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[Captain N. Tenneal]

I see them all the time, although lately I have noticed they are getting more creative than the usual dark grey Crown Victoria's with blacked out windows. I've seen an old Jeep, a Mustang and a few other more common civilian cars.

Also, I have always referred to them as "ghost cars", am I the only one who does this?

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

I was driving once and had one bolt out from behind me in a massive white transit van. Scared the shit out of me when the lights suddenly came on. Doubt many people expect that to be a cop car. The guy who was flying past us definitely didn't - ha!

I don't speed etc so I never really think about it. I do like to play "is that an undercover cop?" as I drive past a car that's parked on the side of the road though. Always glance in to look for uniform/radio etc.

 

[King Of Fuh]

I see them all the time, although lately I have noticed they are getting more creative than the usual dark grey Crown Victoria's with blacked out windows. I've seen an old Jeep, a Mustang and a few other more common civilian cars.

Also, I have always referred to them as "ghost cars", am I the only one who does this?

 

[Rel]

my dad drove an uncover car for years. the tricky thing about them is they won't pull you over if you aren't doing something wrong. imagine that.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

my dad drove an uncover car for years. the tricky thing about them is they won't pull you over if you aren't doing something wrong. imagine that.

Here's the funny thing about that: On the interstate, at least, nearly everyone is breaking the speed limit all the time. I don't know if you've been to Atlanta, but the speed limit on the interstates through the city is 55. If you were to do 55 through Atlanta you'd be run off the road. So the cops are able to pull over anyone at any time.

I went into court for a ticket in Atlanta once and someone in front of me, caught for doing 70 or so in a 55, said "I was going with the flow of traffic."

Here's what the judge said, I shit you not: "The average speed on the interstate is 70 miles per hour; so saying that you were moving with the flow of traffic is an admission of guilt."

Can you think of any other law. ANY other law, where it is considered average to break it?

 

[DominoKid]

my dad drove an uncover car for years. the tricky thing about them is they won't pull you over if you aren't doing something wrong. imagine that.

that doesnt really put me at ease.

 

[duderon]

The unmarked SUVs are the trickiest. They look stock from the rear view mirror, so they can sneak up on you pretty easily.

 

[beanoboy7]

Look at the license plate. Unmarked car plate numbers almost always begin with SG or MG (State Government and Municipal Government)

Here in CT the State Trooper plates end in UTZ, and only cop cars have black tints on Ford Explorers and Chevy Impalas

 

[agrajag]

Might be riding his bumper trying to get him to speed up over the limit.

then how did he see his license plates that gave away that it was a cop car?

 

[CharlieDigital]

Might be riding his bumper trying to get him to speed up over the limit.

How do you bait another car?

I've seen this happen once while driving up I-95 through Connecticut late at night. Almost empty, two lane highway.

I was probably doing like 75 in a 65 and this black Audi A6 is tailing me on a two lane highway and gets an opening and goes past me doing like 85-90 on my left. I'm thinking to myself where's a cop when you need one?

As soon as he does that, a car a few cars behind me pulls out, catches up to him, and starts to tail him pretty closely and he just floors it...until the cop turns on his flashers and pulls him over. Pretty sneaky because a good stretch of I-95 is like pitch black at night. The cop could have pulled him over immediately, but provoked him and probably got him going 10-15mph faster (def in the triple digits by then) than he was even going to begin with.

 

[Dark Octave]

I'd never pull over for an unmarked vehicle. Anybody can put lights in their car. I guess I'm going to jail the day I get targeted by one.

A few months ago I had a gray unmarked F-150 drive past me with blue and red lights flashing inide it's front grill. Total BS and shouldn't be allowed if you ask me.

 

[ReBurn]

Cops around here are driving Dodge Chargers. All the Crown Vics have been turned into rap cars.

 

[Dark Octave]

Cops around here are driving Dodge Chargers. All the Crown Vics have been turned into rap cars.

