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Got a summons for Improper Use of a cell phone!!?

8K views 91 replies 28 participants last post by  kamenliter 
#1 ·
Tonight I got pulled over by cops in Bayonne, NJ. Had a rider in the backseat. Cop comes over, I give him license and reg. I ask him if I did something wrong. Says, I'll let you know...walks away, comes back a few minutes later, asks for my insurance.

Then he says open back passenger window. Shines light on African-American female. Asks for her license. She says she doesn't have one, doesn't drive. He says she's not wearing her seatbelt, I could get a ticket for that. Asks how old she is. 17. Says that's illegal and I could get a ticket or something. Then says, I see you're an Uber driver, I'm not going to give you a ticket tonight. Then says "You were touching your cell phone. " I WAS NOT. I never touched my cell phone. How he even could see if I had, is impossible. They didn't have their headlights on in my car. I was going down a local roadway, at normal speed, with a couple of cars ahead of me, with lights. A leisurely pace, with maybe 10 min left to get passenger home.

So he walks back to the car and ten minutes later comes back with my license, reg and insurance and a summons. With a date to appear in court, infraction of 'improper use of a cell phone.' Statute 394-973. No indication of amount. So that was my night. It was around 10 pm when I got puled over.

Continued on and dropped the passenger off. Then drove to a side street, called Uber, who later said they couldn't help in these matters.

Just really disgusting. He sees a girl in the car and thinks something else? Or drugs or what? And then has to come up with crazy reasons to bust my balls and then give me a summons?? Btw, I'm white, driving in an ethnic area. Guess he's got nothing better to do or to fill their quota??

How can we use the Uber app without touching the phone? If you get a ping while you're driving, how else can you accept it without touching the phone!?? Just ridiculous.

Off to court it is I go, scheduled for mid May.

Anyone ever have to deal with that?
 
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#2 ·
There's probably more to the story then you're giving us. Show us a pix of the summons. Touching a digital screen that's attached to a phone holder is no different than touching your radio tuner, touching your automated door locks, touching the bugger buried inside your nose, you get my point. It's probably busting you because you weren't hands-free.
Regarding the 17 year-old pax, I know that Uber has a policy against it, but I don't think its a statute written in law. I could be wrong, you being in NJ and all, so maybe somebody can fill us in.
 
#18 ·
Regarding the 17 year-old pax, I know that Uber has a policy against it, but I don't think its a statute written in law. I could be wrong, you being in NJ and all, so maybe somebody can fill us in.
It is specifically illegal in California to take unaccompanied minors unless you as a driver have federal trustline fingerprint BG checks and 10 hours of special training. Each state is different on this matter.
 
#4 ·
So I guess no dash cam?

What is the law where you are? In my city the only thing you can do while driving is call 911. You're not allowed to touch your phone for any other reason.

Did you know the pax was underage? That would just be a red flag with Uber, and a good hood reason to keep them out of it anyway. But why would you think they'd help with what is essentially a he said/she said argument anyway?

If the cop said you ran a red light or were speeding, and you disagreed, would you call uber over that? Why give them a reason to get rid of you?
 
#6 ·
Definitely not hiding anything. I had no idea the Pax was 17.

It was on a Pool, the 3rd rider. (one other was in car). It was dark,she just got in and I drove off. Dropped the 2nd rider, continued on with the girl to her destination. Didn't move my hands to the phone at all, both hands on wheel. It was an easy drive, no turns at that juncture, just driving down the road.

I agree, that if you're touching the screen for a second to accept a ride or switch the navigation it's no different than switching the dial on the radio, etc. But thing is, I wasn't. And how would anyone see that, at night. Impossible.

I called Uber because I had never had anything like this. If I ran a red light or was speeding, that would have been different and been my fault and nothing to do. But I hadn't done anything wrong.
 

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#10 ·
Definitely not hiding anything. I had no idea the Pax was 17.

