Move off the road as far as you safely can, shut off your bike, stay seated, stay relaxed, and keep your hands out of your pockets. You don't want to make the cop any more nervous that he already is. Pulling over vehicles of any kind always has the potential to be dangerous.

The more at ease he feels with you the better. It might not get you out of that ticket, but if you start making him nervous you are pretty much guaranteed one.

 

Great advice Dodsfall, never move until the officer asks you to. Most officers say don't even take out your license and registration until asked for it. Just sit patiently.

 

Good advice here. To me attitude is a big part of it. If you have a good attitude it may or may not get you out of a ticket. However an aggressive or obnoxious attitude will just about guarantee you a ticket. Don’t ever make a cop feel threatened; this can cause you a lot of trouble.
We just had an officer shot and killed last night in Yolo County during a traffic stop. That is one of the reasons we are always on edge initially during a traffic stop when you do not know who you are dealing with.
Every cop must take the attitude that he is potentially stopping someone that is a danger to him.

 

I'll wait on the bike, same as waiting in your car, my insurance and reg are kept under my seat so if he asks for it i'll tell him where there are and then ask to get off.
Same as in a car, I don't reach in the glove box until he asks me, I know he can see in my rear windshield and I don't want him to think I'm pulling anything.
Sorry I used him, i treat female officers the same way, with a little more cleavage haha jk

 

I flip my hair and giggle a lot. Cleavage doesn't hurt, either, haha

Yeah, I think it depends on the cop, too. My husband and his brother got popped years ago going 81/55. He said he barely had time to get his bike stopped when the cop was on the PA yelling at them to get off their bikes. Then he hustled them into the back of his patrol car, all the while my husbands thinking $h-t, this guy is going to Rodney King us!!! He said once he had them in the back of the car, he was perfectly cool, cracking jokes with them and everything. Told them another story how he'd popped a guy doing 120 on a sports bike he was like, "the guy actually stopped!! Had he not stopped, I would've never caught him!!" So, I think the cop feared they were gonna try to run.

In my car I sit tight like everyone else. When they ask for my stuff, I let them know where it is and that I'm just reaching for it.

 

I wish being calm and nice got me out of a ticket or two. In the movies they always ask where you were going in such a hurry and say, I'll let you off with a warning, blah blah blah. Not me, I get license and registration please. Here's your ticket, have a good day!

 

Have you tried complimenting him on his big gun??? Maybe that'll help, haha.

 

I think that if you don't know what to do, don't do anything until you are told to. I got stopped by cops on foot one time, they thought I was dealing drugs. They had their guns on me and everything so I didn't do a damn thing unless they told me to do it, and I made sure that every movement I made was slow and nonthreatening. Once they made sure I had no weapons (or drugs) they were very friendly.

 

I've heard crying has gotten many a female out of a ticket. I wonder if that would work for males as well...

I can imagine a 350 pound biker, sitting on his bike, belly shaking from sobbing, tears getting in his foot-long beard as the cop walks up. The cop would probably turn on his heel, get back in his cruiser, and be on his way without saying a word....

 

lol

funniest mental image ever. (although kind of sad too )

 

I keep my hands where the Officer can see them, I give the Officer my best Forrest Gump wide eye innocent stare and end every sentence with my best Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. SIR! Yes Sir, No Sir, Right Away Sir, didn’t see the speed limit sign Sir, I’m sorry Sir. Works every time. Yes, I know it’s belittling but it sure as hell beats a fine and increased insurance premium.

 

Anyone out there wanna try that and report back to us what happened????

 

I would say pulling out a 9mm isn't a good start. Sit up, shut up and do what the officer's says.
I have been in law enforcement for a few years and I appreciate the people who are polite to me. You get the odd one that is having a bad day (who doesn't have one every once and a while.) I don't take it personally, and take all things into consideration.
There are some many people out there with weapons, and we (officers) have to take extra caution when dealing with everyone because we don’t know you. I want to go home at the end of my shift just like the next guy.
I guess there are a few of us that come off as a little like pricks, but we are just trying to keep ourselves from getting hurt. Best advice is just to co-operate with the officer. Getting angry and mouthing off won’t help.

 

Getting angry and mouthing off won’t help.

I've never heard of getting angry and mouthing off doing much more than having the cop kneel on your back as he hooks up the handcuffs.

I don't know what people are thinking by trying to argue their way out of a ticket. Bad tactic.

 

Well, just keep in mind that the law is the law. What I mean by that is it really doesnt matter how rude you are to the cop, they can only legally do so much. If they are butt holes to me and I KNOW they are giving me a ticket I will treat them the same way. On the other hand if they are nice I am nice ...

