Are You A Cop Car Magnet?
March 7th, 2008 Posted in Tips, Traffic TicketsBy Farley James
There is a subset of the population who are cop car magnets. They barely turn the ignition key on and the red and blue lights are flashing in the rear view mirror.
Is it their race, their color, their nationality, or some other obvious feature? Yes, sometimes, but mostly it’s people who work at being jerked around and then are stupefied as to why they are being “picked on.”
They come in a lot of sizes and shapes, usually male and usually young. (If they aren’t bright enough to figure out what’s going on, after several encounters, they move on to be picked on by their keepers.)
Common configurations include:
- The wannabe low rider slumped low in the driver’s seat with only the off center bill of his cap protruding above the steering wheel, radio cranked to 110 decibels projecting the heart beat of a whale and “bitchin” scratched into the trunk lid with a screwdriver.
- A 1990 civic complete with 8 inch diameter Chrome can tail pipe, hand painted racing stripe, no front plate, and never shifted into second gear until driven a mile or two in first gear at speeds between 35 and 45 MPH, just to keep that “JC” pipe at full song for the benefit of the surrounding population.
- The biker with the obligatory straight pipes, two foot raised bars, Nazi helmet and Iron Cross rearview mirrors complimenting the little pig with police uniform screwed to the rear fender.
- A ten year old pick-up jacked up high enough to clear fire hydrants and small children, shod with tires that would do a John Deere proud, two six inch barely muffled stacks, and several million candle power of lights capable of burning out the rear window of a new BMW a hundred yards distant.
- OK, if I must, red sport cars.
All but the last category are populated by folks who just can’t figure out why the police seem to single them out, instead of the lady in the van with the cell phone glued to her head through two light changes. Or the old guy that likes the left lane because it’s smoother and he can see the shoulder better.
It must be the hair-do, or maybe their taste in music. It certainly couldn’t be the bumper sticker that proclaims “Charley Manson Was My Mother.”
Image Credit: a3bs
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How about the other wanna-be low rider w/ those ugly Dayton rims sticking out 2 feet outside of his fender and proudly displaying his last name (normally of mexican decent) on the back windshield of his SUV which is no longer a sport utility vehicle because its so damn low it can’t even clear a speed bump?
Ha Ha this is great, I had a 94 red mustang with some add ons and I knew with out a doubt that it was a cop magnet. I never did get a speeding ticket in it though, 8 years! One time a cop told me the department recognized my car and I should be careful and if i wasn’t already, that did it.
anyway
here is a link to a funny forum of rice
http://www.awdpirates.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=11&sid=b6f94807995043ade64b08064b84bde7
andy
If you try hard to NOT be noticed by cops, there’s a good chance you WILL be noticed and become a magnet. If you see a cop and suddenly drive not a single mile per hour over the speed limit, he’ll think you’re up to no good, and probably stop you.
Is the author implying that it’s okay for police to profile drivers because of the type of car they drive?? If I want to slap on a bumper sticker that says “F*** the police”, I should not expect to get stopped more often than any other car and not unless I am committing a crime/infraction.
Heres a good one;The purple cadilacs with the windows tinted so dark you cant tell who or what is driving,with the neon blue lights all around it !!!!
Re; Adam’s comment.
And then there’s the real world. Despite the consttutional right to free speech, most people will respond to directed insults, especially when they actually have the power and capability to respond. The applicable term is “human nature”. In fact, aren’t you profiling cops with your bumper sticker?
GO Andy. It’s about time someone said it like it should be. I tried to tell the JP exactly that and now I have time to spread the word on the internet from jail cell at county. Keep the word moving ANDY. Great Job.
In other words,..if you want to be hassled by the Gendarmes, display the fact that you have a juvenile moronic ego by occupying a motorvehicle that advertises and displays it as such to the public….Marijuana leaf stickers in your rear window can help speed this process along and I’m sure you will be very pleased with the results. Also when contact is initiated, don’t forget to have all the appropriate tatoos visible and as much hardware as possible pinned to your face….the affects can be greatly enhanced with the correct size of bone in your nose.
