What are my rights?

exalted512

Ok, I got pulled over today under incredibly odd circumstances and i would like to know what just happened...it happened like 15 minutes ago and i would like to know how i should go about this...or if i should do anything at all
Ok, I'm 18, and live in TX, and im leaving the high school today
i MIGHT have slid a little bit because I hit my brakes kind of late going across a speed bump...the stop sign is like 5 ft. away from the speed bump...so i might have slid a little coming to a complete stop
ok, so im going the speed limit down the road by our school(25), turn down main st.
im going down main street and this blue car is ON MY ****
i have a full size truck, and i cant see half of his hood
so i tap my brakes to say "hey, get off my ****"
does he?
no
he stays on
so im thinking maybe he didnt get the signal i dont like him cruising my ****...so i hit the brakes again a little harder...not extremely hard, but pretty hard
he is STILL on my ****
by now, i admit, im pissed
im going 30...i hit my brakes as hard as i can until im at 10, then take off again, this whole time in the left lane(inside)(its 4 lane...2 coming, 2 going...not seperated...typical main st. of a town of 6k)
theres NO ONE in the right lane...this is why im getting pissed...hes not going around, its not like hes about to turn because hes been on my **** all through main st.
so by now im at the other end of town(not a big town...it had been going on for like a minute)
so i finally switch the right lane at the stop light because theres a car already stopped at the red light in the left lane
the guy is still on my **** and switched lanes behind me
its still two lanes, by this time im thinking about going to the police station
he gets in the left lane(im still in the right, the red light had turned green) and i see his head lights and he has them going off...not like hazard lights, but like "walker texas ranger" lights...
and so i notice theres 2 ppl in the car and im guessing the guy is a cop, so i pull in by a parking lot
since i lost my cell phone yesterday (yes, im having all sorts of good luck) i cant call anyone
so im pulled over, windows rolled up, doors locked, ready to put the truck in drive and make an escape if called for...and the guy is walking up and in the side-view mirror i see a badge, before i roll down the window, i take a closer look at it--looks real to me
roll down the window
im not sure what was said first, but he tells me that the reason he pulled me over is because I was speeding out of the parking lot and sliding around
and i had also supposedly done this yesterday
and i had also supposedly done this down fulton(another back road) and slammed on my brakes when i saw a county cop car...
which i never went down that road yesterday...i ALWAYS go down main st.
anyway
he asked for proof of insurance and my license, so i forked it over, he proceeded to tell me that he was not going to give me a ticket, but if i kept it up, my vehicle would be impounded
he asks for my parents phone number and so i gave it to him trying to be corporative
and thats pretty much the end
should i just let this be or should i talk to someone about it?
even if i was speeding, a cop tailgating me is not the way to go about stopping it
ive already called my mom and will talk to my dad tonite--he knows a lot about this type of stuff, but im just wondering...
WWYD...what would you do?
thanks
-Cody

shack

what would you do?

Be glad I got a warning instead of a ticket!

exalted512

yeah...that post was sort of a vent as well, because im still pretty pissed...but the thing is why the hell was he tailgating me?
and he wasnt in a marked car, he didnt even have a light on his dash
the reason why i didnt get a ticket was he probably didnt have any on him...lol
-Cody

acdds

I've heard of strange stories about "constables" pulling people over for traffic violations and sometimes issuing bogus citiations. To my knowledge, they have no authority to write tickets or to stop people. There are other stories of people that get tickets from a person pretending to be policemen. I would call the police department and report the incident. Ask if there were any unmarked cars on patrol that day or if any off-duty police officers do security for school grounds. I would be very suspicious if he did not have a uniform on. Also, I've never heard of a cop asking for a parent's phone number, especially since you are not a minor.

Also, in PA cops never ask for proof of insurance. They only ask for license and vehicle registration.

exalted512

stories like those is what kind of made me afraid...
thanks for the response
and asking for proof of insurance is always done here...at least everytime ive gotten pulled over its been done
-Cody

jdhdiggs

Should have gotten his badge number and inquired to the local station and discuss it with them.

