Maybe I have the wrong definition of profiling and harassment, but here is my theory! I'm driving home from work, it is late, and I see police lights behind me. Both of my parents are retired police officers, so I have respect for them. At least I did until this night. I realize that it's late, but I work at a sports bar and restaurant, not exactly an 8-5 job. I pull over, roll down my driver side window, and hand the officer my license. I'm wearing my uniform shirt, black with the logo in bright yellow, and my name tag. It is obvious I have just come from work. The officer asks from my insurance card, which takes time to find because my mother had my car detailed yesterday. Once the officer completes his interrogation, yes, interrogation, he returns my license and insurance card and asks, "Do you know why I stopped you?" By this time I am irritated and answer, "No, do you?"
Before I tell you what he said, let me give you a few more details. I'm a white chic, driving a black SUV with subs, and I have LSU in pink across the rear window. I don't know, maybe he's not an LSU fan. This is Flower Mound, Texas--one of the top ten towns to live in this country, according to some survey--maybe he's a Longhorn fan. Anyway, did I mention it is late?
Okay, this is what he said. "You have a defective light on your license plate." I swear that's what he said! He pulled me over, wasted twenty minutes of MY time, because I have a 'defective' light on my license plate. Really, dude, you can't think of anything better than that? "What kind of defect?" I ask. He replied, "Just defective. Maybe it has mud on it." Remember me saying my mother had my car detailed yesterday? Yeah! So what do you think?
He was looking for something. Think about how many other people, that same police officer has pulled over, and ended up finding 100 lbs. of drugs or fugitives. All they need is probable cause to pull you over and yours was a light on the license plate. Police are getting really technical these days. He would have been better off saying, "I pulled you over, because I didn't have nothing better to do."
ReplyDeleteI was driving home late one night, and was drinking a diet coke out of a can. I took a sip from my diet coke can, and then I saw the police officer looking at me. Yep...he pulled me over, said I was swerving, had me get out of the car, and shined a bright light in my eyes. He asked where I was going to and coming from. I said, "I am going to my house, and I am coming home from my parent's house." He said, Have you been out drinking?" Now I forgot to mention that I had been swimming that day, had on ugly clothes, no make-up, and my hair had dried naturally. I replied, "Do you think I would go out looking like this? He smelled my diet coke can, which was surprise...diet coke, and then let me go. By the way, I was NOT swerving!!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure we all have these stories! I was pulled over by a state trooper one night; he said I was swerving between the lines on my side of the highway--not across the yellow line, mind you. He turned on those spotlights, which blinded me as I got out of my car. Yes, he asked me if I had been drinking. No, officer. The cardinal rule in MY house is we do not drive the car after we've been drinking.
ReplyDeleteI drive a black Mazda hatchback. Does that scream "drug dealer" to you?
K. Smith
Eng. 226
I can't help but laugh at these stories! I used to date a police officer and I told him all the time they are ridiculous. As for you Tiphanie, that was an excuse to check out the girl in the SUV with the pink LSU sticker. I remember when I was 17, a bunch of friends and I went out in Ruston. A girl came up to me and punched me in the face (still not sure why) but in fight or flight mode, I turned around swinging (not a good idea). So I was handcuffed by and officer who later in the night, proceeded to write his HOME PHONE NUMBER on my ticket. Yes on my ticket that the judge would later be seeing that month. Really?!?!?!? How smart are we. The ticket got dropped obviously!
ReplyDeleteYes I agree, cops are ridiculous these days. I was about to ask if you were in Bossier when this happened haha. I am tired of police officers not following the law themselves. Three days ago there was a motorcycle cop behind me at a red light and he rolled up so close to my bumper he could reach out and touch it, I was pist because two years ago I got a ticket for following to close. It cost me $230 dollars. So let’s just say if I would have been the cop, he would have received a ticket.
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