Pulled over for???

[Hornswaggle]

okay as a officer ill speak up..

it doesn't matter how much you dont break the law.. you were riding with out eye protection he had the a good reason to stop you..

if you pulled out of the gas station and did 110 in a 55 is that ok cause you were only doing it for a few seconds?


the officer was doing a probable cause stop. just making sure you were all legal and didn't have any warrants..

im sure if he would have saw someone else doing it he would pull them over just the same.

you cant get upset for getting a warning for breaking a law you were clearly aware of..

its not a big deal it was only a warning.. just brush it off and thank him for being out there doing his job and being proactive and trying to find criminal.

First of all I want to thank Im Faster (I'm sure that nickname in no way reflects a tendancy to exceed the posted speed limits )for the work that you do for our communities as an officer! I have a lot of respect for anyone that puts their own safety on the line for others, and I say that with 10 years on a fire department. Over the years I have been stopped several times for probable cause and I totally understand that it is a tool that law enforcement has to do their job. Only one time did it bother me and it was the officers attitude, not the reason for the stop, that irritated me. He stopped me for going through a yellow light on an empty street going through a very small town at 11:00 at night with my family asleep in the car. He berated me and wanted me to appreciate that he was ONLY going to give me a warning this time. Don't get me wrong, I know there are times when you need to present yourself as the person with authority for a variety of reasons, but it's not always WHAT you do or say that makes the lasting impression, it is HOW you do or say it. If that officer had just lost the attitude and explained why he stopped me, ran my DL and plates, and told me to have a safe trip I would have long ago forgotten the incident. If I had clearly blown a red light I deserved a ticket too but I didn't and he never claimed I did. I believe it is pretty common for people with authority (I'm not limiting that statement to law enforcement by the way, could be me with my teenage daughter explaining what time to be home!) to forget that they should treat others with respect as they would expect themselvs or their family members to be treated.

When a patrol car is driving down the interstate at 5mph above the posted speed limit with the rest of traffic are they breaking the law themselves? The answer is yes (unless of course they are displaying lights and sirens, your answer may very by state.....). Does that mean they deserve a ticket because they are a danger to themselves and society at large because they are exceeding the speed limit by 5mph? Not in my book. Is driving a MC without eye protection in Mn illegal? Yes, and a probable cause for a stop. Is driving away from a gas station a block or two with your shield still up a safety hazzard? Doubtful.

[Allie]

I agree with being pulled over for not having eye protection. Helmet laws exist primarily to protect the rider from themselves. By contrast, eye protection has a direct impact on others on the road because even a small bug can take 100% of your focus away if it hits you right.

I fully agree with the law too, it doesn't take much to make you lose control if you get hit in the eye, and an out of control motorcycle is a deadly projectile.

[apso1857]

I, like one of the previous posters, am also employed in law enforcement. Although I may, or may not agree with all of the laws on the books, they are there for a reason, and I'm sworn to uphold them (even if with just a warning). There must have been an incident somewhere/time in the past to have caused the lawmakers to put that statute on the book.

On the other hand, I also agree that their are old laws, that should be removed, still on the books in some jurisdictions. In the first town PD I worked for there is still a law on the books that you cannot paint a horse, nor ride one in front of the church on Sundays.

Dustin

[Billy Ricks]

No eye protection law here in Texas. Our helmet law is screwed up. It's mandatory unless you have health insurance or took an MSF course. They just did away with a requirement to have a decal on the bike to prove you are exempt. The new law also says the police have no right to determine if you have taken an MSF course or are insured, so it's now a neutered law.

[Octain]

I think its law in Ga if you dont have a sheild.

[makenzie71]

The new law also says the police have no right to determine if you have taken an MSF course or are insured, so it's now a neutered law.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/msb/helmet.htm

Wow I didn't know this.

[Planecrazy]

IL has required eye protection (but no mandatory helmet) for longer than I've been driving, and I think the law itself makes perfect sense. On the other hand, I think that if the officer was truly trying to enforce the "spirit of the law" he should have followed you for a block or two to see if you lowered the shield after pulling out. Considering all the other safety equipment you were wearing I feel the officer should have been willing to give you an extra moment to correct the problem on your own, which I suspect you would've done momentarily...

Sometimes I simply forget to lower my shield before pulling away from a stop, but the moment the breeze begins I am reminded to lower it. Of course, for me it's a secondary measure because my bike has a windshield (considered appropriate eye protection in IL) AND I almost always wear sunglasses (no ... not at night, hehe!).

Regards,

[Billy Ricks]

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/msb/helmet.htm

Wow I didn't know this.

They can't use it as a reason to pull you over. I guess if you have another violation they can pursue it, but it can't be used as a basis to pull you over if you aren't wearing a helmet.

[KRyder13]

It's a law here too, and I think with good reason. But I think most motorcyclists keep their shield up whenever they're at a stop and put it down once they're underway - I know I do.

That's what I do (but I'm always wearing sunglasses anyway when it's light out). It's a law here, too.
Ken

[Sparky]

Just my 2 cents....