Know your rights. Look online and find out what a cop can and cannot do (in regards to searches, arresting you, etc) ... I find that the more they know you know the better off you are. I have gotten out of many tickets with this knowledge and attitude .. example:

I got pulled over one time for speeding but the cop never actually clocked me (radar detector didnt go off and it was reliable). Not sure why but for some reason I pulled the radar detector out of the window as soon as I saw him turn around to come after me. He came up to the window with a MAJOR attitude ... "DO YOU KNOW HOW FAST YOU WERE GOING??" ... and as cocky as I could be (because it pissed me off) I said "Yea ... do you?" and picked the radar detector up out of the passenger seat. He paused, turned red, and said "Too fast!, slow down" and walked off.

I have no doubt that he would have made up some speed and given me a ticket .. but in Georgia they have to get you with radar or laser... they used to be able to "pace" you as well (ride behind you steadily to determine your speed) but I am not sure if they can do that anymore or not.

I don't "hate cops" but it seems like I extrememly dislike most of the ones that have pulled me over. They all seem to have attitudes and play a power card. I can't stand people like that and will do anything I can to throw that back in their face. They are normal people doing a job and since they are in a position of power the power hungry ones will abuse it.

By the way, it seems like State Patrolmen are the nicest overall from my experience and SMALL town cops are the rudest and most abusive. This is not a label for all cops, just my experience. ;-)

 

I don’t claim to speak for all police officers, nor would I. Like any group of people (police, construction, officer workers, bikers ect.) there is always going to be a few dick heads in the crowd. I work with a couple, and I don’t agree with the way they treat citizens. That being said, after they complain about being bitched at during a traffic stop I just tell them to show as much respect and professionalism towards everyone so as not to give anyone an excuse to be dink.
And even if a cyclist/motorist gives you attitude after you were so nice, continue being professional anyway. Nothing worse than being embarrassed while giving evidence because you lost you cool.
Anyway, motorist that have attitude usually will come my way again, and again.
I agree with Gixxer600, know the law. If you don’t, and screw up, you only have yourself to blame.

 

I agree with Gixxer600, know the law. If you don’t, and screw up, you only have yourself to blame.

True Dat!

 

I got pulled over once, and after shutting everything off, I went to pull out my ID and reg, then I noticed his buddy got out of the car as well and they both had their hands on their Beretta, not a good situation.

Word to the wise, just sit back and wait for THEIR direction, and don't be a moron like me...

~Joker

 

Taking off your helmet is a very important step. It is less impersonal if you leave it on. That and the "yes sir" "yes maam" helps. My worst ticket I ever got was 90 in a 55 back when the federal limit was there.

If the motor officer wanted to be a jerk he could of tagged me for the 140 in a 55 that I was doing on a highly modified (at the time) 76 KZ900

 

Hey guys, I’ve been a cop for over thirty years. I hate writing tickets, but I hate seeing people get killed more. I never approach someone with an aggressive demeanor, or at least I try not to. To me it is just business and never personal, no matter what the attitude of the citizen is. I will give more verbal warnings than tickets, and yes the individuals attitude can play a part in it. However I have no tolerance for drunk drivers or road rage because it gets people killed or injured. I think DarkHorse will agree that we are just doing a job and we all want to go home safe. I know some of the younger cops get a little badge heavy but that usually wears off fairly quickly. I hate to say this but if an officer is truly out of line the citizen can always go to internal affairs.
All my traffic stops are recorded so there is never a question as to what I did or did not say to the person I stopped. Not only that if I should later need to go to court I can review the dialog before hand. We are not the enemy, just the guys trying to keep some people from killing themselves or other innocent people.

 

10-4 on that Perry. I'm not a big fan of writing tickets either.
I am a coach officer, so I hope I instill some respect in the young officers that I train. Be nice, and then you can expect to be treated the same way.
I like investigating the criminal matters as apposed to the Highway Traffic matters, but I get paid to enforce the law period.

 

I act the same way towards cops. They are usually just as nice to you as you are to them, with a few notable exceptions. The cop in the following story was nicer.

I was riding to a hillclimb event one time. The road was one of those incredibly boring central Wisconsin roads that is ruler-straight with soldier pines right up to the shoulder of the road. I had succumbed to road paralysis miles ago and was belting along at 80+. A mini-van was approaching in the opposite lane, and unbeknownst to me, Officer Friendly was right in the van's slipstream. As he passed me, I saw the front end of his Crown Vic take a serious nosedive that could only mean one thing, he was coming for me. I didn't go another quarter mile. I just shut her down and pulled over before the cop had even finished his Starsky and Hutch U-turn. He pulled up behind me and got out with a big grin on his face. He took my license and paperwork and started good-naturedly breaking my balls about cracking the speed limit by a pretty good margin. I was polite and just a little confused, usually the fuzz doesn't grin at you. He asked about my record (clean) and returned to his car for the formalities. He was in such a good mood, I figured he was calling a tow truck to get my bike while he hauled me off to jail.

He came back with a written warning and told me to slow down. No ticket, no jail time, no Rodney King treatment. It was awesome. He must have gone home on his lunch break for a little "afternoon delight" with the old lady and was just feeling too good to ruin my day. I thanked him profusely and got the hell out of there.

