I Swear Officer, I Didn’t Do It!
Every driver dreads seeing those red and blue lights flashing in their rearview mirror. When a police officer pulls you over, it can ruin your day and possibly make you even later then you already were.
But the inconvenience and embarrassment of being pulled over is usually not the worst part. It’s the ticket that follows. No one wants to pay for or explain why they got a ticket. Obviously the best way out of the situation is to try and get the officer to let you go with a warning.
There is no 100 percent, effective way to accomplish this, but there are tricks and tips to increase your chances of getting out of a ticket.
Being rude is at the top of the “easiest ways to get a ticket” list. No officer wants to be harassed or berated for doing their job. According to an article entitled “The Top 7 Ways to Get Out of a Ticket,” on spike.com, when you are pulled over, you should be respectful to the cop.
“When the cop is asking you questions, look him in the eye and answer the question without fear, but also without arrogance – like you’re talking to anyone else. Use the term “officer” when you answer him, without a tone of contempt.”
Turning off the car engine and placing your hands where the officer can see them also takes the tension out of the situation for the cop and shows him respect.
The next thing you should do is admit that you did something wrong and apologize for the action. When the officer says “Do you know why I pulled you over?” you should fess up to your actions and follow it with a sincere apology.
In a study conducted by Martin Day and Michael Ross, surveying 500 people who had been pulled over, they found that people who apologized to the police officer received, on average, a $33 reduction to their fine.”
Honesty and remorse show the officer that you are willing to take responsibility for your actions and that you feel bad for what you did (even if you do not). If there is opening for it, you should even try to make conversation.
According to an article by Stewart Rutledge entitled “How to Beat a Speeding Ticket,” you should “appeal” to the “human being” in them. Maybe the officer was pulled over as a teenager when they were running late to work.
Talking to the officer can make them connect with you and lighten the mood. If he has had the same experience or likes talking to you, he might let you go with a warning.
These are the easiest things to when you are pulled over, but there are also a few more unconventional ways to get out of a ticket.
Aside from being respectful, they also recommend crying. If you are a person that can cry on command, that is a huge advantage, boy or girl. How could an officer not feel sympathy for someone who is crying over something as simple as a ticket?
“The first time I got pulled over I was so overwhelmed that I just started crying,” said Erica Truhn, sophomore. “Thankfully, the officer let me off with a warning.”
Another suggestion from “The Top 7 Ways to Get Out of a Ticket,” is to lie. Obviously not the best choice or the most responsible, but it could save you from a ticket.
If you do choose to take this route, you have to be willing to accept the consequences if the officer sees through your lie. The lie must also be hard to prove false.
For example: Do not say it is your birthday, the cop can easily tell if you are lying by looking at your driver’s license.
A PBA card is another method used to get out of a speeding ticket. NYPost.com says that PBA cards are “real-life ‘get out of jail free’ cards. Unfortunately, you can only obtain one of these by knowing a police officer.
Showing this card to an officer usually means that you personally know another officer. By using this card you can usually get out of a speeding ticket.
Andrew Bandurski, criminal justice major, says that when he becomes a cop, there are a couple simple things an offender could do to persuade him against writing a ticket.
“One way to get out of a ticket from me would be to make me laugh and be nice when I come up to your window,” said Bandurski. “The other way would be to offer me a pink frosted doughnut from Dunkin Donuts.”
Obviously there are no sure ways to escape a ticket besides prevention, but by being polite and friendly, your chances of getting out of a ticket are greatly increased. Being nice to an officer for five minutes is much easier than being charged and going through the ticket process.
PHOTO COURTESY of uproxx.com