For the record: Your attempts to get the car to stop tailgating can be qualified as reckless driving. You should have changed lanes and then let the car pass you by using the breaks so I might just leave that part out....

PolkWannabie

Originally posted by jdhdiggs
Your attempts to get the car to stop tailgating can be qualified as reckless driving.

I was thinking the same thing ... Best to forget it and move on ...

exalted512

Originally posted by PolkWannabie
I was thinking the same thing ... Best to forget it and move on ...

i think thats what im going to do
and i wouldnt have hit my brakes if i knew it was a cop...lol
but yea, i am an **** and do hit my brakes when someone tail gates me...ESPECIALLY when the other lane was open
just one of those things that gets on my nerves..
i think its hereditary...lol
anyway, thanks for the replies and advice
i think ill let it go
ill only be in school for like a week and be in this town for a few months
thanks again
-Cody

avelanchefan

Well you did what anyone else would do...by hitting the brakes. But if you get rear ended you know your insurance will sky rocket because of it. Does not matter if it was your fault or not, your 18 and you were in a accident, thats all they look at. So in reality you are better off letting the effer's do their stuff and move on. Yeah it pisses you off, but the way people are these day's, and you being in Texas, more than likely someone is carrying a gun.

As for him pulling you over. Well it sounds like a load of bull to me. Either he is on a power trip or the guy is not for real. You do that to any cop car, and they are handing out tickets. And any reasonable cop would not tail gate. I would try to file a complaint if I were you. It's boderline harrassment.

PolkWannabie

Complaint ? With what as the goal ? .... Things like this have a way of biting one in the butt ... It turns into citizens word against cops word and they believe who ? ... And after the fact every cop in a 50 mile radius knows who you are ... Does anyone really need that sort of attention ?

Dennis Gardner

Be careful hitting your brakes when you have a tailgater. My son got bumped by a another kid that he had been bullied by. After 2 bumps my son tapped his brakes a couple times, but the guy kept coming. When he hit his brakes the 3rd time, the other guy wasn't ready and went all the way up to my son's rear axle of his truck.

My son got the ticket for "wreckless driving" (1 step below a felony) for intentionally braking and causing the accident. I had never heard of the guy in front ever getting the ticket, but this was a first for me. I went to court with him and the best we could get was a reduction to "careless and negligent" which happens to not be a moving violation in my state. Still cost a couple hundred!

Drive careful,

DG

HBombToo

a tailgator did the same as above so at the next redlight I put it in reverse and spun him:p I took off... and he was GONE!:D

yup
h

PolkWannabie

Personally I like just taking my foot OFF the gas ... especially on roads where you can't pass ...

madmax

It goes like this "So, I'm guessing you didn't see the cat run out in front of me? BTW, you shouldn't follow so close, it could cause an accident just like this one..."
madmax

goingganzo

rember all stop signs with wite around them are optional and speed limits are olny sugestions. and a true rolling stop is when your tires are stoped and you still roll throgh .

warviper

If you ever get pulled over by an unmarked car ask for a marked car to come.

Jstas

Last time something like this happened to me, I was pulled over by a cop, in a marked car, in uniform who gave me the reasoning that "...he got a report of a white truck speeding down Somerdale Road." I looked him dead in the eye and said "But officer, my truck is tan?" Then he stammered and said "Well...a light colored truck!" I said "Oh, I see how it is." Interesting to note that I was actually doing 5 miles UNDER the speed limit 'cause it was such a nice night out that I was taking my good old time getting home. So he goes back with his deal, runs my record and I'm cleaner than Irish Spring, he has nothing on me. He comes back, hands me my stuff and says "Sorry to bother you, have a good night." I didn't respond. I waited for him to get back in his car. I turned on my hazards, got out with a pen and paper, wrote down his plate number, his patrol car number and began walking towards the car to get his badge number. He jumps out and says "Is there a problem?" I said "Yes, I don't have your badge number yet." He says "I'm not gonna give it to you!" I said "You don't have to, I can see it from here." He asks me "What do you want that for?" I told him "I just got off the phone with the shift commander, he told me that I needed this info to report you. If you gave me a ticket." He gets pissed, yells ****! as loud as he can and starts pounding the dash board.

