Is your car a cop target?

i drive a biege 4-door late model sedan, and the problem i have is that NOBODY seems to notice me. when i am on the freeway and i go to pass in the left hand lane, i have had over 50 occurences where the car or 18-WHEELER starts drifting over the line into my lane!!...so many times i have had to brake until the car or truck gets back into their own lane. it's like my car has a massive magnet on the passenger side. but on the plus side, my rule of thumb of driving fast on the freeway is...always make sure you ARE NOT the fastest car...make sure someone passes you first, then you can speed up no matter what the speed limit is...well...within reason of course. if someone on the freeway is going 80 to 85 and passes you, you can pretty much drive at 75, as long as you keep your eyes open.

uhhmmm...but i have stopped this practice along time ago, since i do want to follow the rules of the road and avoid getting a ticket.

[edit on 9-3-2009 by jimmyx]

[edit on 9-3-2009 by jimmyx]

I've driven silver/grey vehicles all of my life.
Pulled over dozens of times.
Never had a speeding ticket.

Originally posted by Hendu
Hehehe. Yelling at a cop is always a good idea.

Manners get you everywhere.

I think the list has more to do w/ what kind of person is driving the vehicle. Those in the targeted list are probably more likely to drive fast, erratically or just be obnoxious persons probably. Grannies and whatnot are more likely to drive the bottom list.

Look out Sgt Joe, here comes Myrtle in her Park Avenue. Best keep on her. ehheheheh

i think it's funny when a cop pulls someone over for speeding and they immediately start yelling about their rights. driving a car is not a right, it's a privledge granted by the state. i know cops who probably think "oh no, not another one". hey, they are just doing their job, treat them with respect and you'll get respect back...even if you get a ticket.

Well the advantage to being a grandpa is while I may still get pulled over I don't get near as many tickets as I did when I was younger.

But being a muscle car fan I have had cops come ask to look at my cars, not to search but in that someday daydream. I once offered to let one young cop drive my car if he let me drive his... sorry to report he didn't take me up on it

But to keep in tone with this post I do look for cool old cars at the local police DWI auctions and guess what you'll find a lot of the cars listed at those auctions.

I think its like someone said the people who tend to drive those cars drive fast, take chances whatever Not so much that the police "target" those vehicles.
The least ticketed list looks like bigger cars and trucks which aren't as easy to drive fast without realizing it IMO. It's waaaay easier to cruise a 90mph without realizing it or feeling it in a 500hp AMG Mercedes geared for the autobahn than say a Buick Park Ave or a big Van, Suburban or truck.


I do think certain things on your car will get you more attention from the police like tinted windows, lots of stickers or certain ones, loud stuff like exhausts, stereos and paintjobs, low riders and monster trucks and junk box beaters that don't look safe for the road. Police do profile you based on your image, so if you're in a VW minibus with Greatful Dead and Phish stickers all over they'll probably tag you as a drug using hippie whether you are or not and try to pull you over. If you have beer company stickers all over your truck they'll tag you as a beer drinking drunk and mess with you.

This is a great video on police profiling

www.dailymotion.com...

And here's Chris Rock on the subject

www.youtube.com...

[edit on 9-3-2009 by warpboost]

reply to post by jimmyx


That is EXACTLY what this poor cop thought, hehe. He actually rolled his eyes at me. I was a fireball back then(twenty plus yrs ago). Dont worry, I have matured a wee bit since then!

reply to post by warpboost


Now this was back in the 1980's but my brother in law was a Deputy Sheriff back then... I remember him telling me they looked for people who parted their hair in the middle as the odds were very good that person was a drug user!

Maybe that's what started the trend to shave your head?

Reply to AshleyD (the button refuses to work again)


You might be on to something there Ashley.

My car yes is often used for the street racing scene, and this can have an effect on a person from time to time. I admit sometimes I have to push the pedal a little harder. Nothing like the feeling of being pushed back into the seat of your car. But normally I drive pretty simple nothing more than five over the limit. Of course unlike many others my “race” car also sports a car seat. I have seen pics of some sporting two car seats though; the seats seem out of place lol. Just because my car is a “race” car does not mean I should drive it like one (at least all the time).


I have seen some a lot of the BMW M3 people really try and show off in their cars. But then again I have seen people in vehicles that are not so fast (sports wise) but the drivers feel the power of the big SUV and decide they are able to take the roads at top speed. The president of my company drives a BMW (forget the series) and I have seen him take off out of the parking lot hitting high speeds pretty quickly. He is a much older man which sort of makes is seem funny.



I have seen plenty of the big SUVs and Hummers pull up beside me at lights and really try to impress me by taking off fast while I take off normally. That will give you a laugh when you know they think they took my little four cylinder “rice burner”. I was surprised yesterday to see a older model Camaro SS, bright, shiny, clean, driven by a younger person that pulled up beside me and did not rev the engine or anything, he even drove normally. Yet a bright red new Mustang revved on me the other day as I drove past him lol.


I think in reality though cars do attract a certain personality that will drive the car a certain way that will get them pulled over. My car as I said does seem to force me to push the pedal in a little deeper from time to time lol. I totally blame the cars if my car was not meant to drive fast it should not have a top speed at just over 170.

Raist

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Where I live, it seems they are targeting women driving alone in nicer, late model cars.

Easier to intimidate. More likely to be able to pay the fines.

they purposly put a tracking device on all cars made in 2000. the police and anyone else can activate it to find there car if it gets stolen or lost or whatever. the satellight gps can track a car anywhere. this system is free to the police, but you the citizen has to pay to activate the chip in your car. all you need is the vin on the car and they activate the chip to find the car. the same tech goes into planes black boxes so that they can find the plane in the water or wherever.

You're forgetting about the area that you are driving in also has something to do with it. When I was a proactive police officer I would patrol the high crime area's and try to find a reason to pull a vehicle over, either for an equipment violation or traffic violation. Really didn't matter what make or color the vehicle was. Now I'm just local police, highway patrol, or state troopers that deal strictly with traffic and traffic crimes may look at it differently. If you're driving your vehicle in or close to a high crime area and you have some type of equipment violation or execute a traffic violation your chances of getting pulled over just increased.

reply to post by pudgeego


Hate to burst your bubble but I have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and there's no tracking device installed in it. Perhaps your thinking of ONSTAR.

Not 1 but 2 Scion XD's one blue one black- No tickets

Red 1988 Buick Reatta 2 Seater- no tickets

For some reason I have always driven black cars, I guess I like the look of them. My Acura TL didn't make either list, which makes sense since I get an "Average" amount of tickets. Mainly cause of my lead foot in certain situations.

Also, in BC they've started hiding behind things, like bushes or cars or on peoples property at the edge of a road. As you approach they run out in front of your car and put their hand up like a Neo bullet stop... my last 3 speeding tickets have come in this manner. I hate these sneaky little traps.

Originally posted by pudgeego
they purposly put a tracking device on all cars made in 2000. the police and anyone else can activate it to find there car if it gets stolen or lost or whatever. the satellight gps can track a car anywhere. this system is free to the police, but you the citizen has to pay to activate the chip in your car. all you need is the vin on the car and they activate the chip to find the car. the same tech goes into planes black boxes so that they can find the plane in the water or wherever.

[edit on 6/10/2009 by greeneyedleo]

I saw something really funny the other day. This guy bought an old sheriff's car, black and white, it still had a faint image of the sheriff's decal on the door. He had lettering put on the back fenders which said "TO PUNISH AND ENSLAVE", (vs. to serve and protect). It was hilaroius, but I wonder how many times this guy gets pulled over driving that thing.