Also, it’s never a good idea to be coy about having a firearm on your person. EVER. All it takes is one perception of your intentions (right or wrong) and it will get you shot. By all means, carry a gun as your right allows. But, understand that I’m willing to err on the side of my safety above an in-depth inquiry into your intentions when deciding to defend myself.

I did excercise what I learned in Police class and other places on how to handle traffic stops, got off with a written warning, her’es how:

1. Pulled over off the main road, away from on-coming traffic.

2. Rolled down all the windows.

3. Shut off the car, shut off the radio.

4. Hands on the wheel.

5. Let the Officer start the conversation, do NOT start it yourself. Let He/She say something first. In this case I was greeted with a Good Morning, which was nice, so I replied the same way.

6. If you plan on reaching somewhere to grab your license or what not, let the Officer know before you do so.

7. Don’t mouth off, don’t be a smartass, answer the questions with simple YES or NO. Remember you also have the right not to answer any questions at all.

1) Invest in a GPS-enabled dash cam for both your front-facing windscreen and back-facing windscreen. If you follow the law, you always have evidence and NEVER have to worry about being wrongly accused of something. Even if GPS data is not admissible for some reason, two corroborating pieces of video with timers on them will back you up.
2) If you ARE speeding, or not obeying the traffic laws, then you DO deserve a ticket. Follow the traffic laws, fool!

Even if you have a momentary lapse in judgement, you’re still putting other people’s lives at risk during that lapse. Traffic laws are in place for a reason not just for your protection but for others’ as well. Quit making excuses for why you “think” you’re more important than other people, and try being MANLY and owning up to your mistakes. When you drive, you are in charge of a 2,000lb+ weapon. You can kill others with your casual mistake. Laws are there to prevent this sort of situation, not just to inconvenience you. Don’t forget this.

We will often ask to search the vehicle if we have P.C. or not. If we don’t and you say “yes”, good for us, we have permission. If we ask, and you say “no” (and we have no P.C.), oh well, it was worth a try. If you say “no”, and we have reasonable suspicion, we will search the vehicle.

Easiest things to to are to not have anything illegal going on in your car. Many times, if the guys had a little weed in the car from the night before, and they told me “I have a little weed in here.”; I’d confiscate it, make sure they weren’t on probation, and send them on their way. Very few cops want to take someone to jail on a tiny baggie of weed. If that’s the worst thing in the car, and the driver isn’t high at the time of the stop, being honest and respectful goes a long way.

I drive a lot for my job, roughly 3k-4k miles a month so I have had my share of road side meetings with the law.

I have found there are a few things that get you out of most tickets.

First, I have a Commercial Drivers license. I havent driven a truck in years, however I wont let this lapse because it helps in getting out of tickets.

If you have a CDL points count more toward your license then a normal. If you have been polite, an officer assumes you make a living driving trucks and if you have been polite, they dont want to hinder you livelihood for a stupid mistake.

Second, I have a carry permit. Like the article said, I have both hands on the wheel when the officer walks up but I have both license out, one in each hand. They usually ask what the other license is, and I tell them, then I tell them where the gun is and explain there is a bullet chambered.

Most of the time they dont even bother with the gun because of the attitude and courtesy shown. Sometimes they ask what type of gun I am have and that has led into a gun discussion. (which Im always eager to have even if Im late)

Be safe.