An officer pulls you over. Now what? Here are ten lines that might help your chances of getting out of a ticket. (Sadly, we make no guarantees.)
1. âNo, officer, Iâm not sure why you stopped me.â
If an officer asks you why you think he pulled you over, be polite â but donât provide a confession that could be used against you. The truth is, until the officer tells you why he stopped you, you donât actually know the real reason. You might think itâs for speeding when itâs really about a broken headlight. Donât self-incriminate your way into a ticket when you might have gotten off with just a warning.
2. âWould you consider giving me a warning?â
It never hurts to ask, right? If the infraction is minor and you seem apologetic, the officer might let you off with a written warning. Sheâs still doing her job of making you a better driver, and youâre doing your part as a good citizen to show a willingness to comply with the law, despite a momentary oversight. The interaction is successful in her books.
3. Cry.
Okay, so crying isnât exactly a clever line, but it does move certain officers â not all â to compassion. If youâre feeling a little shaky when youâre pulled over, let the tears flow. He might go easy on you. Just donât get so hysterical that you look like you canât be trusted to drive away safely.
4. âIâm really late for an important meeting.â
The âlate for workâ excuse actually works some of the time! And if youâre late for work in a public-service job thatâs benefitting your community, your odds of avoiding a ticket might increase even more. âWe tend to think twice about giving a serious fine to someone in a similar position as ourselves,â one anonymous officer admitted to Urbo.com. An excuse/apology combo never hurts, either.
5. âIâm sorry, officer. I thought I was just keeping up with everyone else.â
Not to throw everyone else under the bus, but this is your chance to throw everyone else under the bus. If your excuse reveals decent intentions â and a little bit of ignorance? â you might get off with a warning. Playing dumb and claiming you didnât know you were speeding sounds like a questionable defence, but apparently it works 26% of the time.
6. âMy wife is in labor!â
This line works â as long as you can back it up with a real medical emergency. (You might even gain a police escort!) Donât have a laboring partner in the passenger seat? Maybe just tell the officer you really need to pee. Your antsy urgency might make the officer uncomfortable, too â and get you out of that ticket.
7. âGood morning, officer. Sorry to meet like this.â
An officer might be suspicious of sweet talk, but a genuine friendly interaction is always welcome. Treat the officer like a real human being, and you might earn a little favor in return just for making their day a little brighter.
8. âIâm late to pick up my kids.â
No officer wants to picture your kid sobbing at school all alone, waiting for a ride that isnât showing up. Use your kids as an excuse. Thatâs what theyâre there for, right?
9. âSorry, sir. Thereâs no fire â unless you count the BBQ Iâm heading to.â
Going somewhere fast? Invite the officer to join you. This is not an amateur move. It takes a lot of skill, nuance and confidence. But ever since Marshall Eriksen successfully evaded a ticket by inviting an officer to a BBQ on How I Met Your Mother, weâve been eager to follow his advice: âSee, it’s all about sizing up your opponent. I could tell that the officer was a brat man because, well, he was out of breath just from walking to my car and…he had mustard on his holster.â
10. âHereâs my license and registration. Iâm usually such a conscientious driver.â
Better than any line is being kind, courteous and humble. Pull over immediately, giving the officer enough safe space to approach you. Roll down your windows, have your license and registration ready, and answer questions â and defend yourself, if necessary â respectfully. Bad attitudes, rants about how your taxes pay officersâ salaries, angry defensiveness and outright lies will absolutely secure you that ticket youâre hoping to avoid.
Good luck! (And please follow the rules of the road.)
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