Interesting Experience

[8000RPM]

I was driving through the streets of downtown San Jose on a Friday night when I found myself behind a cop car. San Jose police has been known to be harassing, specially on a Friday night in downtown streets, so I made sure I stayed behind him to avoid any potential trouble.

As we moved along the crowded streets, I was immediately behind the cop car. When we stopped at the red light, I noticed there were three officers inside the car. I figured if I stayed behind them, they wouldn't be able to pick on my car.

Now picture this. The cop car was the first car at the intersection, and I was immediately behind it, with lots of cars behind me and around us. When the light turned green, the cop car did not move forward, thus blocking all the traffic behind it. Cars behind me started changing lanes to pass us up, but the cop seemed to be content to remained parked, while blocking traffic in a crowded downtown street.

While debating if I should change lanes also, the cop activated his flash and the lights came on. The cop car remained parked in front of me while the lights flashed, even though he knew he was blocking traffic behind. By now, people in the streets were all looking to see what was going on, with several of them pointing at my car. Shortly after, most of the cars behind me had changed lanes and crossed the intersection, and it was my turn to go.

Reluctantly, I changed lanes and passed the cop car. While I was slowly passing the cop car, with its lights flashing, I can sense that all three officers inside the car were staring at my car. As soon as I passed them in the next lane, they turned off the flashing lights, and started following me. By now I was going really slow, hoping they would simply pass me up and leave me alone. No such luck. They remained in my blind spot, going as slow as I was.

By now I was thinking to myself, "great, they will pull over any minute now, but for what reason I have no clue." They continued following me in my blind spot for over a block, and then they pulled up even with me. I looked straight, but I can sense that all of them were staring at me. They drove dead even next to me for some time, even though there were no cars in front them. Moments later, they sped off.

Hmmm....... I wonder if they said among themselves, "hey Billy Bob, I see a pair of headlights behind me that sits really low and close to the ground. Probably one of them Ferrari thingys. Wanna bet on what kind of car it is? Let me just use my police power and block the intersection so he has to pass us up..."

Maybe I should've offered them a ride around the block.

 

[lemansnsx]

Originally posted by 8000RPM:
Maybe I should've offered them a ride around the block.

Maybe you should have noted the unit number off the trunk and called in to complain about them instead... Or, the less aggressive response - turn or stop and park at the first opportunity.
(I've had several similar experiences)



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Andrew Henderson
The NSX Model List Page

"We have long acknowledged that enthusiasm for things automotive is a sure
sign of emotional instability if not outright dementia" - Brock Yates

 

[kenjiMR]

dude, thats just jacked up!
You read about my San Jose police experience right? At least they went away, I had no such luck. They pull me over for no reason.

San Jose sucks. I rarely drive my NSX downtown anymore, especially friday nights. I go up on Santa Clara street and park on 2nd street behind Mission Ale house sometimes.

 

[nsxxtreme]

Calling into complain does nothing. Most of the time the complaint departments are run by other officers.

 

[lemansnsx]

Originally posted by nsxxtreme:
Calling into complain does nothing. Most of the time the complaint departments are run by other officers.

Whatever. Proving once again just how useless responding to anything on these forums can be these days.

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Andrew Henderson
The NSX Model List Page

"We have long acknowledged that enthusiasm for things automotive is a sure
sign of emotional instability if not outright dementia" - Brock Yates

 

[nsxxtreme]

I wasn't saying anything bad about what you said or disrespecting what you said. You gave good advise. Just expessing my opinion, which is getting harder to do these days.

 

[SJJ28]

Or... They could have been surveying someting in a building adjacent to where they were stopped, and the fact that you sta behind them, and the went"VERY slowly" and refused to look over at them got them suspicious.
Its easy to think that they are just out to hassle you, but in 95% of the cases the person pulled over, or hassled, or whatever HAS done something illegal, or DOES have something illegal on their car. I dont have a front plate, and I know that I'll eventually get pulled for it, but I also know that the reason they are pulling me over is to see whos in the car, A lot of outsatnding warrants are served by "dumb luck"
Stop being so paranoid if you really dont have anything to hide. (not directed at anyone in particular)



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Steve
91

 

[Jimbo]

I guess I don't get it.

