The Cookout

[MR-D-ROB]

About a year ago I was pulled over by a police officer after I inadvertently ran a stop sign. He came up to my car and asked for my license and insurance papers. I already had the papers ready and handed them to him. He told me that I had ran a stop sign. I let him know that I thought the sign was a yield sign and didn't see it well due to the area being dark. He said okay and told me to wait and he would be right back. I waited and he returned to the car after a 3 minutes or so.

He said he was just going to give me a warning and to be sure to watch that area when coming through next time. "Will do!", I said.

He was about to walk away when he turned back and said, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" I replied "Yeah!"

He asked me why I was so polite and cooperative. He said that he noticed that my address is outside the city and wondered if being from the rural area was why I was so polite.

We talked for a few minutes. I explained to him that I didn't live there anymore and had just moved back to the city and was waiting on my new driver's license with the updated address to arrive. I also told him I wasn't originally from Texas and that I had been here since my time in the military. I told him about my previous time as a police officer myself. He told me that he had pulled over 3 other African American people for minor traffic infractions and they were all rude and mean. He said he let them go with warnings also but even then they were still being rude.

He said he just wondered why I behaved so differently and said it must be that I was in the military and had been a cop myself. It seemed that his thought process was that black people who were from within the city and not prior military, prior law enforcement etc. would all be rude. I didn't want him to walk away with that mindset.

I explained to him that none of that was why I was polite. I told him that he was polite to me so I was polite back. I explained that I couldn't be upset that he pulled me over for running a stop sign and that he was simply doing his job. If anything I was glad he let me know about the stop sign. What if I accidentally ran it again not knowing it was there and got hit.

I told him that the way he conducted the stop is exactly what is expected. Just be polite. Conduct the stop and don't ask extra unnecessary stuff like do I have drugs or guns etc. That leads to or will appear to be racial profiling.

I explained that all could be expected is a professional behaved officer and he did that. I further explained that the other people were probably just upset about current events and that he shouldn't let their behavior dictate his future interactions with black people. I explained that most black people aren't going to behave that way if he did just what he did with me. I explained that even if he had given me a ticket I would still have been polite.

There is no reason for me to argue with him. If I wanted to dispute the ticket I could do that in court!

Overall it was a good interaction and I think he learned!

 

[Blackgravity]

I haven't had contact with a #racesoldier in over 15 years, I respond to them with the same energy I get from them. If they are respectful, I'll be respectful, if they come at foul, I'm a straight dick head.
Glad you survived your run in with them.

 

[MR-D-ROB]

That was one of the few good interactions.

I once was driving back from Louisiana. I had a cop pull me over. He shined his police light on his care into my back window.
He immediately started yelling "Get out of the car! Now!" I got and and he said to walk towards him. I did so with my hands up the entire time.

He asked me if I had license and insurance. I told him I did. I asked if I was okay to reach into my back pocket to get it. He said okay. I reached and pulled out my license. He asked about the insurance. I told him that because of his intimal behavior I didn't feel safe or comfortable going back to the car plus my wife and kids were in the vehicle.

He asked why and what I meant. I explained that he was unnecessarily forceful and loud with me for no reason as soon as the interaction began. I explained I felt like he was looking to escalate things. We were standing about 15 or 20 feet behind my care at this point. So yelled to my wife and I asked her to toss the insurance papers out the window. She did so.

I again asked him if I was safe to retrieve them. He said to go ahead. I went I got the papers and gave them to him.

I stood by while he reviewed the papers. He got in his car and came back out after a few minutes. I saw he was holding the citation book.

He asked if I had any guns or drugs. I said "Sir, I have 8 hours of driving to do and I do not wish to answer any questions. If you could please just give me my citation and information on how to pay it so I may get back on the road that would be very much appreciated."

He gave me the ticket. He then after conducting himself so rudely says "Thank you for being cooperative."

"Yeah sure." I replied., "Am I free to go now." "Yes. Drive safely." , he said.


Some of these cops are just all gung ho and looking to start an interaction badly.

 

[Heatice]

Manner of approach is what determines how most people react to what comes at them and in this case, it's exactly what happened with you and the cop. He understood his job and did it very well and you responded in kind. There are still good one's among them but they are very few.

 

[Jay]

About a year ago I was pulled over by a police officer after I inadvertently ran a stop sign. He came up to my car and asked for my license and insurance papers. I already had the papers ready and handed them to him. He told me that I had ran a stop sign. I let him know that I thought the sign was a yield sign and didn't see it well due to the area being dark. He said okay and told me to wait and he would be right back. I waited and he returned to the car after a 3 minutes or so.