Re: John
A bumper sticker saying f- the cops is not profiling, its stereotyping. I’m not one that would do that but I wouldn’t hate on someone that did. I also would not expect that person to be harassed by the police because of it. If that person is committing an infraction, they should be stopped as should any other driver. Cops profile so much around here that it’s ridiculous. If you drive something older than a ‘95, you get your ass followed (on your bumper) because you most likely have drugs, suspended license, warrants, etc. It’s unfortunate. It is also unfortunate that a website that is supposedly about “the rights of motorists” would promote the idea that this profiling, in any form, is acceptable. If a cop pulled me over for the sole purpose of asking me about my bumper sticker, pot leaf emblem around the rearview, etc., I would have his badge number and a complaint would be filed the next day.
HAHAH, sure guys, put a bumper sticker on your cars that says “f*ck the police” and see how it works out for you. In fact, do it, and then post about your court dates.
You will get pulled over, but they will cite some other reason why, as in “your tires went over the yellow/white line” or “you rolled through that stop sign” – just give them a reason and they’ll do it.
RE Jordan
If the police want to cite you for rolling through a stop sign or weaving.. they don’t need a bumper sticker saying f the police as a reason to do it.
This is so not true….I am an almost 40 female and I drive a 3/4 ton silverado extended cab…you can tell that it is a womans truck becauxe of the window decals. I have butterflys all over it…and dark tint. its not jacked up or anything special, just a womans truck…I have been working in southeast colorado for nearly 8 months and live in louisiana…on the seven trips i have taken home, I have been pulled over by three colorado troopers and five texas troopers…not speeding…but they all say that i am doing the same speed…its thier probable cause thing…no tickets…and only two warnings. i did however get a ticket in Esteline texas by a town cop…speed trap…so you go figure the math on all of that….and they are not stopping me because I am a woman…they cant see me until they stop me and I roll my window down…lol
Have you seen the articles about a new web site “RateMyCop.com” It’s created a firestorm from police agencies. Theres many articles so just Goggle it. The cops are already wanting to do a “takedown” on it. It’s gonna be interesting to see how this plays out. I just tried to access the site after the Fox news report today and its not available as of 12:30 pm, CT so it might already be down.
I’ve long advocated some kind of rating system for traffic cops in particular. I never envisioned a web site that would be nationwide. When I was on our local “Citizens Police Commission” that was one of our objectives but we never got around to it. This was before the Internet. A critique could be printed as a tear-off and mail in extension from the actual citation.
I know the argument, you got a ticket and your bitter about it so your going to rate the cop badly. I doubt that most drivers would do that. We simply don’t know because to my knowledge it’s never been tried. This system would also allow for officers to be complimented by the public. The accumulated results for each officer would be tabulated annually. It would take a pattern by an officer or a poor overall rating by the public for a cop to get “reviewed” by his superiors. If this continued over two or three years then I believe serious consideration should be given to termination. Once they were all compared with each other over a couple years, a base line could be established to base future ratings on. It wouldn’t take long for the really abusive cops to show up on the “radar”.
I don’t have to tell you how the cops feel about such a system. With crushing force exhibited by all the law enforcement lobbyist groups it’ll be a wonder if this web site continues, at least in it’s current configuration. Whether the web site remains or not we definitely need some way to get rid of really abusive cops. There’s no reason for a cop to fear this if they are not abusing their authority.
Cops do not like to be challenged, usually responding by threat, intimidation or overstepping their authority. When they get out of their element – armed with flashing lights, a badge and a gun – they usually fare poorly. A simple examination of their posts on this site will reveal that when they cannot rely on their usual tactics, i.e., where they have no advantage, they appear foolish.