What would the complaint actually be about?

I agree it's a curious incident but I'm not sure it's "complaint material."

-Jim

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1992 NSX Red/Blk 5 spd #0330
1991 NSX Blk/Blk Auto #3070 (Sold)
1974 Vette 454 4 spd Wht/Blk
Looking for 76-79 Honda Accords

 

[nsxxtreme]

I agree, there really is nothing to complain about in this situation. I would have just pulled over and parked. I have been in other situations that didn't go so well that a complaint did nothing.

My situation,
Driving to a friends house about 2:00 am in Oregon City on a Friday night. I get pulled over for appearing to be driving to fast. I didn't know they could do this. I think I was doing 27 in a 25. After they pulled me over they accused me of being on something. My eyes were blood shot, hey its 2:00 am in the morning and I get up at 5:00 am. I was completely respectful to the officer. Next thing I know three more cop cars show up. They want to search my car. I tell them no they don't have a reason to search my car. So the five officers sit outside my car talking for about ten min. Come back and want to give me a sobriety test. I say fine, I've got nothing to hide. Now I'm scared sh*t less at this point because the way they are acting and talking I thought for sure they were going to screw my night up. As one of them is giving me the test another one tries to search my car. I say hey what are you doing get out of there. They keep giving me a hard time, I say look if I let you search my car I want you to apologize for accusing me of being on something. The officer says OK. I let him search my entire car. They found nothing, I don't even smoke cigarettes. They decided to let me go. The officer comes up and says I still think your on something. I told him I planned to complain to his supervisor, he said he was the supervisor.

Now I'm not bashing cops, I just think it sucks to be harassed. Best advice is to just pull over and avoid the situation.

 

[MYNSX]

YEA,THATS DEFINATLY A LITTLE NERVE RACKING FEELING AS IF AT ANY MOMENT THEY ARE GONNA PULL YOU OVER.Whoops caps locked.
Anyway last night (NEW YEARS)11:00 pm I decided to take a cruise down Mill Ave .Its the usual Friday & Saturday place to cruise,park,bar hop,and theres about 500 fast and furious type cars parked at the end near the bridge with a semi-controlled crowd.I was diverted my usual path down Mill to detour and go onto a side route well a cop is in and out of my blind spot "to try to get the full effect of my "anti-photo radar" plate cover.He must have tested the 45 degree angle 3-4 times (it is totally impossible to read at 35 deg. to 55 deg. Thus if photo radar takes that picture they can not address the ticket to the registered owner.It works quite well.This obviously he knew and did not like.

When he pulled me over I put my hands on the wheel (a courtesy thing knowing theres a gun in my car I dont want him to mis-interpret getting my licence for the weapon and him accidentally shoot me.

He says I think I smell alchohol in the car(ps theres not any nor has anyone drank any at all)this sends me into a fit of laughter in his face ,can you please step out,(sobriety test time)still laughing.Catching my breath he of course asks what am I laughing at.I tell him "he's" the one Im laughing at.(probably not the best answer) blow into the tube please!A big zero.I told you that I wasnt drunk.Well young man he address's me as(Im probably 2 years shy of his age)if I had a tool Id ask you to remove that plate cover (thats seemed to be the case last time too in Pheonix)a gun, 3 clips of ammo,badge,maze,billy club,an arsenal of combat weapons a car w/$50,000.00 onboard computer but not a single screw driver. huhh
And not any time of course to write the plate cover ticket.Im very greatful of course there is a lack of screwdrivers in Arizona.And a lack of patience on there part to write out tickets.....

Reguardless,the ticket they write "if they ever do" is much less than the photo option.

