Posted: 5/30/2007 1:19:51 PM EDT
| I was stopped this labor day weekend in a speed trap. I was speeding. Anyhow I was pulled over. I roll down all my windows after pulling way off the median. Put my four ways on and I wait for the officer to approach me. She did not approach. She flashed her lights and gave the siren a few hits. So I get out and walk back to her car. She never gets out. She asks for my DL and Reg. She explains why I was pulled over. I hand her all that plus my insurance card. She lets my insurance card fly away into the wind. I ask her why she did that and said it was a mistake with a smile on her face. Then she says that my reg doesn't match my plate. I look at the plate and reg and they match up. I point it out. It had the sticker on it and I explain that it is a duplicate since I lost the origianl. She angrily tells me to wait in the car. As I walk away I hear her mumble a racist remark. I'm pretty upset but keep quiet and go wait. She hits the siren again to call me back to her. I walk back to her and she tells me to sign the ticket. I do and get my DL and Reg back. She tells me "have a great memorial weekend" and laughs at me as she rides away. I was pissed for the way I was just treated. I have Handicapped Disabled Veterans plate on my car. Is this proper behavior and procedures for a State Trooper? I did nothing to provoke her or acted unprofessional. I understand being tired, dealing with mean and angry people and just plain having a bad day. But enjoying upsetting another person is mean and inmature to me. I served 14 years active duty and I'm 100% disabled. I'm not a low life or crimminal to get treated this way. |
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are you quoting her exact words when you said she mumbled a racist remark, as in: She mumbled, "a racist remark." Did she actually use those exact words? If not - what did she say that you claim is "a racist remark" ? Inquiring minds want to know. What became of the insurance card - was it retrieved by either her or by you? Just a feeling - but something's missing from this story. |
| I heard her say" Fucking Cubans" as I walked away. I'm not sure if it was directed at me. I'm not Cuban. The insurance card flew away since it was very windy out. I did try to get it but was too late. She seemed upset from the start. I guess the car she pulled over before me gave her a very hard time and pissed her off and she did have to work on Memorial day weekend. I can understand everything except laughing at me after treating me the way she did. God knows how many Holidays I have had to work. Also dealing with people that are upset is not easy. I'm human and understand all this. I did nothing to provoke that behavior. I just think that I should have been treated with some respect and courtesy that is all. I already reported this incedent. |
Her comment was out of line.
This is actually the most forgivable thing. This does occasionally happen, and anyone remotely familiar with proper customer service would have been more apologetic about it. I would have probably wrote a note on the back of my business card indicating today's date, stating that you had proper insurance but I'd caused it to be lost. At least then the person may avoid a 'no insurance' ticket later on, until he'd been able to replace the card.
I agree with you. You could file a formal complaint. Formal complaints are thoroughly investigated, and unless she had a dash-cam video on, there is no independent witness. It's your word vs. hers. There is no way to know which of you is telling the truth, therefore the complaint would likely be unfounded and no action would be taken. You could call that You could write a letter to the trooper directly, expressing your feelings about how you were treated. Maybe the direct response would have an effect on her in the future, maybe not. You could start a rant thread on Arfcom  (j/k)Write a letter to the editor perhaps? What do you want to do about it, aside from this thread? |
If what you say is true, as a LEO, I recommend that you file a formal written complaint with the agency ASAP. Did this involve the FHP? I don't think you need to be told that having the driver come back to the patrol vehicle after having the siren activated is NOT proper procedure. Your version of what took place sounds like an episode from RENO 911.... |
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Definitely doesn't sound like she was following procedures. I can't even picture a trooper doing that in real life. Maybe on MADD TV, but on the job??? What if she had to draw her weapon? I would file a complaint. You may end up saving her life someday, indirectly. |
| I wrote a letter and sent it to Human Relations Committee, the Governor and the Commander for the FHP. Sent e-mails to different State Senators, Attorney General, etc.. I actually got several calls back from from different people. They are looking into it. My guess is nothing will happen,but at least the Senior leadership will remember her name hopefully. I bet she ain't laughing now. |
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Yes this perfectly normal behavior for a State Trooper and is in fact taught routinely at the academy. As a tiny little trooperette she was told her only function in life is to scour the roadways and rip money out of the wallets of the poor public for absolutely no reason. You sir fit the profile of an easy score to the Trooper as you would not offer much resistance. Troopers commonalty are lazy and have no understanding of tactics for self preservation. I know I have seen many sit in their cars and have the citizen come back to them simply to cause more difficulty on the motorist. I bet the Trooper video taped the entire stop so she could show her buddies how tough she was on a poor disabled veteran. I think the only thing more fun is when a Trooper pulls over a disabled minority veteran in the rain and orders them with the PA to crawl out of the vehicle on their hands and knees across the jagged muddy ground in front of witnesses to be humiliated and ridiculed. You sir are full of CRAP! This incident did not occur and I do not believe you. Have a nice Memorial Day weekend… |
Check your IM ~ 82nd
Are you fucking for real? I guess law enforcement officers never do anything wrong. You piece of shit. |