I got in my truck and he proceeded to follow me to my house. I stopped at my house, walked out in the street and yelled "See, this is where I live, right here!" Then I went and called his supervisor and found out that he had a history of harrassing people and that he would defintly be suspended and investigated. It was nice to know that someone in the police department was actually doing thier job properly.

What I would do in your case is basically, call the station, ask about the unmarked patrol and talk to the shift commander and let them know what happened and that you were not happy with the accusations, fabricated stories and treatment you recieved. You're 18, not a minor, there was no reason to embarrass and insult you by calling your parents. Beyond that, let it go and keep you eye out for that particular cop. Give him no reason to pull you over and make sure you understand ALL the traffic laws in Texas and follow them to the letter so that he has nothing on you. Take away any reason he might have to bother you and then you will have him by the berries.

Jstas

Originally posted by warviper
If you ever get pulled over by an unmarked car ask for a marked car to come.

Yeah, and pull into a well lit, public area like a WAL*MART parking lot or something.

Jstas

Originally posted by PolkWannabie
Complaint ? With what as the goal ? .... Things like this have a way of biting one in the butt ... It turns into citizens word against cops word and they believe who ? ... And after the fact every cop in a 50 mile radius knows who you are ... Does anyone really need that sort of attention ?

See, that is the problem. You shouldn't have to worry about being harassed in the first place let alone AFTER you complain about a cop. Cops enforce teh law, they are not above it. Nobody holds cops accountable for anything and when they do, all hell breaks loose. It's a boys club is what it is and it sucks because they literally bully the local citzens who are NOT the criminals. I know quite a few good cops who will ignore a guy doing 5 or 10 over or will stop someone and let them know that what they did was wrong and that they should watch it and leave it at that. But on the other hand, I know quite a few who are just total jerks and on a power trip. Somebody needs to start policing the police in alot of towns in this country. They are there to protect and serve not to the advance thier own agendas, bully thier citizens, make up rules as they go and just be an overall jerk.

Think about it, if you behave that way at your job, how long do you think that behavior would be tolerated?

exalted512

Originally posted by PolkWannabie
Complaint ? With what as the goal ? .... Things like this have a way of biting one in the butt ... It turns into citizens word against cops word and they believe who ? ... And after the fact every cop in a 50 mile radius knows who you are ... Does anyone really need that sort of attention ?

this is exaclty what im worried about
I'm just going to let it be and if something like this ever happens again then im going to the police dept.
ill tell them what happened this time and whatever happened at that time
hopefully it wont come to that
i appreciate police and what they do...but its sh!theads like this that make me lose some confidence in what they do
thanks again everyone
-Cody

TechChallenged

exalted512

Let this go. You were wrong. Why, because law inforcement is always presumed right.

Lesson. The next time someone tailgates, do not touch the brake. Instead, release the gas and eventually the idiot behind you will realize he is now going 5 miles an hour and will be forced to go around you. Its fun, safe and most important not aggressive driving.

Law enforcement, regardless of the badge, enjoys causing you disconfort. It likely provides conversation later in the locker room. Take the ticket and move on. Nothing an 18 year old can say will change the outcome of a citation.

