Just why is this illegal?

[bing_oh]

Or like the time my buddy had a cop physically get in front of him and slow him down in lieu of pulling him over because he has a military parking sticker on his car... or the time I got pulled over and was released with a warning instead of a ticket because I was in my step-mom's car and she has five "Georgia Fraternal Order of Police" stickers on the back of her car.

Just out of curiosity, how do you know the reasons for the warning and the non-stop slowdown were because of the stickers? The truth is, unless the officer actually told you that was the reason, you're just assuming. And, honesty, whenever I see a bunch of FOP stickers on a car, I immediately think "dirtbag" because dirtbags think those stickers will prevent them from being stopped.

[hotrodalex]

Is it illegal for truckers to CB to other truckers about upcoming officers running radar on the side of the freeway then, too?

I was going to mention that. It seems to fit the drug-lookout analogy better.

[dazzleman]

Georgia too. I always assumed it was law everywhere.

Or like the time my buddy had a cop physically get in front of him and slow him down in lieu of pulling him over because he has a military parking sticker on his car... or the time I got pulled over and was released with a warning instead of a ticket because I was in my step-mom's car and she has five "Georgia Fraternal Order of Police" stickers on the back of her car.

You should drive that car more often...

[TurboDan]

It's interesting... in New Jersey this actually went all the way up to the Supreme Court and it was ruled that you ARE allowed to flash your lights to warn of an upcoming presence of traffic enforcement. I'm sure some departments still pull people over for this, but if you cite the ruling in court it gets tossed.

[TurboDan]

You should drive that car more often...

I've anecdotally heard that our State Police-issued New Jersey Press ID dash placards are good for missing out on a ticket. I've yet to be pulled over since I've had one, though. 

[Byteme]

I've anecdotally heard that our State Police-issued New Jersey Press ID dash placards are good for missing out on a ticket. I've yet to be pulled over since I've had one, though. 

Why would the press need or deserve a "get-out-of-jail-free card?   Just curious.

[bing_oh]

Why would the press need or deserve a "get-out-of-jail-free card?   Just curious.

I was thinking that, considering the normally less than pleasant relationship between the press and LE, such an ID would be more likely to get you a ticket as opposed to getting you out of one.

[Tave]

If you say so. Personally, I've never gotten a raise (or a toaster oven) for writing the most speeding tickets, so I've never understood that belief.

What a coincidence. I never got a toaster oven for handing people drinks when I worked as a bartender.

[TurboDan]

I was thinking that, considering the normally less than pleasant relationship between the press and LE, such an ID would be more likely to get you a ticket as opposed to getting you out of one.

Eh, I think it's mostly a matter of not wanting to start any pissing matches. Kind of a "don't bother me, I won't bother you" sorta thing. I dunno.

For me, I've actually had very positive relationships with people I've met in LE while working for newspapers. For my new job as an editor, I actually went down to one of the largest PDs in my area just yesterday and met the Capt. in charge of Press/Community relations. He was very nice, invited me in his office to chat for a few, etc. I think in a city environment with shark-like reporters it probably gets contentious. Around here, where there isn't a whole lot of crime to speak of, the PDs usually like the press because they can get a lot of messages out, there's a lot of positive community-oriented coverage and such. I once had a Chief of a small department who would call me every time the department made an arrest because they so rarely got to arrest anyone. He wanted me to write an article so his department could get a little recognition on a job well done. 

[TurboDan]

Why would the press need or deserve a "get-out-of-jail-free card?   Just curious.

It's a photo ID card and a corresponding laminated dashboard placard issued by the State Police. It's primarily so you can identify yourself as a member of the media for secure press conferences, getting crime scene photos, getting behind police lines, etc. The thinking is that the public has a right to hear/see accurate information, and there should be some level of cooperation. And without some kind of official ID, anyone could say they were a reporter and go running into crime scenes, the prosecutor's office and other places. It's also used for parking at places like Giants Stadium, concert venues and the like so you can get in to cover an event and bypass general parking.

Some states do this, some don't. New Jersey happens to do it.

[dazzleman]

Eh, I think it's mostly a matter of not wanting to start any pissing matches. Kind of a "don't bother me, I won't bother you" sorta thing. I dunno.

For me, I've actually had very positive relationships with people I've met in LE while working for newspapers. For my new job as an editor, I actually went down to one of the largest PDs in my area just yesterday and met the Capt. in charge of Press/Community relations. He was very nice, invited me in his office to chat for a few, etc. I think in a city environment with shark-like reporters it probably gets contentious. Around here, where there isn't a whole lot of crime to speak of, the PDs usually like the press because they can get a lot of messages out, there's a lot of positive community-oriented coverage and such. I once had a Chief of a small department who would call me every time the department made an arrest because they so rarely got to arrest anyone. He wanted me to write an article so his department could get a little recognition on a job well done. 

