r/GrindsMyGears • u/OliveEggs • 1d ago
Cops who fish for information during routine traffic stops
[Cross posting from r/PetPeeves]
I despise when cops conduct “pretextual pullovers”—essentially, they pull you over for something routine like a tail light that’s gone out, but use the opportunity to pelt you with additional unrelated questions in an attempt to catch some additional violation.
I have not been stopped while driving since 2008, but was just pulled over while driving my wife and me home from the movies. The young woman officer who pulled me over immediately let me know, “I didn’t stop you for anything major, just that your license plate light is burnt out and you need to get that fixed. I’ll just let you go with a warning after I check your license, registration, and insurance.” Fair enough. So I promptly and politely handed her the documents, expecting her to go back to her car and finish the paperwork.
But once she had the documents in hand, she switched to interrogation mode:
Cop: Do you have any arrest history? Any outstanding warrants for your arrest?
Me: none whatsoever
Cop: You guys look tired. Late night? You must have work in the morning.
Me: yeah, we drove an hour to see the new Nathan Fielder movie about Elizabeth Holmes/Theranos.
Cop: hmm, I’ve never heard of that movie or of Elizabeth Holmes. So you guys are kind of far from home just to see a movie. Wasn’t it showing closer to your home?
Me: no actually it wasn’t. It is only showing on 855 screens nationwide. And this was the only showing in our region. It was sold out.
Cop: OK, and what do you both do for work?
[wife and I both explain our professions]
Cop: OK, I’ll be back in a minute.
It just felt so unnecessary and irrelevant to the issue at hand (broken light on license plate). I know that legally there is no obligation to answer such questions, but in real life situations, I think it’s incredibly dicey. Would it not have simply made me look suspicious if I’d said, “I don’t wish to answer these questions as they don’t seem relevant to my license plate light bulb”? And would that not inflame tensions and possibly just open me up to more scrutiny? I had nothing to hide, so I answered all questions and it was fine, but it was still an awkward and annoying situation.
Perhaps what annoyed me the most was the fake-friendly demeanor with which she delivered these questions. She spoke in a tone like she was just making small talk, but I’m not stupid.
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u/TheDoctorSkeleton 1d ago
Their whole reason to exist is to make you incriminate yourself. Every word they say to you is to trick you into saying something or doing something for them to detain you for. They will pretend to not hear you properly and try to trick you into saying something you didn’t say in the first place.
“I haven’t drank at all today”
“You’ve been drinking all day??”
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u/AmputeeHandModel 1d ago
Where are you coming from? Where are you going? Oh this isn't the most direct route from there. Are you sure? How long ago? It shouldn't have taken that long. Are you sure you didn't stop somewhere else? Maybe a bar? How about you step out of the car?
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u/MONSTERBEARMAN 1d ago
Just start asking annoying and personal questions back. “Have you heard of the movie? No? Oh, it’s great… go off on 10 minute tangent about the plot, characters, cinematography…. So, where do you live? Is your house/apartment big? How many bedrooms? Do you shower daily? I bet that you get pretty stinky under that vest…”
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u/Weary-Savings9795 1d ago
No, don't do that. The cop will make you do a field sobriety test. Unless you can quickly recite the alphabet backwards from Z to A, you will get a DUI charge pending a blood test. Many jurisdictions don't do breathalizer tests anymore.
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u/AustinYun 1d ago
They can't make you do a FST. In fact you should always decline them.
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u/Weary-Savings9795 1d ago
They can charge you with DUI and make you wait for the results of a blood test to get your driving privileges back.
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u/AustinYun 1d ago
They still need PC. Talking about movies isn't PC. They can charge you anyways, but that's true regardless.
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u/MONSTERBEARMAN 1d ago
Possibly, or they’re going to think “OMG this guy won’t stfu. I’m gotta finish this up and get out of here before they start boring me with another long winded story.
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u/Bar-14_umpeagle 3h ago
Your mistake was engaging. Ignore the irrelevant questions and politely ask am I getting a citation. Make them have to make a decision. It also redirects them to the reason for the stop.
