Police Checkpoints

The other night my boyfriend and I were coming back from a poker game. I was pulled over going 65 in a 55 according to him. He told me that, I didn't admit or deny I just sat there. Why admit guilt to a statement and not a question?

He asked for my license, registration, and insurance card AND my boyfriend's ID. He reluctantly complied knowing the crap storm we'd be in if he didn't:

-My insurance expired in April
-I have a HUGE crack in my windshield
-A brakelight is out

The guy took the information, came back, and let us go. No warning, no explanation, nothing. Except he told me if I live in this state, I need that state's ID and/or license. You don't have to claim residency to live in a state.

The strange thing is, it seemed like he hadno idea why he pulled us over. It was like he was told to check up on people. I wasn't going 65, I had my cruise set to like 62. He didn't even care about the illegal poker game we had just come from.

Nothing like that has really happened before to me. Anyone else?

That kind of thing happens often in Georgia. Usually the police are using very arbitrary things as probable cause just to see if a person is drunk or has outstanding warrants.

reply to post by Hefficide


I like when they drive behind you really close for a while so they can pull up you tags. When they finally pass, I like to follow them for a while and give them a taste of thier own medicine.

reply to post by fbnks


O.K., From a cops point of view this LEO was just doing part of a job that not many people want to do. You didn't do anything wrong, so don't worry about it. You admitted that you had a crack in your windshield, and a tail/brake light out. You had cruise control set, but is your car calibrated? You may not realize that your car is acutally going faster that it is because as cars get older, the calibration can go bad and the speedometer will be incorrect. Now those may be small infractions but infractions that you can get pulled over for and cited in most states. Realize this, there are criminals traveling in vehicle's throughout our country on a daily basis. That along with contraband are reasons cop's pull vehicle's over. The Supreme Court has ruled that when a person is out in the public eye, there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. This includes driving down a street. Now, what may or may not be in your vehicle is a different story, and he would need either your consent to go in your vehicle or have probable cause to go in. You could have been cited for numerous reasons, by your own admission. You weren't, so be happy. Hope that this helps clear some things up for you.

reply to post by fbnks


By the way I'd be willing to say that the LEO knew exactly why he pulled you over. My agency likes us to tell the driver why we pulled them over. He did tell you that he clocked you at 65 in a 55. You can be pulled over for exceeding the speed limit no matter how minor. If the SPEED LIMIT is 55 then that's what that means. "LIMIT" being the key word. You can also be pulled over for going to slow. I'd also be willing to bet that, that ILLEGAL POKER game was on someone's private property. There are restrictions in place for law enforcement when it comes to investigating crimes on one's private property.

The poker game wasn't on private property like someone's home. It was a bar. As far as I know, poker games in bars are illegal. It just stunned me that the officer didn't care about anything wrong. Obviously, I'm relieved to have escaped a $350 ticket.

I just don't know why he needed to check everyone in the vehicle. Procedure or precaution it still seems wrong.

Maybe I amjust too far down the rabbit hole and overanalyze too much now, haha.

Meanwhile....

The crimes in the Ghettos and Projects continue without much police interference

sigh....i wish these guys would actually go after the real criminals

do you know what it is like in a big city ghetto? they NEED a serious LEO presence in those areas

i usually just think they are chicken to go around those parts

Originally posted by fbnks
The other night my boyfriend and I were coming back from a poker game. I was pulled over going 65 in a 55 according to him. He told me that, I didn't admit or deny I just sat there. Why admit guilt to a statement and not a question?

99.999% of the time the first thing we are asked is ,"Why did you pull me over?". Whenever I pull someone over the first hing I do is tell them why they were stopped. He wasn't looking for you to confirm or deny your guilt.

He asked for my license, registration, and insurance card AND my boyfriend's ID. He reluctantly complied knowing the crap storm we'd be in if he didn't:

-My insurance expired in April
-I have a HUGE crack in my windshield
-A brakelight is out

The guy took the information, came back, and let us go. No warning, no explanation, nothing. Except he told me if I live in this state, I need that state's ID and/or license. You don't have to claim residency to live in a state.

He probably got an alert or another call over the radio and had bigger fish to fry at the moment, so you got off free. I know if I go through the trouble of turning on my lights and stopping someone they are at least getting a written warning.

If he let you go, why the hell are you complaining? And your story is a bit fishy seeing as every state in America requires a ticket if you do not have valid insurance. The only thing I can think of is that the officers computer did not have a link to your states insurance database and gave you the benefit of the doubt or was dispatched to a more important call before your info came back.

And yes , most states require that if you live there you have a certain amount of time (usually 6 months to a year) before you are required to have an in-state drivers license, it helps get those uninsured drivers off the road.

The strange thing is, it seemed like he hadno idea why he pulled us over. It was like he was told to check up on people. I wasn't going 65, I had my cruise set to like 62. He didn't even care about the illegal poker game we had just come from.