It was on a Pool, the 3rd rider. (one other was in car). It was dark,she just got in and I drove off. Dropped the 2nd rider, continued on with the girl to her destination. Didn't move my hands to the phone at all, both hands on wheel. It was an easy drive, no turns at that juncture, just driving down the road.

I agree, that if you're touching the screen for a second to accept a ride or switch the navigation it's no different than switching the dial on the radio, etc. But thing is, I wasn't. And how would anyone see that, at night. Impossible.

I called Uber because I had never had anything like this. If I ran a red light or was speeding, that would have been different and been my fault and nothing to do. But I hadn't done anything wrong.
But why woukd you expect anything from Uber? It doesn't matter if it was the phone or a red light ticket. It's a ticket. What exactly do you expect from uber other than to put a black mark on your record.

I'm not saying you did it. That's not the point any more than if you did or didn't run a light.

There is NO upside to telling uber, and I just don't get what you were expecting.

My first thought exactly... but... then I thought a dashcam mounted at the windshield, with a second lens looking inside the car, wouldn't be able to capture anything -- assuming the phone is mounted to the dash. This would be a tough situation to cover even if you wanted to...
The cop should have a camera. If he says he saw it, his camera should.

Also, the pax is a potential witness. But good luck for him getting her info if he didn't already.

I would definitely fight this if I was sure I didn't touch the phone. Ask for a jury trial and be a real PITA.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for your comments. Yeah, I'm definitely going to fight it. For sure. I didn't ask for the girls info..I was thinking of it, but ugh it seemed like too much to ask of a 17 year old who was just trying to get home. No dashcam.

As for what I thought I might get out of it, I don't know. Maybe they've had similar incidents. Hey, I was naive, what can I say, I needed to rant.

I'll know better next time to not call them for anything like that, of course.
 
#13 ·
Don't forget that April is the big N.J. distracted driving crackdown month. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/03/utext_udrive_upay_police_to_begin_targeting_distra.html

I have no doubt that cops are under pressure to produce results, and this sounds like the officer you encountered was over-reaching here. It sucks that you have to spend time doing so, but I believe that it's worth fighting. Good luck!

P.S. SuzeCB , you always have great insights and advice. Is there anything else you can add here?
 
#15 ·
Tonight I got pulled over by cops in Bayonne, NJ. Had a rider in the backseat. Cop comes over, I give him license and reg. I ask him if I did something wrong. Says, I'll let you know...walks away, comes back a few minutes later, asks for my insurance.

Then he says open back passenger window. Shines light on African-American female. Asks for her license. She says she doesn't have one, doesn't drive. He says she's not wearing her seatbelt, I could get a ticket for that. Asks how old she is. 17. Says that's illegal and I could get a ticket or something. Then says, I see you're an Uber driver, I'm not going to give you a ticket tonight. Then says "You were touching your cell phone. " I WAS NOT. I never touched my cell phone. How he even could see if I had, is impossible. They didn't have their headlights on in my car. I was going down a local roadway, at normal speed, with a couple of cars ahead of me, with lights. A leisurely pace, with maybe 10 min left to get passenger home.

So he walks back to the car and ten minutes later comes back with my license, reg and insurance and a summons. With a date to appear in court, infraction of 'improper use of a cell phone.' Statute 394-973. No indication of amount. So that was my night. It was around 10 pm when I got puled over.

Continued on and dropped the passenger off. Then drove to a side street, called Uber, who later said they couldn't help in these matters.

Just really disgusting. He sees a girl in the car and thinks something else? Or drugs or what? And then has to come up with crazy reasons to bust my balls and then give me a summons?? Btw, I'm white, driving in an ethnic area. Guess he's got nothing better to do or to fill their quota??

How can we use the Uber app without touching the phone? If you get a ping while you're driving, how else can you accept it without touching the phone!?? Just ridiculous.

Off to court it is I go, scheduled for mid May.

