Got pulled over yesterday

tcd223 · 12-02-2009, 12:19 PM

because I have my temporary plate from Connecticut taped in my back windshield.

It was around noon and there was nothing going on in the Throggs Neck area of the Bronx as I made my way through the lunch time traffic on Tremont Avenue. As I sat at a light waiting to make a left, a paddy wagon with three uniformed officers drives past going in the opposite direction and whips a quick U turn, pulling up behind me. The intersection clears and I make the turn when they hit the sirens and lights.

Two cops come up on the passenger side of the car. I drop the window on that side and one of the cops asks if its a new car and for my license and registration. I tell him I've had the car for about two weeks and hand over my paperwork. The third cop comes up to the drivers side window and demands my paperwork and I informed him that I already gave it to one of the other officers.

Two of the cops get back into the paddy wagon and try to make sense of the temporary registration. It wouldn't have been a problem, I suppose, if I had bought the car in New York and had temporary New York tags. The other cop walked around the car, checking it out.

After about 10 minutes all three cops come back up to the car, again two of them on the passenger side and one on the driver side. They hand me back my license and paperwork and ask me to unlock the door. The cop on the driver side checked the VIN on all the glass and in the door jamb.

The other two cops on the passenger side talked to my girlfriend and asked her twenty questions about the car that she couldn't answer. They told me to drive safe and went back to their paddy wagon. And they were nice enough to block traffic so I could pull up an on ramp to the Cross Bronx Expressway.

BrokenVert · 12-02-2009, 12:37 PM

Wow, thats utter crap man. Sorry to hear that. I was in that area a week ago and got stared down by a pair of cops in a cruiser, its really annoying.

cagekicker · 12-02-2009, 02:17 PM

that's what we pay cops(auto thieft task force) to do, work. if your vehicle was carjacked you would be very upset everytime you see the cops sitting at a coffee shop instead of looking for your vehicle.

oasis3582 · 12-02-2009, 02:26 PM

Sounds like no harm, no foul to me.

Judge · 12-02-2009, 02:33 PM

Unless you gave off any weird vibes or there have been a string of recent BMW thefts in the area, a simple match of the info on your driver's license to what's on the paperwork should have ended the investigation right there. Asking you to unlock your doors (gain entrance to your private vehicle to perform a search) to do a vin check is a bit excessive and doesn't meet the reasonable suspicion threshold police need to keep you detained against your will.

Of course, because you are a nice guy you obliged, but you could have told them to produce a warrant or piss off.

tcd223 · 12-02-2009, 03:27 PM

I guess I should have elaborated on the questions my girlfriend was getting. They were asking her how much horsepower it had, how much torque, what it weighed ect... They pulled me over in part to make sure I wasn't joyriding a stolen car, but more so they could check the car out.

Judge · 12-02-2009, 05:41 PM

Ahhh, I got the impression your girlfriend was being interrogated which is the type of scenario I expect to read on the forums.

TexasKid · 12-02-2009, 06:19 PM

I can appreciate the officer's wanting to "do their job," but I've known too many officers who take it a little too far and TRY to find something to write a ticket/make an arrest over that ends up wasting everyone's time & money. I personally got arrested once for "running from the police" (guy drew his gun on me and everything) then when it came time for court the arresting officer didn't even show up. I was speeding at best, but got to spend a night in jail and cost me about $1000 in lawyer fees and the dick never even showed.

jibaholic101 · 12-02-2009, 07:11 PM

that is going above and beyond the call of duty

fuck them

Nicky G · 12-03-2009, 08:37 PM

I tend to think they wanted to check the car out, from a "that's a pretty slick little car, let's check it out!" perspective.

FactoryFast · 12-04-2009, 05:43 PM

I guess be glad your ride wasnt hot lol...

jeremyc74 · 12-04-2009, 06:07 PM

It sounds to me like maybe they were looking for a stolen BMW, and yours with a paper plate was worth checking out. With the quality of printers these days, it wouldn't be all that hard to fake a registration and plate to match a vehicle you've just stolen, so maybe that's what they had in mind when they took it a little further.

They probably ran the VIN number on your paperwork, and then wanted to make sure it matched the actual car you were driving. High end auto theives are pretty smart these days, so I don't think it's a bad thing that they're being thorough about a stop once they've made it.

