So on Saturday night at 11pm I was following my good friend over to his house to start the partying! He drives a 1st Gen Toyota MR2; I was in my 97 MN6 Vette. We pulled up to a light in Lacey WA (small suburb of Olympia...) We both roll our windows down, and the passenger in the MR2 yells "Get that piece of junk outa here" while Richie (my good friend) Revs his engine (Which I can hardly hear...) So I blip mine up to like 3.5k real quick a couple times (B&B Bullets...) laughing at the MR2. The light turns green and we both get moving. I was supposed to follow him to his new house, so I needed to stay close or behind him. We were neck and neck when a cop pulls up behind me and turns on his lights... I pull over.

The conversation between me and the officer was something like this: (Not entirely accurate though... I don't remember everything...)

Officer: "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

Me: "No, sir."

Officer: "Do you remember that stop light back there?"

Me: "Yes, sir."

Officer: "Do you remember what you did at the light?"

Me: "Yes, I revved my engine at my friend, sir."

Officer: "Did you know it’s an arrestable offense to street race?"

Me: "Yes, sir."

Officer: "You don't remember squealing your tires, and racing that car?"

Me: "No, sir."

Officer: "So you're tellin me you weren't street racing."

Me: "Yes, sir."

Officer: "So if you weren't racing him, then what were you doin?"

Me: "He’s a good friend of mine sir, and I just had this exhaust installed so I was givin him a little show. I wasn't speeding sir, and I don't recall breaking my tires loose, or racing. My friend was in a 1st Gen MR2, if we were racing, I wouldn't have been neck & neck with him, sir."

Officer: <Takes my paperwork and goes to car for 5 minutes... then comes back>
Officer: "Well I’m going to let you off with a warning for instigating a street race. And give you a bit of advice: Now it’s a ticketable offense to instigate a street race, and arrestable to actually street race. So even if you're just playing, or showing off to your friends, don't give the perception of instigating, or starting a race because some officers may not give you the benefit of the doubt. Just because you have a cool & fast car doesn't mean you have to drive like an idiot."

Me: "Thank you sir, it won't happen again. Have a nice night officer."

--------

I asked my friend, and he says he didn’t hear my tires break loose even with his windows down, and he also thought it was ridiculous for the officer to think I was racing him and not winning...

Even though I said yes, I didn't know one could be arrested for street racing and ticketed just for 'instigating' a race. 'Instigating' seems kinda subjective to me. Is that a new law that’s popping up places, or was the officer trying to scare me because he didn't really have anything on me?



Dan



Note: I never race off the track, and my friends make fun of me because I drive like a grandpa (no offense to any ol' timers in here...) I'm 22, been driving 6-7 years, and that was the VERY 1st time I’ve ever been pulled over for Anything.

 

wow .. that's gay.

it's a felony in florida .. but reving your engine is hardly instigating a street race.

he obviously wasnt a car guy


btw .. with Fast and the Furious Three coming out soon .. expect a lot of this b/s again real soon.

 

You got luckey.

 

Sounds like he sorta cut you a break. It would have been your word against his and he could have been a real jerk. Fast cars mean you drive fast (not always).....

 

Actually - the LEO sounded pretty cool to me. It could have been much worse. I think it's a good thing that you kept your head and didn't mouth off to him, it could have gotten ugly.

I am frequently told by my boss and my wife - it's the perception and not the actual act that gets you in trouble.

 

oooohhh another winner

 

In today's society.... Everyone is too busy looking out for our own best interests....

There are all kind of laws to protect us, from ourselves. It's against the law to instigate or participate in a street race. Do you know that if you just light up your tires, peel out but never go over the speed limit, you're looking at a couple of tickets?

Just be glad that 1) You didn't do something stupid and try to bull$hit the officer and 2) He was very understanding and didn't write you a ticket, especially since you're only 22.

(He also probably owns a Vette too.... If he owned a '74 Pinto, he would have thrown the book at you..... )

 

Yeah, i frequently say "Perception is reality."

He was a fairly cool guy too, he didn't really sound too pissed at me or anything, and looked damn near my age... lol (maybe 26-28ish...)

I'm not one to mouth off to police, or any authority. It's not going to help the situation, and you won't win... lol


Dan

 

Smart kid.....

There may be hope for the future after all.....

 

Well, your "pulled over" ended better than mine.

Do you know why I pulled you over?
Uhhh, you thought I had a box of donuts on the seat?

Downhill from there! Chuck.

 

My GY runflats don't make any noise when spinning...yours may have been and not known it.

 

not the best way to start that conversation

 

you gotta get 'em warmer .. they'll squeel and smoke!

not that i've done it in a parking lot before getting new rubnber or anything...

 

Did he even break a grin, or anything? Thats pretty funny stuff. I'd never say it to a cop, but man i'd die laughin if i saw an episode of cops where someone said this...

I've talked to a couple of my friends, and they say if you try to fight a ticket for street racing or 'instigating' that judges are becoming less and less sympathetic, and very unlikely to let you off, especially if you have a nice car and/or are young. Good far as i'm concerned... But i'd hate to get tickets just for revving my engine at a stop light...


Dan

 

Guys - I've been taking my cars to the track for over 15 years, and I drive like a grandpa on the street too (like the original poster.) Yet I have been pulled over for squealing my tires on a wet night in Ohio.

Recently an employee instigated a street race where one of the drivers ended up dead. This young person has learned that being a part of a fatal accident in any way can ruin your life - and I'm not trying to be funny. We live in stupid, litigious times, but learn from that - don't do anything that might be construed as racing on the street. There are too many HPDE days all around the country, where you can achieve an ear-to-ear grin by driving quickly and well, to act like this.

 

Being a retired police officer I'd say you ought to feel pretty fortunate, and it could have been a lot worse, depending on which type of officer pulled you over. An arrogant officer could have ruined your night. This officer seeemed to be pretty understanding. Seems as though you handled it well.

 

Yes, the cop could have been a real jerk, but it wouldn't have necessarily been LF97C5Vette's word against the cop's. There were two witnesses to the event in the other car, so it would have been the cop's word against three others. Not sure the cop would have won the argument in court with those odds.

 

Count your lucky stars and move on!

 

>>Not sure the cop would have won the argument in court with those odds.

I agree, but remember how the courts would look at this:

Officer = trained observer, doing his job
Others = young people, untrained, out for a good time

So they might give the officer's story more weight than the people in the other car.

JMO - ICBW

 

You handled it well!

Chuck