Eclipsehornplayer

I’m going to play the lotto I think!

For the first time in the two years that I’ve lived down here I met on of our local law enforcement officers. I was stopped by him around 7:00 Am this morning on my way into work.

This is unusual in and of itself; see a casual observation of mine is that the police down here a way laid back when compared to the police where I’m from. (Michigan) You really have to be doing something out of line just to draw their attention.

He comes walking up and says, “Good morning sir. Do you know why I’ve stopped ya’ll today?”

I replied, “Yes sir! I have expired tags on my wife’s vehicle.”

My Birthday is in December.

He then asked, “Why did you not renew them?”

I replied, “Well sir truthfully; I can’t afford them. They are $310.00 dollars so this vehicle usually just sits in the driveway. My wife needed to go shopping and what not today so I decided to chance it and take her vehicle into work today.”

He then said, “Well yes sir that is expensive; Where do you work? And do you have your drivers license and does this vehicle have insurance?”

Again I replied, “Yes sir” to both questions. And told him that I work for Aflac.

He then told me he’d be right back and went back to his cruiser.

A lot went through my mind while he was running me through L.E.I.N and N.C.I.C.
I thought well I deserve the ticket that’s for sure. How am I going to pay it? I wish I would have stuck to more residential streets; maybe I would not have ran into him today. Crap did I practice the right music for today’s church service last night? Why is their air? Who am I?

Just then I looked in my mirror and saw the officer approach.

He said, “Mr. Sheets I’m just going to issue you a warning today. You don’t have to go to court; or appear or do anything. You can even throw this ticket away for all I care. I just have to show my boss that I’m doing traffic.”

Wow I thought; I can’t believe this.

I thanked him for being so understanding and letting me go with just a warning.

He then told me that he’d spent the night locking thugs up and when he came across me and ran me I had the cleanest record he’d encountered in a long time. He told me that he hated to issue citations to good honest hard working people.

He said that he views the tags as a tax; which is what they are. And if he wanted to enforce tax code he’d have joined the IRS not the Columbus Police Force.

The way license plates are handled down here is different then from Michigan. You go to the county tag office and pay an ad-volurum tax based on your vehicle’s value. My wife’s vehicle is a 2004 Dodge Durango. It only cost $190.00 to register my 2004 Dodge Ram so we only re-registered it back in December due to the lack of income to support renewing both.

In Michigan you pay a flat fee to the state based on the vehicle's weight and class. The fee for my wife's Durango in Michigan was only $130.00 which is a big difference.

He did tell me that what made him notice was that my wife’s Durango is Fire Engine Red. He said there is just something about a Red vehicle that shouts hey look at me! He said that if my vehicle had been any other color he most likely would not have even noticed.

He had me dead to rights; yet let me go. Yup….. I’m playing the lotto today!

Manny Laureano

Sorry, John, it had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with the fact that you're a decent person.

You spoke honestly with the officer, which I'm sure he appreciated instead of telling him some half-assed lie.

You had a clean record. That's no accident, that's hard work.

You spoke politely to him and had your license and registration at the ready instead of making him uncomfortable by rooting thorugh jackects and glove boxes while he'd have to wait to see of you were going to pull a gun.

Nope, getting a warning was no accident. You worked hard for it by being decent. Watching Chris Rock's video primer, "How to Not Get Your @ss Kicked by the Police" ( Chris Rock: How Not to Get Your Ass Kicked by the Police (( foul language alert)) ) was probably helpful as well. I've had officers let me off, too, when they had me dead to rights just by not acting like a jerk.


ML

Tootsall

What Manny said. However, this now raises another question: given that the police in Georgia are so decent.... sure you want to go back to Michigan?

Dave Mickley

I have had quite a few friends that were police officers and the thing that really irritates them is when they ask "Do you know why I stopped you" and you play dumb. Most of the ones I knew were decent guys and wanted to be treated like any of us wants to be treated. Every now and then you get to be the lucky guy he pulls over right after someone really gets verbally abusive and you get the heat because he just got reemed by an idiot. Manny was right - you were polite and respectful and most of all HONEST and that sir bought you a warning. Good luck and get the tags, we all know that musicians have plenty of money. [lol]. Dave

Dale Proctor

We have the same type of fee (tax) schedule in Alabama. The way to beat it is to drive old cars that aren't worth much.

