Quote:
Originally Posted by ThunderBalls
Any patrol cop will tell you a traffic stop is a potential felony arrest, you got pulled over because the cop was hoping his little minnow he just caught could turn into a fish or a whale, not because your tags expired a few days before. Cops get promoted based on the amount of arrests they have, and felony arrests score higher points, so they are hoping for drugs, DUI, and yes, assault on a police officer. They have incentive to escalate the situation.
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I am aware that they pull you over for little things hoping for big things. If they pull you over for having a busted taillight they don't give a shit about your taillight, they are hoping that you are driving while suspended or uninsured.
But let me ask this: If they pull someone over for something lame like a busted taillight or expired tags and it turns out that person is driving while suspended and doesn't have insurance didn't they potentially just do the public a favor? If that person would have continued to drive around and eventually hit you, they have no insurance you could be screwed. If you were in your car you have uninsured motorist which will help, but if they hit you while you were on a bike or walking you are fucked.
Also, most police departments don't have any kind of arrest or ticket quotas that they have to fill. There might be some out there, but most have done away with it because it can lead to causes corruption.