JQL revisited - Ducati.ms

AXE · Jul 6th, 2008, 8:37 pm

Well, I finally got on the Hyper today after over 1 month of not riding at all. I gassed her up and away I went. Not long into the ride I meet up with JQL, who pulls me over to apparently tell me he could give me a ticket, but if I don't argue with him while he is preaching he will let me go. This was the weirdest traffic stop I have been involved with. Here's how it went down.

I am coming off the main highway and turning on to a rural highway north of my house. I make the corner where there is a couple of quick little s turns and a cattleguard to navigate before the road straightens. I get through the esses and over the guard and get on the gas a little as a black SUV approaches. It turns out to be a cop, but I figure oh well I haven't did anything wrong and I proceed down the road. A little while later here comes said SUV with lights flashing. I pull over, shut down the bike, and start to take my gloves and helmet off. I also have a set of custom molded ear plugs that I am running radar detector through. Here's where shit gets wierd.

As I am peeling my stuff off, I hear over my should the officer repeatadly asking me "where do you work"? at this point, I am not sure what the hell he is doing, but I figured I would play along and I started to answer him when he got to my side. He interrupted me by saying you can't hear a word I am saying and your ear plugs are illegal. By this time I had them out and I told him I heard him each of the times he asked me, but I was trying to get my stuff off when he was approaching.

He then spent a few minutes lecturing me on all the riders wearing earbuds and listening to stereos and crashing. He got a little amped up when I told him I can actually hear better with all the wind noise filtered out. He then went on to tell me he could give me a ticket for "exhibition of speed" and the "wheelie" I rode coming off the corner. I said I certainly wasn't speeding (limit is 55 mph) coming out of the corner and having my front wheel off the ground a few inches was hardly a "wheelie". He responded by saying that someone else sitting by the side of the road had their jaw dropped when I rode by. I am glad he was able to take all this in, cause I didn't see any gaping maws when I went by.

He then went on to tell me how many guys he has to scrape off the road and chase down along this particular stretch of highway, including setting up roadblocks for guys doing 150 mph. Apparently it is the worst highway in the area. Funny, I ride it all the time and some days I can ride the entire 8 miles and never see a vehicle much less bikes.

Finally, the lecture was over! I thanked him for the information and assured hime that in 25 years of riding I have never been ticketed on my motorcycle and have had very few in my truck. He responded by stating that was due to my radar detector and that was telling him I am a speeder even though my record might say different.

Anyway in all the wierdness, I didn't really think about this until after I rode away, but the officer never asked for my license, insurance, registration, social security #, immigration status, DOB, marital status, name of my kids, etc. I guess he was just really concerned where I worked, at least enough to ask me three times as he approached me from behind.

I guess I am glad he didn't slap me with an erroneus ticket, but then again I figure he didn't really have a reason to stop me in the first place. I am still trying to figure out if he was a nice guy, an asshat, or just confused. Sherriff Joe must have run out of illegal immigrant sweep opportunities, now they are targeting motorcycle riders with earplugs.

Out!

**desmoworks** · Jul 6th, 2008, 8:46 pm

That is weird... I'm surprised ear buds are illegal (are they?) since there are many people who use bluetooth headsets in their cars and I see people listening to iPods and the like in their cars too. Plus, what's the difference between having music in head phones and having the stereo up loud in the car? Seems silly.

Duc102 · Jul 6th, 2008, 8:52 pm

That is almost a creepily weird situation, even when a cop isn't going to give you a ticket I would still imagine he asks for a license. Oh well, I guess no harm done except for being annoying. Sounds like a fun stretch of road.

AXE · Jul 6th, 2008, 8:57 pm

I have heard that it is illegal to wear ear plugs/headphones, but have never hear of anyone being ticketed for it. I don't think he could even see them until I pulled my helmet off, cause the cord is tucked inside my jacket. I think he noticed them as he approached me. It can't be too illegal, cause I stuck them back into my ears, put on my helmet, and left while he was still sitting there.

I am going to start driving my bike with my cell phone in my ear, one handed, putting on my makeup, riding wheelies, drunk. Maybe then he will actually pull me over for something that matters.

I have been pulled over 3 times for not having mud flaps on my lifted truck and for having a photo radar deflecting plate cover. Never ticketed, just lectured on it being illegal. I didn't realize you could do so much illegal shit and get away with it. I think it is just a bullshit excuse to pull you over to see who's in the big black truck behind the tinted glass.............maybe get lucky and find a load of heroin or some illegals hidden under the back seat.

Out!

alounacara · Jul 6th, 2008, 9:11 pm

Put the hammer down next time and make him chase you

AXE · Jul 6th, 2008, 9:55 pm

This guy informed me he is a road block expert. I

would have never had a chance.

Actually, if I get busted for something legit..........I will take my medicine. I pushed a lot of dirt bikes home in my youth and had one impounded for riding through the alleys to get out of town to ride. No fun, but it keeps you in the game for another day.

Out!

Motard-Menace · Jul 7th, 2008, 4:50 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by AXE

I have been pulled over 3 times for not having mud flaps on my lifted truck and for having a photo radar deflecting plate cover. Never ticketed, just lectured on it being illegal. I didn't realize you could do so much illegal shit and get away with it. I think it is just a bullshit excuse to pull you over to see who's in the big black truck behind the tinted glass.............maybe get lucky and find a load of heroin or some illegals hidden under the back seat.

Out!

Might be a bullshit excuse for getting pulled over but by having the illegal tint and illegal license plate cover (which you are aware of being illegal) you are pretty much driving around saying, pull me over, please pull me over and unfortunately if you want to violate those particular laws there is not much recourse when you get stopped since you are in violation. Granted as you have found not many will issue a ticket for those things but still gives them a reason to stop you and have a look. And you are correct they are fishing most times. Many good busts, arrests etc. come from very minor infractions because the dumb shit criminals are the ones who get caught. Not saying that is you AXE just pointing out that many idiots are caught for minor things. As long as you are not doing anything else and you have a license and insurance, yada yada, yada most times its a warning. Glad you didn't get a ticket anyway........

gossa · Jul 7th, 2008, 4:55 pm

Come and live in England, our cops don't have guns so you can have a really good argument (if you were so inclined!)

I have respect for the law but have sometimes had an aggressively preachy situation with a copper, I just told him to piss off as I knew I hadn't done anything wrong and my bike and kit was totally legal.

Your cops are a bit more scarey than ours!

**CDONA** · Jul 7th, 2008, 6:52 pm

Ask to see his fishing lisc. & check his bag limit.

daversj · Jul 7th, 2008, 10:05 pm

If earplugs are illegal then I guess deaf people aren't allowed to drive either? Most cops don't really know the law. They just write a summons and let the courts sort it out. If they tell you your breaking the law for something suspect and don't write the ticket, they know it's BS or they are to lazy to look it up. It sucks for the average guy because they have defend themself in court and that cost time and money, guilty or not and they know it. So, rather that argue I just try to be as nice as possible and get my nose deep up their ass.