Anyone ever have to deal with that?
I've heard NJ cops were worthless bastard nazis - guess this is one example. I'd suggest fighting it - collect evidence, including photos that show your phone is properly mounted, and photos that show that the officer could not see the phone from their car. Otherwise I don't know NJ law, but it's the kind of case you should be able to get dismissed if you go in prepared.

Just FYI - if it's actually illegal to transport unaccompanied minors in your state, I suggest always asking age of young people. It's technically a misdemeanor here in California, so I am very diligent in asking. If they are I hand them a flyer with the law and a list of other Ride-Share companies that can take minors.

And finally, get dash cams!!! If you had dash cams both in and out you'd have prima facia evidence of no wrong doing, and you'd be guaranteed a dismissal (not to mention a possible suit against the officer for racially motivated harassment).

Dealing with police:

Http://YouAndThePolice.com
 
#19 ·
I've heard NJ cops were worthless bastard nazis
By no means are all of them like that, but there are enough to give them that reputation. I've met plenty of excellent police officers in my travels, but woe to anyone who encounters their opposite.
 
#31 ·
It's not just about the $200 fine. If that stands, the next instance of distracted driving will result in much harsher penalties.

"The Attorney General's office warns that distracted drivers could face fines of $200 to $400 for a first offense and could increase to $800 and three insurance points in subsequent violations."
 
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#33 · (Edited)
It's not just about the $200 fine. If that stands, the next instance of distracted driving will result in much harsher penalties.
"The Attorney General's office warns that distracted drivers could face fines of $200 to $400 for a first offense and could increase to $800 and three insurance points in subsequent violations."
So true. In NJ, a 3rd conviction will result in a 90 day suspension of driving privileges.
An attorney knowlegable in NJ traffic law knows what defenses are pertinent to winning a case and is able to apply them in a court room setting at the suitable time.
 
#38 ·
Where was the phone located? We all have a tendency, or a lot of us do anyway, to keep our phones up in the air, blocking the windshield. That location is against the law. However, 3695 specifically allows TNC drivers to use their phones to run the app necessary to drive for a TNC. Without looking at the law itself, and I'm no attorney here, unless the law includes the placement of the phone, you are allowed to use your Uber apps and GPS while you're driving TNC. You're not allowed to sit and text with your friends, or even text with a passenger you're on the way to get. You are allowed to do single taps or swipes.

As to your passenger, there is no law saying that we in New Jersey cannot transport passengers under the age of 18. That is in Uber rules, not law. There has been a lot of argument all over this forum about whether there is insurance coverage or not when you have an unaccompanied minor in the car. You do. That's not what Uber/Lyft's rule is about. They have this rule so that they do not get sued, or if they do, it will go absolutely nowhere with regard to them, when something else goes wrong involving the transport of a minor. The kid is running away, the kid is going to meet some adult three times their age that they met on the internet, the kid is skipping out of school, the kid is sneaking off to a party that the parents don't want them to go to because of drugs or booze or any other reason. Adults are not allowed to help children violate their parents rules, unless it is for the child safety and well-being. Think taking a child to an emergency room after a parent beat the kid up. Anything else can be construed as aiding and abetting the insubordination or delinquency of a minor, or endangering the welfare of a child. That's what Uber doesn't want to get caught up in. By putting it into the Pax TOS, and making it a rule for the drivers, they eliminate themselves from the equation. They make it an argument between the parents and the drivers. The reason it is such a good idea for drivers to not drive minors while it is against the rules is that it's very expensive to hire an attorney to defend yourself against these types of charges. For the cop to say that transporting a seventeen-year-old was illegal, was him beating on his chest. Nothing more, nothing less.

However, he did not give you the ticket for your passenger not wearing a seatbelt. As much grandstanding and intimidation as he may have engaged in, he did you a favor. He did write you the other ticket, therefore he could have written you the ticket for her not having a seatbelt on. In New Jersey this is the Driver's Responsibility, not the passengers'.