He said he was just going to give me a warning and to be sure to watch that area when coming through next time. "Will do!", I said.

He was about to walk away when he turned back and said, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" I replied "Yeah!"

He asked me why I was so polite and cooperative. He said that he noticed that my address is outside the city and wondered if being from the rural area was why I was so polite.

We talked for a few minutes. I explained to him that I didn't live there anymore and had just moved back to the city and was waiting on my new driver's license with the updated address to arrive. I also told him I wasn't originally from Texas and that I had been here since my time in the military. I told him about my previous time as a police officer myself. He told me that he had pulled over 3 other African American people for minor traffic infractions and they were all rude and mean. He said he let them go with warnings also but even then they were still being rude.

He said he just wondered why I behaved so differently and said it must be that I was in the military and had been a cop myself. It seemed that his thought process was that black people who were from within the city and not prior military, prior law enforcement etc. would all be rude. I didn't want him to walk away with that mindset.

I explained to him that none of that was why I was polite. I told him that he was polite to me so I was polite back. I explained that I couldn't be upset that he pulled me over for running a stop sign and that he was simply doing his job. If anything I was glad he let me know about the stop sign. What if I accidentally ran it again not knowing it was there and got hit.

I told him that the way he conducted the stop is exactly what is expected. Just be polite. Conduct the stop and don't ask extra unnecessary stuff like do I have drugs or guns etc. That leads to or will appear to be racial profiling.

I explained that all could be expected is a professional behaved officer and he did that. I further explained that the other people were probably just upset about current events and that he shouldn't let their behavior dictate his future interactions with black people. I explained that most black people aren't going to behave that way if he did just what he did with me. I explained that even if he had given me a ticket I would still have been polite.

There is no reason for me to argue with him. If I wanted to dispute the ticket I could do that in court!

Overall it was a good interaction and I think he learned!

I had a similar interaction with a cop but he was trying to justify Cops with attitudes. He was white and said "Back in my days when we would speed we would get pulled over by an angry cop and we just accepted it". I said "You're white...an angry cop coming up to me as a Black man reinforces everything I already believe about cops". He was like:

...and I said "then I get attitude back and then it confirms everything you thought about me". I said "we were all born into this racism system, we didn't create it but if you perpetuate it, you're just as guilty as the forefathers":.


Muhfukkka still wrote me a ticket.

 

[Danny]

About a year ago I was pulled over by a police officer after I inadvertently ran a stop sign. He came up to my car and asked for my license and insurance papers. I already had the papers ready and handed them to him. He told me that I had ran a stop sign. I let him know that I thought the sign was a yield sign and didn't see it well due to the area being dark. He said okay and told me to wait and he would be right back. I waited and he returned to the car after a 3 minutes or so.

He said he was just going to give me a warning and to be sure to watch that area when coming through next time. "Will do!", I said.

He was about to walk away when he turned back and said, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" I replied "Yeah!"

He asked me why I was so polite and cooperative. He said that he noticed that my address is outside the city and wondered if being from the rural area was why I was so polite.

We talked for a few minutes. I explained to him that I didn't live there anymore and had just moved back to the city and was waiting on my new driver's license with the updated address to arrive. I also told him I wasn't originally from Texas and that I had been here since my time in the military. I told him about my previous time as a police officer myself. He told me that he had pulled over 3 other African American people for minor traffic infractions and they were all rude and mean. He said he let them go with warnings also but even then they were still being rude.

He said he just wondered why I behaved so differently and said it must be that I was in the military and had been a cop myself. It seemed that his thought process was that black people who were from within the city and not prior military, prior law enforcement etc. would all be rude. I didn't want him to walk away with that mindset.

I explained to him that none of that was why I was polite. I told him that he was polite to me so I was polite back. I explained that I couldn't be upset that he pulled me over for running a stop sign and that he was simply doing his job. If anything I was glad he let me know about the stop sign. What if I accidentally ran it again not knowing it was there and got hit.

I told him that the way he conducted the stop is exactly what is expected. Just be polite. Conduct the stop and don't ask extra unnecessary stuff like do I have drugs or guns etc. That leads to or will appear to be racial profiling.

I explained that all could be expected is a professional behaved officer and he did that. I further explained that the other people were probably just upset about current events and that he shouldn't let their behavior dictate his future interactions with black people. I explained that most black people aren't going to behave that way if he did just what he did with me. I explained that even if he had given me a ticket I would still have been polite.

There is no reason for me to argue with him. If I wanted to dispute the ticket I could do that in court!

Overall it was a good interaction and I think he learned!

