Can police officers take people home if they ran out of gas or their car broke down?
I probably shouldn't tell this story since it reflects poorly on me. But all this was more than 35 years ago and isn't something I would repeat.That was the time that I left newspaper work in a desperate attempt to make a decent amount of money. A corporation in Oregon was looking for someone to take charge of the writers who did some in-house advertising work as well as public relations writing. I applied and got the job, immediately tripling (yes, tripling) my salary. So I was feeling pretty good about myself.Maybe too good.One of the writers had a band and it was playing at a tavern that night and I was invited. I figured it was a good move to go - both because it sounded fun and because a lot of the writers were going as well. So I thought of it as a way to get to know the people who worked for me and to maybe even have them see me in a friendly light.Well, about five Moosehead beers later I headed home. My car didn't yet have Oregon plates, I didn't have an Oregon driver's license and the five Moosehead beers had turned me into a sloppy driver.That's when the blue lights from the police car lit me up - even more than I was already lit up from the beers. I had visions - with no Oregon plates or license and all the beer - of losing my brand new job and my freedom as well.My voice - normally a bass - turned to treble when the officer asked if I had been drinking. I had been a newspaper reporter and covered a police beat years before and I knew the "I've only had two beers" line was almost a joke with the police. So I explained the evening, admitted to the five beers, told why I was there, why I didn't have Oregon licenses yet and even expressed fear that I'd lose my job. I was a pitiful creature. And, even as I wandered through my long winded story I knew I was talking too much.Well, maybe not. Maybe I was just pitiful enough.The officer just smiled."Do you think you are able to drive well enough to get home if you follow me?" he asked.What? Did I hear him right?I did.So I followed the police car to my home. And, once there, the officer got out of the car to wish me good night."I hope you enjoy living in Oregon," he said. "And if this ever happens again you'll soon be living in an Oregon jail."
What is the best way to inform a police officer I am carrying concealed when pulled over?
Do not say the word ‘Gun’.Put your hands in the 10 & 2′oclock positions on the steering wheel. If a passenger, place them flat on the dashboard.No matter what the police officer says to you as an opening remark, you respond with:Officer, before we start I want to let you know that I have a concealed carry permit. What are your instructions?Do not move, do not take your hands off the steering wheel. Wait for officer to respond.Follow any directions given to you by the officer slowly & meticulously.I have taught concealed carry to over a thousand students. I have been stopped twice: Both times for speeding.In each case the officer was nonchalant about it and just asked for my license and registration. In Ohio, the fact that you are a CCW carrier comes up on his screen when he runs your registration.Here is the thing, police I have talked with about this feel safer with a CCW stop than a regular stop. Why? Think about it. A CCW holder has had an extensive federal background check. CCW carriers are involved in extremely few crimes. You can’t ask for a safer person to pull over.Under NO circumstances are you to touch your firearm or even gesture to it unless SPECIFICALLY directed to do so. I have been told that they only ask to keep possession if there is reasonable chance you will be placed under arrest during the stop e.g. suspected drugs, DUI, warrants outstanding, etc.On a normal traffic stop, they’ll just give you a ticket or warning and send you on your way.If you recall recently a young man with a CCW permit was shot 3 times in the drivers seat of a car. His only mistake? He lifted his shirt to indicate to the officer where he was carrying. The cop saw a ‘gun’ and panicked.
What happens if you run from the police in a car and get away?
Assumption: you’re in the USA.If you’re very, very lucky: nothing will happen because you actually got away without being identified. That’s bad, because you’ll get cocky and overconfident and you’re almost guaranteed to try that foolishness again.If you’re slightly less lucky: you’re on camera. Dash cam. Traffic cam. Cell-phone cam. Security cam. Somewhere there’s a camera pointed at you and they’ll get either your license plate number or at least a good description of you and the vehicle. Very shortly there’s a warrant for your arrest and you’re in the LEIN system (Law Enforcement Information Network). Now you’re on a multi-state list that every police agency has access to. Don’t get pulled over. Don’t use a credit card, a debit card, your iphone (toss that out the window now!). Don’t call mom. Don’t access any of your social networks. Facebook is the prosecutor’s best friend and the biggest Snitch on the internet.If you’re completely hosed: that security cam image is nice and clear and on the 6:00 news. Someone remembers you from facebook and now they have your name and the address of every friend and acquaintance you’ve ever had. You’re running out of cash, and you’re running out of gas. You’re already on parole and you have a 15-year tail (remember, you’re completely hosed) so you’re holed up in a seedy motel with a carton of Newport 100’s and you don’t even like them. You might as well smoke ’em because tobacco is no longer available in prison. This scenario is not made up, by the way, because it happened to someone I know.Don’t make any sudden moves. Law enforcement has good justification to use lethal force. Wait for the inevitable knock on the door and stand back. They will not wait for you to open it.
Has a police officer ever stopped someone simply because they thought the person was attractive?