Front seat seat belts are a primary ticket, meaning if an officer sees people sitting in your front seat and somebody is not buckled up, they can pull you over specifically for that, and issue the ticket. If, however, you are driving and you are wearing your seatbelt and your only passenger is in the back and they are not wearing a seatbelt, it's a secondary ticket. That means that there has to be another reason that the officer pulls you over, and that that the person in the back seat was not wearing a seatbelt was obvious during the investigation for the primary ticket. I'm not sure if this changes if the passenger in the backseat is a minor or not.

There's also a whole thing about an officer dragging out an investigation for too long, past the reason that they pulled you over. Having you roll down your window was not necessary. That may be why you didn't get that secondary ticket. Since it was not necessary to the investigation of your cell phone, that ticket could have been tossed out easily. I don't know.

Driving in Essex and Passaic counties, I would find myself in all kinds of neighborhoods. Some of them were really bad. Some of those bad neighborhoods also tended to be primarily one ethnicity or another, other than Caucasian. I am Caucasian. The simple fact of the matter is that when I would be in those neighborhoods, I would stick out like a sore thumb just as much as a black driver would in Deal. Is it profiling, Yes. Is it fair? It really depends on the circumstances. In some neighborhoods, a white person driving through is almost always someone looking for drugs or a hooker or some other illegal enterprise. You very well may end up pulled over so the cop can evaluate what are they think that's what you're doing or not.

Now comes another issue that starts its own debate all over this forum. While driving for Uber or Lyft, in the state of New Jersey, we are supposed to display trade dress. This is not because Uber and Lyft think they are pretty decorations for your car. Showing your trade dress shows that you were operating legally, and provide you the protection that you need to touch your phone while driving. If you are not driving professionally, it is against the law for you to touch your phone. It will also help you in making an argument when your Pax has an illegal substance on them and it is found either on them or in your backseat. If the trade dress is displayed properly, you are obviously working, and you are not responsible for whatever your passenger may have snuck into your car, like you would be if one of your friends did. If your trade dress is not displayed properly, technically, you are operating illegally. I believe that this means that if you get a cop with a particular hair up his posterior, you could be ticketed for being an illegal taxi, like we used to, except this time Uber not going to help you. I could be wrong. It just seems to be a reasonable train of thought to me.
 
#39 ·
Thank you for your detailed response. The phone was located on the air vents next to the steering wheel. Well below the windshield and not an obstruction. Normal cell phone placement for driving. The mention of me 'touching your phone' was only added after he mentioned she had no seatbelt on and after he asked her age. It felt like he was fishing for something to pin on me.

I had the Uber sticker properly placed on the right bottom windshield.

Again, I was driving leisurely, in a not terrible neighborhood, though as a white guy, I would likely be a minority there.

And I never touched the screen or was anywhere near it.

As you said, if you're a driver, you have to be able to touch your screen, to swipe or tap. How else can you accept a ride?

It's the only way to do the job, otherwise, it's impossible. I can't mentally accept pings.
 
#41 ·
Interesting thread. Kameniter, I too think you should contest the ticket.

You said you had had dropped off a pool pax so had no need to touch your phone screen. However, my app still requires me to touch my screen to swipe the “completed trip” tab and a second time to rate the pool pax. Did you touch your phone to do that? Even if you did, I think that’s legal to use the app.

Last month, Philly Police pulled me over for similar pretext. I’m a white guy driving at night alone in West Philly, a mostly black neighborhood.

Cop saw my trade dress so asks if I drive Uber. I said yes. He claimed there was a report of a guy fitting my description involved in a robbery! Cop asked me to step out and face my car to be searched! I complied. He patted me down. His partner stood behind me while he went inside my car with his flashlight, opened my glove box, etc. Cop thanked me for my cooperation and let me go! No ticket, nothing.

