Years ago I get stopped for something or another. IIRC it was a muffler, tail light or something dopey.

The guy riding shotgun started lipping off at the cop. I just looked at him and told him if he wanted to take my passenger out in the woods and teach him a few manners that he was welcome.

(I later caught some flak for that until the guys I fished with heard MY side of the story.)


Anyway, I've always wondered about this scenario.

You are a passenger. The car gets stopped, the driver bails and hotfoots it. You stay in the car still and wait, hands exposed.

What is going to happen to you? You're obviously going to have to answer some questions from a highly pissed off sweaty cop that really isn't in a cheerful mood.

I would imagine you're going to have to break out your ID and have a warrant search run on you. Assuming you're clean, what's going to happen to you?

After all, YOU didn't do anything.

Since the other guy left, you get his beating and yours...... Just fooling, just questions,

To be honest I'd be so pissed off at the guy for leaving me in that situation I'd likely jump out of the vehicle and help the cop run his ass down.

Which would likely lead to other problems...

"Honest, Officer, I was hoping... er, concerned... that you'd need my help.

As the backup officer he called sends you sprawling with a tackle that would do an NFL player proud.


Or this: You help the original officer give chase and as you pass him, he tackles YOU thinking you must be doing something wrong.

My general rule on helping officers it that if:

A. I am not asked

B. It isn't blatantly obvious like a cop getting a beatdown or really having his hands full stay the fuck out of it because you can EASILY be mistaken for a bad guy.

No cop wants to hurt a good guy but he will do what he THINKS he has to do to go home at the end of his watch. You can't really slight him for that.

You sit in that car and wait.

Assuming the passenger is not wanted and did not commit a crime, most likely they will be interviewed and released.  They may even be given a ride home.

Better hope "the friend" didn't leave "anything" in the car.

I know that if you just stay in the car things will be better. If you don't, I would run your tag, which would have been run as you were getting pulled over, then I would have written a warrant for you, the car and eventyualkly you would get locked up

you probably need new friends if this question even came to mind… or don't ride shotgun with someone you don't know

dont tell the cop that he better night stick the shit out of your friend when he finds him or you will.

I've had this very scenario happen many times.  In the 'hood where I worked, often the driver and passenger
just knew each other by street names.  If say the car is stolen, the driver runs and the passenger stays calm
and cooperative, there's no affirmative link that could be proven that he knew the car was stolen (if he denies
knowing it was hot).  In this case we'd just ID him, if he's clear he's walking away as the car gets towed.

What are you doing in the car with someone who runs from law enforcement?

This question goes back to ancient history.

In my twenties I rode my thumb across the country numerous times.

A couple of times I got picked up by guys I just knew had to be on the lam for something. I usually found an excuse and got out as soon as I could.

One time I think it paid off but don't know for certain.

I've always wondered about the scenario.

I hitch hiked to work when I was 15, I was picked up by two girls, I got out with my life, hitch hiking is dangerous, they could have been serial killers or something

Happens a lot.  Question and release unless something tingles the spidey sense.

Several times this sort of thing leads to a domestic later.

I was a nerd, they scared me