Replies

Please allow me to address both you and CindyDawg.

CindyDawg: Seattle. No, you aren’t required to declare your status, it’s just a good idea. Had it escalated to the point where I was ordered from my vehicle I would have declared my status and given them complete control of the “take-down”. Ordinarily I would have already mentioned it, but I knew I was facing someone with a bad attitude and an agenda. I was also about 23 ;’}

tiger-one: Your approach is the measured and responsible one. I’ve had enough traffic tickets in my life (fortunately nothing worse!) to know the difference. Yes, I did show him my new tabs, which got me the “If they aren’t on the car, it’s as good as not having them at all” speech. At that point I guess I am supposed to ask nicely “Well, can you please write me a ticket sir?” when I have no idea what was going to set him off (remember, he’s presuming that I might be armed, but I know that he is!). My objective was to prevent escalation and get out of there alive.

I believe that the reason that the 2nd cop arrived is that it was a high-crime area. This was back before they carried the mike on the shoulder radios and he never strayed very far from my vehicle, so I don’t believe that he called in for backup. I have no doubt that his buddy heard him make the call for the stop, and then went to investigate when he heard nothing further. It was also in the days before cell phones, so I couldn’t call for help, either.

The Seattle force never got the reputation of, say New Orleans, or Chicago, but in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s they had a bunch of punks running wild within their ranks. They frightened an entire generation of blacks with their brutality. That reputation dies hard. They experienced a couple of large purges as a result. The 2nd cop was older, and had the presentation of a professional, instead of a gunslinger.

The point of my tale is that it isn’t always as presented on COPS, and that it takes two to tangle. This was a bad stop that fortunately (for all) concluded peacefully. The reason it ended peacefully was because of my deliberate actions, and in spite of his deliberate actions.

Once again I applaud your common sense approach to a difficult task. I don’t think I have the temperament to put up with the BS that comes with that line of work.

Regards,

~rockrr~

Declaring your status, or stating you are carrying concealed and have a permit, is dependent on state law. In NH it is not required, I have had drivers tell me they are carrying, and want show me the gun. WOA, no just keep it and show me your permit. If you home state permit says you do not have declare, and you have a nonresident permit, and you get stopped in that nonresident state, declare. In case they have changed the law. Best to always be up to date on carry laws home state included.

Thanks for the Kudos.

Rules of the job. Use common sense, there are two sides to every story, and liability.

I like the message boards where the posters bitch about speed traps and quotas. We do not have quotas.

Speed traps, I guess when I can position my cruiser into the bushes where I can see you and my radar can read your speed, I’ll give you the trap bitch, up to a point. If you, and I am not referring to you Cindy or Rock, say it is a trap, that means the only time you don’t speed is when you see a cop.

Quotas, don’t need them, there is enough activity out there, where computers are needed to write tickets.