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u/spurtz6969 1d ago
Just say "I've provided you with my name, my license and my vehicle's registration" - this will show that you are not being combative or difficult.
Then ask them if you're being detained. If not, tell them that you would like your papers back so that you can be on your way.
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u/triple_carry 1d ago
Do not questions. Everything they are required by to have, is provided on the registration, driver license and insurance documents. That is all they have lawful privilege to. When they ask where you are going / coming from, tell them it’s on the documents provided.
Or, just tell them that in accordance with your Constitutional Rights, you’ll not be answering questions.
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u/TWDYrocks 1d ago
Good example of whatever information you offer up gets twisted into something suspicious that requires more information from you to dispel their suspicions which gives them more information to be suspicious about.
Don’t play this game, don’t answer questions.
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u/DisastrousOne3950 1d ago
Cops think everyone but themselves is a criminal. It's that simple.
It's always us vs them.
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u/Sea-Excitement9239 14h ago
The landmark U.S. Supreme Court case is Rodriguez v. United States (2015). The Court ruled 6–3 that police officers cannot prolong a completed or routine traffic stop to conduct unrelated investigations—such as a K-9 drug sniff—without independent, articulable reasonable suspicion.
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u/Weary-Savings9795 1d ago
Most cops only do this when they're racially discriminating. You don't have to answer any of those questions and it's illegal to put a bad mark on a person's driving record if they refuse to answer.
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u/OliveEggs 1d ago
Well for what it’s worth I’m a white male
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u/johngalt741 1d ago
Wait what!?!?!?? But most cops only do this when they’re racially discriminating….
Eye roll.
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u/Dense_Diver_3998 10h ago
I’m a white guy and have gotten this every time I’ve been pulled over, which was a lot when I was younger in a suburban town with bored cops.
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u/refusedisposable 23h ago
STOP TALKING TO THE POLICE!!! Why would you answer any of these questions. The only reason to extend any kind of conversation with you is to establish some sort of criminality. It is literally their job. Dont ever talk to the police and only give them what you’re legally required to. “I WONT BE ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS” is the way to go.
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u/adv_biker 6h ago
I disagree with many of the other answerers that want you to refuse to cooperate or to be rude. If you're likely to get a warning and not a ticket... it's worth being nice. If you're rude, it's more likely to become a ticket instead of a warning.
So which do you want? A warning or a fine?
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u/Wonderful-Group3639 8m ago
This grinds my gears and so does other actions such as approaching you at night with brights on tailgating trying to get you to speed or roll through a stop sign so that they can pull you over since they currently don't have a reason to pull you over.
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u/Tryingtoflute 1d ago
Politely inform her that all the information that she needs she has, since you already gave her your license, your registration and your insurance information.
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u/Vanthalia 22h ago
Who cares if it looks suspicious to not answer those questions? They’re not relevant to the stop at all. She can’t arrest you just for not answering questions. Answering them can only hurt you because it may give her enough to try to look further. If she for some reason tried to arrest you for something that you didn’t do, then fight it in court.
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u/FoxUniformChuckKilo 9h ago
"Is this necessary to write me a ticket for a light?" or "We've got to get home, and I don't wish to unnecessarily extend this stop"
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u/Ok-Ad8998 9h ago
I worked at a winery. One day, our accountant was driving home and was pulled over for speeding. When they heard "winery" was where she worked, they issued a (needless) sobriety check.
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u/EdgyPun34257 23h ago
The way to handle this is don't answer any questions.
Just yell "Am i being detained???", when asked for your papers, hand them a copy of the US Constitution and yell "I am traveling!!"
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u/I_like_leeks 1d ago
Perfectly legitimate for the cop to ask questions. Perfectly legitimate for you to refuse to answer (other than identifying yourself and obeying lawful orders). They may, for example, be assessing whether there is any suggestion of DUI. You're entitled to assert your rights and you can't be punished for doing so, but in the real world it's usually quicker and easier to be cordial and compliant if you're not doing anything wrong. I'm certainly not disagreeing that it's annoying though.