And James your a master of it. I’ve watch you on many occasions with several of these blogs and with your superior knowledge, experience, and literary skills you throw the baloney the cops hand out….right back at them. I’m glad your on our side. Again, I nominate you the Lou Dobbs of traffic control issues. I hope that’s a complement. Well gentlemen, I gotta go to work this afternoon so have fun.
The cops are at a severe disadvantage because so much of what they “know” is unsupported and unsupportable. Mark Twain said it best: “It ain’t what you don’t know that hurts you; it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
Police officers talk and trade “tells” and personal biases are a part of human nature. If a person or vehicle draws attention, or stands out, for any reason, and is observed by the police, that object of attention is placed in jeapordy by exposure to a powerful force that is subjectively tainted by human nature…If you want to draw the wrong kind of attention, just stand out in traffic and you will.
Some of the bloggers forget we are suppose to have the right of “Freedom of Expression”, no matter how extreme it may appear to others, without the fear of persecution. If the ugly little Honda driver isn’t breaking the law he shouldn’t be targeted. There’s plenty of real lawbreakers out there to target,so why waste their time and our tax dollars on unwarranted traffic stops. I know first hand because I’ve been riding Harleys for 40+ years and I’ve been harrassed uncountable times. I’ve been stopped many times (even in my car or truck) because of the way I look not because my motorcycle or car was illegal or I had commited a violation. I’m not a felon, I served my country in the military with honor and I’ve always been a very productive individual(retired the first time at age 47 afer 25 good years on the job) but I still got harrassed because of the cop’s disregard for my civil rights. I’ve been cursed and called numerous names like longhaired dirtbag, liar, scumbag and lowlife just to name a few during traffic stops only because of the way I chose to look not because I was commiting any violations. That person driving that stupid looking little car,SUV or motorcycle could be a law abiding citizen that’s taken his “Freedom of Expression” to the extreme, not a lawbreaker. So before you put the knock on some individual for the vehicle he drives,the way the driver is dressed or the the way his vehicle is decorated just think, is he breaking the law or just enjoying the his right of expression afforded us by our constitution.
Hey Ed – Well Said!
Where in the world do you live Ed? I live in Houston Texas,and I think on a whole people(including the cops)have great respect for our bikers.They have a huge event at Christmas every year to raise money to buy toys for less fortunate children.They also have a group of veterans who ride to funerals of soldiers killed in the war to show respect, and support the family. Thats just mentioning a couple of things they do.I freguent a biker bar close to my house. There are alot of other bars I could go to and have a beer but, I like to go there because the people are nice.Its different than it was back in the seventies when you would see the guy riding down the road on a filthy broke down looking Harley.It takes money and,or hard work to own one now.People who have colledge degrees, or people who have worked their tail off.Unfortunatly,there are still some rednecked cops out there that refuse to change with the times but on a whole, bikers have changed and so have opinions of them.
The LAPD and LASD are the biggest azzwipes of all time. They profile and get away with it no matter what. I was pulled over at 630am, while on the way to work, allegedly for having tinted windows and a clear license plate cover. Oh, and being BLACK. The sherriffs were going the opposite way and did an illegal u-turn to follow me for a bit. After running my plates and coming back clean they stopped me anyway…and put me in the back of the police car while they searched my vehicle. I filed a complaint the same day and the watch commander said their behavior was not out of the ordinary. Where can I buy the F**k the Police Bumper Sticker!!!
Car isnt one of the “profiled” above but it is a newer model with 24″ rims…Did I mention I was BLACK.
