In the vein of "everybody always reports the bad, but nobody ever talks about the good police encounters" I got pulled over today in Greene Co., TN for speeding.

US321 is a slow, windy road between Greene and Cocke counties, but right at the border there is a long, straight, widened stretch.  You tend to accelerate once you hit the straight part, even though the speed limit itself only goes up 5mph.

I didn't realize how fast I was going (I actually thought I was going about 5mph over) when I saw a cruiser in the oncoming lane.  I waved "hi" to the cop (I ususally do) and noticed him slow down and make a u-turn in my rearview mirror.  Looking at my dashboard, I saw I was doing 73 in a 50.  Ouch.

He comes up behind me, turns his lights on, so I pull over, turn on my hazards, shut the car off, and put both hands on the wheel.  Two deputies get out of the cruiser, and walk up one on each side of my car.  One remarks to the other "do you have enough room?" so I offer to pull onto the side street about 20ft in front of where I stopped--the deputy declined.

He asks me the first, obvious question--do I know why I was pulled over?  My response was, "uhh, yes sir--I was speeding. I apologize, but when you come off that windy stretch, you just kind of accelerate."

He asks for my license, registration, and insurance.  I give the officer all of that, plus my carry permit (the numbers on the HCP and DL are linked--he would know as soon as he ran my license that I carry, and frankly, I don't want another man with a pistol wondering if his safety is in jeopardy) and tell him my insurance is current, but the card is old.  He tells me a current insurance card is required in the state (new law from last month I wasn't aware of.)

He went back to the cruiser and (I assume) ran my DL, and came back abotu two minutes later.  Told me to be safe, try to slow down, carry my current insurance card, and have a nice day.

All in all, a positive experience, and if you read AR15.com, deputy, just have to say:  Thanks for the break, sir.

  Sounds like you handled the stop well too. A good, honest attitude can work wonders......sometimes.

here's a tip...go to where you keep your registration and insurance card...throw away all the out of date ones...keep the current ones together...often during a stop I see drivers with the entire 'history' of the vehicle's registration and insurance.