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u/wastedfate 1d ago
I mean sure, but it's also perfectly legitimate for me to ask questions.
"Where do you live?"
"Where are you going to?"
"Where are you coming from?"
"Have you had anything to drink tonight?"Perhaps I'm assessing whether or not there is any suggestion of DUI. And there's no laws against it.
But when I ask them the same questions back they act like I'm an annoying asshole who is wasting their time. And they are 100% right. But then they fail to see that they are an annoying asshole wasting my time fishing for random bullshit unrelated to the reason they stopped me.
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u/I_like_leeks 1d ago
Yep, that's absolutely fine. Personally, I just want to be about my business in the shortest time possible. If that means gritting my teeth and going through the traffic stop kabuki then so be it. But you're absolutely entitled to assert your rights and challenge anything you see as a violation of them.
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u/kensteele 1d ago
Police are not allowed to delay the traffic stop to go on a fishing expedition. That would be illegal. If the police officer believes he can thread the needle, give it a try.
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u/I_like_leeks 1d ago
Indeed. They are allowed to attempt elevating reasonable articulable suspicion to probable cause, though. As I said, if you aren't doing anything wrong then just be pleasant and get it over with. If you are DUI, keep your mouth shut both figuratively and literally.
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u/kensteele 1d ago
For sure. If they pull you over and there is a huge big black suitcase in the backseat, it's ok if they ask "Going somewhere?" That's not RAS and you should not answer and they're not supposed to stand than and keep pestering you about they see suitcases in the backseat very often and you don't look like you are traveling what's with the suitcase and the zipper is only half zipped up so it looks like you were in a hurry and why isn't this in your trunk is there no room for it and the last time I stopped someone with a suitcase it will full of contraband or that suitcase is large enough to hold a rifle you got a rifle in there.....you should ask if you are free to go; if not, write the ticket and let me go. Now if the suitcase is half unzipped and the officer can see white baggies.....
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u/I_like_leeks 1d ago
Or they have a K9 in the back 😭
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u/kensteele 1d ago
With just one officer and his dog, they are running a huge risk by even delaying the stop for a minute just to run the dog if they have no RAS. Even with 2 officers working together, motorists still have a 4th amendment and there are state laws and department policy so if there is no RAS and they are doing it, after I leave the traffic stop, I would consult a lawyer and see about challenging this. Police should not be "stopping and frisking" with a dog. If that dog "alerts" then they're going to use that as PC to conduct a search.
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u/I_like_leeks 1d ago
Quite right. Regardless, I recommend that everyone meticulously adheres to all traffic regulations and avoids the need for legal challenges post arrest.
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u/Aceilr097 19h ago
Sometimes its fishing, sometimes part of it involves your car matching a description and theyre trying to find out if youre coming from the same area of where someone else was spotted doing some B.S
These sound more like investigation questions.
Granted they participated and said as much by saying more than what was needed to than asking what the reason for their investigation was.
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u/Fantastic-Leek-1589 15h ago
You whine a lot
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u/OliveEggs 13h ago
Look at the name of the sub. Get outta here with your trolling BS
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u/Riommar 1d ago
Give the required documents then say
Officer , i don’t answer questions. I am invoking my 5th amendment right to remain silent.
If they ask again you say ,
I again invoke my 5th amendment right to remain silent and I further invoke my 6th amendment right to have a lawyer present for any further questions.
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u/Qsnaps74656 1d ago
And then they shoot you for non compliance
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u/Ok_Put7254 1d ago
Yes, the people who are suggesting this obviously have a level of privilege that they’ve never even considered. Not everyone can afford to be so assertive with their “rights” unfortunately 😔
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u/WinnerAwkward480 1d ago
I enjoy the banter , with Cops . So Officer you must new to the area as you have a different accent, where you from ?how did ya end up here . Ask them 3 questions to their 1 .