 

That was a joke. It's good to see that Wisconsin isn't the only state that removes an applicant's sense of humor when they join the force.

I know you have it rough, lots of people have it rough. But remember this, you filled out the job application. No state that I'm aware of drafts people into police service. You want sympathy? Look in the dictionary between shi^ and syphilis.

 

Where I live most of the hardcore riders don't wear DOT helmets, we just have these brain buckets or the odd WWII German helmet. Cops don't ever write tickets for not wearing our DOTs but this one time, a buddy got pulled over and he was just pissed and cussing and raising hell over it. Just being a real jack ass. Guess what, he got a ticket for speeding, no DOT helmet, and this one takes the cake, his shades weren't approved protective eye wear. I died laughing when I heard that one.

 

Triple whammy!!!

 

Well, I guess this is a motorcycle forum, so I just want to say I am going to be on two wheels like the rest of you and I like to think I am fair to everyone whether they ride in a car or on a motorcycle. All I can say is there are a lot of police in North America (I police in Canada) and you can bet your house that there is going to be a couple of coppers with something up their ass, so no matter what you do you will get a ticket.

Just a side note, my third year on the job I was going to work and was pulled over by the local police (not from my department.) Now I don't make it known I'm a cop off duty, but I do carry my driver's licence with my badge, so it would be quite obvious that I am a officer when I am asked for identification. Well, long story short I was given a ticket anyway, all be it was reduced for me. This goes to show even officers get pinched once and a while. Oh ya, I was doing 110 km/h in and 80 km/h zone (not sure what that translates to mph,) needless to say I got caught doing something wrong and I paid the fine. “Do the crime, do the time.”

 

Just try to keep in mind that (most) cops are nice guys like you and I and they don´t really enjoy giving tickets.

If you treat them with respect and cooperate, they might just reward you for making their job a little easier.

Try not to assume that cops are out to get you or to punish you. It´s not a good attitude to have.

 

There is a lot of talk about RK, young officers, attitudes and other things here. As a former Officer who could still be one - for your safety and the Officer behind you- LET THEM SEE YOUR HANDS as soon as you put that kickstand down! I don't care how fast you were going, who you are, what your attitude is but if I can't see your hands-my hand will be on my 9mm too! It has nothing to do with what you drive or ride but it is something taught in the academy. It's a sad story when you look at all of the fallen Officers because they got "laid back" during a traffic stop and were more interested in being courteous than safe & got shot.

Once again - kickstand down, bike off, hands where they can be seen until the Officer is beside you! OH, WHEN I AM RIDING; I also have CHL and my gun is in my jacket so my hands are clasped together until the OFFICER knows I have a weapon and tells me exactly what he/she wants me to do.

Fortunately, I have only been stopped twice in 20 years but have stopped more than you can imagine. One biker would not stop and we had to get about 2 feet from his bumper to read his LP. He finally stopped and said he never heard the siren. "RIGHT"

 

There is a lot of talk about RK, young officers, attitudes and other things here. As a former Officer who could still be one - for your safety and the Officer behind you- LET THEM SEE YOUR HANDS as soon as you put that kickstand down! I don't care how fast you were going, who you are, what your attitude is but if I can't see your hands-my hand will be on my 9mm too! It has nothing to do with what you drive or ride but it is something taught in the academy. It's a sad story when you look at all of the fallen Officers because they got "laid back" during a traffic stop and were more interested in being courteous than safe & got shot.

I went through military police school, and they taught me all the tricks of how to finger **** you pistol without making it "obvious". Its bullshit, I can tell when your finger ****ing your pistol.

edit: I also don't like those cops from rich towns with next to zero crime rate. Its mostly them who seem to have the worst attitudes.

Most of the older cops around me are fine, but its those damn rookies make me really nervous. Thats intent on deadly force, a little harsh for speeding.

Pulling the whole tough guy act on speeders and minor violations is obnoxious. It just really pisses me off and makes me think your a douchebag on a power trip. This also includes shining your search light in my mirrors(in a car), and pulling up to my blind spot, etc...., and if you talk to me like your about to rodney king my ass it doesn't help either.

Be polite but never admit to any wrong doing. If the cop asks you how fast you where going just say 'I don't know' or some variant of that. Many times, this can, but isn't a guarantee to get you out of minor violations. note I said MINOR.

 

Be polite.
Be polite.
Be polite.

I can't tell you how important it is for YOU, the rider, to set the tone. The officer is gonna be pretty serious. If you come across as combative or flip then you run the risk of pissing off the LEO.

One of my first motorcycle/LEO memories is when I was pulled over with 2 friends. One had a lot of run-ins with cops and was just being a jerk. The cop took the time to start thinking "do I know this guy?" (turns out he did). By the end of things my friend was cuffed and on the hood and the LEO told us "you can go now, ride safely".

2 of us were polite. 1 wasn't. He got all the attention and love.

"Yes Sir, No Sir" (or Ma'am) works wonders.

 

I sit there with a coupon for a free dozen doughnuts and smile.