The Horse is pulled over by the police. Yet again. I am tired of racial profiling.
By The Horse
@TheHorse (220245)
Walnut Creek, California
May 25, 2021 10:06am CST
I am a very good driver. I have driven over five light-seconds without ever causing an accident. A couple of years ago, I was pulled over in Nebraska for tailgating. I don't tailgate. I keep my distance from other drivers because, as comedian Stephen Wright says, "half of the people you know are below average."
It turned out that they pull middle aged white men over in Nebraska if they have California license plates because middle aged white men are the "new mules." Ex-hippies from California import marijuana into Midwestern states where marijuana is not yet legal. The Nebraska Highway Patrol fella was nice and let me toddle along without looking at my drivers license or insurance papers.
The other day, I was pulled over by a motorcycle California Highway Patrol officer. I saw the lights in my rear-view mirror and gestured to him "Is it me you're after"? He nodded. I was nearing the split between two highways (I-680 and Highway 242, for those of you who know Northern California) and gestured to him that I wanted to bear left, onto Highway 242. He nodded and cleared the lane for me, moving left. I put on my turn signal and went in front of him.
When I pulled over, he came to my passenger side window, as officers in the US do. It's harder to shoot them if they're on the right (passenger) side. I showed him that I could not reach the right window (my 2008 Chevy pick-up does not have automatic windows) and asked if I could get out of the car. He said yes. I think by then he knew that I was not who he was after.
The wind was blowing at about 30 miles per hour outside, and my hat blew off. I watched it roll up the highway, to the North. He and I had to lean toward each other to have a conversation. He told me that my trailer hitch was partially blocking my license plate, and that he could not see the number on the plate. He also sad that CHP was on the lookout for stolen vehicles. I told him that I had not modified the truck in any way since I bought it up in Montana, and that I had no idea that the hitch blocked my plate.
By then, he certainly knew that I was not who he was after, gave only a quick glance at my driver's license, and let me go. He never asked for my "proof of insurance."
My hat had blown to an underpass and was off the freeway. I was able to retrieve it and head on into work. Have you ever been pulled over for "no particular reason" because you fit the profile of a naughty person? I gather some immigrant Californians like to steal work trucks. But I am not into stealing cars.
For the record, I did not a) run from the scene; b) talk rudely to him; c) wrestle him to the ground and steal his taser; d) do anything else ignorant.
Just for fun, I will attach Chris Rock's comedy video about "Now Not to Get Your Ass Kicked by the Police." I know I've posted it before.
Really funny video from the Chris Rock show on how not to get your ass kicked by the police.I know they are other versions of this on YouTube but this one is...
27 people like this
24 responses
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
25 May 21
Your post made me laugh. It must be hard to be profiled by the police. I've never received a ticket or been pulled over in the 50+ years that I've been driving. (Knock on wood)
8 people like this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
25 May 21
@TheHorse I must not. :-) And you do?
4 people like this
@1creekgirl (41747)
• United States
25 May 21
Glad you didn't get busted. Years ago a Sheriff's deputy pulled me over on purely circumstantial "evidence" and stereotypical profiling. I was driving a cute little red Prius and passed an old beat up truck that was driving about 40mph. The cop saw me pass the truck and incorrectly assumed I was speeding. My digital speedometer was set on 58. Yes I was going three miles over the speed limit. He said he clocked me going 68. I was so mad, I told him I barely go 68 on the bypass where you can go 70! I got a warning ticket, but if he had given me a ticket (first ever), I would have fought it in court. What a jerk.
8 people like this
@TheHorse (220245)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 May 21
Heh. When I was younger, had a goatee (I still do), and drove a Toyota pick-up, I got pulled over more often. Later I talked to a cop who said that pick-ups and "attitude" beards were proxies for naughty people. Sheesh! I'm a Ph.D. psychologist, not a bad guy.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
25 May 21
Yes, I have been pulled over for no apparent reason except, perhaps, that they were looking for someone else.
Many years ago, I was driving an old Morris Traveller with the back seat down and a large double bass in the back with its neck sticking out between the driver's and the passenger' seat. I was on the way back from a gig and really shouldn't have been driving because I was almost certainly over the limit but we cared less about that sort of thing in the '60s.
The officer flagged me down and came to speak to me. I forget what side of the car he was (we don't tend to shoot cops here), anyway, he took one look inside the car and said "Oh! Musicians! Drive on!".
5 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47670)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
25 May 21
Isn't it nice to know you are who you think you are and not who some cop might think you are?
7 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137634)
• United States
26 May 21
You want someone to steal your car, vanny?
3 people like this
@TheHorse (220245)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 May 21
@DaddyEvil Maybe Vanny will post a picture of her and her car.
3 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (47083)
• India
26 May 21
Looks like the cops on the highway are very alert these days. May be there are too many illegal activities that are occurring.
Sorry to know that your hat got blown off.