ED I agree with Adam, believe it or not, I agree with you,…but my previous statements still stand. You see, I,ve been A Chopped Panhead rider since 1968 when I built my first scoot..ridged frame and all that. I do not look like Mr. Clean in traffic but I know the drill and the cops VERY well…I,m just saying, There is, and can be, hidden costs to pay for ‘freedom of expression’….and the cops are more than willing to oblidge you/us.
this is in response to IHatePopo….if you have tinted windows, how can they tell you are black. And you cant say its because of your car because then you will be stereo-typing yourself…just curious….no harm meant…just curious…ya know its funny…i tell my friends everytime something happens to me that “This wouldnt have happened if I was black…
sounds to me you are saying the same thing…it wouldnt have happend to you if you were white….go figure
Back when I was struggleing to make ends meet I drove some old crappy cars and got pulled over quite a few times. The cops figure when they see an old hoopty puttering down the road theres got to be something illegal about it.In my case nine out of ten times they were right, and I recieved tickets.I use to go to court and plead guilty and just pay them. Some friends turned me on to a ticket attorney and now they all get dismissed. The ticket attorney charges a hundred to two hundred dollars depending on how many you have, and thats it.A five hundred dollar ticket will end up costing you about a hundred dollars.You also get treated alot better even in traffic court if you have a lawyer. I had a judge tell me I looked nice and she liked my earrings. My jaw just about hit the floor because usually, even just going to court to pay a ticket, they act like your some big time criminal!
Never had a speeding ticket for 36 years or better driving. Bought a red car and got one within 6 weeks.
RE: ihatepopo,
yah, you mentioned TWICE you were BLACK, you were born black, your black now and will be till the day you die, so get over it. why does everything have to turn into a race issue ?
RE: redcar,
i’ve been driving for 19yrs, and have never had a ticket until i got my red car too, now i’ve had 4 in the past 6 yrs !!! it could also be the area too, they’ve all been within the same 50 mi. stretch.
I just was made aware of this site today, and I wanted to say that I saw a bumper sticker once that said, “Hows my driving? Call 1-800-EAT-SH*T”. I think that would be a cop car magnet right there.
I’m glad the cops profile, it makes the world a safer place. Too bad they don’t do it more.
I see the use profiling in this case, as fascist activity.
{I’m glad the cops profile, it makes the world a safer place. Too bad they don’t do it more.}
Until you become the target of their profiling.
I don’t think it is the car you drive. I think it is how you look in the car you drive also it is also if you are being stupid. I had a 95 Honda civic I got more tickets in that car than in any, I have also had; 85 Pontiac Ferro GT w/ turbo(red), 86 Mustang 5.0(red), 88 Buick (peace of sh**), 01 Eclipse GT (Supped up). At night if you look to young you’re tagged. If its late and you are sloshed in your seat and window down in 20 degree weather guess what you have been drinking. Take a look at all the yellow plates around. There are a lot of them. They are on a variety of cars. So if you think you’re being picked on take a look at your driving. That’s the problem!!!! If you have neon’s or sport mufflers, or any of the fast and ferrous look you will be looked at more, don’t be stupid
Also Grateful Dead stickers, Pot leaf stickers will for sure get your auto searched big time for a MINOR traffic violation.
Or how about an 87 peterbilt with 8″ straight pipes and tinted windows in Va., with “Damn yankee” on the back of the sleeper!!!
Ten-Four BRD !!…..and Scott R….in this day and age if you get pulled over for any reason, your gonna get searched no matter what….even if, by some miracle, you don’t get a ticket, you WILL be searched !!…99 times out of a 100…..you can’t stop it,… and if you try,….they’ll load you up !!
[...] They also have an interesting article by the National Motorists Association titled “Are You a Cop Car Magnet?” [...]
Jerry
I’ve been pulled over multiple times over the 7 years that I’ve been driving. I’ve been searched once by a state pig who thought I was reaching under my seat when I was reaching into the door panel for my wallet. I told him good luck and that I hope he finds something.. of course he didn’t.
Point is.. you should not expect to get searched 99 times out of 100 and if you do get searched at that ratio, I’d be filing some type of lawsuit or at least a complaint.
Next time you get pulled over, and the cop asks to search your car, ask HIM if he has probable cause…. If he says ‘no’, ask him to sign the paper below before giving your permission.