Be proud that you just made a guy who is possibly thousands of miles away shoot snot out of his nose.

 

[teiresias]

I was in driving through Georgetown a few weeks ago when this car with flashing cop lights swerved around stopped traffic at a light, into the oncoming lane and went through the light - apparently because the stopped traffic wasn't responding to the green light fast enough for him.

Driving the car? A teenager or early 20-something with a tank top and a backwards baseball cap.

Personally, in some locales I'd be hard pressed to feel safe stopping for unmarked cars. You'd best be sure I'd keep driving until I was in a visible, public location before stopping for an unmarked police car.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

I've seen this happen once while driving up I-95 through Connecticut late at night. Almost empty, two lane highway.

I was probably doing like 75 in a 65 and this black Audi A6 is tailing me on a two lane highway and gets an opening and goes past me doing like 85-90 on my left. I'm thinking to myself where's a cop when you need one?

As soon as he does that, a car a few cars behind me pulls out, catches up to him, and starts to tail him pretty closely and he just floors it...until the cop turns on his flashers and pulls him over. Pretty sneaky because a good stretch of I-95 is like pitch black at night. The cop could have pulled him over immediately, but provoked him and probably got him going 10-15mph faster (def in the triple digits by then) than he was even going to begin with.

What an attitude to have. "Yeah sure, I was breaking the law, but that guy was really breaking it!"

Also, you just described a situation where a police officer used intimidation to provoke someone into breaking the law in a way they would not have normally done.

 

[natethegreat409]

An off-duty cop once told me that they were trained to do this. It works with both marked and unmarked cop cars. They deliberately drive really slow and annoying just to see if you have the balls to pass them. If you pass them in a casual, cautious way, they leave you alone. If you rage and pass hard, they nail you. If you're too scared to pass, they keep watching and waiting because they know you'll probably screw something up sooner or later.

Both of my brothers are police officers and they were never told to do stupid shit like this.

Perhaps because they work in gang neighborhoods and they really don't care about minor traffic violations, unless they are using it to pull over a car they suspect of carrying dope.

 

[ReBurn]

Be proud that you just made a guy who is possibly thousands of miles away shoot snot out of his nose.

I'm just glad to have done something productive today.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

In my city, unmarked police cars are usually Ford Falcons.

I love it when my friends complain to me about how they got busted speeding because they didn't know it was a police car behind them. Good job guys, you're only obeying the road rules when you think someone is watching.

 

[SmokeMaxX]

Both of my brothers are police officers and they were never told to do stupid shit like this.

Perhaps because they work in gang neighborhoods and they really don't care about minor traffic violations, unless they are using it to pull over a car they suspect of carrying dope.

That's usually how it is. Just depends where you live. Where I used to live and where I live now, crime's so high that most cops don't care about traffic violations. Go north a few hundred miles and you better be driving 20 under because the cops up there are GOOD at what they do. I was driving along the highway and a cop was literally hiding in the fucking trees when I got pulled over. I'm like "are you serious?"

 

[CharlieDigital]

What an attitude to have. "Yeah sure, I was breaking the law, but that guy was really breaking it!"

Well, Devil's in the details. Like I said, I was cruising along in the right lane of a two-lane highway at a nice clip at 75 -- which obviously, the cop thought nothing of -- with my wife and baby in the car holding a steady speed on a long drive up visiting some friends in NH.

It happens that there were a few cars traveling in a pack and this guy in his Audi was riding my ass like < 1 car length behind trying to accomplish who knows what, but definitely driving in a completely unsafe manner. What if I had to hit my brakes because of a deer or a raccoon?

There is no question he deserved to be pulled over and ticketed not just for speeding, but for driving like a dick in general.

Also, you just described a situation where a police officer used intimidation to provoke someone into breaking the law in a way they would not have normally done.

