PO'd at police

Hooked_on_HP · Jun 26, 2010

This morning at 7:45 I went to the bank,did my buisness and was driving the 3 blocks to get a hair cut. I had gone 2 blocks when I saw red lights behind me. I pulled over and knew I was going to get in trouble for not having my seat belt on. The officer asked for my liscense and proof of insurance. I gave him my liscense and started digging in the glove box for the insurance card. I came up with all the insurance cards going back to 2004. The most current one in the truck expired on 06/20/2010. I explained to the officer that I must have forgot to put the current one in the truck but I did have it at home and could get it. I live 2 miles from town. He said ok and went back to his car. He returned with 2 citations. One for the seat belt and one for no proof of insurance. I explained that I could go get the insurance card as soon as he let me go and be back in 5 min. He said no. He did tell me if I take proof of insurance with me when I go to court( mandatory must apear for no proof of ins.) they will drop the ticket. Now I have to take a day off work to go to court for a ticket they are going to drop. Doesn't this seem a little STUPID to wste my time and the courts time with somthing that could have been solved in 5 min. I don't have a problem with the seat belt ticket because I didn't have it on. This is the first time I have been pulled over in over 10 yrs.
Bill

mustangsallysdad · Jun 26, 2010

Why PO'd at the LEO? He's just doing what he is paid to do...if you are going to be upset, direct it at yourself. The officer didn't do anything wrong. You did.

mjarrels · Jun 26, 2010

Six of the ten people killed in Virginia over the memorial day weekend were not wearing seatbelts. Always buckle up.

mark

RickB · Jun 26, 2010

If you had your belt on, he wouldn't have stopped you.
And speaking of wasting time, how much of his are you wasting if he let you go home for the insurance card? You will be heading to court anyway to pay the seatbelt fine.

It's called tuition in the schiool of hard knocks.

Kays Supply · Jun 26, 2010

I am really proud of you guys that have responded. I am a plumber dealing with codes and laws every day. I have to argue with customers about how the codes are " less than perfect". We , people that work with codes and laws , every day can't pick and choose the ones we like. Most have little room for our view. We have too much to loose to " let it slide". Again, thank you.

Oh, I almost forgot, my son is a county deputy.

kubob · Jun 26, 2010

Could you just have called or had him call the insurance company to verify it is up-to-date? And if so, it would have been a bit too picky to have given you a ticket for it. Our tax dollars should be geared towards strict enforcement and punishment of more important crimes than worrying a random person with insurance issues as yours - especially if the date was within that short of time period. It would be more beneficial to society for the police to involve their time with speeding vehicles, running red lights, robberies, and most importantly, voilence. That would would make more people feel better knowing their law enforcement is trying to protect them from these things instead of the petty things occupying the officer's time. Who's going to feel protected knowing a cop gave you a ticket for YOUR seatbelt and insurance which is most likely current?

sld · Jun 26, 2010

Man, brutal responses.

While I agree that you were in the wrong, he could've let the insurance thing slide. I have shown cops my insurance card before that was expired and they let it go. It seems like everytime I turn around I have a new insurance card in the mail. I know I don't always have the current one.

In this day and age I don't see why your proof of insurance is not verified online by the cop in the car.

tallyho8 · Jun 26, 2010

I agree with the others that if you had had your seat belt on, there would have been no problem.

Regarding the insurance card question, the police are following orders. They are police, not judges. The judge will judge on whether you are guilty or not on both counts. Too many times people want the police to judge them (but only to judge them Not Guilty).

I hope you weren't driving the car in your avatar.

deepNdirt · Jun 26, 2010

Your state must be different than here in Ga, Now here in Ga, cops can call in to verify if you insurance, although they will still ask for proof when first pulling you over, it is up to you to proof you have insurance, Not up to the cop to proof you don't,
Here in Ga, your Tag registration and drivers license can pretty much tell all about you, actually I have seen some cop cars with on board laptops , so basically they can check things out for them selfs in only a couple of minutes,
I might add that the same thing happen to me many years ago, but it was a road block 2 miles from my home, I ask would he let me go get the card? he said they plan to be there another 20-30 minutes and he would hold my license until I returned, I brought the card back he give my license back and advised me to keep the card in my car and for me to have a nice evening,

two_bit_score · Jun 26, 2010

Hooked_on_HP said:
This morning at 7:45 I went to the bank,did my buisness and was driving the 3 blocks to get a hair cut. I had gone 2 blocks when I saw red lights behind me. I pulled over and knew I was going to get in trouble for not having my seat belt on. The officer asked for my liscense and proof of insurance. I gave him my liscense and started digging in the glove box for the insurance card. I came up with all the insurance cards going back to 2004. The most current one in the truck expired on 06/20/2010. I explained to the officer that I must have forgot to put the current one in the truck but I did have it at home and could get it. I live 2 miles from town. He said ok and went back to his car. He returned with 2 citations. One for the seat belt and one for no proof of insurance. I explained that I could go get the insurance card as soon as he let me go and be back in 5 min. He said no. He did tell me if I take proof of insurance with me when I go to court( mandatory must apear for no proof of ins.) they will drop the ticket. Now I have to take a day off work to go to court for a ticket they are going to drop. Doesn't this seem a little STUPID to wste my time and the courts time with somthing that could have been solved in 5 min. I don't have a problem with the seat belt ticket because I didn't have it on. This is the first time I have been pulled over in over 10 yrs.
Bill

I can sympathize with you being upset. But upset at yourself. Why didn't you put the seatbelt on? Don't you know better? If that had been on then you would not have been stopped, wouldn't be going to court for anything and no time wasted.

That said. I am against the seat belt law. It's just a revenue raising move by government.

Also, I always wear my seat belt because I feel nekked without it. :ashamed: