Instead of pulling me over to give a reward for good driving, why don’t you just not pull me over to begin with?
Police are stopping law-abiding motorists and rewarding their good driving with $5 Starbucks gift cards.
Seeing as this comes from California, I’m not really surprised; but at the same time I have to think that this is just plain dumb. I would LOVE to be pulled over when I’m going the speed limit and using my turn signals correctly to have some CHiP hand me a gift card for $5. Five lousy bucks isn’t worth the 5 minutes of my life that are being wasted by being rewarded for “good behavior”.
You want to reward me for good driving? DON’T PULL ME OVER.
Or better yet…spend the time either pulling over people who are aren’t driving correctly…
or even better yet, go fight crime….
hmmmm… how about it?
You know, that could be fun. Let’s make a list of all the things I’d rather have the cops do than pull me over to give me a goddamn starbucks card.
How about at number 1: Not kick down doors to the wrong person’s house when executing a search warrant?
I think it would have to be at least $20 for me to be willing to put up with that.
Better: they could use red light cameras to reward people who stop at intersections. That would be less of a waste.
I suppose there are criminal suspects who drive well and may be spooked by random stops.
I’d have more fun if the cops would reenact the entire Camelot scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
More seriously, I’d have to go with enforcing laws. Especially the not-so-glamorous ones. Like retail theft. Or able-bodied jerks parking in handicapped spots. You can’t bust Mr. Big everyday but surely any self-respecting police department can find something better to do than stop law abiding citizens who are just abiding the law.
Send the Starbucks card to my insurance agent with a note to please give me a break on my next premium when it’s due…
They’re going to get themselves or someone else killed doing that. Every time somebody’s pulled over, there’s that chance someone’s going to plow into you. That and it effs up traffic because everybody’s got to slow down. I’m not saying I’m for anarchy on the road, but I do think writing tickets (or giving gifties) in rush-hour traffic does more harm than good.
Here’s my question — are they using these causeless stops to pull a “paperz pleez” and demand to see DL and insurance?
Sounds to me like they are trying to train folks to accept being pulled over without cause. . . “why did I pull you over? because I can. . .”
… wow … used to be, when I was a cop (-sigh- yes, it was in California), we had to have probable cause to detain (stop) someone in a traffic stop. Used to be, if you were a cop and did NOT have PC to stop, you’d get your ass sued.
Huh … used to be …
I think they’re using the ol’ subterfuge game. The real reason for pulling over
unsuspecting motorists is the hope of smelling dope or alcohol. A driver may let
their “guard down” and “fire one up” while they’re careful to drive within the
law. Minding their own business. Driving at, or slightly below, the speed limit.
The cost of handing out gift cards, more than likely donated anyway, buys
what no money can…..a “legitimate” reason to pull over motorists without
probable cause. Plain and simple. Vere are your papers? Ve are only here to
help. All hail the state!