Sounded like a nice guy that stopped you. Buy me a lottery ticket while you're on a roll!

TrentAustin

I have always found that honesty is the best policy with cops. Coming home late at night from gigs I've been stopped for NO reason. Then when I tell them I'm a musician all the flags go up. But since I don't drink while playing anymore it's never an issue.

Glad to hear that good things still happen to good people!

-T

gzent

The fact that you live in GA has a LOT to do with it.

Up here....forget it jack....you're payin!


Case in point..

Last night I'm on my way home from big band rehearsal, I live about 12 miles out from the town I work and 'play' in.

I'm cold, hungry and want to get home. I'm focused on the road, not my speedo. I'm about 4 miles from home and WHAM! Minnesota Sate Patrol flashing lights behind me.

D4mn! Was I speeding, I guess I was!

Pull over, switch lights to parking mode, and turn on hazard flashers, turn off CD player - wait for cop, relax.

COP: "Sir do you know why I pulled you over?"

Me (in my mind): Cause you work for a government agency that likes to make money via speeding tickets? (true)

Me (aloud): "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to how fast I was going." (also true).

COP: "You don't know how fast you were going?"

Me: "No, I wasn't paying attention"

Me: (in my mind): OK, so you are either dense or deaf, which is it, jerk. I was focused on the road, my cold feet and my growling stomach, in that order, Barney.

COP: "Where have you been tonight?"

Me: "At a rehearsal with my band"
Me: (in my mind): Brewing crack and knockin over kwik Trips, a-hole. What business is it of yours?

COP: "I'll need to see your license."

Me: "Here you go."

COP: "Have you had any tickets in the last 12 months?"

Me: "No, I've never been pulled over before."

COP (barely covering incredulousness): "Oh, well, ,,,,let me go check your record"

Me: (in my mind): That's right Dudley, I've never had a moving violation or been stopped in 27 years of driving.....Maybe he'll just give me a warning.....

Wait...wait...wait....

Me: (in my mind): What the hell, is he using his squad car computer to see if Krispy Kreme is still open.....wait...wait...relax.....

....7 minutes later.

COP: Well, I treat everyone the same so I'm going to have to give you a ticket.

Me: "OK"
Me: (in my mind): Wow, what a gracious action on your part for a driver with a perfect record.

COP: "Since you have a clean record, I'll reduce the speed from 77 down to 75"

Me: "OK"
Me: (in my mind): Hot Damn, its my lucky freakin day. WhooHoo! 77 down to 75 for havin a perfect driving record in 27 years!!! I'm the man!

COP: "Here's what you need to do...blah,blah,blah...."
Me:"OK"

COP: "Please drive safe"
Me: "OK"
Me (in my mind): Gosh, don't you think someone that has never been ticketed, pulled over or had a serious accident already knows how to do that, donut breath?"

End of Story.

So much for respect. He never raised his voice or used rude language, but treating me, someone who accidently sped because I keep my eyes on the road at nightm not on my speedo, like I was an escpaed drug runner.

I've had good friends who were cops, this guy was a Minnestoa State Patrolman - big difference. Moral - don't speed in MN... especially at night on a 4 lane highway with no one in front or behind you for 1/2 mile. If you are going to speed, do it at rush hour where you can't be taxed, er,....I mean ticketed so easily.

Greg

ROGERIO

John,

I agree... I think you are lucky.

I'm sure it helped that you are also a good and honest person... but the truth is, the officer could have had a bowl of rocks for breakfast and wanted to spit them out on you. You good guy + Cop good guy = you no ticket... LOL

I say play the lottery this week!! Congrats.

Best,

Rogerio

Alex Yates

Heh, heh.

40cal

I had written a nice post in response to this, but figured this would suffice.