Yes, it is a stupid thing to get pulled over for, Ive been pulled over a few times simply for being out late in an area known for drunk drivers. Was it annoying? yes. Was it pointless? no, not at all because I know they are actually doing their jobs. If your so concerned about the number of people you saw breaking the law then go through the academy and become a law enforcement officer and then try and pull over every single person you see during a shift

you got a warning so get over it and learn from it for next time. For all you know he could of had a bolo for a motorcycle with a rough description that matched your bike. In a situation where an officer wants to pull you to check you out they will watch for any little thing to give them probable cause, be it no signal, swerving, speeding even just a few mph over, or in this case no eye protection. If you said why did you pull me over and he said oh I just felt like pulling you to check you out you would have been ****ed too, they gotta have a reason.

[Skateguy50]

First of all I want to thank Im Faster (I'm sure that nickname in no way reflects a tendancy to exceed the posted speed limits )for the work that you do for our communities as an officer! I have a lot of respect for anyone that puts their own safety on the line for others, and I say that with 10 years on a fire department. Over the years I have been stopped several times for probable cause and I totally understand that it is a tool that law enforcement has to do their job. Only one time did it bother me and it was the officers attitude, not the reason for the stop, that irritated me. He stopped me for going through a yellow light on an empty street going through a very small town at 11:00 at night with my family asleep in the car. He berated me and wanted me to appreciate that he was ONLY going to give me a warning this time. Don't get me wrong, I know there are times when you need to present yourself as the person with authority for a variety of reasons, but it's not always WHAT you do or say that makes the lasting impression, it is HOW you do or say it. If that officer had just lost the attitude and explained why he stopped me, ran my DL and plates, and told me to have a safe trip I would have long ago forgotten the incident. If I had clearly blown a red light I deserved a ticket too but I didn't and he never claimed I did. I believe it is pretty common for people with authority (I'm not limiting that statement to law enforcement by the way, could be me with my teenage daughter explaining what time to be home!) to forget that they should treat others with respect as they would expect themselvs or their family members to be treated.

When a patrol car is driving down the interstate at 5mph above the posted speed limit with the rest of traffic are they breaking the law themselves? The answer is yes (unless of course they are displaying lights and sirens, your answer may very by state.....). Does that mean they deserve a ticket because they are a danger to themselves and society at large because they are exceeding the speed limit by 5mph? Not in my book. Is driving a MC without eye protection in Mn illegal? Yes, and a probable cause for a stop. Is driving away from a gas station a block or two with your shield still up a safety hazzard? Doubtful.

Out here they drive down the highway going 90+ all the time, if they stay at 65 they are only patrolling the same group of traffic the entire drive. Also saw an unmarked cruiser following a big mobile command center truck do a very close pass on the right to a car that got between him and the truck with no blickers on either lane shift. Think that is 3 violations?

Anyways they dont question how I do my job, so I wont question them. Just try and avoid doing anything to warrant being pulled over and its all good.

[Planecrazy]

One other thing I forgot to mention in my last post. NOTHING makes me angrier when I'm driving than a police officer who is blatently ignoring the law and speeding or driving recklessly without any obvious agenda. They are supposed to be setting a good example for the rest of the drivers on the road, yet it is all too common to see an officer speeding excessively, making illegal U-turns, running stop signs or red lights, etc.

Now I understand that sometimes there may be a legitimate reason for some of the activity that seems "pointless" to other drivers, but at least have the courtesy to turn on your "gumballs" and pretend you're off to a official "event," for crying out loud! I have a great deal of respect for LEO (one of my best friends is one) and the job they do, but some of them seem to have forgotten that they are the "face" of the law and need to always be conscious of "how it looks" to others...

Regards,

[Skateguy50]

LOL as I am typing this a trooper came to my desk looking for directions to a meeting.

Anyways I dont worry to much about what they do, they are trained specially to drive like that right?

My unlce owns an autobody shop that has contracts with the local police and ambulances, they give him LOTS of business.

[Macguyver]

One other thing I forgot to mention in my last post. NOTHING makes me angrier when I'm driving than a police officer who is blatently ignoring the law and speeding or driving recklessly without any obvious agenda. They are supposed to be setting a good example for the rest of the drivers on the road, yet it is all too common to see an officer speeding excessively, making illegal U-turns, running stop signs or red lights, etc.

Now I understand that sometimes there may be a legitimate reason for some of the activity that seems "pointless" to other drivers, but at least have the courtesy to turn on your "gumballs" and pretend you're off to a official "event," for crying out loud! I have a great deal of respect for LEO (one of my best friends is one) and the job they do, but some of them seem to have forgotten that they are the "face" of the law and need to always be conscious of "how it looks" to others...

Regards,

Here here! Well put. It is all too common to see the local O.P.P. (Ontario Provincial Police) whizzing around town like the sky is falling, only to see them pull into Tim Hortons to get a coffee.

[alke46]

A lot or respect for LEO's goes out the window when you see or are told 1st hand about the off duty ones that get pulled over for running 20+ mph over the posted limit and when asked for ID, just pull out their badge or police ID and are told to keep it down. Then as soon as they leave, get right back up to the excessive speed that they were doing and just laugh it off.

Granted they are probably the 10 % of all arrogant LEOs who are not bound by the same laws as the rest of us, but it still p*sses me off that they do it.