• Franz Kafka (unregistered) in reply to snoofle
    snoofle:
    Personally, I've found that if you take a submissive stance, are polite, and say things like 'yes/no officer/sir', it always goes a lot easier on you.

    Where I live, cops randomly do stops/searches of every n-th car on a couple of main streets. If you give them attitude, they'll just hold you for an hour while "verifying" that you don't have any outstanding warrants. If you just politely do what they want, you're back on the road in 3 minutes. Annoying? Yes. Wrong? Yes. But they have badges, guns and licenses to use them, and if you make it hard on them, they WILL make it hard on you.

    If it comes down to it, you can always make your case in front of a judge.

    You aren't from the US, are you? We have this thing called the 4th amendment, which bans that sort of thing.

  • gunsafety (unregistered) in reply to Pro-American

    Wrong. You do not pull out a gun unless you fully intend to shoot it. Period. No matter how many tail lights need fixing. Real life != TV.

  • SomeCoder (unregistered)

    The main thing a lot of people seem to be missing about the cop thing is that it's not that the cop is going to mow you down the second you step out of the car. The point is, it's a lot easier on both you and the cop if you just sit in the car.

    If you get out, the cop is going to get into attack mode and even if you are agreeable after that, he's not going to be in the mood to go easy on you.

    If you stay in the car and follow directions, he'll be a lot more lenient on you. At least the possibility is there anyway.

  • nobis (unregistered)

    to stop the madness!!

    jeze just post teh codz here and stop everyone from asking for them to be emailed

  • (cs) in reply to Dave
    Dave:
    That's not that uncommmon - in Australia at least it is customary to get out of the car to speak with the officer who pulls you over. Most people would do it without a second thought.
    It used to very common in the USA. Before it became a police-state.
  • belial (unregistered) in reply to Mel

    I'm a kiwi, and as Mel says, the police do not carry, and do not even operate in pairs. If the road/visibility conditions are safe for you to exit your vehicle and great the officer in a polite manner, it is by far the most likely way to avoid a ticket for a minor incident. Although clearly nothings going to avoid a ticket for excessive speed or dangerous behaviour behind a wheel.

    However, if I was driving in America and got pulled over, I'd definately stay the hell where I was (and probably be quite scared), its very easy to forget cultural differences and be misunderstood while travelling (had 5 soldiers with some kind of automatic rifles aimed at me over a simple misunderstanding over a camera at Hong Kong Intl. Airport... that was quite scary).

  • nobis (unregistered) in reply to nobis
    nobis:
    to stop the madness!!

    jeze just post teh codz here and stop everyone from asking for them to be emailed

    just in case I wasn't clear to "those" type of people:

    By saying "to stop the madness!!" i obviously meant to stop posting nonsense

    Also "jeze just post teh codz here and stop everyone from asking for them to be emailed" mean quit preaching to the blog-o-tubes about how to act when a cop pulls you over.

    Because well... If you read a post on thedailywtf.com about how to act when a cop pulls you over, and you change the way you act when a cop pulls you over. You are already are stupid and most likly need to be shot anyway to save the gene pool.

  • Sheila Joyce Gibbs (unregistered)

    I would like to submit my story, on the loss of my best-friend/husband. It is approximately 3 pages long, so if you could advise if possible. Many thanks. Sheila [email protected] ph. no. 250-995-1643

  • (cs) in reply to Erik
    Erik:
    The fact that we now blithely accept the fact that officers of the law will, in situations that totally fail to warrant it, train their weapons on people whom they have no serious reason to fear, should probably clue you into something.
    Have you looked at death rates of cops? It's not one of the most dangerous jobs, but it is probably more risky than what 90% of what people do. And traffic stops, at least in the US, are one of the most dangerous activities they partake in.
  • Simon (unregistered) in reply to Lady Nocturne

    Damn, someone beat me to it :P Its all I could think about when reading the article.

  • Steve (unregistered) in reply to real_aardvark
    real_aardvark:
    Markp:
    Sharp Observer who understand English better than You (yes You):
    You said "Bald... with gray hair". You are wrong. The photo shows a man who is NOT bald, merely BALDING.