He didn't use intimidation; he provoked the guy's natural urge to be a dick and feel like he was being "challenged" by a faster car. Once he passed the pack, it was wide open -- not another car for several miles ahead. He could have easily pulled aside and let the car behind him go but decided to race him.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Well, Devil's in the details. Like I said, I was cruising along in the right lane of a two-lane highway at a nice clip at 75 -- which obviously, the cop thought nothing of -- with my wife and baby in the car holding a steady speed on a long drive up visiting some friends in NH.

It happens that there were a few cars traveling in a pack and this guy in his Audi was riding my ass like < 1 car length behind trying to accomplish who knows what, but definitely driving in a completely unsafe manner. What if I had to hit my brakes because of a deer or a raccoon?

There is no question he deserved to be pulled over and ticketed not just for speeding, but for driving like a dick in general.

So you were breaking the law and passing judgement on another person for breaking the law in a manner you deemed unsafe. I'm sure there are lots of people who would view what you do as unsafe, too, simply because you were breaking the speed limit. Everyone does this, it's not unique to you, but it shows that you can't have a law that is broken in degrees like this. Make a hard, fast, and above all safe (as recommended by the people who design the roads, cities love to take those recommendations and drop them to make money), speed limit and stick to that. Set the interstate speed limit to 80, if you get caught doing 81 it's $400. Don't make everyone on the road a lawbreaker and fine them by different levels.

I didn't mean to be harsh, I just think it's one of those quirks about people where we justify our own behavior and set it as the reasonable standard, where everyone else is a slow, old Grandma or a reckless hooligan. I do the same thing unless I stop myself to consider it.

He didn't use intimidation; he provoked the guy's natural urge to be a dick and feel like he was being "challenged" by a faster car. Once he passed the pack, it was wide open -- not another car for several miles ahead. He could have easily pulled aside and let the car behind him go but decided to race him.

Would it be okay for cops to stand outside college bars and call each frat boy who came out a "pussy"? They probably want to fight already, they're just giving them an excuse!

Edit: If someone starts chasing you and tailgating you on a two-lane road even after you sped up to lose them, it can be seen as intimidation. If you have a fast car, your first thought may be to just hit the gas and lose them. Call it provocation, a challenge, whatever, it all starts with intimidation.

 

[CharlieDigital]

^ LMAO OK

75 in a 65 in a pretty much completely empty freeway. This is pretty much typical speed on I-95 in PA, NJ, CT.

If you can't call a difference between a guy doing 90+, tailgating, and swerving lanes, and then hitting triple digits vs. a guy doing a steady 75 in the slow lane, then you are a clown.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

^ LMAO OK

75 in a 65 in a completely empty freeway. This is pretty much typical speed on I-95 in PA, NJ, CT.

If you can't call a difference between a guy doing 90+, tailgating, and swerving lanes, and then hitting triple digits vs. a guy doing a steady 75 in the slow lane, then you are clown.

Of course I can tell the difference. I want you to explain to me where the difference is in the law. You were breaking the same law he was in regards to speed but he just broke it more. Look, I agree completely, I think you were most likely driving in a perfectly safe manner, but to some people you might be seen as driving unsafely, and to the law you were absolutely driving "unsafely" because you were going over the limit.

 

[CharlieDigital]

There is no place for aggressive drivers who are a danger to others on the road; I'm glad the guy got pulled over because he was operating his vehicle in a manner which was unsafe for others on the road. Cruising along at 75 is not even comparable and hey, if the cop had pulled me over, I wouldn't have contested and said flat out that I was doing 75 and accepted my fate.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

There is no place for aggressive drivers who are a danger to others on the road. Cruising along at 75 is not even comparable and hey, if the cop had pulled me over, I wouldn't have contested and said flat out that I was doing 75 and accepted my fate.