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[ck]

I got a better police harrassment story than all you!

This was in upper class Lafayette, CA. I was dropping off a friend about 3am at his home in a 95tt supra. When I got to his home, I parallel parked my car on the residential street. I go inside, planning to crash there because of the long night I just had. Suddenyly, his father shows up in his room and tells us there's a swarm of cops around my car and he thinks someone may have been breaking into it. So we rush outside and are greeted by six cops, (Lafayette only has 14 cops), running at us with flashlights and guns drawn. The yell at us to get on the ground. We were shocked and did as they said. They instantly jumped on us and cuffed us, (including my friend's elderly British father), facedown to the ground while each cop's partner kept their gun to our heads. We kept asking what we did and they just told us to shut up. They asked who's car that was and I said mine. To this response, I was immediately transferred to the back of a patrol car for arrest. When they told me this, I demanded to ask why. He responded that the car was stolen. I told him, What the ****, that's my car. In the mean time, he radioed the plates in, after they decided to cuff us, and it came back clean. However, they still insisted that the car was stolen due to the "punched ignition" they had observed. I asked them to show me, and they did. Of course there was nothing wrong with the ignition. They proceeded to let us go without an apology while maintaining their nasty attitudes, claiming that this was standard procedure. It turns out that a neighbor had called the police because he saw two young asian males near a nice car and so they instantly assumed it was stolen and we had come to ditch that car in search of another in their neighborhood! Top that one! Got busted for stealing my own car!

Chris

 

[NSXocto]

Chris,
Your story about a neighbor calling the cops and getting treated like sh@t is like one I had.

6 cops busted into my brothers Condo, guns out and cuffed me and all my friends, as we are having a few people over for dinner party.

Turns out the new neighbor called the cops and told them we had a DRUG LAB. Why? Well she saw my brother bringing 6 new plastic trash cans into the house. (my brother runs a land scaping business.)

 

[Soichiro]

I wonder if the original poster has considered this scenario: Your car is stolen. Police in front of the stolen NSX notice an exotic car behind them. They wait at a light to follow the car and check the license plate. After confirming it's a stolen vehicle the police pull the guy over. The car is recovered and returned to the owner without damage. Instead of complaining the owner writes a thank you letter to the police complimenting them on their awareness.

 

[8000RPM]

Originally posted by SJJ28:
Or... They could have been surveying someting in a building adjacent to where they were stopped, and the fact that you sta behind them, and the went"VERY slowly" and refused to look over at them got them suspicious.
Its easy to think that they are just out to hassle you, but in 95% of the cases the person pulled over, or hassled, or whatever HAS done something illegal, or DOES have something illegal on their car. I dont have a front plate, and I know that I'll eventually get pulled for it, but I also know that the reason they are pulling me over is to see whos in the car, A lot of outsatnding warrants are served by "dumb luck"
Stop being so paranoid if you really dont have anything to hide. (not directed at anyone in particular)

Well, it's obvious you don't fully grasp how things are around downtown San Jose on weekends. The suggestion that I caused this experience myself by being "paranoid" is simply ridiculous.

Surveying something inside a nearby building? Give me a break. Not unless we were stopped next to a donut shop.

Posts like these make it difficult for members to share NSX experiences.

 

[Larry]

I've been pulled over a few times when i had my VR4 and once when I was driving my NSX. Let's face it guys, we are prime targets.......adult males, clean business like appearance, shirt and tie in some cases, grey or graying hair (grey in my case).
If you were a cop, would you rather stop us or the lowered accord with the tinted windows and the subwoofer booming. Several of my friends are ex law enforcement and agree with my comment. They know we're a "safe" bust/collar/warning/ticket.
Here in NY, State Troopers are the WORST !!!
They are arrogant, nasty and downright obnoxious.

