Lucky Me

[Lacarnut]

Was driving down the interstate yesterday like a bat out of hell (80+ in a 60mph zone) and passed a state trooper in an unmarked SUV/Van. He put the siren on. I said to self, "oh shit". He asked why I was driving so fast and where I was going. Told him I was heading to my brother's house with some fried catfish and did not want it to get cold. He told me to slow down. I said yes sir and he let me go. Did not even ask for my driver's lic. I was flabberghasted. Then I got to thinkinng he must have seen that sticker on my back window that shows that I am a supporter of a chartitable LA State Police fund helping family member of slain police officers. I give to this fund every year. Not supposed to get you out of a ticket but I think it all depends on the police cause I have been stopped and let go on several occasions. Or, it could have been like a sheriff in a one horse town told me that he does not like to give tickets to seniors. I did not get it over 70mph going back home. Counting my lucky stars.

[BlueStateSaint]

More often than not, when I've been pulled over by members of the New York State Police, they haven't ticketed me, or they've given me tickets far less than what I was pulled over for.  I don't have any sticker on my vehicle.  I put my hands on the wheel, extend my fingers (all of them, not just the middle one) where they can see all of them, answer "Yes, Trooper" and "No, Trooper," and when I make a move for my wallet or glove box, I tell them exactly where I'm going, and why.  I've been asked once by a Trooper, after he had given me back everything, why I said what I was going to do before I did it, and I answered, "You've got the Glock.  If you know what I'm doing before I do it, you tend to calm down a bit, right?"  He smiled and said, "You're right.  Keep your speed down, okay?"

[DumbAss Tanker]

Being calm, friendly, cooperative, and just admitting you were in the wrong instead of trying to sell some obviously-bullshit story (Which most cops understandably see as disrespectful of their own intelligence) goes a long way.  Once in awhile you run into someone who just wants to be a dick and has the power to do so, of course.

[Splashdown]

And local vs. state is important, too. Local PDs use fines as a revenue base.

[Bondai]

You are lucky because a lot of towns and cities are hurting for revenue and traffic violations mean big bucks. Cop's are not as ready to you go as they used to be. I piss and moan about cops all the time but in all the times I have been stopped I have never been hassled.The one ticket I did get was for expired registration and all I had to do was bring a current registration to court and pay $20.00 and it wouldn't show on my record.

[andhe78]

More often than not, when I've been pulled over by members of the New York State Police, they haven't ticketed me, or they've given me tickets far less than what I was pulled over for.  I don't have any sticker on my vehicle.  I put my hands on the wheel, extend my fingers (all of them, not just the middle one) where they can see all of them, answer "Yes, Trooper" and "No, Trooper," and when I make a move for my wallet or glove box, I tell them exactly where I'm going, and why.  I've been asked once by a Trooper, after he had given me back everything, why I said what I was going to do before I did it, and I answered, "You've got the Glock.  If you know what I'm doing before I do it, you tend to calm down a bit, right?"  He smiled and said, "You're right.  Keep your speed down, okay?"

Oddly enough, I've had very good luck with the NY troopers too, and that is even when caught in some not so great situations. 
Example:
Was late to the weigh in on a wood chuck hunt and got caught doing fifty in a forty.  I had a Camaro, t-tops off, couple of rifles in the backseat, and some beer cans on the floor from my buddy having a few, figured it wasn't going to be good times with the trooper.  He walks up and with the t-tops off, he can see into the entire car.  First thing he asks, "are those rifles unloaded?"   "Yes sir!"    "Have you been drinking?"  "No sir, but my buddy has had a couple."  "What the heck are you guys doing?"  "Late to a woodchuck hunt weigh in sir, I've got them in the back if you want to see them."   After looking at the bucket of dead woodchucks for a minute, he let me off with a warning.  Still don't know how that happened.
Had an interesting time holding shotgun with a dead deer in a state park in the middle of the night with a trooper once too, not sure why he didn't haul me to jail on that one.  Thankfully, I've grown up a bit since then.

[Airwolf]

Oddly enough, I've had very good luck with the NY troopers too, and that is even when caught in some not so great situations.  
Example:
Was late to the weigh in on a wood chuck hunt and got caught doing fifty in a forty.  I had a Camaro, t-tops off, couple of rifles in the backseat, and some beer cans on the floor from my buddy having a few, figured it wasn't going to be good times with the trooper.  He walks up and with the t-tops off, he can see into the entire car.  First thing he asks, "are those rifles unloaded?"   "Yes sir!"    "Have you been drinking?"  "No sir, but my buddy has had a couple."  "What the heck are you guys doing?"  "Late to a woodchuck hunt weigh in sir, I've got them in the back if you want to see them."   After looking at the bucket of dead woodchucks for a minute, he let me off with a warning.  Still don't know how that happened.
Had an interesting time holding shotgun with a dead deer in a state park in the middle of the night with a trooper once too, not sure why he didn't haul me to jail on that one.  Thankfully, I've grown up a bit since then.

Reminds me of the time I spent a long weekend in Michigan with some friends I was stationed with at Ft. Drum. We were out on Saturday Night the three of us and one of the guys girl friends. We had a case of beer with some of them already open from where we stopped and had a few each. Also in the trunk of my 1988 camaro was my machete and while driving down the road I turned the headlights off at night and I was going 70 in a 40 zone. I have no idea way but When this all went down it was in front of a county mounty and he did a u turn and flipped the lights. I pulled over after r i turned the head lights back on and he comes up and ask for licence ID and registration which I had. I showed him My ID and he ask me why the lights were off . I told him I accidentally hit the switch and in the 88 Camaro that wouldn't be hard to do really. He takes the ID and licence and registration and comes back ,ask to look in the trunk so I popped it open from the console. He looks inside ask about the beer and I tell him we all had one or two beers back down the road,Says noting about he Machete. He gives me back the ID and registration and License and Tells me to slow down and don't turn the lights off again.