I filed a complaint online with Internal Affairs. They took a signed statement from me at their office, still pending. They have video of the stop but maybe not audio from the cop car cam.

The police website has a tool called “Crime Mapper” where the public can search how many robberies have been reported in a neighborhood in the past week, etc. I did a search. Zero robberies were reported.

I think he was on a fishing expedition for drugs or enjoys hassling Uber drivers like us. If you beat your ticket, consider making an Internal Affairs complaint.
 
#44 ·
Cop saw my trade dress so asks if I drive Uber. I said yes. He claimed there was a report of a guy fitting my description involved in a robbery! Cop asked me to step out and face my car to be searched! I complied. He patted me down. His partner stood behind me while he went inside my car with his flashlight, opened my glove box, etc. Cop thanked me for my cooperation and let me go! No ticket, nothing.

I filed a complaint online with Internal Affairs. They took a signed statement from me at their office, still pending. They have video of the stop but maybe not audio from the cop car cam.
.
This is one of the most common lies that cops tell citizens as an excuse for an unconstitutional search. And what they did was an unconstitutional violation of your rights. I am very glad to hear you filed an IAD complaint.

An LAPD officer stopped me on a sidewalk and use that same lie. I did show him my ID (I was in my 20s and didn't know any better). I asked if I was free to go and he said yes and I took my ID and left.

I was wearing a DKNY sportcoat, Hugo Boss shirt, Bananna Republic slacks, and Kenneth Cole shoes. Yea, I looked like a robber WTF.?!?

He was Rampart division and I imagine one of the cops that got fired a few months later in the scandal.

At any rate, good to have a dash cam recording audio. There is no expectation of privacy when police are present though some states have anti-citizen laws regarding recording LE. Nevertheless, attorneys will always say that you need to be clear that you do not consent to the search. Simply saying "I object to any search, and any search performed with be under protest" will eliminate consent.

On that note, few common cop lies or statements (I've personally heard these) intended to get you on the defensive.

"you look like a burglary suspect in the area" (lol)
"I smell Marijuana" (not possible at the place/time)
"I stopped you because your license plate light is out" (it wasn't)
"you look like you're on drugs" (lol)
"you can't shoot (photos) here" (public place)
"have you ever been arrested? I can check!!"
"do you want to be arrested?"

LOL

See http://youandthepolice.Com
 
#46 ·
Here's how it will work. It basically boils down to your word against the officer. The judge will believe the officer. You will be found guilty. End of story.
This is only because officer's testimony is prima facie evidence. If you have "hard" evidence (ie. Video) that shows a different story then you can refute officer testimony. OR if the law is written that requires a certain set of "elements" and the officer failed to state/bring all the elements into evidence, you can move for dismissal on lack of evidence.
 
#47 ·
Interesting thread. Kameniter, I too think you should contest the ticket.

You said you had had dropped off a pool pax so had no need to touch your phone screen. However, my app still requires me to touch my screen to swipe the "completed trip" tab and a second time to rate the pool pax. Did you touch your phone to do that? Even if you did, I think that's legal to use the app.

Last month, Philly Police pulled me over for similar pretext. I'm a white guy driving at night alone in West Philly, a mostly black neighborhood.

Cop saw my trade dress so asks if I drive Uber. I said yes. He claimed there was a report of a guy fitting my description involved in a robbery! Cop asked me to step out and face my car to be searched! I complied. He patted me down. His partner stood behind me while he went inside my car with his flashlight, opened my glove box, etc. Cop thanked me for my cooperation and let me go! No ticket, nothing.

I filed a complaint online with Internal Affairs. They took a signed statement from me at their office, still pending. They have video of the stop but maybe not audio from the cop car cam.

The police website has a tool called "Crime Mapper" where the public can search how many robberies have been reported in a neighborhood in the past week, etc. I did a search. Zero robberies were reported.