2 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (47083)
• India
28 May 21
@DaddyEvil
The police might not be able to understand her accent. Or may be Horse has friends within the police?
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137634)
• United States
26 May 21
If the police were very alert, they would have put him straight in jail instead of letting him drive away again. Just because pony doesn't admit the crimes he commits on myLot, doesn't mean he isn't committing them.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472081)
• Switzerland
25 May 21
I have never been pulled over by the police for the simple reason that I do not drive. My husband a couple of times because he was speeding too much, in Italy, never here. He could always make them understand that they could not prove what they said and they let him go.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (108164)
• Marion, Ohio
26 May 21
I havent but my uncle got pulled over not long after 9-11. He had a new steering wheel column leaning upright from the floor of his truck to the back of the seat. Of course all the cops were on very high alert at that time. He got pulled over, ordered out of the truck and face down on the ground. He did everything they told him. He said they were very apologetic after they seen what he truly had. After that he laid things like that in the bed of the truck
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (108164)
• Marion, Ohio
26 May 21
@TheHorse Just a small pickup truck. He was replacing the steering column in another vehicle. Angled the new one in the passenger side. When the cop passed him he thought it was some kind of weapon that he was seeing. It was just the shaft that goes from the steering wheel down to the floor.
@lovebuglena (44721)
• Staten Island, New York
25 May 21
Never happened to me as I don't drive. But hubby was pulled over after entering the highway. Apparently, he was supposed to stop as there was a stop sign before the ramp and he didn't do it. We didn't remember seeing any stop sign. And then they didn't allow him to drive because his license was suspended. I had to get behind the wheel and get us off the highway or they would take away the car.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (220245)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 May 21
@lovebuglena How does one get "points"? This is unfamiliar territory to me.
@lovebuglena (44721)
• Staten Island, New York
25 May 21
@TheHorse Too many points on it.
1 person likes this
@oahuwriter (26777)
• United States
26 May 21
You did the right thing, resisting arrest, is illegal. No, I've not experienced stereotype pull over. Did get speeding ticket when I had my license. I got a ticket for walking in crosswalk while red hand flashing 2018. It's always a good idea to by courteous.
2 people like this
@oahuwriter (26777)
• United States
27 May 21
@TheHorse
No. We got a white walkie man ok to cross. When flashing and you're deciding if to cross and a cop sees you, you will get ticketed, as I did. A $150 lesson!!!
@arunima25 (87854)
• Bangalore, India
26 May 21
I have lived there and so can relate to the post. It's a funny one and I found myself smiling. For a regular Indian who is not aware of this ( never been out of country or watched Hollywood movies and shows) would find it like a fairy tale Tailgating...well, here there is hardly any inch gap between two vehicles. And lanes..they are just some broken line on roads and many are not sure what they are for. No lane rules here except in our driving lesson books. And the policemen would not follow or give you gestures to pull over. They will wave their hands from road side or jump in front of your car to stop you.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (220245)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 May 21
You comment made me laugh. Especially "And lanes..they are just some broken line on roads and many are not sure what they are for. No lane rules here except in our driving lesson books." Sounds like go-karts or bumper-cars with real cars! Do the drivers usually stop when the police jump in front of them?
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220245)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 May 21
@arunima25 No wonder you Indians are so dang good at cricket. Quick reflexes.
@arunima25 (87854)
• Bangalore, India
26 May 21
@TheHorse Yes, and we Indians are skillful there when you need to put brakes all of a sudden.Our driving journal would be full of such narrow escape incidents. And by narrow, I mean narrow in Indian sense in centimetres, not other standards of narrow.
1 person likes this
@LotusEyes (2711)
• India
25 May 21
The information you provide shows that you are a very good driver who has never made a mistake
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
26 May 21
I went through a period of about two years of being pulled over frequently. It was a used car I had bought that got me in trouble in my small town. Evidently it had been owned by less savory characters at one point. Most outstanding time was when I got pulled over and then the officer thanked me for wearing my seatbelt.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (182192)
• United States
26 May 21
I got pulled over for suspected drunk driving one time, because it was dark, the traffic was terrible and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go straight ahead and take my chances with the highway or try to get on the interstate. After checking out my safe driving points...I think they decided I was not a threat to motorists and let me toddle on home.
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (80736)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
26 May 21
Glad they let you go with no problems, I have never been pulled over and actually when I hear things like this I am glad I have no more car, Thanks for the laughs with the video,
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
26 May 21
I have not been stopped in many years and hope it never happens again. Moving with the traffic coming home from Portland, I was hitting nearly 80at times, but saw not highway patrol cars.
2 people like this
@Dena91 (16686)
• United States
25 May 21
Here in NC you aren't allowed to have anything obstruct your plate. You will be pulled and fined if you are a repeat offender.
Glad you didn't do anything ignorant to get yourself into trouble. Amazing what happens when you listen to one in authority,
2 people like this