Tuesday, July 12, 2016

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Photo: WaddleDee72
Philando Castille was stopped 52 times by police.

How about you?

I have been driving for 32 years and have been stopped 7 times.

Ten year old 1976 red and black, bondo'd Camaro; never stopped.

New 1987 dark blue VW Fox; never stopped. It was totaled in an accident but the other driver was cited based on witness testimony.  I don't count this as a stop.

Used 1982 six year old beige AMC Spirit; never stopped.

New blue 1990 Mazda Miata; (1) stopped once for speeding, no citation, although it was a legitimate stop for me going 15 over.  (2) Stopped a second time for speeding at 2:00 A.M after the clubs closed with a drunk friend in the car.  I wasn't speeding and hadn't been drinking, and think the cop just pulled me over because of the time of night; no citation.

New 1992 Mazda 626; never stopped.

New 1995 Ford Windstar; never stopped.

Used 3-yr old 1987 Jeep Cherokee (not Grand); never stopped. Had the Cherokee for seven years overlapping time we had the Miata, 626, and Windstar.

New 1998 Ford F-150; (3) stopped for speeding (ten over) and cited. At the time the cop claimed he had me on radar I was being passed by another vehicle going around a curve, to this day I swear the radar reading he got was from the other car. I was doing five over.

New 2000 Subaru Impreza; (4) stopped for speeding and cited, seven over - legitimate stop.

New 2003 Land Rover LR2; never stopped.

New (well 1 yr old) 2005 Dodge Ram 2500;  (5) stopped in NM coming out of the mountains on a dirt road after four wheeling.  Came out on the highway about a quarter mile from a border patrol checkpoint and was stopped by the border patrol. I wasn't doing anything illegal, yet the BP was suspicious of me being a Coyote. I had four BP cars on me that time.

New 2007 Jeep Wrangler; (6) stopped once when I first got it because the cop wanted to look at the newly released four door Wrangler and even admitted that's why he pulled me over. ( I counted this as stop though). Wrangler's been on the road for nine years so far.

New 2008 VW Beetle Convertible; never stopped.

New 2010 Mercedes C300; (7) stopped once coming back from a dinner party with a burned out headlight.  It had just burned out that night, which I explained to the officer; no citation - legitimate stop. Car was on the road for six years.

New 2015 Mercedes GLA bought this year; I've never been stopped but my wife has been stopped once for speeding, her first time ever stopped, insists she wasn't speeding.

I include the make, model, age of vehicle because it is potentially relevant.  Although people claim that older used cars (poorer drivers) are stopped more frequently; I've never been stopped in one of my older cars, although I do maintain my cars in good working order.  The Jeep has a perpetually cracked windshield, and although I do replace it I've never had one last longer than three months without a crack (fair warning if you want one). It was brand new and not cracked at the time I was stopped in it. I generally try and stay within 5 of the speed limit, keeping up with the general flow of traffic, meaning I'm not weaving in and out but I may be in the left hand lane.

What are your experiences with the police and traffic stops?










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