Sounds like you handled it well, though the nodding no might have confused him. :D

Second guy this week who didn't get a ticket and isn't happy. I'm not sure what I am supposed to say.

Gee, I'm sorry you didn't get a ticket. :p


Seriously, Let It Go...

Move your head from side to side. Look serious.

How the heck does one wave good bye ? SmileWavy

A nod can refer to any movement of the head. The root word refers to a back and forth movement.

This is correct. But, shrugging your shoulders without saying anything is also fun, because it doesn't show up on the dashcam audio/video.

It's not a crime or an admission of guilt to say you don't know. In AZ the law is reasonable and prudent up to (IIRC) 65 mph. So I'd reply that I was doing a reasonable and prudent speed with the flow of traffic IF I were stopped on a road with a speed limit of 65 or below. Above 65 I'd probably say I don't know or shrug my shoulders.

My mom once tried to argue that she was only going 63 in a 50 zone instead of the 68 at which she was clocked. That was ridiculous. She got the ticket.

Since we are talking about traffic stops (again); this is a little off topic but worth getting out there. Here's a win for midwest drivers.

Federal appeals court blocks Illinois law against recording police doing their jobs - JSOnline

Pre-emptive strategy: When the officer approaches your car, ask "is there a problem, sir?" Worked for me.

-e.

"is there a problem, sir?"

You just answered no to "do you know why I pulled you over" before he asked it.

Say nothing other than "Good Day"

Ah, a roadside gathering of idiots. Glad I missed it.

To my mind, not knowing why I was pulled over is not tantamount to pleading guilty to an unspecified traffic violation/crime. But, I'm not giving legal advice and you may very well be correct.

-e.

Uh no. Admitting guilt is saying something to the effect that you know you were speeding or committing some crime.

I was pulled over once with guns drawn and hauled out of my van. I had no idea why they pulled me over. I hadn't done anything. Turns out they were looking for an armed robbery suspect whose van looked like mine. They let me go.

I would be happy with that.

I'd rather get yelled at than pay a fine.

To be fair I will sometimes answer the question.

Coming home real late one night with the future wife I see a patrol car hiding in a gas station at the corner where I was going to turn right.

The light is red so I make sure I'm signaling, come to a full complete stop, count 3 seconds and make my turn.

Sure enough he comes after me and lights me up.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"

No, I came to a complete stop, signaled, I have no idea.

"You didn't see the No Turn on Red sign back there?"

You mean the one that says, No Turn on Red, School Days 7-8 am and 4-6pm?

He just stares at me for a few awkward seconds and finally says, "is that what it says?"

I said yeah, that's what it says. I can wait while you go check?

"Have a nice night sir"

Glad that you missed it too.

One for the files...
 

Driving my "other car", a Honda, I saw that my cumulative mpg was 39 and I wondered if I coasted down my street (a main road) and into my driveway perhaps I could hit 40 on the gauge. This was at 6am. So I coasted down the street and zipped into the drive in neutral. Shut off the car and there was another car pulled in my drive about 30 feet behind me. I got out and the the red lights came on and the LEO ordered me back into the car over his bullhorn. He asked me where I lived and I pointed to my house. Belligerently demanded license, insurance, etc. The whole time he was acting all bad@$$. Finally asked me why i pulled into the driveway so fast. I said it was stupid did he really want to know? He yelled at me and demanded why and I explained. He handed me back my documents and said I hadn't done anything wrong. BTW, I never did hit 40 mpg.

Really wasn't complete without you though.

I've been pulled over maybe 10 times in my whole life. and maybe 3 in the last twenty years. Every officer I have dealt with has been, at the very least, courteous and professional, and in most cases, outwardly friendly. I have usually gotten the ticket, but in a few cases I have been let off with a word of caution to just slow down.

Maybe I'm lucky, but I've never had that bad experience some of you folks have described.

That's pretty much been my experience too. But I've had a few that could have very easily gone south if I hadn't realized it at the time and helped deescalate. (Why should that even be necessary?) I've been told by several cop friends that people who look and act like I do are pretty much invisible to cops. So the worst that's going to happen when I get stopped is I get the ticket. Still, some of the stories out there are pretty outrageous and there's just about nothing someone could do to warrant that kind of 'tude from a cop.

I've been pulled over in other countries, both as a driver and passenger, and I've never sensed the slightest 'tude from the cop. They were all business and not looking for drama.

I've now learned to do this next time that I get pulled over! hell instead of getting a $450 ticket I might get him to beat my ass and earn $450,000 in a civil suit.