They probably picked up on the fact that you're pretty friendly to LE, while many reporters are hostile.  So you were probably marked as a guy to cultivate rather than blackball.

[hounddog]

And, honesty, whenever I see a bunch of FOP stickers on a car, I immediately think "dirtbag" because dirtbags think those stickers will prevent them from being stopped.

Thats profiling, and profiling is wroooong.

[hounddog]

They probably picked up on the fact that you're pretty friendly to LE, while many reporters are hostile.  So you were probably marked as a guy to cultivate rather than blackball.

We simply do not like reporters.

Most, and I do mean most, reporters could not care less about the facts of the story so long as they have a story to deliver.

Wrong name of the victim?  Run it.
Wrong suspect name?  Run it.
Wrong crime data?  Run it.
Running this story could hurt innocent family members?  Run it.

It has been my experience (although not anymore as I am retired,  I have to admit) that reporters are actually two steps below lawyers in the majority of cases.  

[TurboDan]

We simply do not like reporters.

Most, and I do mean most, reporters could not care less about the facts of the story so long as they have a story to deliver.

Wrong name of the victim?  Run it.
Wrong suspect name?  Run it.
Wrong crime data?  Run it.
Running this story could hurt innocent family members?  Run it.

It has been my experience (although not anymore as I am retired,  I have to admit) that reporters are actually two steps below lawyers in the majority of cases. 

Weird, when I worked as a reporter for the newspaper I was never like that at all. I really didn't know anyone else who was. Maybe you just had a crappy paper that covered your area. I'm not sure why anyone would want to run stories that were wrong.

[hounddog]

Fair enough.

And, to be perfectly fair, I should have highlighted "in my experience in the Detroit area."

[AutobahnSHO]

I pull people over all the time for failure to dim. It's a great DUI indicator stop.

I got pulled over one time for that. I was 17yrs old, the 1978 Subie had 4 bulbs in front. Hard to NOT see the highbeams are on.
A friend in the backseat had been yanking on my seatbelt, I was trying to drive and not crash- thus I didn't dim them when a cop was coming towards me on a 2-lane highway.

To make the story even more fun, just a few nights before we'd been joyriding in the new state park and took a little bit of an off-road jaunt. (totally not kosher.) Mud and snow all over the car were indicators to the state ranger we were the perps. He didn't do anything but ticket me for not having proof of registration in the car.

So on the "failure to dim" pullover my friends asked if I had my registration this time. I said "sure" (so they wouldn't spill the beans) and handed the expired reg. to the cop. He just told us to drive safe and let me off with a warning......

[WookieOnRitalin]

I will say that (and this is an assumption on my part) that my Choose Life license plate has gotten me several warnings and not tickets. I think cops down here are very pro life. Do y'all think that this could be in fact true? It seems reasonable as officers likely are church going folk and ate human. I should say that atleast where I live it holds true in Tennessee.

[Rupert]

That's disgusting.

[dazzleman]

That's disgusting.

Why is it any worse than all the times you've been pulled over and let off the hook with a warning?

[Byteme]

That's disgusting.

What's disgusting?  That they "ate human"?  On reflection, that is pretty disgusting.

[Rupert]

What's disgusting?  That they "ate human"?  On reflection, that is pretty disgusting.

[Secret Chimp]

Why is it any worse than all the times you've been pulled over and let off the hook with a warning?

It's just as disgusting to be swayed by a pro life license plate as it is by a sticker of Clifford the Dog. I doubt my Cookie Monster sticker is ever going to get me any favors.

[Rupert]

It's just as disgusting to be swayed by a pro life license plate as it is by a sticker of Clifford the Dog. I doubt my Cookie Monster sticker is ever going to get me any favors.

Which I have on my big red Explorer, BTW.

[bing_oh]

It's just as disgusting to be swayed by a pro life license plate as it is by a sticker of Clifford the Dog. I doubt my Cookie Monster sticker is ever going to get me any favors.

Cookie? You have cookie in car? Mmmmm...me LOVE cookie! Me think Cookie Monster sticker might get you warning if you have cookie too!

[dazzleman]

It's just as disgusting to be swayed by a pro life license plate as it is by a sticker of Clifford the Dog. I doubt my Cookie Monster sticker is ever going to get me any favors.

You find speeding boring, so you have nothing to worry about, man...

[TurboDan]

I will say that (and this is an assumption on my part) that my Choose Life license plate has gotten me several warnings and not tickets. I think cops down here are very pro life. Do y'all think that this could be in fact true? It seems reasonable as officers likely are church going folk and ate human. I should say that atleast where I live it holds true in Tennessee.

The only speeding ticket I've gotten in the past decade was during the '04 presidential campaign when I had a Bush sticker on my bumper.

[Raza]

Having a bumper sticker just means you're gay anyway. 

[Byteme]

The only speeding ticket I've gotten in the past decade was during the '04 presidential campaign when I had a Bush sticker on my bumper.

If I was a cop I'd pulled you over just because.