    Bald:

    Merriam-Webster: 1 a: lacking a natural or usual covering (as of hair, vegetation, or nap)

    Oxford: 1 having a scalp with very little or no hair.

    WordNet: lacking hair on all or most of the scalp

    Do your research before trying to get cute.

    Wrong research. This is the correct research.

    In unrelated news, "I waited in line for a few hours and finally got in to see The Exemption Lady. She was bald and overweight, with curly graying hair."

    Oh dear -- I appear to be The Exemption Lady.

    I'd always wanted to be The Church Lady, but apparently Jon Lovitz beat me to it.

    Maybe her pubes??

  • (cs) in reply to Dude
    Dude:
    Atario:
    Too bad you're not a cop. Because that kind of abuse of power would quickly get you locked up, and we'd all be rid of you.
    WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHAT AN ABUSE OF POWER IS AND ISN'T???

    BTW, we'd rather be rid of you, IDIOT!

    As someone who agrees with Atario, speak for yourself, not "us".

  • (cs) in reply to EvanED
    EvanED:
    Dude:
    Atario:
    Too bad you're not a cop. Because that kind of abuse of power would quickly get you locked up, and we'd all be rid of you.
    WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHAT AN ABUSE OF POWER IS AND ISN'T???

    BTW, we'd rather be rid of you, IDIOT!

    As someone who agrees with Atario, speak for yourself, not "us".

    Why don't you just keep your mouth shut, too. I'll speak for whoever I want to!

  • Gilhad (unregistered) in reply to Thunder
    Thunder:
    Ren:
    I saw the 'aggression' thing coming. A friend of mine was in the US a few years back and had (of course) rented a car to get around in. For some reason or another, they get pulled over, and my friend naturally starts stepping out of the car to talk with the officer.
    Is your friend a complete moron? What is with the idiots who think it is "natural", "normal" or "acceptable" to step out of the car in this situation? For all the cop knows, your idiot friend is about to pull out a piece and start shooting.
    Well the idiot, who think it is natural is nearly everyone in country i live in. You know, not all countries are police states as USA is today ....
  • (cs) in reply to Sheila Joyce Gibbs
    Sheila Joyce Gibbs:
    I would like to submit my story, on the loss of my best-friend/husband. It is approximately 3 pages long, so if you could advise if possible. Many thanks. Sheila [email protected] ph. no. 250-995-1643

    Why? What does this have to do with anything?

  • Der... (unregistered) in reply to nobis

    TRWTF is that you're speaking what you're reading...

  • ™ (unregistered) in reply to Dude
    Dude:
    EvanED:
    Dude:
    Atario:
    Too bad you're not a cop. Because that kind of abuse of power would quickly get you locked up, and we'd all be rid of you.
    WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHAT AN ABUSE OF POWER IS AND ISN'T???

    BTW, we'd rather be rid of you, IDIOT!

    As someone who agrees with Atario, speak for yourself, not "us".

    Why don't you just keep your mouth shut, too. I'll speak for whoever I want to!

    I'm speaking for Dude when I say he's very sorry and he'll shut up now.

  • ContraCorners (unregistered) in reply to Dude
    Dude:
    This is high school you moron, people don't pay for classes.

    Umm, err, ahh,

    I'm pretty sure the quote about paying for classes was in reference to the poster who stopped going to his college physics class, not the the original story about being excused from High School exams. Perhaps you threw the m word around a little too freely this time. I'm sure it can't hurt to apologize.

    And yes, I actually did go to a tuition supported High School. Pius XI. Go POPES!!!

  • Top Cod3r (unregistered) in reply to nobis

    The real WTF is whether anyone bothered to read past the first paragraph.

  • PublicLurker (unregistered) in reply to Dude
    Dude:
    EvanED:
    Dude:
    Atario:
    Too bad you're not a cop. Because that kind of abuse of power would quickly get you locked up, and we'd all be rid of you.
    WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHAT AN ABUSE OF POWER IS AND ISN'T???

    BTW, we'd rather be rid of you, IDIOT!

    As someone who agrees with Atario, speak for yourself, not "us".

    Why don't you just keep your mouth shut, too. I'll speak for whoever I want to!

