[HKinNY]

I flew into San Antonio, Texas on Thursday a day earlier than my convention started. And over the last few months my neighbor is looking to buy a 1949 Plymouth and he finds a really clean one in Houston. So he asks me If I would mind driving 3 1/2 hours each way to look at the car. Yea, I know real PIA but real good neighbor.
As I posted earlier I flew thru JFK with firearms and now suited up and jumped into rental car for the long drive. I tossed my suitcase in the trunk and had knapsack on the passenger seat, that I took as carry on for GPS, Camera, Kindle and snacks. Driving on I-10,Left Lane traveling at 85 mph in a 75. As I approaching exit for Eagle Lake Road by Seally and Bulville. I take my eyes off ahead of me and start looking around the beautiful landscape and next thing I look to my right and sitting on coming traffic on the right is a sheriffs car looking at me. I look down and I was going 85. He starts to roll out and then stops. Whew!! I am watching him in the rear view mirror and after 45 seconds he is rolling. I switched from the left lane to the right when I figured I was going to get pulled over. Now their is another Sheriffs car who stopped another motorist so I switch back to the left (move over law) and then back to the right all the time watching the rear view mirror and the 1st Sheriff car is about 5 car lengths behind me so I start pulling over to the shoulder right before he lights them up. Lights on. I give a wave of acknowlegement, pull over and stop. Windows open. Hands on the wheel. He approaches from passengers side. He asks for my drivers license. Inform him that I have my drivers license in my front left pocket and my firearm on my right hip. How would you like to proceed? He states "Just keep your hand away from your side. OK, but I have to take off my seat belt to get my license. OK. I pass him my DL. Do you know why I pulled you over today? Sure do, I was speeding. How fast do you think you were going? 85. Close 84. I have family and friend that are Police officers and I would have pulled over sooner but you started to pull out and then you stopped. Was not sure on what you were going to do. Where are you heading today? I just flew into SA jumped into the rental car and heading to Houston. Would you like to see the rental agreement? Pass him the RA and after a quick glance passes it back. What is in Houston? Funny you should ask. My neighbor is looking to buy a 1949 Plymouth and I am going to check it out. I came down here for business a day earlier to relax and here I am heading to Houston instead. Looks at the backpack and asks "Is this all you brought down for the trip? No sir my suitcase is in the truck this is my carryon. He looking at my DL and I state" I have a Class A license without and tickets or suspensions or points. If you wish go check it out and you will see that I have a clean license and wish to keep it that way. Hands me back the DL and says "Have a good day" He leans up and then back down, by the way how did you get your firearm here to texas? I explained that the Port Authory who handles the NY/NJ airports looked at my pistol permit and it went under the plane. OK, have a good drive. Any day not getting a ticket is a Positive Encounter all the way around.
Yes,neighbor bought the car.

 

[justherenow]

Good encounter. I tend not to answer "yes" when they ask me if I know why I was stopped. I have them tell me. Simple reason, when they ask you, normally you are on a recorder, either camera or their voice recorder that alot of them carry. If you answer and say "yes, I was driving xx" and the speed limit was lower, you just admitted to the violation and if you ever had a chance to contest it, you just blew it. Not that I have been stopped since I was 22, but still, that my way of thinking. They taught is that very thing when i was in the academy, well, they taught us to ask, especially when having a recorder going.

 

[HKinNY]

Two schools of thought. One the truth. I have never had a leo write me a ticket for admitting what I was doing wrong. Second insult the Leo by telling him you are to stupid to know what you are/were doing wrong behind the wheel of a vehicle. I knew why the leo asked each question on the traffic stop. I had nothing to worry about.

 

[RETSUPT99]

Sounds like a nice leo stop...and no ticket either.:bier:
Go buy alottery ticket...:yup:

 

[farronwolf]

Dang yankees, coming down here and using up all the warnings from the DPS. :gah:

 

[hogdaddy]

Good Job, Handled well H/D

 

[PaulaMoreno]

im sorry to be such a noob, but what is a leo? for give me i am new here

 

[farronwolf]

Law Enforcement Officer

LEO

 

[gunthorp]

I can't believe it's not butter. You got through NY with an evil gun.

 

[Rugergirl]

Two schools of thought. One the truth. I have never had a leo write me a ticket for admitting what I was doing wrong. Second insult the Leo by telling him you are to stupid to know what you are/were doing wrong behind the wheel of a vehicle. I knew why the leo asked each question on the traffic stop. I had nothing to worry about.

Sometmes honesty is the best policy. I had it work for me on evening. I had the Muscle-Stang out for a little ride, nice evening, not much traffic, and the devil got ahold of me when the traffic light turned green. I got on it a bit, uhm, well a lot, drove it the way it was meant to be driven, right past the police officer parked on the far end of the strip mall. By the time I passed him I had to easily be doing 20 over, if not more. As soon and I saw him pull out, I slowed down waited for him to catch up, and as soon as he lit me up, I turned and parked on the first side street. He asked "Just what was that all about?"
Well what do you really say? I was honest and told him the joy of driving the car overwhelmed all sense of reason. His jaw dropped and he told me I was the most honest person he had ever stopped, and to knock it off and have a nice evening.
I knew I was busted and it would have been a doozy if he wrote me for it, so I just told him the unvarnished truth.
I took it pretty easy the rest of the way home.:yup:

 

[HotGuns]

The truth always is the best policy.

