There is nothing more frustrating than getting pulled over by the local law enforcement officer for doing 72 in a 65 when you know you were only going 70. How do you convince this police officer to let you go and just forget all about the hefty speeding fine and the pain of having a bad mark on the driving record?



This is a difficult task to accomplish. There are so many factors at play involving a traffic stop that being able to get out of one is more of a guessing game than anything.

And, keep in mind, if that officer has it in mind to write a few tickets that day and your number is up, well, you are going to get a ticket, simple as that.

Now, there are some tactics that you can try. I cannot assure you that any of these will be successful or make the slightest bit of difference. All I can go by is what I have learned from working in the law enforcement field.

Understand that behind that uniform, badge and firearm is a flesh and blood human being just like everyone else. There are days when the officer goes to work in a terrible mood because the cat peed on the floor or junior drew a picture of daddy and mommy on the wall with shoe polish.

The demeanor of the officer, his/ her personality and mood have quite a bit to do with whether you will be donating to the city coffers or not. Do not think that giving it your all to get out of that fine will guarantee success.

Let me tell you how to get pulled over for speeding before we get any further. Yes, there is a method and procedure in getting pulled over. Well, at least there is a method that will give a bit of comfort to the officer pulling you over.

Now, as speeders, we get a bit selfish. We become upset when we are pulled over for something that we are guilty of. We come up with excuses; we complain that we were barely exceeding the limit and worst of all, we flat out lie. "Officer, my speedometer said I was going 55. I don't understand why your radar says I was going 88. Maybe you need to get it checked."

When you see those red and blues that make your stomach turn upside down, just relax. Pull your vehicle over as far as possible. The officer does not appreciate having to approach your vehicle walking down the center of the lane.

If possible, pull off onto a side street. Now, that doesn't mean go for a scenic drive looking for the perfect spot so that everyone can not only chat politely, but enjoy the scenery as well. Police officers get unruly when they have to follow a traffic violator all over town before completing the stop.

If it is dark out, turn on your interior lights. The officer will appreciate this. You cannot imagine how nervous it can make a person feel to have to approach a vehicle in the middle of the night, your standing under street lamps and the suspect is hidden in the darkness of his vehicle. The officer will appreciate this, but don't expect a hug.

Place both of your hands on the steering wheel in plain view of the officer so he can monitor you. This will give him a warm and fuzzy feeling deep in his innards, I assure you.

Once the officer arrives at your vehicle, he or she will immediately tell you the department he represents and then inform you of your infraction. The first instinct is to argue. "No way officer I wasn't speeding/ swerving/ failing to signal/ failing to stop. I always obey the law. Check my records. You can call my insurance company right now; they will tell you that I have never been in an accident."

At this moment, you should simply be digging through your glove box and retrieving whatever documents that the officer has requested. All of the comments and arguments will be statements that he or she has heard so many times that a seemingly scripted answer will be in store. Try it, see if I'm wrong.

The next step, as you hand over that expired insurance card, is to apologize. The officer probably is not concerned whether you are remorseful about this infraction, however, he will be stunned to hear you admit that you were in fact violating a traffic law. He will be dumbfounded that his radar/ common sense/ eye glasses actually were functioning at 100% capacity without a speeder needing to point it out.

He will take your documents back to his vehicle and make a few checks before returning. Upon his return, he will explain everything he has dug up. Now, there are so many cool little things that a traffic officer can site you for. Did you change that address on your driver's license? Is that window tint beyond the legal limit? How about that reflector? Did you realize it was cracked? What do you mean your headlight is out?

When, and if he sites you after all of your politeness and cooperation, just smile, thank him for what he does and resume your trip. At this point, you can begin your flood of vulgarity or whatever it is you do to relieve the tension that has developed over the period of the stop.

If you receive a nice little traffic warning, well, feel free to extend your thankfulness of my offering of knowledge within this article by offering a monetary donation.

Be safe, be nice and don't let these old nasty police officers make you crazy.