    Looks like somebody missed their nappy time.

  • The Right Honourable Reginald Farquarson (unregistered) in reply to real_aardvark
    real_aardvark:
    Feel free to try this one out yourself. Me, I'd rather stay alive. Wind down window, dome light on, and hands on wheel at all times unless otherwise instructed.

    True. When you live in a police state you are wise to compromise your rights to protect your life.

  • The Right Honourable Reginald Farquarson (unregistered) in reply to Anonymous Cow-herd
    Anonymous Cow-herd:
    Grovesy:
    Dave:
    That's not that uncommmon - in Australia at least it is customary to get out of the car to speak with the officer who pulls you over. Most people would do it without a second thought.

    Same here in the UK, though a friend found that in the US getting out of the car can aggravate the situation somewhat.

    Indeed. In fact, in some cases, cops in the UK will get in the car with you and sit in the shotgun seat. Often, they'll ask you to step out of the car and get into the front of the panda for a "chat".

    Yes, because it is so beastly cold in the UK that the coppers stand a real risk of freezing to death if they stand around outside for too long.

    In OZ they'll just lean on the side of the car with you and enjoy the sunshine.

  • (cs) in reply to Dude
    Dude:
    EvanED:
    Dude:
    Atario:
    Too bad you're not a cop. Because that kind of abuse of power would quickly get you locked up, and we'd all be rid of you.
    WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHAT AN ABUSE OF POWER IS AND ISN'T???

    BTW, we'd rather be rid of you, IDIOT!

    As someone who agrees with Atario, speak for yourself, not "us".

    Why don't you just keep your mouth shut, too. I'll speak for whoever I want to!

    Obviously, whatever it is that gives you the right to speak for whomever you want to, is the same thing that gives Atario the right to decide what is and isn't an abuse of power.

    Sheesh, you really have to spell it out around here.

  • Pewee (unregistered) in reply to Gilhad
    Gilhad:
    Thunder:
    Ren:
    I saw the 'aggression' thing coming. A friend of mine was in the US a few years back and had (of course) rented a car to get around in. For some reason or another, they get pulled over, and my friend naturally starts stepping out of the car to talk with the officer.
    Is your friend a complete moron? What is with the idiots who think it is "natural", "normal" or "acceptable" to step out of the car in this situation? For all the cop knows, your idiot friend is about to pull out a piece and start shooting.
    Well the idiot, who think it is natural is nearly everyone in country i live in. You know, not all countries are police states as USA is today ....
    Seconded. A lot of commenters seems to miss the point that some of us enjoy living in countries where cops exists to help citizen not to threaten them. Reciprocally cops in these countries don't feel threatened by their citizen and consider that if you get out of your car to speak to them your are just being polite and want to have a discussion with them face to face like two civilized persons.

    One may also notice that in these country there isn't a lot of cops getting killed nor a lot of citizen getting shoot per accidents by cops.

    Enjoy your paranoia and insecurities.

  • no (unregistered) in reply to Pro-American
    Pro-American:
    I'm Canadian, so your whole 'American gun stereotype' thing is m00t with me.

    As a programmer (assuming you are one), what do you think the logical thing to do would be if you were the police officer? Trust that the person you've just pulled over will be respectful of you and do what you tell them or assume that the person you've just pulled over is a free spirit that may have a broken conscience and a loaded gun and a strong dislike for jail?

    If I were a cop, I would pull my gun on EVERYBODY until I had them secured at the back of the car in handcuffs. Then I would discuss their broken taillight. You can't be too careful and police officers shouldn't be forced to risk their lives unnecessarily for your wrongdoings.

    I guess that is the difference between your society/community and many others. Where I live people ARE respectful of the law, they DON'T have guns, let alone loaded ones and hence it is perfectly reasonable to get out of a car and have a chat with a police officer. It is sad, but understandable that the society in which you live has deteriorated to the point where you can no longer have this same trust for fellow citizens.

  • Mr Coffee (unregistered)

    I have a rather large erection right now.

  • eric76 (unregistered) in reply to Ren
    Ren:
    I saw the 'aggression' thing coming. A friend of mine was in the US a few years back and had (of course) rented a car to get around in. For some reason or another, they get pulled over, and my friend naturally starts stepping out of the car to talk with the officer.

