How many cop myths and rumors have you been told by violators?

[SOI]

A few weeks ago I made a traffic stop on a 16 year old girl. I had followed her for a while trying to see if I could read her license plate so I could notify dispatch and get the return prior to stopping her. But I couldn't so I had to just stop her to read it. I approach, ask for the standard stuff(DL, insurance), and tell her the reason I stopped her. The conversation went something like this:

Her-"You can't stop me."
Me-"Excuse me."
Her-"You followed me for more than a mile before you stopped me."
Me-"Yes I did. License and insurance. NOW!"
Her-"But it's illegal to stop someone after following them for more than a mile."
Me-"I don't know where you heard that, but I can follow you as long as I want before following you after observing a violation."
Her-"No you can't. Someone with the state told me a cop can't follow you for more than a mile before stopping you, so you have to let me go."
Me-" I don't know who told you that, but they were wrong. "

I've also been told that I can't hide to run radar and that they have to be able to see an officer from ____ distance for it to be legal to radar someone.

What have you been told that you can't do by roadside lawyers?

[jebtcop]

Don't ya just love when someone tell you what you can or can't do?

[roostonu]

As a civilian I have heard that a patrol car must be visible from the road, meaning not hidden behind a bush and at night it must have the parking lites on.

I never did believe it though.

[just joe]

You can't run radar unless your headlights are on.

[jebtcop]

My favorite has to be..." Are you a cop? Cuz you have to tell me if you are."

[andy5746]

Good Lord, I've been "corrected" by folks on just about everything! I just tell them they should fight the ticket/charge/whatever, and "be sure and tell the judge just what you told me"

On running lidar / radar, yes, the most popular myth is that I HAVE to be visible. I heard a judge tell a defendant once "That deputy can hide his bike up in a tree for all I care". I've also been told I need to stop them in "x" distance, and I have to show them the reading (don't have to in CA - but I do as a matter of course just to avoid the argument), I have to honk the horn twice (?), I have to give them a warning first, cite second time... I love folks like that, keep me in business.

[jakflak]

The one I've gotten more than once is "You can't arrest me for DUI if you didn't see me driving."

Uh...no.....

[Contact]

You can't arrest me unless you have your hat on.

[Smurfette_76]

Come on guys...you KNOW the most popular one!!

YOU HAVEN'T READ ME MY RIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and don't forget the phone call we're required to let them make.

[PhilipCal]

Violator:" You're a State Trooper. You can't write me, we're in the city"
Trooper: " What state's the city in?
Yep, it happened.

[LeanG]

Violator:" You're a State Trooper. You can't write me, we're in the city"
Trooper: " What state's the city in?
Yep, it happened.

+1

[car2back]

Come on guys...you KNOW the most popular one!!

YOU HAVEN'T READ ME MY RIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol that's the classic!

[phoenixdown]

Although I am not an officer, I always hear my friends and other people talking about how officers are not allowed to run radar/lidar without parking lights on. I don't know, but I seem to doubt this is true. Also they say at all times they are not moving they must have parking lights/headlights on.

It made me think, gee it would be so much easier to see the car in the median if it had parking lights on, would that not be redundant?

[d0406]

This is a private street, you have to leave. uuummm, does it have a city street sign. On noise complaints, 'this is private property and I don't want you here, you have to leave"

[sweetcynic]

saw this exchange on this youtube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhROFrzmb1M

(watch it, it's just 30 seconds, and it will make all you LEOs & )


Poster 1:
I use pop radar which renders your detectors useless. Same goes for laser jammers, my pro laser III will punch right through most anything on the market in 2 secs.

Poster 2:
POP radar is illegal to operate to give tickets. It clearly states that on MPH's website and in their manual. And obvious you have never came up against a laser jammer