Favorite Pulled Over Story

[crazy steve]

To inject a bit of lightheartedness, let's hear your best 'Oh damn, I got pulled over' stories. I know everybody has one; c'mon, you're not all that law-abiding are you? Anyway, my nickname (and forum name) was earned with various 'displays' over the years, thankfully that all concerned survived. While some of my early 2 and 4 wheeled exploits is what got me my nickname, this is my fav...

I was coming home late one Tuesday evening about 12 years ago and stopped at the last stop sign/intersection I'd hit. Took the left turn for home and as I saw no traffic for about 3/4 mile (not at all uncommon at the time as I live in the boonies), decided to 'run 'er through the gears'. The car I had at the time was a '64 Comet with a well-leaned-on SBF (310 CI, ported heads, etc) and a four-speed. I mash the gas and red-line power-shift that puppy, getting rubber in every gear. Take it to about 110 or so, back off the the gas and let it settle back to the speed limit. Oh yeah, that was fun! So I cruise up the road about 4 miles and see this car coming up behind me fast. Sure enough, blue lights... and he wants me.

So I pull over, get my stuff out and roll down the window. The LEO comes up and leans in, shining the light on me. I can see the look of surprise on his face; he was expecting some kid, not a 48-year old man. We talk for a minute until he's satisfied I haven't been drinking; he goes back to his car. Now, the only place he could have been sitting that I wouldn't have seen him was at a power substation. I knew he didn't get me on radar, and by the time he got close to me I wasn't speeding. I think I may have woke him up as that was where I made my 1-2 shift...

So he comes back, and sternly says 'going a bit fast weren't you?' and I admit that I was 'blowing the carbon out'. He leans in and says 'Isn't that pretty hard on your tires? (ah ha, he did hear the shift!) I replied 'Well, yeah.... but I'm the one that buys 'em.' He tries to keep his stern look, fails and laughs. Hands me back my paper, tells me to 'take it easy', gets in his car and goes.

The look on his face was priceless...

'78E original owner

[3Phase]

I was riding my KZ750 up the California coast to pick up my girlfriend and take her to a fireworks show. The speed limit was 55 MPH back then and I was having fun with the holiday traffic and making rather good time in spite of it, I thought.

Suddenly, a CHP popped out from in front of a motorhome, put on his lights and pulled me over. Another CHP pulled up behind me, then another, then, finally, another. Out of the last car stepped the biggest CHP I have ever seen in my life. He slowly walked up to me, stomped his shiny boots in the dust, took off his, "You're in a heap of trouble, boy!" sunglasses and proceeded to tell me exactly how long he'd been following me and how fast he had to go to catch me.

Yeah, you got it. I asked him why he was driving so fast.

He turned a very unique shade of purple, I got a ticket and I was informed that they would be watching me from that point on. As I drove up the coast there, in every conceivable nook and cranny and some of which you could not conceive, was a CHP staring back at me as I rode by at a sedate 53 MPH.

Later that day I wrecked my bike on the way to the fireworks show with my girlfriend but that's another story. It was a fun 4th of July weekend.

[Wildkat]

Mine was last year on a school field trip... I rode the bike, riding interference for the busses and then following them as they were doing 5 - 10 MPH less than the speed limit for the duration of the 50 mile trip.
We finally get out in the country and the road opens up into this great sweeper so I decide to open it up a bit... go around the busses and get into the sweeper around 85 and increasing speed. I was around 100 when I decide I'd best get off the throttle...
The road straightens out as I'm slowing down and I see a line of cars oncoming... The last one looked different...
"Oh no"

"Oh yes"

I pull over and wait for him to turn on his lights and turn around... which he did...
As I'm waiting for him to pull up behind me, there go the busses with the kids and teachers cheering me from the windows and several cars of parents who were also chaperoning the trip (and now cheering me from their windows). I explain to the officer that I was chaperoning a field trip and had been following the busses all morning and had JUST opened her up before he saw me...
"and there I was" he says...
"Yes Sir, there you were."
One of the Moms had pulled up behind the officer and verified my story... He smiles, hands me back my ID and insurance and asks if he could count on me to ride slower...
I assured him that I would and he let me go...

Later, the kids made me a thank you card for chaperoning the trip... all of them signed it... and on the back...
A picture drawn of a motorcycle with a police car behind it and a school bus with the words "This card made by Woo Woo (like a police siren) productions"

It was their teacher's idea for the design on the back and the card was drawn by my son...
Definitely a keepsake

[DGXSER]

Kiss Where, Officer??!!