If they don't answer, then say your Pretty serious, I guess there's a lot of Stress in your job . You always wanted to be a cop since you were a kid ? , or was this plan B for you ? . My 3rd cousin on my mom's side is a cop or Security Guard ( always piss's them off ) ( somewhere 3 states away ) . Haven't seen him since I was 12 yrs old , I knew he would be a Cop someday . They will grow tired of it very quickly.
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u/Interchangeable-name 12h ago edited 5h ago
So... the tldr version is a police officer had a conversation with you, nothing at all happened, and you decided to whine on reddit about it? Did I get that correct?
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u/sontanax 10h ago
No, you didn't. The police use these kind of questions to see if there's a lie they can catch you in, or to see if you say something suspicious. There was nothing friendly about it. They're trained to ask questions like that. The lolice, on the other hand, may just be friendly.
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u/OliveEggs 12h ago
lolice? Idiot
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u/Interchangeable-name 5h ago
I am glad that you have never made a typo....
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u/OliveEggs 5h ago
Do you make typos often? Was this your first typo today or second? Typos could indicate intoxication. Please step out of the vehicle
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u/ChangeTheUserName17 1d ago edited 1d ago
If law enforcement has a reason to come into contact with you (e.g., traffic stop), they have to be convinced that you are not a danger to the public and that you don't need assistance. If they were to let you go and you were up to something bad like trafficking females (e.g., the one in your car..) or were having a medical crisis, they would get in big trouble. They are definitely fishing for information about you, your state of mind, and your business until they are convinced.
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u/Catteno 22h ago
they do not have to be convinced of shit they need to do their job and respect the rights of citizens... they can ask my lawyer questions I'm just required to provide licence registration and insurance... after that they can fuck off and write the ticket and I'll settle up with the court one way or another
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u/GenXihaveissues 1d ago
You are engaging with them. They ask a question and you are feeding the fire. " Do you have any warrants? No.
" you look tired, late night?"
Nope.
Where were you?
Running errands
What do you do for work?
A little of this and that.
Have you been drinking tonight?
No.
You can be polite and still not be pushed around.
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u/Alicam123 1d ago
Sometimes we do it because you seem suspicious (checking to see if your drunk/high), sometimes it’s so we can make ourselves seem more human so your anxiety/nerves goes down and sometimes it’s because we would like to chat after a long hard day.
We often get stressed out from the bs we’ve been through that week. 🤷🏻♀️
Don’t mind us it doesn’t usually mean anything.
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u/Sea_Blacksmith98 1d ago
You have a gun and the ability to ruin my life so quick and easily. We mind.
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u/MaddLadd9 1d ago
Maybe get some small talk at the gas station, or something. Dont hold me up, under threat of violence to talk to you dude
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u/refusedisposable 23h ago
I think it’s bs, but just in case you are in law enforcement…go fuck yourself.
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u/Daviidswifey 18h ago
So you think it’s completely fine to pull someone over for a minor violation (like a tag light being out) and because you’ve had a long day or week force the person under the threat (even unspoken) of jail or being shot into small talk? But if I were to do that I would be charged with anything from intimidation to kidnapping (they were too afraid to leave because I was armed) and everything in between.
Does that seem fair to you? Take your power accessory out of the mix aka your badge out of the mix and picture doing that again, what is your thoughts on it now?
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u/Few_Razzmatazz_6052 13h ago
We don't want to chat with you, we want to get on with the evening we were enjoying until you showed up.
Holding people hostage with your gun and your tickets and your handcuffs so you can either shoot the shit or find something else wrong with what we're doing is something we mind, yeah.
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u/Minimum-Journalist18 1d ago
What happens when you make women police officers
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u/wastedfate 1d ago
Bruh this shit has been the norm since before women could vote, or even work. Get a life.
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u/A_Complaisance_Girl 1d ago
"I'm sorry officer, I don't answer questions without a lawyer present."
Just repeat over and over to every question. Let them dig a hole for themselves.