| No I am not saying that Cops are perfect. I am saying the author is full of crap. He posted in this forum expecting everyone to read his version of events and believe that is what occured. I do not believe for one second that a Florida Trooper was having a bad day and chose to disregard common safety practices and allow someone to approach her vehicle to conduct the interview. I do think the author probably got a ticket and wants to use this forum for a little cop bashing to feel better. I appreciate his service but do not belive his version of events. |
| I'm not cop bashing. I was just taken aback by ELvis269's rude commentary. Everyone else's responses were on point and quite civil. I think maybe officers like him give some people a bad taste for LE in the first place. It may be 'hard to believe' that it happened, but that doesn't mean for sure it didn't. I find it 'hard to believe' what happened at Abu Ghraib, but it happened nonetheless. |
I made the whole story up!! Does that make you feel better Elvis? Believe what you want. There was a speed trap going on. I was not the only one stopped. Was I speeding, yes I was. I was doing 82 in a 60. There where at least 10 trooper cars pulling people over in the same area on the Turnpike near SW 152 street. The trooper that pulled me over was an over weight black female trooper in her 40's or 50's. maybe she was working all morning and pulled over a rude ignorant person before she got too me? I do not know. What I know is the facts that I posted. You do not know who the hell I am so you have a right to question me. The people on this fourm that know me good know better. Those are the facts. I guess I need to stop posting on open fourms. To may closed minded ignorant people like you Elvis. Also I'm not here trying to bash cops. I have good friends and family that are Cops. I know I was wrong by speeding, but the way the trooper treated me was out of line. Are these correct procedures for a trooper? Hopefully she had the video running. That is why I posted.
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| Call me what you want but I am willing to stand by what I stated. I do not belive you or your series of events and I have no way of confirming it ever occured. I will not call you or respond to the personal email you sent me. I will not get in a pointless argument with you in a public forum. I simply do not believe you and that is my opinion. If you were to walk up to me on the street and tell me this story I would be thinking along the same line as my post. I may or may not respond to you verbally that you are full of crap but I would be thinking it. I do have a fairly accurate BS meter and this story pegged it. Have a nice day... |
If you know OP's account is false then convince us! |
| The simple fact that the Trooper made it to the ripe old age of 40 to 50 implies she would not have used the tactics described in the story should be convincing enough. I would think her department would have caught on by now if she is that out of control in her tactics, pesonal bias and racisim. I am not going to say the story is impossible but lets be honest here, it sounds really fishy. I can assure you that this incident was taped and if it went down at stated she will be out of a job and good for our hero if he can get that accomplished. My guess is there is more to the story than is being told and that is my opinion until convinced otherwise... |
Hmmmmm....Good point LastDefender. Why would you ( Airborne ) get out of your car when she hit her sirens? I would've stayed buckled up with my hands on the wheel until instructed otherwise, with words. Is there a hidden code to answer to sirens these days? I'll be damned! Anyways, I'm sorry you had to experience this from one of the finest. |
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I have always wondered what would happen if a Tropper or any LEO wanted me to leave my car to approach theirs. I believe I would keep my happy ass in the car under all circumstances unless at gun point. To the OP, you should really file a complaint as the acts of that officer were totally unprofessional and even hazardous to your well being (walking to the squad car on a busy road). |
| This stop sounds very unprofessional. I have never and would never call a motorist to me as I sat in the patrol car as it is unprofessional and unsafe. I occasionally joked with officers in briefing on a stormy night that if I had to write a ticked or work a vehicle crash, I would do it from the seat of the unit using the PA. I think you should inquire with that troopers supervisor if that is SOP for a stop. Most likely, it will go against policy. |
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There is a technique in traffic stops where you call the person back to your vehicle (using the PA). It's done for unknown risk traffic stops (low-risk stops, like four little old ladies coming back from church, you can approach the vehicle). The theory behind the technique is that it takes away the element of ambush, separates the driver from his buddies for the interview, allows you to assess gait (eg. sobriety), separates the driver from any weapons stashed in the vehicle, and so forth. I've NEVER heard of it being done with the trooper remaining seated in their cruiser. That's tactically the stupidest move ever... you can't fight, have no mobility, and will have a hard time reaching the equipment on your belt. Doesn't make sense... unless the trooper thought it was a low-risk stop, and just didn't want to climb out of her cruiser. |
I call BS.  IF this story is even partially true, you would have and already should have filed a complaint with local Trooper office/barracks. As a cop, I don't know of any cops, myself included, that would EVER conduct a traffic stop while never getting out of the car. That is UNHEARD of. Too many cops are killed on traffic stops, why would you want to increase those odds by being a sitting duck?? Like I said, if any part of this absurd story is true, she has a death wish and I'm sure her supervisors would want her dealt with. |
Troopers ARE the cream of the crop...................................in their own minds.  Could not resist. Edit...WOW... I posted before I read the Elvis stuff. The whole siren thing to get people out of the car is strange. Never seen a LEO that wants to be stuck in the car on a traffic stop but as we know we have all kinds of good and bad LEOs out there. Mostly good but the bad always make the news or thread. Bucky145 Bucky145 |