Many years ago, some friends and I were on our way to a one day getaway trip for some caving adventure. We typically left town about 4:30 AM on Sunday. So we are driving down I-75 through Kentucky in the middle of no where at about 5:30 AM.

Now I had just purchased about 6 months ago a 1987 Plymouth Sundance with the 2.2L Turbo. Well, for me at the time, that was a powerful car. (My first car was a VW Bug, and my other one was a Honda Civic Wagon.) So, I get into it and next thing I know we are flying at about 105 MPH, I locked the cruise in.

About 20 minutes later, my friend in the back seat tells me we are in trouble, as I see this blur come up beside me. Well the State Highway Patrol pulls up beside me in a Mustang 5.0 GT and just then all of the lights go on (inlcuding the headlights, yes, he caught up to me in the dark with no headlights on.)

So, after I get out of the car and we talk for a bit about why I was going so fast as he was doing the timing device with a measured distance method of clocking speed, he just said I was going over 100 MPH. I explained it was a new car and I was just trying it out to see what it could do. He then went through the where we are going, where we are from, what do I do for a living, what do they do for a living. He then ask me how I like the car as he is thinking of getting one. Even still, when I get back in the car as he goes back to his car, I hand the keys to my friend and ask them to check on my bail when they come back, figuring I was going to the hooscow.

About 3 minutes later, he flashes his headlights at me, so I go back to his car window. He tells me he is giving me the break of my life, I figure he knocked it down to 74 in a 55. He tells me he is giving me a verbal warning, to which I replied "Kiss Where??!!" He smiled and told me to slow it down. Then, before I even got into my car, he took off like lightning and was out of site by the time I could put the key in the ignition.

[xs11lover]

I have a few. They were all spaced many years apart.
In about 1987 I picked up a 78 pacer wagon, best deal I ever got on a car. paid next to nothing for it cuz it was a goldfish bowl. It was good for things young kids do in the car, very roomy. My girl friend at the time and I were late for a movie and we were flying down the beltway as fast as it would go. We came around the bend and there was a cop sitting there with his lights on already! He pointed at me when we got up to him. I just pulled over. He walked up to the bubble with a pissed off and puzzled look on his face. His first words were "they told me you were coming but I didn't think it would be that fast. I didn't know these things went that fast."
I calmly said, I'm sorry, we were late and I was trying to make up some time. I don't drive this way. He looked back at me like that was the WRONG THING TO SAY. Paused for what seemed like forever, while he thought is this kid really that stupid. He said "well your going to be really late now" Ticket #1

[DGXSER]

Interesting story Garrett, more interesting is one of my best friends had an AMC Pacer given to him when he was 15. He tubbed it and loaded a Ford 4.11 rear end into and powered it with a Chev 350 milled for 12:1 compression and took it to the local drag strip and ran 12.1 sec 1/4 miles consistantly. Imagine, the Camaro and Mustangs pulling up and getting your butt handed to you by a Pacer!!

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread.

[RODS454]

First XS

Back in spring of '79, me and a bunch of idiot friends were out riding one night. (Past dark nothing good usually happens on a motorcycle). I was a Deputy Sheriff for Dallas Co. at the time so I pretty much did what I wanted, not to many consequences for stupid actions back then. Anyway we were out by White Rock Lake and came to a foot bridge that lead across a shollow portion of the lake. It would have been about a 3 mile ride to get to the other side. Of course that is where we wanted to be, and did not want to ride all that way. So I took off across the bridge and everyone else followed. Remember it was dark. As soon as we got across the lights came on. Wouldn't you know it. He was setting there waiting for us. He probably knew we couldn't resist coming across. All the guys knew not to say anything, and to just let me do the talking. We had been stopped many times before,(young and dumb ya know). Anyway we got out of it again. Amazing what flashing a badge will do. Can't count the number of tickets I got out of while I work for Dallas.That one was probably the funniest.
RODS454

[Guy_b_g]

Strictly speaking, not a "pulled over story"

I was riding just outside of Pendleton, Oregon on my first street bike, a KZ750B2, doing 115mph indicated, when I went over a gentle rise and slow sweeping curve where the road passed under the freeway, and two cops were parked on the left side of the road next to each other talking (facing the opposite direction to me).

