A taste of fascism. Funny, but a scary reminder of what can be, as well.

[King Coal]

Three days ago I went to the hospital to have blood drawn for routine blood work, and after that I went to see my Doctor on related matters,and had even more blood drawn there. I was there until 4:45, so I was late for my golf game that was to begin at 4:30. I rushed home and changed clothes and put on my golf shoes. When I got to the course I realized I was too late, and still a little woozy from having the blood drawn (it was about a pint altogether). So, I decided to blow off the game and began driving home. A half mile or so later I saw the state police car’s lights pulling me over. There were 3 police vehicles all together. One of the policemen came up to the passenger window and I lowered it. He asked for my driver’s license, insurance, and registration. Then, he asked me to get out of the car. He said he could smell alcohol and asked me how much I had to drink that day. I told him none. He said that he did what he did for a living and that he wasn’t stupid and to please not insult his intelligence, and asked me again and again I said none. So he gave me the part of a road side test, where he wanted me to follow the movement of his finger without moving my head. Then he said that I didn’t have to let him search the car if I didn’t want him to, but that we both knew that he would find an open container of alcohol under the seat. I told him to go ahead, please. So he did, and came up empty, but had me finish the rest of the road side test, not easy wearing golf shoes. Of course, everyone in town drove by, it seemed(my wife knew about it within minutes). I guess I passed the test because he told me that in spite of running 3 stop signs, speeding, and not wearing a seat belt he was just going to give me a warning. I went back later to check, and there was only one stop sign between where he stopped me and the golf course.

I have no idea why he thought he smelled booze, and I doubt I was speeding or ran the one stop sign. I was not wearing a seat belt, though. Anyhoo, it really made me realize how horrible it would be like to live in a police state. That kid was nice enough, but he sure has his facts mixed up and caused me quite a bit of embarrassment.

[grasswire]

1. quota

Smells like he needed to make a quota for tickets.

I had a frightening occurrence like that some years back, except it was late at night on a deserted street in an industrial park. I was pulled over by a woman police officer who was so sure that I was under the influence that she had two different backups come with breath machines after hers registered nothing. I passed all tests, as the only drink I had was five hours earlier. She pulled a gun on me at one point before backup arrived; I thought how simple it would be for her to just kill me there if I had been alone. There was nothing threatening about me -- just a woman driving, with her boyfriend who incidentally was a federal employee with security clearance, and two younger women. Coming home from dinner at a house in the suburbs. Her reason for stopping me was also bogus -- said I swerved in my lane.

Maybe they get bored.

[monmouth]

4. End of the month, definitely someone low on quota....n/t

[YOY]

2. I love some cops...think they really know everything because of the badge...

Good thing you didn't "smart off" (point out the one stop sign and that he indeed must have a malfuctioning nose or be have "truth issues".)

Sounds like a combination of young and dumb cop and too much free reign for him. The next person he tries this with may not be so lucky.

[Sequoia]

3. Hey, you're the talk of the town!

Too bad you had to go through that.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Your "crime": Driving during the last week of the month.

Cops have tickets they have to give to motorists before the beginning of the next month. Yes, quotas.

Don't worry about "smelling alcohol" on your breath. It was preparation if he decided to take you in for a breath-a-lyzer test, which he didn't do. You didn't get a ticket b/c otherwise you could have sued the police and its town for false arrest.

[yardwork]

6. I have been stopped twice for driving white in a black part of town.

Both times the cops who pulled me over were young, blond, white guys who were absolutely sure that the only reason a white woman would be in "that" part of town was to buy drugs.

The second time, the police officer said that I had run a red light. I said that I didn't realize that I had done that, and he admitted that I hadn't actually run the red light until I turned left under it. It was a t-stop - the road deadended into a two-lane road, and I turned left when the light turned green. By his reasoning, I had "run the red light" when I turned left under the green light. I just looked at him.

He asked me what I was doing in that part of town after dark. (Yes, this happened in the 21st century.) I said that I was taking my son home from his football team's practice. He shone the flashlight in my son's eyes in the backseat, said he hadn't seen him there (I guess that's because the flashlight had been trained in my eyes up until then).

Then he got on his radio for a long time. I'm sure he called the dispatcher to find out if there was a football practice at the park that night. I think he might have gotten his ear chewed on a little by the dispatcher because when he eventually returned he acted a little sheepish, returned my license and registration, and said that he "wasn't sure" about "the red light thing."

Okaaaaaay. I used it as a teachable moment for my son, explaining how important it was to stay calm when the police hassle, er, stop you.