I agree, but my point is that you were still breaking the law. This is a rant against the law, not you. How is it that we have speed limits that aren't followed or generally accepted by the populace but are still used to fine us, seemingly at any single officer's discretion? If a cop is having a shitty day you're going to get a ticket for doing 75 in a 65, if he's in a good mood you can slide by doing 80. What kind of law is that?

Edit: And the law would view you as a danger to others on the road because you were breaking the speed limit. It doesn't matter if you rationalize it by your driving habit or skills, the law is the law and you were breaking it. The problem is the law, not your behavior.

Edit the second: I've kind of gone off on a tangent, haven't I? Long story short I believe unmarked cars are shit and I think the laws they enforce are shit. It should be reassuring to see an officer patrolling the street in a car (in the same way that it's reassuring to see an officer walking a patrol), instead everyone freaks out, hits the brakes and looks at their speedometer.

 

[JzeroT1437]

OP only obeys law when authority figures are watching. Is what's wrong with society.

 

[FO-totality]

They still have lights, so I don't get why they wouldn't be able to solo.

From what I understood it wasn't "standard procedure" to do so, and you could always call 911 to double check that is was a real cop.

 

[Watevaman]

From what I understood it wasn't "standard procedure" to do so, and you could always call 911 to double check that is was a real cop.

The news says this a lot because typically an impersonator will be using a standard Crown Vic and people don't check to see if it's a real cop or not.

I'd ask to see a badge at the minimum, especially at night.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

The news says this a lot because typically an impersonator will be using a standard Crown Vic and people don't check to see if it's a real cop or not.

I'd ask to see a badge at the minimum, especially at night.

Yeah I had a guy come up on me once and flash some lights hidden behind his windshield and grill. He then pulled up alongside me and started laughing--it was just some random weirdo. He could easily pull people over like that and rob them.

 

[MechaX]

In my city, cops use unmarked cars a lot but they are pretty obvious for the most part (stuff like lone super nice vehicle on the shoulder of a highway).

What is a true cheat mode are rear speed sensors.

 

[-PXG-]

Here in NJ, at least from what I've seen, all unmarked cars are Crown Vics. My rule is to just not drive like an ass near a Crown Vic.

I laughed so hard because it's so true.

 

[Espresso]

Yeah I had a guy come up on me once and flash some lights hidden behind his windshield and grill. He then pulled up alongside me and started laughing--it was just some random weirdo. He could easily pull people over like that and rob them.

It's legal to avoid pulling over at night for a patrol car (marked or unmarked) until you're in a well-lit, public area, at least in my state.

 

[Majima Everywhere System]

I always look at the wheels/good ole crown vic.

 

[DominoKid]

In my city, cops use unmarked cars a lot but they are pretty obvious for the most part (stuff like lone super nice vehicle on the shoulder of a highway).

What is a true cheat mode are rear speed sensors.

Those exist???

 

[SuperAndroid17]

They're called ghost units

We use them to catch DWI's and speeders here in Texas.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

It's legal to avoid pulling over at night for a patrol car (marked or unmarked) until you're in a well-lit, public area, at least in my state.

And how many people are going to a) remember that and b) be able to articulate it when confronted with an officer who's angry that they didn't stop as soon as the lights went on?

 

[MechaX]

Those exist???

Yeah, one of my friends got caught by a rear speed sensor in a pretty rural area at that. Cop gave her a ticket even when she slowed down upon seeing the car.

 

[WarMacheen]

I've been pulled over by various unmarked cars.

Example 1, unmarked car crosses 3 lanes with no turn signal cutting people off, I speed up to see if it really is a cop. Cop looks over, then pulls behind me hitting the lights. I pull over he walks up and asks if I knew why he pulled me over. To cut things short I tell him I just wanted to see if it was really a cop that broke several moving violations for no discernible reason. I asked for his badge number and info, then takes my credentials back to his car. He comes back and says slow down, have a nice day.