12-02-2009, 12:19 PM	#1
tcd223 Captain 47 Rep 940 Posts Drives: '10 LeMans 135i Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NYC iTrader: (1) Garage List 2010 135i [7.00]	Got pulled over yesterday because I have my temporary plate from Connecticut taped in my back windshield. It was around noon and there was nothing going on in the Throggs Neck area of the Bronx as I made my way through the lunch time traffic on Tremont Avenue. As I sat at a light waiting to make a left, a paddy wagon with three uniformed officers drives past going in the opposite direction and whips a quick U turn, pulling up behind me. The intersection clears and I make the turn when they hit the sirens and lights. Two cops come up on the passenger side of the car. I drop the window on that side and one of the cops asks if its a new car and for my license and registration. I tell him I've had the car for about two weeks and hand over my paperwork. The third cop comes up to the drivers side window and demands my paperwork and I informed him that I already gave it to one of the other officers. Two of the cops get back into the paddy wagon and try to make sense of the temporary registration. It wouldn't have been a problem, I suppose, if I had bought the car in New York and had temporary New York tags. The other cop walked around the car, checking it out. After about 10 minutes all three cops come back up to the car, again two of them on the passenger side and one on the driver side. They hand me back my license and paperwork and ask me to unlock the door. The cop on the driver side checked the VIN on all the glass and in the door jamb. The other two cops on the passenger side talked to my girlfriend and asked her twenty questions about the car that she couldn't answer. They told me to drive safe and went back to their paddy wagon. And they were nice enough to block traffic so I could pull up an on ramp to the Cross Bronx Expressway.
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12-02-2009, 12:37 PM	#2
BrokenVert Resident Kerbalnaut 477 Rep 10,703 Posts Drives: Topless Brute/Hybrid Boogaloo Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Fahrvergnügen/NY iTrader: (0)	Wow, thats utter crap man. Sorry to hear that. I was in that area a week ago and got stared down by a pair of cops in a cruiser, its really annoying. __________________
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12-02-2009, 02:17 PM	#3
cagekicker Major 16 Rep 1,335 Posts Drives: '09 crimson red 135i Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: miami (vice city) fl. iTrader: (0)	that's what we pay cops(auto thieft task force) to do, work. if your vehicle was carjacked you would be very upset everytime you see the cops sitting at a coffee shop instead of looking for your vehicle. __________________ 6MT/ Sport Package/ N54/ Asa wheels/ Eibach pro kit springs/ Active autowerke Exhaust/ 35% tint
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12-02-2009, 02:26 PM	#4
oasis3582 Lieutenant 146 Rep 582 Posts Drives: 2021 BMW X3 M40i Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Cincinnati, OH iTrader: (0)	Sounds like no harm, no foul to me. __________________ Current: 2021 BMW X3 M40i Previous: VW GTI, Tesla Model 3 LR, Mazda MX-5 RF, Ford Mustang GT (x2), Mazda 3, BMW Z4 sDrive35i, Acura TSX, BMW 135i, Acura TSX, Honda Accord Coupe V6, Acura RDX, Pontiac GTO 6.0, Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
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12-02-2009, 02:33 PM	#5
Judge First Lieutenant 38 Rep 395 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	Unless you gave off any weird vibes or there have been a string of recent BMW thefts in the area, a simple match of the info on your driver's license to what's on the paperwork should have ended the investigation right there. Asking you to unlock your doors (gain entrance to your private vehicle to perform a search) to do a vin check is a bit excessive and doesn't meet the reasonable suspicion threshold police need to keep you detained against your will. Of course, because you are a nice guy you obliged, but you could have told them to produce a warrant or piss off.
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12-02-2009, 03:27 PM	#6
tcd223 Captain 47 Rep 940 Posts Drives: '10 LeMans 135i Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NYC iTrader: (1) Garage List 2010 135i [7.00]	I guess I should have elaborated on the questions my girlfriend was getting. They were asking her how much horsepower it had, how much torque, what it weighed ect... They pulled me over in part to make sure I wasn't joyriding a stolen car, but more so they could check the car out.
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12-02-2009, 05:41 PM	#7
Judge First Lieutenant 38 Rep 395 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	Ahhh, I got the impression your girlfriend was being interrogated which is the type of scenario I expect to read on the forums.
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12-02-2009, 06:19 PM	#8
TexasKid Second Lieutenant 25 Rep 206 Posts Drives: 2010 BigWheel Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (0)	I can appreciate the officer's wanting to "do their job," but I've known too many officers who take it a little too far and TRY to find something to write a ticket/make an arrest over that ends up wasting everyone's time & money. I personally got arrested once for "running from the police" (guy drew his gun on me and everything) then when it came time for court the arresting officer didn't even show up. I was speeding at best, but got to spend a night in jail and cost me about $1000 in lawyer fees and the dick never even showed. __________________ Rollin' on 10's but I keep 'em clean.
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12-02-2009, 07:11 PM	#9
jibaholic101 Brigadier General 159 Rep 3,496 Posts Drives: women wild Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Charleston, SC iTrader: (0)	that is going above and beyond the call of duty fuck them __________________ some italian, german, and japanese ones; and on order more of the same
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12-03-2009, 08:37 PM	#10
Nicky G Private First Class 13 Rep 197 Posts Drives: 2010 135i (M Sport, Premium) Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Baltimore, MD USA iTrader: (1)	I tend to think they wanted to check the car out, from a "that's a pretty slick little car, let's check it out!" perspective.
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12-04-2009, 05:43 PM	#11
FactoryFast Second Lieutenant 28 Rep 258 Posts Drives: 2009 BMW 135i ///M Dinan S2;) Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southfields, New York iTrader: (0)	I guess be glad your ride wasnt hot lol...
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12-04-2009, 06:07 PM	#12
jeremyc74 Banned 76 Rep 5,970 Posts Drives: '08 135i Montego/Terra Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Evansville, IN iTrader: (0)	It sounds to me like maybe they were looking for a stolen BMW, and yours with a paper plate was worth checking out. With the quality of printers these days, it wouldn't be all that hard to fake a registration and plate to match a vehicle you've just stolen, so maybe that's what they had in mind when they took it a little further. They probably ran the VIN number on your paperwork, and then wanted to make sure it matched the actual car you were driving. High end auto theives are pretty smart these days, so I don't think it's a bad thing that they're being thorough about a stop once they've made it.
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