If Cops Demand Your Window Down, DO THIS...

[Jedi Guy]

48. "if it's likely a traffic stop, why not just roll down the window before they even walk up?"

You can, sure. Nothing wrong with doing it that way. I usually wait until they reach the window so they don't wonder if I'm waiting to take a shot at them. As I said, cops are generally very wary on traffic stops.

I presumed they were running my plate, and finding out that I'm probably clean. Is that process faster these days?

It can be if the patrol vehicle is equipped with an automatic plate scanner. If not, the officer has to either use the MTC (mobile tactical computer) to search the DMV records or, if they're lazy, ask the dispatcher to do it. I ran a lot of plates during my time because no one works harder for their money than they absolutely must, cops included. I ended up just doing it automatically when they called out the plate to check themselves out on a traffic stop since I knew they were likely going to ask anyway.

It always mystifies me when people act like total jackwagons on traffic stops and then become bewildered when it makes their situation worse. Deliberately antagonizing people is a pretty stupid strategy.

During my dispatcher days I'd ride along with some of the cops I was friendly with. One of them had a rule that his rider got to decide whether he issued a warning or a citation on normal traffic stops. He pulled over this lady in a gigantic Mercedes SUV, got out, talked to her for five or ten minutes, then came back to the patrol car. He sat down, grabbed his citation book, and started writing ticket after ticket. I asked him what happened to the rule and without missing a beat he replied, "This lady is an asshole so I'm nailing her with every ticket I possibly can."

On another occasion, a different officer I was friends with (Officer Payne, no kidding) pulled over a guy going double the speed limit on a city street. He let the guy go with a warning because he didn't act like a jackwagon.

The energy you put out is very often the energy you get back, as it turns out.