    One officer proceeds to forcibly shut the door, while the other backs up a few steps and pulls out his gun, aiming carefully at my friend.

    But nice of them to keep the office open at 7 PM.

    My natural inclination is to get out of the car when stopped.

    On one cold winter night, the cop stopped me. I got out, walked over to the passenger side, got in, and sat there while he wrote me a ticket. He never got out at all the whole time.

    For a time while I was in high school, we had one town cop who would stop us at night and we would get out with pistols and rifles in hand. We knew that if he stopped us, he was bored and wanted to go out to the city dump and shoot rats.

  • The Right Honourable Reginald Farquarson (unregistered) in reply to EvanED
    EvanED:
    Erik:
    The fact that we now blithely accept the fact that officers of the law will, in situations that totally fail to warrant it, train their weapons on people whom they have no serious reason to fear, should probably clue you into something.
    Have you looked at death rates of cops? It's not one of the most dangerous jobs, but it is probably more risky than what 90% of what people do. And traffic stops, at least in the US, are one of the most dangerous activities they partake in.
    Indeed, it is not one of the most dangerous jobs: http://money.cnn.com/2003/10/13/pf/dangerousjobs/

    But it a more dangerous job than the average: http://home.austin.rr.com/apdhallofshame/occupations.htm

    However being killed in a car accident is a greater risk for a police officer than being gunned down by a perp: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/01/health/01safe.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=login&adxnnlx=1107264596-NY8SdWdPncYYE/8PQaLd1g&oref=slogin

  • Joao Marcus (unregistered)

    For fuck's sake, US citizens sometimes are the most annoying drama queens in the world. "US is a police state"? Do you guys even know what a police state looks like? You sure don't.

    Here's police WTF. This happened in Curitiba/Brazil: In Curitiba, there are some bus stops here with cashiers. One of those cashiers tried to call the police because he knew the bus stop was going to be robbed (there was a guy riding a bike around the bus stop for several minutes). Guess what? He waited 30 minutes in line. He was obviously robbed. The next day, he saw THE SAME guy around the bus stop. He called the police. Again, he waited in line. Again, he was robbed. The robber even said: "I'll be here tomorrow, be ready". The cashier didn't believe him. But guess what? The bike robber was there, again, around the bus stop. Again, the cashier called the police. This time, he managed to talk to the police, but all he heard was: "Sorry, we can't do anything until after the robbery".

    Oh, recently two cops (not wearing a uniform) driving a civilian vehicle killed an unarmed driver that refused to stop his car. They just aimed at the driver.

  • Kallahan (unregistered) in reply to NiceWTF

    Giving a vocal exam isn't hard, receiving one is.

  • js (unregistered) in reply to SomeCoder
    SomeCoder:
    Ren:
    I saw the 'aggression' thing coming. A friend of mine was in the US a few years back and had (of course) rented a car to get around in. For some reason or another, they get pulled over, and my friend naturally starts stepping out of the car to talk with the officer.

    One officer proceeds to forcibly shut the door, while the other backs up a few steps and pulls out his gun, aiming carefully at my friend.

    But nice of them to keep the office open at 7 PM.

    Well, technically, you're not supposed to get out of the car like that if you are pulled over. Turn on the dome light, put both hands on the steering wheel in a visible position and don't get your license or anything out until they ask for it.

    Learned all that from a friend who just became a cop :)

    Additionally you should only crack your window a few inches and leave your seat belt on until told or asked otherwise. It's all about the officer's safety, if they feel a sense of safety then things tend to go over better.

    Keeping your seat belt on helps restrain you should the officer fear you might lunge at them or exit the car quickly. Cracking the window would make it difficult to punch the officer or grab the officer (particularly his gun).

  • Herby (unregistered)

    As for exemption passes, it is much easier if you are the one who controls the entire database (punch cards, private disk pack). Then you can make your own rules (I did, trust me!).