 

[nsxbadboy]

I would think just the opposite.If I were a cop Id assume anyone driving an exotic car would have money and therefor would fight any ticket in court.Cops have to get tired of going to court.Imagine having to fight 50 tickets a year in court.You cant get promoted like that.Ive only been pulled over in my NSX for doing something blatant and always let off with nothing.Maybe Im lucky.

Joe



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97 NSX-T
93 Supra TT BPU+

 

[SJJ28]

Originally posted by 8000RPM:
Well, it's obvious you don't fully grasp how things are around downtown San Jose on weekends. The suggestion that I caused this experience myself by being "paranoid" is simply ridiculous.

Surveying something inside a nearby building? Give me a break. Not unless we were stopped next to a donut shop.

Posts like these make it difficult for members to share NSX experiences.

What part of the "NSX experience" were you relaying ? That COPs on general think your bad because you drive an NSX???
Nice comment on the donut shop too, what do you do for a living, I'm ceratin there are unfair sterotypes about your profession too.
I didn't suggest you caused the situation by being paranoid, but if you are NOT paranoid, just exactly waht about the situation annoyed you to the point of letting it ruin your night?

MYNSX:
As for the getting pulled over with the anti-photo radar plate. Thank you , you proved my point that there is uassually a reason that people get pulled over, and if you were trying to illegally get around rules in my profession, I'd probably give you a hard time too.



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Steve
91

 

[MYNSX]

In my Cobra I always get pulled over.In my NSX I have "never" been pulled over.Same driver ,different car,both yellow,same 1 year time frame.Half the cops probably assume its a Ferrari and legally "up to par" the, if he's got the $$$ for the car I'm sure there's a legit driver with insurance,registation etc.plus they assume they might pull over some judge or his son better yet.(I am fully aware this point can be argued).On the other hand the Cobra is loud,4.10 rear(very hard to drive casually),yellow too,and very aggressive looking with a bulldog type of look and attitude with a definate potential for unloading the "book" on.Although "she has never been pulled over in it".Thats partly why she drives it among other reasons.There is a definate change of my attitude when in the Cobra and it is definatly not a formula for a clean drivers licence and casual driving.

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[8000RPM]

Originally posted by SJJ28:
What part of the "NSX experience" were you relaying ? That COPs on general think your bad because you drive an NSX???
Nice comment on the donut shop too, what do you do for a living, I'm ceratin there are unfair sterotypes about your profession too.
I didn't suggest you caused the situation by being paranoid, but if you are NOT paranoid, just exactly waht about the situation annoyed you to the point of letting it ruin your night?

Looks like someone has reading comprehension deficiency. Perhaps it's my writing. After all, English is my third language.

Way to go in speaking up for the cops. More donuts for you.

 

[MYNSX]

MYNSX:
As for the getting pulled over with the anti-photo radar plate. Thank you ,
you proved my point that there is uassually a reason that people get pulled
over, and if you were trying to illegally get around rules in my profession, I'd
probably give you a hard time too.


You are absolutely correct.If "generally"if I get pulled over its because Ive broken a rule that I/you/we pay the police to enforce.Which I am willing to pay the ticket.(that was a choice I made when I broke the rule)In the photo-radar sense the ticket is worth it "if they give one".
As for the "I smell alchohol"(lets test you) we'll thats the opposite force bending the rules."And thats fine with me".We are both human and assesing the risks and liabilities.Ill say one thing per/cop to per/person I sure as hell meet a lot more decent,moral,respectable cops than civilians.And thats "my" honest objective view.I usually get along extremely well w/cops.They have a tough job and in my opinion deserve a lot more $$/and respect for the work most of them do.
I have never felt as if "OH NO ITS THE ENEMY"

Although I do realize there are those who just hate police.(sometimes an authority figure problem)I dont and disagree can you imagine what it would be like if we had no police force to "keep the peace".

In most cases I play by the rules anyway so thats probably part of it.

PS.. I am really not concerned or interested in arguing "my" opinion of the subject I am simply clarifiing my own personal experience.

Mark Basch for President

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