Run-ins with cops

[Mrs Cooper]

A night in jail for a trivial ticket that was forgotten? That's harsh to say the least but glad it turned out well

You have to understand San Diego cops back in the day. Most were ex marines because of all the military there & marine Corp basic training camp. Their view was “this recruit failed to pay her ticket.” They’re still pretty strict there today. They don’t believe in warnings. Word to the wise if you’re going to visit there.

 

[7Critter]

I was a member of the "Calhoun (Hall) Comets" streaking team in college in the mid 70s. The campus cops just laughed at us.

I remember seeing streakers on my college campus, including butts hanging out of windows in Daniels Hall ( a girls dorm ).

I have never been arrested. Been stopped while driving a few times for speeding. Got a ticket on Christmas Eve (car loaded with presents). I was stopped when I was 16 while riding my motorcycle (MC). I had a restricted MC permit which meant I had to stay off state highways. I must have looked 13 or 14 years old since I was small. The cop thought that he had nailed a pre-teenager. I showed him my permit, he told me the rules, and issued no ticket.

 

[Debi]

Got a ticket on Christmas Eve (car loaded with presents)

Were you in your sports car?

 

[TonyM]

I forgot about this one. Back in the day when drink driving wasn't considered such a bad thing I would get hammered singing in the local pub near the centre of Glasgow, get seriously hungry and drive to the Chinese takeaway right in the city centre, double park blocking a lane as I got some takeaway food. I got away with it for long enough but the local cops were getting a bit fed up.

So I stagger out the door for the usual drive to the takeaway only to get intercepted by the cops and put in the back of their car. They then drove me to to Chinese and waited till I got my food and drove me back to where my car was parked and waited while I ate the food and sobered up enough to drive home.

I no longer indulge in such behaviour of course but well, the good old days

 

[Vibe-Feeler]

In my first year of getting my license, I was clocked over 12 separate times for speeding. Normally the cops just sit in the bushes with a camera, clock you and send you a fine in the post. But the one night I was driving home, it was around 7:30pm. The posted speed limit was 80km/h, I was clocked at 123km/h, and it was one of those traps where they pull you over further up ahead. So I pull over, the cop comes to my window, I give him my license, everything common protocol. He asks me to step out of the car and walk with him to the police cars (where other busted drivers were) and I'm thinking he's just going to write a ticket. But instead he starts reading me my rights and hands me a written document to sign stating that I understand my rights and that I'm under arrest.

I first call my mom and tell her, she's now frantic and coming to the scene. I then call one of my friends who knows a lawyer and then they come as well. Now given how corrupt the police are in SA, I thought these guys were trying to push for a bribe, which unfortunately was not the case. Turns out in SA, if you are caught going over 40km/h over the posted speed limit (me going 43km/h over) is not just a simple ticket but a court summons. The procedure would be to go to jail until bail gets posted (R1000 cash), then you get processed at the arresting station which afterwards you book a court date where the penalty gets decided. Before heading to the station I asked one of the officers what the penalty would be for me roughly and he said I'm looking at about a R3500 fine and possibly lose my license, and on top of that I would have a criminal record to my name.

So after spending 4 hours in a dark prison cell with other speeding drivers, the processing took almost 2 hours, I was out and only got home at about 2 the next morning. Anyway, the court date comes and we first have to see the prosecutor before we go see the judge. He asks me a few questions like how old am I, what am I studying, what was my offense. And by some miracle he was lenient and dropped the charges completely. Didn't have to see a judge, no fine was issued and we got the bail money back.

 

[Lynne]

Ever been arrested? Pulled over? I'm curious about your experiences.

As a kid close to where I lived had a huge park with 6 marked out soccer fields that were never used so we used to climb over the spiked fence to play there, cops would arrive and off we'd sprint to escape capture. I know now the cops wouldn't have done anything.

A few years ago I got stopped for speeding coming back from a band gig with an obvious load of equipment in the back of the car. I was totally lost and said so to the cops. They were more concerned that the car might be stolen so let me off and told me to follow them back to the motorway.

Busking in the centre of Glasgow two cops in plain clothes approach me and show their police ID cards, cuff me and drag me across the street with a crowd of onlookers gawking, I've still got a banjo hanging around my neck wondering what the. Turns out they were winding me up and had seen me playing with my band the previous weekend, we had a good laugh about it and remained friends for years

What does “winding you up mean “? Joking?

 

[Lynne]

Never been arrested. I’ve been pulled over a few times. Nothing funny or exciting on my end.