    On the subject of being pulled over: Now days, the "nice", "friendly", police officer wants to be on the passenger side of the car talking to you, using YOUR vehicle to buffer between traffic, and himself. This can be avoided if one pulls to the EXTREME right and almost touching the guard rail. Given that there is no room, he can't go over there. Just to show him who is "boss". I've done the "get out of the car thing", but it seems that modern officers just don't like this mode of operation.

    Of course, when you know more about the law than they do, they really don't like it, but that is another story!!

  • OcciferDrunkAsIThunkIWere (unregistered)

    You all must be social scientists or international police protocol experts. The pool of intellect burns so bright my retina's have detached. This is so /.

  • Dave G. (unregistered) in reply to Pro-American
    If I were a cop, I would pull my gun on EVERYBODY until I had them secured at the back of the car in handcuffs.

    Thank fuck you aren't a cop then. I'm pretty sure there are entire systems in place to make sure gestapo dicks like you never become cops.

  • (cs) in reply to Johnny Canuck
    Johnny Canuck:
    webhamster:
    Code:
    I call B.S. on this. A school allowing students to get out of final exams?

    At my high school you were able to skip a final if your grade was 70% or higher (at the teacher's discretion). It was called a "recommendation".

    Is webhamster from Canada? Because I'm Canadian and we too had recommendations (or "recommends" for short.) If your mark was high enough going into the final, you didn't have to write the final. As an honour roll student, I wound up writing one (mandatory) English final in my last year. A good friend of mine, who was not a good student, didn't get any recommends. He was the one who pointed out the unfairness inherent. By forcing him to write six exams in two weeks, how could he possibly compete fairly with me in the one exam we both had to write? How could the mark I got in English be compared to the mark he got when the final exam was 40% of the mark, yet I had two weeks to study and he had roughly two days?

    In fact, I am.

    I also know for a fact that at least our school made accepting the recommendation optional. You could choose to write it if you wanted to try and bump up your grade. The teachers would calculate your grade and go with whichever was highest, meaning you wouldn't get punished from what you would have had if you chose to write and blew it.

  • (cs) in reply to SuperousOxide
    SuperousOxide:
    webhamster:
    At my high school you were able to skip a final if your grade was 70% or higher (at the teacher's discretion). It was called a "recommendation".

    70%? That low? If I remember at my high school 70 was the cutoff for passing. At best it was a low C. I wouldn't see that as justification for skipping the final exam.

    Most of the time our "Final" was just the test on the last few weeks of the class, maybe with a few extra bits from earlier in the year. Skipping these wouldn't make any sense, we still needed to learn that material.

    Yeah, I thought it was low too. It doesn't matter anyway, my lowest grade in HS was 78% and that was in a class I really didn't care about and didn't really put any effort into. Hey, I was a stupid kid at the time.

  • (cs) in reply to Devil's Advocate
    Devil's Advocate:
    More people than you think. Some of us actually like to be perceived as educated.
    QFT
  • Tired of cops treating good people as criminals (unregistered) in reply to Pro-American

    That only makes good people hate the cops.

  • (cs) in reply to Outlaw Programmer
    Outlaw Programmer:
    MasterPlanSoftware must be spinning in his grave but god damn if this new meme isn't funny.
    One cannot spin in one's grave until one is dead, although all these XCKD links could be enough to kill him. Experiment on!
  • (cs) in reply to Lady Nocturne
    Lady Nocturne:
    I can't believe we've gotten this far without a single mention of little Bobby Tables... [image]
    Except we didn't.
  • Loki (unregistered) in reply to Sharper Observer
    Sharper Observer:
    You are both wrong. The correct spelling is GREY. GRAY is a common American misspelling, not English.

    GRAY is the correct spelling, and deliveries are made by TRUCKS, and electricity is generated by ALTERNATORS or GENERATORS, and and a HOOD covers the engine compartment of a car, and the "Queen's English" is a dialect spoken only in West Hollywood, and you get a drink in a BAR, and we smoke cigarettes, we don't "suck fags" (again, with the exception of West Hollywood) - and we have bailed your ass out for the last time (see WWI and WWII), asshole...

  • csrster (unregistered) in reply to Mr Coffee
    Mr Coffee:
    I have a rather large erection right now.

    So do I. I keep it in a box in the cupboard under the stairs.

