RocketJohn

I left the house earlier than normal this morning, big meeting at work, want to get bagels for my team since its an early meeting. I know I'm going to blast down the tollway and be in my office in about 30 min, including the food stop.

I am driving normal about 3 miles into my commute when I come up to a stoplight on a 3 lane on each side boulevard, and I will be turning right... This right lane normally has a green arrow, but there are two cars stopped in front not going with very few people even at the intersection, 3-4 cars maybe. I sit there and wait 20 seconds before the light changes and these fools decide to finally go, even though they could have turned right on red easily, even without the green arrow... its 7am, hardly anyone on the road in this area.

I let those two slow pokes accelerate in front and I punch it in 1st as I am taking a right and hang the rear out and pull it back in tightly and haul *** down the road right as I see the next light changing. No one is at the intersection or road and I make the ridiculous decision to not lose my momentum, make up for time and blast through the freshly changed redlight... I never do that. I ride motorcycles and know the dangers.

I keep haulin *** up to the next light when I see an unmarked mopar car coming up fast in my rear view lights and siren blaring... Oh no..... this will not be good and be very very painful to my wallet...

I pull over three lanes to the far right and stop... the Officer briskly walks up to my car and asks me what is the matter and why did I just blow through that light?

I reply, "Impatient for those two in front of me not taking a right on red, I need to pick up breakfast for my team and I don't want to be late and this car is fun to drive. Really no excuse, I'm sorry."

He says, "Turn off the car, and give me your license, registration and insurance"

I do so and he heads back to his unmarked Mopar sedan... I sit there and think, "WTF have I done... this is not gonna be painless... crap, I just got this car a few weeks ago... f@*$!"

He returns within about a minute and hands me my papers and cards and says, "Do you realize I just tallied 26 points of infractions, in what I just saw when you tore off and then blew through at least one if not two lights... Look I know this is a badass car, and you just got it, I get it... I have a fast european car as well, and I know what these cars can do, but you have got to take it easy out here."

"Yes sir, you are completely right, I don't know why I was so careless."

"Do you realize how pissed your wife would be if she found out what you just did?" said Officer X...

"I can only imagine..." I replied... I thought to my self, this guy knows all too well the pain this could cause my marriage in the future of everytime I'm driving fast, let alone higher insurance costs, etc...

"I am giving you a verbal warning, here's my card, since I have to give citizens something physically. Look I know this car is bad ***, just relax and be responsible and safe."

"Thank you thank you thank you officer... I promise I will take it easy."

He hopped in his car and headed out before I could start my car.

Holy crap, I think to myself... Did all of that just really happen?

I start of the car and realize its still basically only 7am and my day is still literally starting...

I immediately called my brother and told him what you just read... he was for sure thinking I had just "Dingo'd my 911"... [referencing to 12 years ago when our friend Dingo {from Australia} took my Audi S4 on an errand and slammed it against the curb causing $12k worth of damage and not one bit of paintwork] He just laughed, told me I was lucky and obviously the officer was not a typical traffic cop and headed off to more important business.

I write this 8 hours later still in shock and awe of what I did, that I got caught and how I got mercifully released... all within 5 min...

RoDeO_993

great story and cool cop

ilko

Somehow the cops are forgiving to us in these cars as long as we show humility. I've been pulled over 3 times in the 993 and always let go... But you have to nail the Tiny Tim routine for them to let you go, which by the sound of it you did really well!

CorrdoBrit

Wish the CO cop I encountered had been so obliging. And I'd only owned the car for less than 3 hours. You were definitely riding your luck today.

inkatouring

It is not that hard, if practiced, to avoid tickets when pulled over. There are a few reasons: Most cops are car guys. Most cops respond well when you treat them with the level of respect they expect. Most cops know that, satistically, cop shootings happen most frequently on car stops and if you act in a manner clearly designed to reduce that concern, they are greatful. Add this all together and what you get is a greatful car guy being nice to another car guy.

Here is my script upon being pulled over: (1) turn off car; (2) leave hands on wheel while waiting for officer to arrive; (3) be polite, contrite, and wait for instructions; (4) before any movement, I inform cop what I'm about to do -- i.e., he says "license and registration" and I respond "my license is in my wallet and registration is in the glove compartment. I'm going to get them now." They usually say "ok."

That's it. In the scores of times of I've been pulled over, about 80% of them have resulted in no ticket issued and 20% in citations for offense far less serious than what I committed, i.e., reduction of speed in speeding ticket, etc. I don't think I've been written up for the real offenses sinces that stupid time in college I tried to run a Cambridge cop while driving my BMW 2002....

RocketJohn

inkatouring: I did that, other than shut off car... I did tell him my registration was in my glove box, but he said, your temp tag on the window was fine... I agree with you, I have been driving for 26 years and have gotten out of at least 12-13 tickets over that time frame by doing what you said...

P-daddy

Definitely your lucky day. I haven't been as fortunate when meeting up with cops.

jhale

Definitely your lucky day! Was it a DPD officer? I have been watching the DPD officers from my office window set up speed traps by the on/off ramps the last few weeks. Two motorcycle officers sit on top of an overpass (one metering Southbound the other Northbound) while a line of squad cars are hiddle around a turn by the on ramps. They have nailed at least 20 cars a day. Watch out on I-25 & Evans.

RocketJohn

Local in Colorado

goofballdeluxe

It was far easier to get out of tickets when cops were out to enforce safety.

Here in California, citations are all about revenue as the State is broke, so it makes it very difficult to get out of tickets these days.

Sounds like you played it right and got a free pass.

inkatouring

Shutting off car is worth the hand movement; it tells them you're not going to run once they get out of their car. And avoiding tickets is all about what you tell them, verbally or through your actions. Also, my attitude is always chipper; it's not their fault that I was speeding and got caught and if you acknowledge that in your words and deeds, it's one less hassel for them to deal with....

95_993

Ilko,

I gotta ask...

What the heck is the

mkhn

Rocket John,
Running a red is really pushing it and the fact that you ride a motorcycle should make you all the more careful. If you had been in my neighborhood there would be 3 high definition cameras at each stop you'd have to contest...I hate those things.
I also ride a bike and have done this same stupid thing before myself which I have to then yell at myself for and wonder why I did that.
Anyways, glad to hear you and no one else got hurt. It's those, "there was no one else on the road moments", that could inevitably change your life for ever. Enjoy the car in good health.

Pags993

Stopped third day with my new to me 993 around 11pm headed to the cottage. Told the young officer i had trouble converting miles to kilometers as i only had the car three days and was getting use to it. He bought it told me to be more careful and ended by saying "nice ride" I was most likely 25 kms over the speed limit.

Got lucky that time!!!

TravisB

I might be over cautious, but I'd consider editing out the specifics of where you were pulled over..won't change the story and don't want to risk the wrong people singling out the guy who let you off the hook; with a time, day and location I'd imagine they could figure out who the officer was very quickly (and a first letter of the last name no less). Law enforcement has been known to browse the forums..I'd hate one of the good guys to get in trouble!