CONDITIONAL AGREEMENT TO CONSENT TO SEARCH
—–PLEASE PRINT—–
I, (rank, name, badge #) _________________________________, assigned, at present, to (area of jurisdiction, barracks, precinct, station) _________________________, having informed the operator of the below listed vehicle that there is NO probable cause to search, have verbally requested to search the vehicle. Having been given a consent to search (vehicle make, model, tag #)___________________________________________, by (name of operator) _____________________________ on this the (day, month and year) ____________________, at (time of day) ___________________agree to search the above vehicle, subject to the following terms and conditions:
1. I will provide a Consent To Search form (HSMV 61061 or equivalent) to the operator of the vehicle for the operator’s review, prior to initiating the search.
2. I, my immediate supervisor, and the jurisdiction/department/division to which I am assigned, will be held jointly and severally financially responsible for any and all items that are disturbed, misplaced, lost, or damaged during the search, and will indemnify the owner of the vehicle with full replacement value of those items.
3. I will, if the conditions of the search require items to be moved, unlocked, opened, unwrapped, unbolted, disassembled or caused to be set outside the vehicle, etc., replace, restore, re-secure, reassemble and/or re-lock all items affected to guarantee their safekeeping.
If I do not agree to the above conditions, I will immediately cease all proposed search activity. Furthermore, I will hold the operator of the vehicle and any and all items contained therein harmless, and signify this by my initials here.
________
Given my hand, this_________(day) of ____________ (month, year).
———————————————————–
Signature
Really!?? Are you for real? OR will this just realy pis* them off. and have you ever
ADAM,,I am from townships west of Portland Oregon…if you pull through one of these metros in the evening, you are ‘checked out’ if you are an unknown…straight up !! If you complain you get a bulls-eye on your back. Your best chances around here are to have your license, paperwork in order, and travel free of ‘encumbrances’. The shake-down is ‘ON’ around here.
You don’t get it. The author’s advice was to avoid giving the police a reason to stop you. I was a cop for over thirty years and I never found a reason to invent PC to stop someone. Folks out there are just begging to get stopped. The smarmy little bumper stickers (that usually aren’t noticed until after you’ve been stopped) and wise-ass attitudes are what convince a cop to issue a cite when he was actually hoping that you weren’t a jerk and could take some constructive advice.
I am Anglo, in my late 30’s, respect the law, and do not even bend the law. But look up Duval County Texas in recent and past news… I am not very far (miles) from there.
Question to everyone else in the USA is… I have not even had a speeding ticket in 12 years but since I traded in my 2006 F150 4×4 four door Lariat ($42K sticker) for a fully loaded Maxima SL($32K sticker) to save money on gas (which it did, big time) I have been stopped left and right, given speeding tickets based on them pacing me (never a radar) and other trumpted up charges. Anyone else had the same problem in other areas of the USA with this car and the cops profiling it? Maybe I need to buy another expensive truck that gets 15 miles per gallon to get them off my tail??? I have only had the car for a month. Is a 2008 Maxima that much of a Cop magnet? Should I trade it in now, cut my losses, or is it just where I am? Or did I just make someone mad?
Lorenzo
I dress and act and drive the way I choose to. None of which involves me breaking the law. Therefore, because it doesn’t conform to the “norm,” I should not expect harassment from the police because of it. If I get pulled over for anything other than an infraction I have committed, of course I’m going to have a “wise-ass attitude” about it.
Adam
Explain what you mean by, “If I get pulled over for anything other than an infraction I have committed…” Are you in the habit of getting “pulled over” for offenses committed by someone else?
You weren’t paying attention. I reiterate…
If you get stopped for a minor offense you may not get cited if you behave reasonably. You may get cited during periods of high enforcement or if the violation is a local “primary collision factor.” Make it easy on yourself and don’t get your panties in a wad over nothing.
Fact is, most of you wise-asses do all your big talk on-line. You don’t have the grapes to actually say anything to a linebacker-sized deputy sheriff.
