Race-ial profiling?

[DVS LT1]

Both sides have made good points - there are TONS of bad drivers out there who are either stupid or drive dangerously (has anyone mentioned SUV supermom's??), and just because a car has been modded or tricked out doesn't mean its being used/intended for breaking the law.

Nevertheless, our thread starter is correct in his observation that cops these days are out to hassle young punks in attention getting cars. It’s plain and simple. Whether the cops are using phony emissions or safety stop checks to search for weapons or drugs, or simply detest the current sport compact culture and/or young punk image, bottom line is they're DOING it. So people shouldn't act surprised if the cops happen to notice when they're begging for attention with either outrageous effects and kits, stupid loud and obnoxious exhaust tones or beats blasting from their car, or when posing like hot shit when they're driving (if I were a cop and saw some silly little kid sitting so far back and low in his chair that his eye's barely cleared the side window or front windshield, I'd pull them over in an instant - if anything just to verify there wasn't an underage CHILD driving the car).

It’s as if kids these days compound their follies. It’s bad enough to have a car that stands out - you know cops are going to be looking at you, – so what do ya do? How about ignore them, turn your stereo up a bit louder, and continue to look straight ahead while bobbing your head up and down, pretending like you’re the only one on the road. Pricks or not, cops are on the road to do a job. They are looking for stolen cars, suspicious persons in neighborhoods/areas they look out of place in or would have little reason to be at, and they’re also observing other motorist’s driving behaviors and actions (not just where the car is going but what the driver is doing). All most cops are looking for is eye contact – if you’re eyes are moving around enough (like they should be anyways) you’re bound to see them. Your chances of being pulled over will be drastically reduced if you simply make it a point to acknowledge when cops are around by giving them a nod or semi-wave. I do it whenever I can, and I’ll tell you there’s been a few times where I’ve turned and noticed a cop giving me the look of death (for who knows what – exhaust or no front license…), but soon as I gave them a nod they totally lightened up (still ran my plates but didn’t bother me afterwards).

We can bitch about how unjust profiling is or how cops can be super-pricks at times, but really this game is nothing new. My old man and his brothers and friends were all hassled when they were younger ripping around in their Cuda’s and Charger’s… back in my teen years you couldn’t pull out of my high school parking lot in a 5.0L Mustang wearing a baseball cap without getting stopped halfway down the street… and now it’s the kids driving their little rally cars and sport compacts – call it whatever you will. Eventually it will pass, and something else will come along to attract all the heat (and all you young fellas will have grown up and won't care about this stuff anymore).

[MrRoboto]

Great opinion
but If I were a cop and I saw an old lady peering through the small arch under the steering wheel, I would pull her over just to see if there was anyone driving the car!

[thunderbird muscle]

I'm 19 and my car has some modifications done to it. I don't race it because I can't afford to tear it up. But wait if you modify your car your a streetracer come on give me a break! I've been followed and basically stocked by cops who wait for me to screw up, but its just a waste of time for them. I have had one speeding ticket and that was because I didn't notice the slower speed limit.

Profiling isn't acceptable so what if its 80 percent correct its still unfair to the other 20 percent!

[DVS LT1]

Originally Posted by thunderbird muscle

I'm 19 and my car has some modifications done to it. I don't race it because I can't afford to tear it up. But wait if you modify your car your a streetracer come on give me a break! I've been followed and basically stocked by cops who wait for me to screw up, but its just a waste of time for them. I have had one speeding ticket and that was because I didn't notice the slower speed limit.

Profiling isn't acceptable so what if its 80 percent correct its still unfair to the other 20 percent!

You're absolutely right, and I agree its unfair.

But thats life. You can be a wise guy around the cops or you can keep to doing things right and tough it out.

[satchmode]

my car is modded, but not really externally, and even with my loud exhaust and beats, cops don't seem to pick me out over anyone else. that's probably because in california, it's the norm to drive faster than the speed limit, and 1 in 10 cars are modded similarly. i don't stick out at all when i'm cruising in my car, and haven't been pulled over in it yet. the profiling around here is beater cars. my old stang, which was looking pretty raggedy there at the end, got me pulled over countless times, because cops are looking for mexicans without green cards, drug dealers, and what-not...they just pretty much ignore us young punks, because there are too many of us and everyone else drives like us anyways.