  • Robert Tables (unregistered) in reply to Loki

    Oh you 'mericans.

  • AdT (unregistered) in reply to Thunder
    Thunder:
    What is with the idiots who think it is "natural", "normal" or "acceptable" to step out of the car in this situation? For all the cop knows, your idiot friend is about to pull out a piece and start shooting.

    You are absolutely right but to Ren's defense he's probably from a strange and unnaturally peaceful place called the rest of the industrialized world. Take a look at the map to see what I'm talking about:

    [image]
    real_aardvark:
    Incidentally, you do not have a constitutional right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those are in the Declaration of Independence; not in the Constitution.

    Jeopardy!

    What is the Fourteenth Amendment?

  • (cs) in reply to real_aardvark
    real_aardvark:
    campkev:
    SomeCoder:
    Ren:
    I saw the 'aggression' thing coming. A friend of mine was in the US a few years back and had (of course) rented a car to get around in. For some reason or another, they get pulled over, and my friend naturally starts stepping out of the car to talk with the officer.

    One officer proceeds to forcibly shut the door, while the other backs up a few steps and pulls out his gun, aiming carefully at my friend.

    But nice of them to keep the office open at 7 PM.

    Well, technically, you're not supposed to get out of the car like that if you are pulled over. Turn on the dome light, put both hands on the steering wheel in a visible position and don't get your license or anything out until they ask for it.

    Learned all that from a friend who just became a cop :)

    No, CUSTOMARILY, you are not supposed to get out of the car like that. TECHNICALLY, you have every right to. If I know I have done nothing wrong, I get out. If I know I was speeding or otherwise guilty, I go with the customary, as I am more likely to get off with a warning.

    TECHNICALLY, you might get shot.

    CUSTOMARILY, the courts in many states may well accept an officer's word on the apparent threat you TECHNICALLY posed.

    (I'm thinking of a cop in Denver who took six months' enforced leave after killing his first perp, went back on patrol, and three days later took another six months' leave.)

    Feel free to try this one out yourself. Me, I'd rather stay alive. Wind down window, dome light on, and hands on wheel at all times unless otherwise instructed.

    Reminds me of Russian police. How come there are so many parallels between these two countries?

  • MX (unregistered) in reply to Thunder
    Thunder:
    Ren:
    I saw the 'aggression' thing coming. A friend of mine was in the US a few years back and had (of course) rented a car to get around in. For some reason or another, they get pulled over, and my friend naturally starts stepping out of the car to talk with the officer.
    Is your friend a complete moron? What is with the idiots who think it is "natural", "normal" or "acceptable" to step out of the car in this situation? For all the cop knows, your idiot friend is about to pull out a piece and start shooting.

    If you want to get out of a ticket, the best way to start is by staying seated, and keeping your hands on the steering wheel where nervous cops can seem them. Don't reach for anything before he gets to your car, and when he asks for license/registration, reach for them slowly and tell them where you're reaching. If you carry, warn them first thing, tell them where the gun is, and offer to provide your permit along with your license [if you live in a place where one is required].

    This presents the added benefit of giving you time to talk while you do these things - which can make all the difference in whether you get a ticket or not. (As long as you don't blabber on like a moron.)

    This is all about putting the officer at ease. Quite reasonably, too - he's doing his job, and has /no/ idea what you might be up to when you step out of the car, move quickly, etc.

    Depends on where you are and come from dumbass, there are places where the crime rate is so low that the cops mind you stepping out at all. And this friend of his might have come from one of these places and stepped out by pure habit.

  • Chaitanya (unregistered)

    Hey, what with physical appearances of people and their color? Whatever you've described can happen anywhere, and color and weight are not prerequisites.

  • Mr Coffee (unregistered)

    An update on my erection.

    It's still there, and it's still large, but it's all chaffed.

    You see, I've been stroking it all night. With steel wool.

  • Bob (unregistered) in reply to AdT
    AdT:
    America is a republic, not a democracy.
  • Michael (unregistered)

    The real wtf is: why don't more people homeschool?

Leave a comment on “The Exemption Pass”

Log In or post as a guest

Replying to comment #:

Log Out

« Return to Article