I knew it was go straight to jail time so I kept the throttle pinned and made it to the freeway on ramp about a mile away...as I passed over the road I had just been on I could see from the overpass that the two cops were still barely underway, so I kept it pinned to the next freeway exit and then rode sedately back through town to my apartment where I parked the bike for at least a week. I knew all they could have known about me was the color of the bike and my clothing at the speed I went by them, but Pendleton is a small town..

My girlfriend got a speeding ticket several years ago that she was really upset about, I couldn't figure out what all the big deal and fuss was about until she told me that she had never gotten one before..(I know how she drives so I was amazed she'd never had a ticket)...seems every time she had been pulled over prior to getting that ticket all she had ever had to do was flirt and bat her eyes at the poor cop and he'd let her off. It was a terrible blow to her self esteem that it wasn't working any more...(I told her I still would'a let her off with a warning...)

[xs11lover]

It was a good car just ugly as the day is long.
I drove it for years and sold it for $50 more than I paid.

[BigRed]

How I got my XS

Not a story about me, but it's how I got my bike. I had a busted '84 Porsche 944 that I couldn't afford to fix, and I had to get rid of it because we were moving, so I was looking to make a trade or sell it. The guy who showed up with an XS11 for trade hadn't even transferred it into his name yet because while he had the temporary permit on it, he got nailed doing something like 172 kph (108mph), and he was still speeding up. He decided then and there that this wasn't the bike for him. Maybe his insurance company helped him with the decision.

[fredintoon]

Cops aren't like that these days

South Devon, 50 years ago. Riding my swingarm & telefork converted 250cc 1936 Velocette. Carrying my fiancee on the pillion. The clutch cable broke which is OK normally, to pull away start up, run with the bike in neutral, jump on and boot it into gear. Not possible when carrying a passenger unless you leave them at the roadside.
I was doing great until I came to a T-junction with a member of the Devon Constabulary directing traffic. I even got through that OK but turned the wrong way. Made a wheelbarrow turn through a filling station and drove back to the intersection. This time the arm of the law brought me to a stop.
What are you doing? he asked.
So I told him about the busted clutch cable and how I could drive OK but didn't want to stop unless on top of a hill that I could roll down.
But we're in a valley here, how are you going to cope?
Perhaps you could give us a push?
And he did!

[Ivan]

A couple good ones here.

First time I ever got pulled over was the day I got my student pilot permit 93rd class medical). My flight instructor (Uncle) lived about 40 miles away. So I left highschool early and headed out. I had my 79 mustang wound up as fast as it could go, which was well past the century mark. I crested a hill and there was a HiPo his lights went on immediately and smoke came from his tires as the pavement accordianed in front of his car from hitting the brakes so hard. I slowed and pulled over, I knew I had been got. He walked up slowly to the car. He was a classic picture of an early 90s HiPo with the wide brim hat and the large mirrored sunglasses. I rolled down the window and he got right in my face and yelled "BOY! YOU GOT A LICENSE TO FLY?" To which I put on my **** eating grin and said "Well, as a matter of fact I just got it today, and was trying it out." I handed it to him and he looked it over. His countenance was contortes as to hide the embarassment and probably trying to not laugh. He stearnly said "You slow it down until you get to the airport, you hear me?" "Sure enough sir, will do" As he walked away, he called in saying to cancel the backup, it was just a radar glitch. I drove 54 the rest of the way.

Second one I really didn't get pulled over, but I was close. I was heading home on K96 on the 81XS and had been following at quite a distance a pig hauler. He was doing 55 in a 70 and I was starting to think I would puke in my helmet from the smell. As the highway turned a bit, it shifted therelative wind and I started getting misted. So I backed off a bit to get some running room and nailed it. I headed for the inside shoulder of the divided highway to put as much room between me and the pork flavoring as I could and passed him doing about 120. As soon as I cleared the brown odorant cloud, I started to shut down and try to tuck in infront of the semi. As I looked right while wiping off the grunge from my helmet, there was a HiPo right there. I bet he had me at 110 or so. So I got over in front of him and signaled toward the shoulder to pull over for him. He sped up and pointed at me laughing hilariously and pinched his nose and waved his hand infront of his face, indicating he wouldn't pull me over, cause I smelled bad.

[fredintoon]

An apocryphal story

Or perhaps an Urban Legend?
Anyhow, a retired RCMP officer swore it happened to him.
On highway patrol and in high speed pursuit of a red sportscar driven by a pretty young lady.
Finally gets the car pulled over and asks the driver
OK, Lady, where's the fire?
I'm sitting on it!
Did he give her a ticket or help her put out the fire? He wouldn't say.

