Points of View

When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true, from a certain point of view.

--Obi Wan

Typically, when you proverbially step into someone else's shoes, and see things from their point view, you may identify with them and come closer to a mutual understanding.  Not so with this cops-only forum I discovered today.  I don't want to post a link, but if you like to copy and paste:

http://forums.officer.com/f37/

Actually thats the exact page in the traffic section that I got to.  It took me 3-4 hours to comb through apparently 37 pages of people asking cops questions about traffic shit.  And, sadly, it made me respect cops less.

The first thing I was disturbed to learn was that my new practice of only rolling down the window 2 inches actually pisses them off.  So I'm going to start rolling it halfway down.  I think the 2 inches trick is only for potheads anyway; idk.  Also, I very carefully read some stories about what happens after people have gotten away during a chase.  Also, I learned that not even law enforcement officers can agree on the legality and effectiveness of LIDAR blockers.  Most of them were indignant at the very mention of them.

For law enforcement officers, giving you the ticket they think you deserve instead of letting you off with a warning is the police version of a Starbucks barista secretly giving you decaf because they hate you.

In general, though, all of the law enforcement officers answering the questions has this sort of...attitude.  It is hard to describe; the closest I can come is to point out that cops seem to hate the phrase "speed trap" and respond to questions on that topic by asking what a speed trap is or saying speed traps don't exist, etc.  Funny thing is, everyone who isn't a cop knows exactly what a speed trap is.

Law enforcement officers think that instead of complaining about private property use, people should thank them for going after speeders in their neighborhood.  Personally, I would thank them for not enforcing speeding in my neighborhood (preferably not on my planet).  In fact, I would bake them a cake if they did all of their speeding enforcement in the neighborhoods of people I hate.

Oh, and another thing I learned...is the laws about "obstructing justice" are apparently broad enough to be used for bullshit in traffic.  So my idea about how to reduce the effectiveness of DUI checkpoints...if anyone ever does that, make sure there is no evidence whatsoever that you are intentionally wasting their time, because apparently that is an arrestable offense.

Also, apparently in WA you can't speed while executing a pass in the opposing lane...so perhaps one of my lawyers was wrong.  Would explain why he suggested a plea deal.

Finally, we came to some threads on people warning each other about cops trying to catch speeders, and this is where the starkest difference comes out.  For one thing, at least use your flashers instead of your high beams.  For another, the law enforcement officers were indignant and even confused about why anyone would help another people avoid a speeding ticket.  I'm confused about why anyone wouldn't.  To me, this comes naturally.  Warning a fellow motorist about a speed trap is like warning someone they are about to step on a bees nest, or about muggers in a certain place.  I am genuinely confused about why cops don't immediately get why we help each other.

I think what's going on, is that cops have this imaginary link in their heads that connects breaking speeding laws and actually doing something wrong.  They don't see themselves as simply one piece of many is this large chess game that also involves city planners, judges, juries, manufacturers of radar detectors, and those shitfuckers that make red light cams.  They seem to believe that they were put here to punish people who exceed the speed limit, and they seem to be laboring under the mistaken assumption that all of the drivers, deep down, are members of this speeding-is-wrong club.

I felt tempted, just a little, to join the forum and explain to them that, for some of us, speeding is our religion and we take every step possible to (safely) exceed the speed limit by as much as possible, for as long as possible, and to help others exceed the limit, and do to anything and everything in our power to reduce the effectiveness of speed limit enforcement, and it has absolutely nothing to do with getting somewhere fast.  When they pull us over, we are not meek little civilians who feel guilty, but opposite players in a bitter, bitter war.  We are bringing our A game, analyzing every word said out of a desire to improve our position, drawing out prosecution of any ticket they write based on our theories about what is the least cost-effective options for them.

I didn't, though, and, of course, I am no such person.

I never speed.

Oh, and one last thing--there were some posts where police refused to answer questions, because apparently "tactics" are never discussed on an open forum.  Purely out of journalistic curiosity, I find myself suddenly interested in acquiring whatever training manuals they have.  If you know where to get such information, do let me know.  Also, I'm still bitter about being suspected of a DUI, so training manuals on that would be interesting also.

Also, ALSO, here is some information about the sort of state model of a traffic stop, based solely on information from the forum:

The transition from driving to a traffic stop happens when a cop gets reasonable suspicion, which is way easier than probable cause.  I don't think its hard for them to make shit up.

Escalating the shit they do to you during a traffic stop requires probable cause.  This one is more difficult for them to bullshit;  good cops claim to b.s. this step only rarely.  Probably cause is highly subjective, though.  Also cop safety can be used as an excuse to make you exit your car, and to subject you to a pat down.  Also if you legally own a gun traffic stops become more difficult for you.

The transition from traffic stop to arrest requires probable cause.

In some jurisdictions, an arrest doesn't mean you're actually arrested and getting booked with your Miranda rights read;  it might simply mean that you sit in the back of the cop car while the cop warant-lessly searches your vehicle, which he is only allowed to do because he just arrested you.  Or something.

Sometimes cops can steal ("seize") your vehicle and never return it, even if you end up being acquitted of the crime they accuse you off.  I am kind of fuzzy on my understanding of this one.

I don't know.  During a traffic stop, unless you are recording, you're basically fucked.  All you can do is be polite and hope the cop has some integrity.