Example 2, I see an unmarked car (which turns out to be an airport authority cop) doing well over the speed limit. I of course match the speed for about 2 miles, then the cop suddenly slows down very very quickly gets behind me and hits the lights. I pull over and the cop asks me the obligatory dumb ass question, do you know why I pulled you over. I say no, to which the cop says, you have an illegal exhaust (driving an Evo VIII). I laugh and say, no sorry you are mistaken this exhaust is factory, would you care to climb under and look. I then ask the cop what authority gives him the ability to speed well over the limit then violently slow down and accuse me of having an illegal exhaust. He didn't even bother running my info. Simply said have a nice day.


I could go on all day with this shit. I don't mind cops, but I really hate the some of the fucktards they give badges to. I'm a bit of a dick when it comes to being pulled over for vague reasons, but I was also law enforcement for a while. As I've gotten older I find my capacity for stupid shit to be diminishing rapidly and could no longer justify doing something I didn't completely believe in.

 

[Hale-XF11]

I've been pulled over by various unmarked cars.

Example 1, unmarked car crosses 3 lanes with no turn signal cutting people off, I speed up to see if it really is a cop. Cop looks over, then pulls behind me hitting the lights. I pull over he walks up and asks if I knew why he pulled me over. To cut things short I tell him I just wanted to see if it was really a cop that broke several moving violations for no discernible reason. I asked for his badge number and info, then takes my credentials back to his car. He comes back and says slow down, have a nice day.

Example 2, I see an unmarked car (which turns out to be an airport authority cop) doing well over the speed limit. I of course match the speed for about 2 miles, then the cop suddenly slows down very very quickly gets behind me and hits the lights. I pull over and the cop asks me the obligatory dumb ass question, do you know why I pulled you over. I say no, to which the cop says, you have an illegal exhaust (driving an Evo VIII). I laugh and say, no sorry you are mistaken this exhaust is factory, would you care to climb under and look. I then ask the cop what authority gives him the ability to speed well over the limit then violently slow down and accuse me of having an illegal exhaust. He didn't even bother running my info. Simply said have a nice day.


I could go on all day with this shit. I don't mind cops, but I really hate the some of the fucktards they give badges to. I'm a bit of a dick when it comes to being pulled over for vague reasons, but I was also law enforcement for a while.

Like a boss. Respect.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

The funniest moment I ever had with an unmarked cruiser was back in high school, my friend was driving her new truck and we were flying down a relatively unpopulated road. We started to pass this car and right when we were side by side we realized it was a cop. She slammed her brakes and pulled back in behind him, going the speed limit.

I like to think he found it so funny, he didn't bother pulling us over.

Those exist???

My dad is retired now, but he was Illinois State Police, and his cruisers radar gun could get you from any direction. It was mounted and I believe he just pushed a button (there were different ones for like if you were coming at him or away and what lane). I assume he wasn't special, so at least in Illinois, they can all get you from any direction easily and while driving. I assumed it was like this everywhere.

 

[Psychotext]

I've been pulled over by various unmarked cars...

As a cautionary aside to this, I know two people who have received bans (short) because they pissed cops off doing exactly what you did and the cops decided to check every inch of their cars for some sort of violation.

...and there's almost always something they can get you on.

Thread related, the police near me seem to drive Audis and BMWs unmarked... it's a pain in the arse to tell who they are.

 

[FO-totality]

And how many people are going to a) remember that and b) be able to articulate it when confronted with an officer who's angry that they didn't stop as soon as the lights went on?

You're supposed to put your hazards on and slow down to acknowledge the officer pulling you over. If you do that, I think most cops are cool with it.

 

[Hylian7]

I really hate when you'll get a traffic cop and they follow you without their headlights on at night. There is a stretch near me that is kind of on the outskirts of town, but really close to the city limits. It's a stretch of a fairly major road, but country enough that people almost always speed (and the speed limit was lowered by 10 MPH in the past year with no announcement) a bit, especially at night. It's maybe a 3-4 mile stretch, if that, with 3 intersections. The only street lights are at the intersections. And cops will hide near a residential area and then follow people without any lights on until right before you hit the city limits, then they turn their lights on.