No.I am pretty certain that it was the officer who suspected I was attracted to him.I was one of those clear headed imbeciles who was too lazy to put more gas before going home from work. I was just so tired. “I think i’ll make it.”NOPE. It was halfway home when my car started slowing down on the freeway, so I immediately pulled to the far right and then my car completely stopped.Sigh, darn. +Turns on emergency lights+It only took 5 minutes when a highway patrol pulled up behind me, and dayum!From the rear mirror, I knew he was definitely a handsome dude in a uniform. Score!I rolled down my window, and i gave him a big smile.Me: “ How’s your night going officer?!”He let out a snigger. “ Ran out of gas I see.”Me: “ Yes. I never expected this to happen! ” ( Sarcasm implied)He shook his head with a smile and said, “ You got money? There is a gas station off the next exit, i’ll push your car there.”Me: “ Why thank you. I am glad we met. +Wink+”
When a police officer conducts a traffic stop why does he turn his wheels to the left?
Could you answer me a question? When an officer conducts a traffic stop they pull the vehicle over on the shoulder and the officer turns his wheels to the left. Why does the officer turn his wheels that way? if he gets from behind, his car will go into traffic. What is the purpose of this? I heard some place that what cops do and I observed a cop doing it this evening on TV. What is the purpose? I don’t remember.
What happens if my car runs out of gas?
The obvious answer is that it will stop running... unless it's a hybrid with a charged battery that can help you limp along to a gas station... As soon as the engine dies, you will lose all "power" assistance with the steering and braking. You can still steer and brake, but it will be much harder than when the engine is running. Power windows will work, along with other electrical accessories, until the battery is drained. Once you've coasted to a stop / pulled over to the side of the road, put your hazards on and start making phone calls on your cell to get someone to help you. When you add gasoline back into the car, it will probably start within a few moments of cranking the engine. On older cars, you run the risk of getting dirt or rust into the fuel line / filter. If you get gas into the car and it won't start back up, there's a fair chance that the fuel line or filter has become clogged. Depending on the car and the location of the filter, you may or may not be able to fix this on the side of the road. A tow truck will have to tow it to a service station where the fuel line or filter can be cleaned out.
Can a police officer run the liscence plate of a legally parked car on private property?
Yes, he does. And, I cry BS on what you claimed the officer said when you questioned him. He wouldn't be in a squad car, on duty, going in to buy groceries. You're whining because your tags are expired. You should have gotten them renewed like the rest of us. The reason they run tags which are expired is to make sure that someone doesn't have a stolen car. If your car had been stolen and he'd found it, you'd be praising him now...no, wait, you wouldn't, you'd be griping because your car was stolen and they didn't find it faster. That it was parked and not running has nothing to do with the issue. Your tags were expired, and probably by quite some time if he bothered to give you a ticket. Usually, if it's within a reasonable amount of time, and if you're reasonable with them, they'll give you a warning. My guess is that it wasn't within a reasonable amount of time, and you were probably a jerk. Next time, get your tags renewed. You can probably do it online, depending upon what state you're in. Edit: Dude, we've all got bills. You should see our property taxes in this state. I notice you don't say *when* in 2009 they expired. I'm not trying to be brutal, but I do call 'em as I see 'em, and that's the way the statements came across. I mean, they're expired; why give the guy grief for doing his job? If they weren't expired, there'd be no problem. Chances are you can probably even get the ticket dismissed if you take it to court and show you've gotten the tags renewed. And by the way, looking for a parking spot's a lot different than going in to buy groceries. A lot of times they park in public parking lots (like grocery stores) because they have to write reports and by sitting there, their presence deters thieves and others who might try to attack people going out to their cars. That used to be especially true at our local Albertson's, because it was right on the freeway. Ditto the Stop & Robs...er, Stop & Gos. Just an FYI.
Did you talk your way out of your first traffic ticket?
“Did you talk your way out of your first traffic ticket?”Aside from the technicality that, if I received a traffic citation, I obviously could not have talked my way out of it…I don't really recall the timeline, but both of these happened while I was attending Kent State University:I was on a road which ended and “T'd” into another road. All three directions had stop signs. I stopped as a Kent State University PD squad car was approaching from my left. After stopping, I made a right turn and proceeded down the street. A moment later, the squad car's lights came on and the officer pulled me over.When he approached, he said something like, “Don't you know what a stop sign means?” I replied, “I thought I established right-of-way by stopping before you did, Officer.” Then he said, “Your car's muffler is way too loud (it was non-existent, actually). Get it fixed or I'll have your car towed next time I see you.” Then he went back to his car and drove away. He never checked my license, didn't see the dead hooker on my back floorboard, etc…. He was just unhappy that I didn't wait for him to stop (or not) at the intersection, then switched to the loud muffler when I presented a reasonable response about the stop sign.Around the same time, I was speeding along a state highway near Kent. As I went around a curve, a state trooper was coming towards me and had me dead to rights on his radar. He swung around and I had already pulled over for him. He asked if I knew how fast I had been going and I said, “Too fast.” He asked where I was headed and I told him that I was headed to a nearby town to visit a friend for the afternoon. He had me come back to his squad car while he wrote me a citation. Even though I was going 20+ over the limit, he wrote me for 7 over. The fine was only $25 or so compared to $75 for the actual speed I was going. It was relatively painless and the trooper was a normal, professional guy. We were done and I was back on the road within about ten minutes.