I think he was on a fishing expedition for drugs or enjoys hassling Uber drivers like us. If you beat your ticket, consider making an Internal Affairs complaint.
Actually the pax was still in the car at the time of the stop. I was en route to drop her off (less than 10 min away from her destination). I had no reason to touch the screen as I was driving on a straight road with a few minutes of straight road ahead of me.

That's crazy about your stop. I absolutely think it was the cops looking to find 'something'. Should I beat the ticket (I see another poster says I'll be found guilty) then I would file a report. We'll see. The hearing is not until mid May.

kamenliter had a witness in the back seat. Of course, if she would have been willing to give her contact info and a statement and he would have had needed to ask for it.
I have her first name and the destination address. But I didn't ask her to help me while in the car.
 
#48 ·
I have her first name and the destination address. But I didn't ask her to help me while in the car.
As much as I'd love to say to contact her, the fact that she's female and 17 would create too high of a risk for the reward. If it were an older person or a dude, it might be different.

Also, I'm totally not criticizing you for not asking her while in the car. It's hard to keep a level head during unwanted LEO interactions.
 
#50 ·
One of two things. Cop (from behind) saw passenger touching her phone and thought it was driver touching their phone in front. Or, probably more this, Cop saw a young female in backseat and assumed the worse, and created a PC reason to pull driver over, so Cop could 'investigate.'

More important, never ever no never contact Uber for anything outside of getting them to pay money they owe you. As for Accepting Trips...sounds like in NJ you will need to pull over and then touch your screen. Put your Uber App into 'Stop Requests' if you need to...sucks, yup.
 
#51 ·
yeah, my thought is he saw a girl in the backseat, white guy driving, etc..thought 'gotta investigate.'

And yes, I know now to never contact Uber about stuff like this. Learning curve, my dumb move.

As for stopping to accept requests, that's impossible. Almost all of my requests happen that way, most times with riders in the car. By the time I pulled over the request would have ended. I could be on the highway or somewhere where it's impossible to pull over anyway.

If that were the case and I had to do that, I'd have to quit driving.

I think this is a super isolated incident. If anything like this happened again, I think that would be it for me and driving for Uber.
 
#52 ·
kamenliter had a witness in the back seat. Of course, if she would have been willing to give her contact info and a statement and he would have had needed to ask for it.
I think in addition to giving her contact info, she would also need to be willing to actually come to court and waste her entire day.

Merely giving a written statement, even if it is notarized, would not carry any value. In-person presence is needed, so that she can be cross-examined.

Cops would not give a ticket for fiddling with a phone as long as it is attached to the dash.
The minute it's in your hand, they will. Even if it's not placed against your ear.
 
#53 ·
Tonight I got pulled over by cops in Bayonne, NJ. Had a rider in the backseat. Cop comes over, I give him license and reg. I ask him if I did something wrong. Says, I'll let you know...walks away, comes back a few minutes later, asks for my insurance.

Then he says open back passenger window. Shines light on African-American female. Asks for her license. She says she doesn't have one, doesn't drive. He says she's not wearing her seatbelt, I could get a ticket for that. Asks how old she is. 17. Says that's illegal and I could get a ticket or something. Then says, I see you're an Uber driver, I'm not going to give you a ticket tonight. Then says "You were touching your cell phone. " ....
Anyone ever have to deal with that?
something is amiss.

he was going to give you a warning, but then something happens... are you sure you didn't do anything else to turn an officer from 'warning' status to 'ticket' status?
 
#63 ·
No, I didn't do anything odd or say anything weird or defensive. I was very cooperative. I was surprised when he came back with the summons, since he said he wasn't going to give me a ticket. If he gave me a ticket for the seatbelt, it only would have been $46, but the cell phone thing could be $100-$250.

Who knows, just a shmuck feeling his power.

If driver is in a market where the Law does not allow the touching of phone while driving, then driver needs to select 'Stop New Requests' - finish current trip, then while legally parked begin Accepting Trips again. Fairly simple, actually.
How can you know which area has what law...I'm driving all over Jersey. Impossible to continually stop and start stuff like that...it's ridiculous. I have to have the app going; that's the way I get fares. As I drive, before I drop someone off I'm already getting the request for the next one.