LOL linebacker sized deputy?? I’m bigger than any deputy i’ve ever encountered so I’m not worried about that. I’ve gotten into plenty of arguments with a certain member or two of a local police department around here so take that shit about talkin big online somewhere else. I’ve never been intimidated by anyone with a gun and a badge (especially the ones who think they are intimidating) What I meant by my statement was that I should not expect to be pulled over unless I have committed an infraction. Not because of how I look, dress, talk, walk, eat, sleep, breath, stickers on my car, etc. If I get stopped for a minor offense, I do behave reasonably. I do not behave reasonably (wise ass attitude as you call it) when I feel I am being stopped for the reasons I’ve mentioned above. I’m not here to brag about run ins with cops or anything like that. I know what I can say and what I can’t. I’ve never been arrested. When I commit an infraction and get stopped, I handle the consequences of it like anyone else should.
Funny how periods of “high enforcement” tend to happen towards the end of the month when there are quotas to meet. It’s also funny how so many cops, around here at least, expect you to respect them, yet do nothing to earn it.
First off, I have been a cop for over 15 years and have never issued a speeding citation for anything less than over 14 miles an hour over the speed limit. I DO stop people for speeding at 8mph and up to 14 and issue verbal warnings to them and advise them to slow down. My dept. DOES NOT have a quota system and we use our computer system to document each and every traffic stop with the verbal violation that can be used 2, 3, 6 months or later down the road to show that the violator did not comply with the verbal warning such as to get their headlight fixed, tail light, no front plate, etc. We go out of our way to inform the public through the verbal warnings that they are in violation of the law.
I am not naive’ to think that their are not bad cops, departments out there, just like EVERY profession has, that give the rest of us professional officers a bad name. I do treat people with respect but have learned along time ago not to expect it as it is a dead idea in this country with MOST people. The respect for the law is no longer there, warranted or not, but it is funny to see those same people that yell and spit and degrade an officer want them to help them when they are a victim of crime……
Just a few random thoughts as my life in general and career paths have given me the opportunity to see things from multiple points of view.
Having been stopped by the police myself and having been with people who have been stopped, most people feel immediately intimidated whether or not they have done something wrong. SOME police know this and take the nervous factor into account when considering a person’s demeanor, some exploit it. As Ohiocop said – there are bad people in EVERY profession.
As for profiling – I won’t say that it doesn’t happen anywhere because I don’t know every department in the country. However, not every instance is profiling – think of it a little like medicine – if a patient presents with a symptom belly pain, it could be something as serious as an infected appendix about to burst or something as innocuous as constipation.
Police are “diagnosing” every day and there are far less police officers than the general public, so they can’t diagnose everyone, they have to pick the ones that exhibit symptoms.
Yes, I too wish we could only have officers that treat the public respectfully and don’t overstep their bounds, but, I also know how police officers get treated in return.
Many have lost their lives on a ’simple’ traffic stop, so I believe they do have the right to be wary when approaching a car, with tinted windows alone in the wee hours of the morning – wouldn’t you be?
Just treat them with courtesy and that will go a long way. When reaching for your license, tell the officer what you are doing. Keep your other documentation in plain sight and easily accessable. Cops are just human, treat them like $#!+ and they will return the favor, Treat them courteously and they will be fair with you. I have NEVER been pulled over without having made a mistake, half the time I just get a warning. Be nice, they are just earning a living.
ohiocop
I wish there were more cops like you in this area if what you say is true. As far as the respect issue, I give respect to those who earn it. At the grocery store I work at, there are plenty of cops that come in that I joke around with or am friendly to and that would carry over to a traffic stop. Then are those that are dickheads. They walk around with a smirk on their face and expect the public to kiss their ass because they have a gun on their hip. Those are the ones I have a problem with. When I find out those are the cops that ride the ass of my own mothers car ,to where she has to adjust the rearview from the blinding headlights, for 7 miles outside of their jurisdiction then pull her over and ask her if she’s on prescription pain killers (when she wasn’t, just driving home after a long night at work) then no, I’m not treating them with any ounce of respect.