denton
Member
Well, in the first place, if an officer asks if you know why he pulled you over, he is actually asking you for a confession. The correct answer is that you don't know.
By all means, have your required documents on the dash and the window down about halfway by the time the officer reaches your car. These guys have to deal with the really crummy, irrational parts of society. All your actions should be calculated to meet the minimum requirements of producing documents and not giving the officer any reason whatever to worry about his/her personal safety.
Be polite, don't offer excuses, tell the truth (you don't actually know exactly how fast you were going), don't offer information that is not required. If you're supposed to notify if you're carrying, do that.
If you happen to get an officer that wants you to roll your window all the way, tell him you can hear him just fine. If he asks you to step out of the car, roll your window up, comply, and lock the door behind you. If he asks to search the car, inform him that you do not consent to any searches, except that if you have informed the officer that you have a firearm, do not do anything to obstruct him taking temporary possession of it.
It's really too bad to have to conduct business that way, but if you don't, there are certain jurisdictions where your car and all its contents, plus the contents of your wallet will suddenly become "drug related" and you will have to go through a nasty process to get them back. Jurisdictions like that make things miserable for the decent men and women doing a tough job in other jurisdictions.
By all means, have your required documents on the dash and the window down about halfway by the time the officer reaches your car. These guys have to deal with the really crummy, irrational parts of society. All your actions should be calculated to meet the minimum requirements of producing documents and not giving the officer any reason whatever to worry about his/her personal safety.
Be polite, don't offer excuses, tell the truth (you don't actually know exactly how fast you were going), don't offer information that is not required. If you're supposed to notify if you're carrying, do that.
If you happen to get an officer that wants you to roll your window all the way, tell him you can hear him just fine. If he asks you to step out of the car, roll your window up, comply, and lock the door behind you. If he asks to search the car, inform him that you do not consent to any searches, except that if you have informed the officer that you have a firearm, do not do anything to obstruct him taking temporary possession of it.
It's really too bad to have to conduct business that way, but if you don't, there are certain jurisdictions where your car and all its contents, plus the contents of your wallet will suddenly become "drug related" and you will have to go through a nasty process to get them back. Jurisdictions like that make things miserable for the decent men and women doing a tough job in other jurisdictions.