[xs11jack]

No ticket on this one either.

I was a Junior in highschool and with my best buddy went the neighboring town to ogle the girls. We are talking like mad and checking out the sidewalks. Went through a red light and lights and siren fire up. Supidly I ran. went down 6 block and made a right down an alley. Made a left in to the alley that runs past the back the main street stores. I could hear the siren getting loud but could see anyone in the rearveiw mirror, so I made another left between two cars park behind a store. I yelled to my buddy to get in the back seat and lay down. I was on the floor in front when the cop went by, and stayed there for the next three times he went by again at slow speed. When he left, my buddy says I am so shook up I need to get out and pee. I tried to open the drivers side door and it wouldn't move more that about an inch. He tried the pass. door and it would go much further, maybe 2 inches. I slowly backed the car out knowing that with that little clearance, and at the speed we turned in at, there had to be some damage to my car. Nope, not a scratch! We slunk out of town and didn't go back for a long time.
Ole Jack

[crazy steve]

Some good stories... Wildkat gets the 'Cutest' prize, and I have to give Ivan the 'Timing is Everything' award.

I'll throw out one more, motorcycle related, and one that didn't involve any injuries...

I was living in north Seattle at the time (early 70s) and working for Standard Stations (this turned out to be important, as SoCal had the state patrol fuel contract). I was newly single (the first time) and went to a party at a buddy's house about 60 miles south. Beautiful spring day, temps in the mid seventies, so I figured I'd ride the bike down. I had my XS650 then (chromed up, with VW megaphone muffler tips for mufflers; not too quiet at full throttle...) and dressed for the nice weather. Partied all day, played volleyball, and consumed a fair number of barley beverages. About 1 am, figured it was time to head home. One problem... it had cooled off a bunch, but as my reasoning powers were somewhat impaired, didn't give it a thought. Well...

The brisk temps (high 30s) sobered me up very quickly, and about 1/3 of the way home I realized the t-shirt/denim coat I'd picked wasn't cutting it. By the time I hit the King county border, I'm freezing; you would have been hard-pressed to figure out which was vibrating more, me or the bike. I tried varying my speed to see if that would help with the wind-chill, but couldn't feel any difference unless I got below about 35, and at this point all I wanted to do was get home and be warm. Now in those days, Seattle traffic was nothing like it is now. You could be the only vehicle on the road in the middle of the night. So I started going faster, keeping my eyes peeled for LEOs. I get to downtown, and take the 'express lanes' (I-5 through Seattle has limited-access reversable lanes from downtown to its northern border, and the last northern exit off it before it rejoined 'regular' I-5 is mine). Well, I don't see anything in any lane (north, south, or the express lanes), so I twist the throttle wide-open. I'm doing all that 650 will do....

I get near my exit, so I back off the gas and coast off the exit. There's an underpass, and as I clear that I see a WSP car completely blocking the exit... oh s**t... this can't be good; I may be going to jail (but on the other hand, the car will be warm...). I pull up to the car and stop. The patrolman casually gets out, walks around his car (it's one I know) and says conversationally 'Oh, it's you. The officer that saw you will be here in a minute; I was just doing back-up because he didn't know if you were getting off here or still heading north.' Laughs, and gets back in his warm car. Another patrol car screams up to a stop, and the guy just erupts out of the car. Another one I know, and when he storms over, kind of the same reaction; 'IT'S YOU'. Well, he proceeds to chew my ass off; excessive noise 'I HEARD you before I SAW you!', defective equipment (the 'mufflers', and the bike was eating taillight bulbs at the time, so no taillight), and of course, speed. 'Do you KNOW just how FAST you were GOING? I was going 110 and WASN'T catching you!!' (I guess that 650 had a pretty decent top-end ). The whole time, I'm meekly sitting on the bike, shivering pitifully and saying as little as possible. He finally runs down a bit, then asks what I've got to say for myself. I briefly tell my tale of woe, and he says 'ALL the FAVORS you've done for me? Consider them ALL PAID BACK! In fact, consider this PAYBACK for ALL favors you did for ANY OF US!! NOW GET OUT OF HERE!!'

Interestingly enough, neither even asked for my license....

I changed jobs and moved south very shortly after that, and that was probably a good thing...

'78E original owner