So How Would You Handle This?

[Lefty]

I was heading home from work late last night and ended up getting pulled over.

 

I was driving 52 in a 45. Two lane (4 lane total) sperated major through way with lights spread out every 1/4 mile to a mile or more. I look in my rear view and notice a red Nissan Z hauling butt toward me in the next lane. I also see a dark sedan hauling butt behind him. As the Z approaches me, he slows down to match my speed and then punches it and takes off. I didn't even respond to this (normally I would, just not last night).

 

Turns out that the dark sedan in tow was an unmarked patrol officer. As he got door-to-door with me he lit up the lights and tracked the Z down. By time he pulled him over I was about 1/4 mile behind them. As I approached them the officer jumps out and flags me down to pull over. So, I did.

 

The officer approaches the truck and says, very stearnly, stay here and don't move. Then he proceeds up to the Z and has a 10 minute conversation w/ the driver. All the while I am just sitting there trying to figure what in the world I did. When the office finally comes back to me he explains that he pulled me over for "racing."

 

I was floored and could not believe what I was hearing. So now, here I am trying to figure out how in the hell this officer came to this conclusion. I was very respectful to him, but was very emphatic in my explanation that I was not racing or anything of the sort. He then proceeds to tell me that the guy in the Z had reported that we planned the race and I knew all about it. I couldn't believe it. I was still very respectful and held my tongue very well (for me anyway). I told the officer that I saw him following the Z down the road, at a high rate of speed, and explained my point of view that there was no way possible that the events he was describing to me made any sense. Especially since he was tailing the Z for at least 2 miles before they got to me.

 

The officer was very argumentative and seemed pissed that I was using logic to explain the situation. Ultimately, he came to his senses and let me on my way without a ticket or written warning (which was the only just thing to do in my opinion).

 

WTF?! I am still a bit aggrevated by this though. Unfortunately, in all of this, I did not get the officer's name so I can't really lodge a complaint.

 

How would you have handled that situation?

Edited March 26, 2008 by Lefty (see edit history)

[12'SROCK]

time for a Valentine 1 radar

[NeverSSatisfied]

Just another power trip, no harm no foul. U showed u had class and common sense, it's going to happen any time someone has a performance vehicle. I couldn't wash my C6 on the weekends without getting pulled over and I just learned to deal with it.

[NTMD8R_SS]

Damn i would be pissed too, but unfortunantly (sp) their's not much you can do. I would just let it go, since you didn't get a ticket or written warning .

[Krambo]

I would have requested to speak with the driver in the Z with the officer present. I feel he was trying to pry information from ya and using the "Z" driver as leverage. I would have loved to see the officer's reaction if the "Z" driver denied he said anything of the sort.

 

I really dislike when someone uses their authority wrongly.

 

Nice work keeping a level head!

Edited March 26, 2008 by Krambo (see edit history)

[Zath]

I would have raced the Z and if he tried flagging me down drove faster......

[detjoe]

you did the right thing. and by doing so he had to follow siut and let you off. Its the SS deal, they feel we are racing...But if you dont act like a teenage ricer you will more than likley get let off.

 

I got poped a while back and showed the officer my CPL told him about my weapon (required by law) he threw the CPL back in the truck and came back with a ticket. Then when it was time to goto court I called and the paper work was lost?? WTF, but no ticket for me. Its all about how you react.

[misterp]

Sounds to me like you did the right thing, and I would let it go. My guess is that you got a rookie who allowed the Z-car driver to get him emotionally charged & amped-up so the officer basically stopped thinking and lost his objectivity.

 

In order to be cited for racing the officer needs to actually observe a race - since one never happened, you're in the clear. When you are pulled-over and you know that you are totally innocent then the best thing to do is explain a single strong reason why the officer is mistaken, explain to him not that he's stupid or anything like that but simply it's just a simple misunderstanding.

 

And if you had instead been written-up, I'd have said to get a lawyer and they'd have it dropped before it ever went to court as no race happened!

 

Mr. P.

 

ps - Krambo could well be right, the cop might have been interrogating you.

Edited March 26, 2008 by Mr. P. (see edit history)

[brobradh77]

You handled it better than I would have probably. I think he was just on a power trip during a bad day.

[Oo p0op oO]

your way more calm than i would have been......i def. woulda argued my way right into cuffs.

[yttaf]

you did the right thing keeping your cool, but that was pretty slick how the driver tried to drag you into this too, trying to make it look like a race. Sorry but that is kind of amusing when you think of it. Good thing his plan didn't work though.

[Eddie]

I think you did the right thing. I was flying on the highway once, came around a bend and a CHP was sitting there. I saw him trying to come after me, but he was having trouble get off the shoulder and on the highway. I punched and I was pretty close to losing him. I was going to take the off ramp and lose him. But my 2005 SSS has a limiter/rescriter. I call her my wife. But away I slowed down and pulled over to slow lane and waited to get lighted up.

[Fireman31]

Damn i would be pissed too, but unfortunantly (sp) their's not much you can do. I would just let it go, since you didn't get a ticket or written warning .

Nice working staying calm. Technically like stated before, he has no proof to corroborate the Z drivers story anyway. He was probably hoping you would slip up so he could slap you with a ticket also. If he kept pressing the issue, I would have asked to see his supervisor.

Edited March 26, 2008 by Fireman31 (see edit history)

[Joe Roknic]

your way more calm than i would have been......i def. woulda argued my way right into cuffs.

 

 

Me Too I would have been really hot, getting pulled over for doing nothing. You handled yourself alot better than I would have.

 

Well done!!

[eric.dally]

I think you handled the situation the best way possible. I don't know what the Z driver was thinkin though cause where Im from the fine for drag racing is way worse then the fine for just a speeding ticket, so that is just stupid to try and convince the officer that you were racing.