And when was the last time you had your speedometer calibrated by trained and licensed professionals? We have our speed guns calibrated and documented to be correct before each shift. Do you know how common it is for personally owned cars to have inaccurate speedos? Seriously, saying " I was only breaking the law 70% of what he said I was" is a pretty pathetic argument.

It seems like you want to complain but this "stop" gave you no reason to.


[edit on 15-6-2009 by Tiloke]

Originally posted by fbnks
The poker game wasn't on private property like someone's home. It was a bar. As far as I know, poker games in bars are illegal. It just stunned me that the officer didn't care about anything wrong. Obviously, I'm relieved to have escaped a $350 ticket.

Public poker is only illegal if the house takes a cut of the tourny money or rakes the pots in normal games. Tipping the dealer is legal as long as it is not required.

I just don't know why he needed to check everyone in the vehicle. Procedure or precaution it still seems wrong.

You would be surprised who you can find in a passenger seat sometimes. Also, he would have been well within his rights to decline and walk off while the officer ran your info. If he would have stayed, he has to show ID if requested

Maybe I amjust too far down the rabbit hole and overanalyze too much now, haha.

Maybe...

It sounds like you were pulled over while illegally driving an unsafe vehicle with a burnt out taillight over the speed limit after spending the evening doing something you thought was illegal......

Again, why are you upset that you were let go without even a warning.



[edit on 15-6-2009 by Tiloke]

It could have been worse for you. You could live where I do and there are unannounced road blocks every now and then where every driver is pulled over and registration, etc. checked. And, you could have been ticketed for the cracked windshield, the broken taillight, speeding, not have insurance. Actually you were fortunate that your car wasn't impounded and you were forced to find your own way home due to lack of insurance.

My daughter got stopped for speeding and received a ticket for that. And when she pulled back out on the road, she was stopped again for not having a working left rear turn signal. Ouch!

Sounds more like a police stop rather than a police checkpoint.

Checkpoints are basically roadblocks where everyone has to slow down and be at least visually checked. In this case you were pulled over in a standard traffic stop for exceeding the posted speed limit.

You admit to going 7 miles per hour over the speed limit and having a taillight out. While that wont always get you pulled over it is enough for someone fishing for suspects.

I'd say you were lucky you got a a cop not looking to collect revenue as some could have wrote you a $500 ticket for no insurance in my state of WA and another couple hundred for the speed and bad equipment.

I hate being stopped, but I never complain when they let me go without an infraction.

I agree with "Tiloke", pretty much nailed it right on the head. Hey Tiloke, great post. Glad I'm not the only cop in here.

Where I live, they don't have to do a checkpoint anymore. They have cameras in the cops car that automatically read your license plate and if something is wrong the machine beeps so the cop can wake up and start to chase you.

I got pulled the other day for an unpaid parking ticket ... my license was suspended because of that and my car was impounded ... sucks ... but I should have paid that d*mn 42$ ticket.

Now, if you travel in Quebec, BEWARE ... we have ATS now ... automatic ticketing system ... picture-radar like in France ... how lucky we are.

reply to post by fbnks


The cop was correct about the ID. You have 30 days under the law to transfer your license and register your address in a state (and to get new state tags if you are not a student). The same applies each time you move in the same state.

I lived on Air Force bases for 20 years. I understand checkpoints, roadblocks, et cetera. That's why this particular situation is strange to me.

I am not complaining. I stated that. It is strange he would take the time to do all this and not even talk to me about the speeding, or issues with my car. He said nothing. It was a waste of his time. He followed me for a few moments after that and then turned off, so it wasn't like he had some emergency.

A lot of cops and situations I am familiar with bait you into admitting some wrong doing. They need the admission to do anything. You can't be booked for something you don't admit to.

As for the poker game, the bar requires the winner of the tournament to buy drinks for everyone who bought in. Slight gain for them.

Originally posted by fbnks

It was a waste of his time.

Or maybe a car like yours had been reported stolen or used in a crime and he was just checking it out.

Count yourself lucky and try to get everything fixed before you get stopped again. Otherwise you could be out some big bucks.

wow this is the most serious record I have ever seen of the police state and big brother and police abuse...

He pulled you over, coming from a bar with a damaged car, intentionally going over the speed limit

The nerve

and then he has the audacity to just let you go without a ticket

I'd have gotten out of my car and demanded a ticket! I was breaking the law... I want my g-d damned ticket!

He didn't even give you a filed sobriety test did he?

No good pigs!

This was on the highway, not outside of a bar.

Originally posted by fbnks

A lot of cops and situations I am familiar with bait you into admitting some wrong doing. They need the admission to do anything. You can't be booked for something you don't admit to.

Ummmm, no.

Originally posted by Hefficide
That kind of thing happens often in Georgia. Usually the police are using very arbitrary things as probable cause just to see if a person is drunk or has outstanding warrants.

Yeah, I live in Georgia. I thought I had 2 DUIs the same week, but they didn't take me in for either.