Someone admitting that they knew they were in the wrong will more than likely get a warning from me if I stop them. The point has been made, no sense in losing part of a paycheck over it.

On the other hand, if they have a lengthy driving history of being stupid, they'll probably get a ticket, because obviously, a warning doesn't work.

 

[TX-JB]

H/K,
The Sheriff's deputies (my old agency) are a little more lenient than the Houston cops. Glad you had a good time down here.

Would the NY cops have been as friendly?

 

[GunnyBunny]

Well handled by both parties!! :hand10:

May my first encounter (if I ever have one), go so well!! :bowdown:

 

[orangevol]

Good encounter...glad everything ended like it did.

 

[HKinNY]

H/K,
The Sheriff's deputies (my old agency) are a little more lenient than the Houston cops. Glad you had a good time down here.

Would the NY cops have been as friendly?

Send a thanks to the Deps 4 me. Most leo's even in NY give a fair break.

 

[Ragin Cajun]

"What's in Houston?"
I know that LEO's like to fish and they can ask what ever they want but the bottom line is it's none of their business why you are in Texas. I think it is BS when they ask questions that are none of their business or has anything to do with the fact that you were going 9 MPH's over the speed limit. That was nice you didn't get a ticket but I disagree with him asking about things that are none of their business.

 

[farronwolf]

"What's in Houston?"
I know that LEO's like to fish and they can ask what ever they want but the bottom line is it's none of their business why you are in Texas. I think it is BS when they ask questions that are none of their business or has anything to do with the fact that you were going 9 MPH's over the speed limit. That was nice you didn't get a ticket but I disagree with him asking about things that are none of their business.

Now, I am no LEO, but you think maybe they are asking questions to find out if the person gives straight answers or if they are hiding something. I would guess that part of the process during a stop for a LEO is that through questions that have uncertain or varying answers they sometimes end up with drug busts or other illegal activity busts because the people are searching for answers that seem logical to questions posed by the LEO.

Like the OP, just tell the truth and you don't have anything to worry about if your not doing anything but speeding. If your lying about why your speeding, well you probably have something else to hide.

 

[Ragin Cajun]

Now, I am no LEO, but you think maybe they are asking questions to find out if the person gives straight answers or if they are hiding something. I would guess that part of the process during a stop for a LEO is that through questions that have uncertain or varying answers they sometimes end up with drug busts or other illegal activity busts because the people are searching for answers that seem logical to questions posed by the LEO.

Like the OP, just tell the truth and you don't have anything to worry about if your not doing anything but speeding. If your lying about why your speeding, well you probably have something else to hide.

I agree with tell the truth, I always do and I'll be the first to admit if I make a mistake. I know why they do it but what I don't like is when they intrude in your business that has nothing to do with the reason they pulled you over for. In the case of the original post, he was pulled over for going 9 mph over the speed limit. If you pull me over for going 9 mph over the speed limit, either write me a ticket and let me go on my way or if you feel like letting me off with out a ticket then run my licence and let me go.

The back pack in the car had nothing to do with the person going 9 MPH over the speed limit. It's not the cops business on what luggage he decided to travel with. How he got his gun in Texas had nothing to do with him going 9 MPH over the speed limit or the fact he was carrying it legal... I feel the same way cops who pull people over and claim you didn't use your blinker 5 miles back when you know damn good and well you did and then they try to make you feel lucky when they "let you go" after running your licence. They are fishing and like I said, I know why they are doing it but I still don't think it is right IMO.

 

[farronwolf]

Ragin,

So you don't think the cops should pull over folks that meet the profile for drug runners. We seem to get a lot of that here in Texas. I mean if they are driving like everyone else, obeying the rules except for one little thing or another, the cops should just let them be even if there is a good chance they are loaded down with dope.

If a cop wants to ask questions during a stop, I have no problem with it. If you don't want to answer what is in the backpack or how you got your gun into the state, that is up to you. It is a free country. But when you give the answer, it is none of your business, and they keep you there for a long, long, long time, well have fun exercising your right to not answer the question.

 

[TX-JB]

Maybe the deputy was just having a friendly conversation with an out of state visitor. Maybe he was passing the time, trying to decide if he was going to write him a ticket. Maybe he was trying to put H/K at ease, since most folks are more tense when stopped, for traffic, away from home.

If the LEO is all business, and out to write tickets, he will tell you within the first 30-45 seconds you are getting a ticket. If they start a conversation, they are probably trying to decide how to handle the stop. It can also be quite entertaining to see what kind of story you might hear. I've heard some good one's over the years.

BTW, I think honesty is the best policy when stopped for traffic. LEO's are so used to being lied to when someone is up front and honest, it's refreshing. You're more likely to get a warning if you're honest.

That's my take on it and OMO.