I was pulled over a few weekends ago at probably close to 3 in the morning heading home from Walmart getting some groceries. I was going the old speed limit, cop started trailing me with out headlights on, so I went the speed limit for the next two intersections just in case it was a cop. Then as I turn on the last intersection, he flips on headlights and sirens and pulls me over. Yes, I was speeding. I didn't get a ticket because I've never had one before and I wasn't drinking or anything. It just bugged me that he followed me without his headlights on for a few miles like a creeper and waited until I was just about to be in city limits.

I get that they follow a little longer to see if you're doing anything else suspicious, but I wasn't swerving and was going the speed limit for 2-3 miles once I noticed him, so he could have pulled me over at any time. Or had his headlights on. It's so weird. I've been noticing that quite a bit of the past 2 years since I worked 3rds and was out late at night even on my off days.

Can they even legally drive with no headlights at night? Not only that, it's fucking dangerous because someone could not see them and hit them. That particular cop really does sound like a jackass.

 

[Shalashaska]

I see them all the time, although lately I have noticed they are getting more creative than the usual dark grey Crown Victoria's with blacked out windows. I've seen an old Jeep, a Mustang and a few other more common civilian cars.

Also, I have always referred to them as "ghost cars", am I the only one who does this?

Nah I call them ghost cars as well. I can usually tell them by them being cars that aren't using hubcaps (paired with the usual type of cars they drive).

 

[Seth C]

they can pull you over and give you a warning for driving too slow, too. they do that here in texas anyway.

In Texas they will pull you over for damned near anything. Then ask you to get out of the car. Then ask if you are trafficking heroine. Then send you on your way.

 

[commedieu]

Ding ding ding.

I often get pulled over and asked if I own my vehicle, by police. What should I do differently?

Its a mint condition honda civic.

lol @ people that don't live in the real world.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Always silver Dodge Chargers around here.

 

[DominoKid]

I often get pulled over and asked if I own my vehicle, by police. What should I do differently?

Its a mint condition honda civic.

lol @ people that don't live in the real world.

idk the year of your car, but iirc Civic's are the most stolen cars in america. its fucked up but i sorta get it.

 

[big_z]

im surprised no one has hit the breaks when a cop car is riding their ass and sued.

they dont have to get close to run your plates so when they do that they're trying to see if you'll break and in doing so creating unsafe driving conditions.

 

[derder]

I actually had a cop follow me through three different cities (I didn't know it was a cop car at the time; it had no lights and was hanging back a couple of cars). The car was finally behind me while I was doing about 70 but it was dangerously close behind me... like all up in my ass so I was like I must be going too slowly. I decided to speed up to put some safe distance between me and them and as I broke 75, the sirens went off. I was directed off the freeway and the come ask me where I was going so fast (I had my work bag in the passenger seat) and I told him I just left work to go see my parents and that I only speed up that time because I thought the car behind me (him) was dangerously close. He told me he followed me through three cities and I was doing over 70 almost the whole time (the speed limits in these parts is 65mph on a freeway). He said that there was a lot of traffic on the road and should watch my speed. He also said he would let me off this time with a warning. I went on my merry way with three thoughts:

• What kind of time did you have to follow me for three cities (pretty much over half of my 55 mile trip). During this time, plenty of cars passed me. Why me?
• Why was he so close to me? He would have rear-ended me under no uncertain terms if I was forced to radically decelerate.
• I will just leave the lane if anyone ever tails me and I generally follow that rule till this day.

This incident almost repeated itself a few weeks ago but I noticed it was a cop car in the day time and I just let it follow my slow ass. It lost interest after about 7 miles and then switched lanes and speed of at an illegal speed somewhere upwards of 80mph.

Are you black? Serious question.