Today’s tip, like yesterday’s and Monday’s, comes from a wildly informative Reader’s Digest story. It concerns “how to survive a speeding ticket,” in the words of the story. The dos and don’ts mentioned:
- “Do: Keep your hands on the wheel. According to one cop, ‘This shows care and concern for the officer’s safety—and trust me, we really appreciate that.’ Here’s what your police officers really want you to know.
- Don’t say: ‘I’m sorry I was speeding.‘ If you admit guilt, the officer is supposed to write you a ticket (and in some states, he or she legally has to).
- Do say: ‘Is it possible you could just give me a warning?’ In many cases, warnings count toward a department’s ticket quota.
- Definitely don’t say: ‘Do you know who I am?!’/’My taxes pay your salary!’/ ‘Don’t you have anything better to do?!’ Officers agree: Not being a jerk is the minimum requirement to getting out of a ticket.”
Generally speaking, being respectful should be the baseline for your interactions with law enforcement if you’ve been pulled over. Beyond that, well: don’t speed!
Related:
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Another gesture of respecting the officer’s safety is to pull well off the road, allowing as much room for passing traffic to get by, minimizing potential danger to officer (and you).