In 2014 I had pulled out of a gas station after buying a pack of cigarettes. My daughter was in the back in her booster seat.
I was tapping the pack which was closed, and a police cruiser is on the passenger side in the middle lane, and kept riding closer to the side of my vehicle.
I’m trying to keep my eye on the road wondering what the heck, and she puts her window down, shakes her finger at me in rage,
” YOU LIGHT UP WITH THAT CHILD IN THE CAR, AND I’M PULLING YOU OVER!’
I’m trying to keep my eye on the road, and see her yelling, when I could cars in front of me may need to brake for a turn or red light.
My first instinct was to give her the middle finger, but I knew that would escalate.
Yes, ma’am, I’m sorry.
I called to report her, and told the police chief or whatever never mind, she could have caused me an accident.
After that, I was pretty paranoid she would find me, again, for telling the dispatcher she was horse-faced, and complaining about her.
Sorry, the police chief acted like what she did was no big deal, and I told him, “Never mind, this is useless.
You were operating a motor vehicle in traffic.
You had a minor child on the backseat in a booster.
You were fiddling with a pack of cigarettes (tapping it to make the tobacco slide down to one side?), in preparation of unwrapping it, possibly (as far as the Law Enforcement Officer could surmise) as a prelude to sticking one cigarette into your mouth and lighting up.
Traffic increases and/or something is happening on the road ahead of you requiring your additional attention.
And you are criticizing the LEO for "distracting you?!"
Let me guess: You're now going to claim that you can do three things at once and simultaneously keep 17 plates spinning while your daughter maybe has a melt-down in the backseat and there's a potential traffic pile-up in front of you.
Get this FReeper a booking on the Ed Sullivan Show, stat!
I bet that that LEO could have easily pulled you over and legitimately cited you for three moving violations, as well as finding some other infractions to charge you with.
My take-away: Nice cop let you off easy with a verbal warning!
Regards,
> ” YOU LIGHT UP WITH THAT CHILD IN THE CAR, AND I’M PULLING YOU OVER!’ <
That cop was wrong. People have the right to be left alone, unless they are actually doing something wrong. In this case, the cop was contacting you because of something you MIGHT be doing in the future.
It doesn’t matter if you were tapping a cigarette case or not. You weren’t doing anything wrong. You should have been left alone.