It's a good experience that you don't get to live through everyday in our society today. I would say that you just got lucky with a good police officer because normally, they are all dicks most of the time. I think the officer was having a good day in your case.

 

[GwynShivers]

My experience living in Arlington, TX was quite different. The officer that pulled me over walked around the back of my car, because he saw my security camera mounted just below the rear view mirror in the window.
I'm thinking, dude's on some bs, but I kept my cool. He approached slowly, with his hand already on his gun. My hands were already on the steering wheel, my credentials on the dashboard & my window's down just enough to pass them through.
The first thing he asked me was, "Can you turn off your camera"? I replied calmly, "No sir". He asked me to roll my window down further. I replied, "No sir". Then he started trying to open my door, then asked. I replied again, "No sir".
He stated, "You have a nice day & be careful, it's dangerous out here". Then walked to the back of my car, looked in my passenger window & winked. Got back on his bike & drove off.
I sat there for a second breathing heavily, then started my car & took my ass back home.
That's why I say if you can avoid driving alone, please do & ALWAYS have your protection handy. You NEVER know how the situation's going to be. BE READY, NOT GETTING READY! 💯

 

[Rollie Forbes]

I had a similar interaction with a cop but he was trying to justify Cops with attitudes. He was white and said "Back in my days when we would speed we would get pulled over by an angry cop and we just accepted it". I said "You're white...an angry cop coming up to me as a Black man reinforces everything I already believe about cops". He was like:

...and I said "then I get attitude back and then it confirms everything you thought about me". I said "we were all born into this racism system, we didn't create it but if you perpetuate it, you're just as guilty as the forefathers":.


Muhfukkka still wrote me a ticket.

You talked yourself into that ticket, homeboy.

 

[Jay]

You talked yourself into that ticket, homeboy.
View attachment 3172

He was like this little smart nigga here....take $500 to the court house with your "we're all born into this" ass.

 

[MR-D-ROB]

My experience living in Arlington, TX was quite different. The officer that pulled me over walked around the back of my car, because he saw my security camera mounted just below the rear view mirror in the window.
I'm thinking, dude's on some bs, but I kept my cool. He approached slowly, with his hand already on his gun. My hands were already on the steering wheel, my credentials on the dashboard & my window's down just enough to pass them through.
The first thing he asked me was, "Can you turn off your camera"? I replied calmly, "No sir". He asked me to roll my window down further. I replied, "No sir". Then he started trying to open my door, then asked. I replied again, "No sir".
He stated, "You have a nice day & be careful, it's dangerous out here". Then walked to the back of my car, looked in my passenger window & winked. Got back on his bike & drove off.
I sat there for a second breathing heavily, then started my car & took my ass back home.
That's why I say if you can avoid driving alone, please do & ALWAYS have your protection handy. You NEVER know how the situation's going to be. BE READY, NOT GETTING READY! 💯

Sounds like he didn't have good intentions. I'm surprised he didn't escalate the situation.

In all reality though it doesn't matter if you let the window down or not. They can legally ask you to exit the vehicle and you have to comply. There is Supreme Court precedent upholding that.
They can't legally ask you to let the window down but they can ask you to exit the car and regardless of why you have to comply.

The key here is for you to not escalate things because they are looking for a reason to use force. Let your window down is not a lawful order and if they use force because you refuse then you have a lawsuit. If they say exit the car and you refuse then at this point you are disobeying a lawful order and have given them legal reason to use force against you. If you sue it likely won't hold up.

Know the law and what you can and can't do. My thing is to get those bastards in court. Don't argue on the side of the street. That will just get you beat, assaulted and nothing will be done about it.

 

[MR-D-ROB]

He was like this little smart nigga here....take $500 to the court house with your "we're all born into this" ass.

I just always let em know. This ticket ain't sh*t. One phone call to my scheduler and this bullshit is dealt with. I ain't one of the destitute broke negroes. My paycheck will make a cops paycheck look like crumbs!

 

[Jay]

I just always let em know. This ticket ain't sh*t. One phone call to my scheduler and this bullshit is dealt with. I ain't one of the destitute broke negroes. My paycheck will make a cops paycheck look like crumbs!

You still gotta pay it though so in the end they still win in that exchange.

 

[MR-D-ROB]

You still gotta pay it though so in the end they still win in that exchange.

Unfortunately.
I remember once I pissed one of them off. I told him too bad cause I was supposed to take his wife out with that money.

He got so pissed he wrote the ticket wrong. Said I was doing 50 in a 65 instead of 65 in a 50.

When I got to court I plead the 5th and the judge threw it out!