If that were the case, to hell with this shit.

It's where you say you "dropped the 2nd rider" where I thought you would have swiped to complete that ride and tap a rating prior to continuing with the black girl in the backseat. Wasn't sure if the cop could have seen you do that right after dropping off 2nd rider or if he pulled you over long after that. Not that you did anything wrong anyway. I wasn't sure of the time spacing sequence.
Yeah, Unless the cops followed me from where I dropped the second rider. But when I dropped them, I stopped the car and swiped complete trip before I continued on with the third rider.

Just a screwed up situation.
 
#56 ·
It was on a Pool, the 3rd rider. (one other was in car). It was dark,she just got in and I drove off. Dropped the 2nd rider, continued on with the girl to her destination. Didn't move my hands to the phone at all, both hands on wheel. .
It's where you say you "dropped the 2nd rider" where I thought you would have swiped to complete that ride and tap a rating prior to continuing with the black girl in the backseat. Wasn't sure if the cop could have seen you do that right after dropping off 2nd rider or if he pulled you over long after that. Not that you did anything wrong anyway. I wasn't sure of the time spacing sequence.
 
#57 ·
But why woukd you expect anything from Uber? It doesn't matter if it was the phone or a red light ticket. It's a ticket. What exactly do you expect from uber other than to put a black mark on your record.

I'm not saying you did it. That's not the point any more than if you did or didn't run a light.

There is NO upside to telling uber, and I just don't get what you were expecting.

The cop should have a camera. If he says he saw it, his camera should.

Also, the pax is a potential witness. But good luck for him getting her info if he didn't already.

I would definitely fight this if I was sure I didn't touch the phone. Ask for a jury trial and be a real PITA.
Can't get a jury for a civil infraction
 
#58 ·
Folks, if op is recalling accurately then cop saw nothing but a phone on the dash and decided to make something up.

Many cops lie all day long.

Just like you are wearing your seat belt. Cop pulls you over, walks up and asks for ID. While he is watching you buck your belt so you can get your wallet. Two minutes later he says "I just noticed you weren't wearing a seatbelt, I ha really to give you a ticket for that". WTF

Don't get me wrong, 70% of cops are good, hard working, and honest people.

But that leaves 30% which are lying corrupt sociopathic assholes.

One out of three times you'll get a bad one. Drag when that happens.
 
#59 ·
This is one of the most common lies that cops tell citizens as an excuse for an unconstitutional search. And what they did was an unconstitutional violation of your rights. I am very glad to hear you filed an IAD complaint.

An LAPD officer stopped me on a sidewalk and use that same lie. I did show him my ID (I was in my 20s and didn't know any better). I asked if I was free to go and he said yes and I took my ID and left.

I was wearing a DKNY sportcoat, Hugo Boss shirt, Bananna Republic slacks, and Kenneth Cole shoes. Yea, I looked like a robber WTF.?!?

On that note, few common cop lies or statements (I've personally heard these) intended to get you on the defensive.

"you look like a burglary suspect in the area" (lol)
So you know the drill. He came up to my window and says after a few minutes that their suspect is a white male wearing a red coat and blue jeans, which naturally he can see me wearing now. How the F did SuperCop see the colors of my coat and pants as I sat in my car and he sat in his car behind me at 9:45 pm before pulling me over?
 
#60 ·
Exactly. I rehearse these lines:

Me: "objection. Am I being detained, and if so why?"

Cop: "I want to ask you some questions"

Me: "I'm not answering any questions, am I free to go?"

Another one that fortunately has never happened to me, if cop arrests you they will often turn on their body audio recorder and say "stop resisting" . It's important to say loud and clear, and repeatedly "I'm not resisting and you're hurting me".
 
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