Before you ever consider complaining to a sergant or fighting a citation in court remember, these guys likely hunt, fish and party together.

dragon1952

Cops are typically ****....why?....because they can get away with it.
They are also typically liars and cheaters....why?.....because they can get away with it.
Console yourself with the thought that most cops have an IQ lower than yours.
Also, keep karma in mind. Generally speaking, what goes around comes around and when it does the liars and cheaters and **** will get their just deserves.

reeltrouble1

First off I think you demonstrate some sensability in getting your feelings about the whole thing out on the board, venting as you say.

You already got some good advice about the brakes thing so enough said on that, you are right to be concerned about being stopped by an unmarked/ununiformed officer. I suspect he was some kind of legit officer who works with the school system but still I understand your concern and there are cases of people doing harm to others while posing as Law Enforcement. His asking for your parents number is a tell tale sign he is connected with the schools.

So I see you have a good relationship with your parents. That is something to hold close and depend on.

In his mind the Officer might feel he is doing you favor. In any event it seems to have left an impression on you. Question is, next time you get that "pissed" feeling, How are you going to react to it?

exalted512

ive posted this up on a few forums i go to and ive come to a conclusion to just leave it alone
why?
because im 18--that cop could lie and say he wasnt on my ****, or at least not that close, and it would be a cops word against "some punk 18 year old kid"--so thats pretty much a given how thats going to turn out
truthfully, if i did wish to pursue this i would have a pretty damn good chance of getting SOMETHING done
my dad is friends with the mayor, a few judges, and the sheriff and many other people in the "right positions"
but like someone said, most of the police are probably hunting buddies, and in south texas at least that goes a long way
i dunno, it just really pisses me off that police think they can "take advantage" of people, especially teenagers
and like someone said, you shouldnt have to worry about being harrassed by cops, but it happens to a lot of people my age, it happened to my brother until my dad got the sheriff involved and it stopped right there
but anyway, it shouldnt happen, but it does and theres not really much people my age can do about it b/c supposedly were not "mature" enough to distinguish whats right from wrong
were old enough to die for our country, but not old enough to not get harrassed by cops
oo well...no one ever said life was easy
thanks again for the good advice
-Cody

Dennis Gardner

Hey Cody,

As a dad of 4 boys here, I'm really glad to here some solid reasoning coming from you. Learning how to reason through these issues at your age will help you go through life with alot less stress.

It really isn't worth getting all bent out of shape over. I have realized throughout the years that anytime I have had dealings with authorities, if I started the interaction with a large dose of respect for their position(not the young kid just out of the academy, just his job he has to do), I get the respect back to me. I had to learn that driving is a privilege not a right, and this took 13 tickets in 1 year and $7500 in attorneys fees to protect that right for me to learn the lesson. I drive for a living and thought that since I put 60,000 miles a year on the road, I should be allowed more lee-way, boy was I wrong!

I now realize that I have the right to "kiss ****" any time that it helps my situation, and lowers my insurance.

Good luck and good driving record,

Dennis

Pablo

Not much you can do on this one Cody. At your age it's best not to get any tickets (you insurance starts getting out of control). If you knew a name or a badge number, it may be worth a phone call, but since not....

Next time, one tap on the brakes (just to show him you lights). Then move over (please, left lane fast, right lane slow!). If that doesn't work, saftey is probably your best bet.

Good luck.

SKsolutions

/////

Demiurge

BaggedLancer

Fitting thread to bring back from the dead.

Now that he is engaged he has no rights, again.

shadowofnight

I call the drop down ball mount on my truck ( The truck is lifted 9" ) the Intimidator.

I leave it in the receiver hitch even when I am not towing now...the ball ends up smack dab at the hood line of most cars....you bump me you dont get a nick on the bumper...your whole sheet metal hood looks like an open tin can.

One tap on the brakes and they see where that is gonna go and they back WAY off ( 99% never even get within 8 feet of it to begin with ) . When I used to take it off...here come the **** riders again so it stays on permanently now.

exalted512

I still brake for tailgaters. I dont have a hitch on this truck, but on the truck I was driving at the time, I always had one on for exactly that reason.
-Cody