The only flaw in this type of law enforcement is that if you're good at not looking like a criminal, you can get away with whatever you want. Unfortunately most skilled and experienced criminals are good at looking like 'the average Joe' that wouldn't be breaking the law. I have to wonder how many real criminals drove by you (when you were pulled over) in 'family cars' with a 'clean cut' appearance and obeying all the traffic laws so they don't get caught because of a "routine traffic stop".