Question for all police officers, deputies, troopers, etc.

[BehindBlueI's]

Does anyone ever say that you have an odd name?

Nope. Most of the comments are about how bald I am. Which is "very" if anyone was keeping score.

Every time I've ever been pulled over, I've been asked if I know why.

Different folks do it different ways. There's no standardized script or anything. Well, technically there are lots of standardized scripts, but none are universal or required. I use the one from the book "Verbal Judo" and believe it works very well for my purposes. I wrote a lot of tickets, I never got a rudeness complaint except on a traffic accident, and it was actually a mistake where they meant to complain on the accident investigator.

Never understood the alphabet backwards thing, I would be more likely able to do that drunk because I certainly cannot do it sober

Me either. Like VUPD says, its not one of the standard tests so I'm not sure what they are observing for. The tests aren't about balance or language skills or the like. They are about dividing your attention between a hand full of simple tasks. Drunks are usually great at doing one thing at a time. They just suck at doing three things at a time. When you stop and think about all the things you do to safely drive, you can see the issue. Maintaining speed, watching for other cars, maintaining a safe distance, staying in your lane, watching and complying with traffic lights, etc. etc. That's why divided attention tests are used.

 

[VUPDblue]

Last time I tried to do SFSTs the guy said, "can't I just blow in the thingy instead"....lol

 

[Roadie]

the backward alphabet test is not part of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests as outlined by NHTSA.

The three tests that are part of the SFSTs are the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), the 9 Step Walk and Turn, and the One Leg Stand.

I am so screwed, lol.

I have Meniere's disease that causes random Nystagmus, vertigo and lack of balance..

 

[jsharmon7]

Like others have said, all I need is what you're required to give. If you want to give me the silent treatment that's perfectly fine. Most people I stop just tell me "yeah I was cruising along/talking to my wife/etc. and didn't realize I was doing XYZ." Fair enough, here's a warning and have a safe trip. The last speeding ticket I wrote was for 49 in a school zone, the last two before that were both for 53 in a 30. I don't tend to write a lot of tickets.

 

[VUPDblue]

And explaining that to the officer would pretty much negate the tests right there.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

This is why I always try to outrun the cops

 

[Denny347]

I am so screwed, lol.

I have Meniere's disease that causes random Nystagmus, vertigo and lack of balance..

Do you have glassy, bloodshot eyes, smell of alcohol coming from your person, and inability to multi task? Also, with alcohol, we look for nystagmus in both eyes that show "lack of smooth pursuit", "at maximum deviation", and "onset prior to 45 degrees". Which means you follow my pen movement from left to right and I will see lack of smooth pursuit. Then I hold your eyes all the way to one direction to see nystagmus, then I will move your eyes and see if nystagmus shows up prior to 45 degree angle to the shoulder. Random nystagmus indicates a medical problem. You'll be fine,

 

[Disposable Heart]

Me either. Like VUPD says, its not one of the standard tests so I'm not sure what they are observing for. The tests aren't about balance or language skills or the like. They are about dividing your attention between a hand full of simple tasks. Drunks are usually great at doing one thing at a time. They just suck at doing three things at a time. When you stop and think about all the things you do to safely drive, you can see the issue. Maintaining speed, watching for other cars, maintaining a safe distance, staying in your lane, watching and complying with traffic lights, etc. etc. That's why divided attention tests are used.

He was an Avon cop, so I have no idea regarding the alphabet backwards. Was pretty easy. Strange pull over, however. I blew into the breathalyzer and it returned back exceptionally low. No idea, outside of being bored, did he continue from that point? Serendipity had it: He made me leave my car (I was swerving, almost falling asleep), but I was a block from home, literally a block. Got home, and the walk, plus the cold and the pull over, I couldn't sleep. lol

 

[Snapdragon]

I am so screwed, lol.

I have Meniere's disease that causes random Nystagmus, vertigo and lack of balance..

Should you keep some kind of doctor's note with the diagnosis and explanation on you?

 

[Trigger Time]

And explaining that to the officer would pretty much negate the tests right there.

Can people with diabetes blow a false result? I know I've heard sometimes a diabetics breath or body can emit an odor similar to alcohol? I'm sure with your experience you would rule them out fast but maybe another officer who hasn't arrested a lot of drunk drivers wouldn't know as well? Just currious. I don't drink anymore anyways, and nothing wrong with those that do , as long as they stay off the roads. I'd like to watch my children grown up

 

[KellyinAvon]

I can't do the backwards alphabet thing. "I couldn't do that even if I was sober" is probably not the best way to put it.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Can people with diabetes blow a false result? I know I've heard sometimes a diabetics breath or body can emit an odor similar to alcohol? I'm sure with your experience you would rule them out fast but maybe another officer who hasn't arrested a lot of drunk drivers wouldn't know as well? Just currious. I don't drink anymore anyways, and nothing wrong with those that do , as long as they stay off the roads. I'd like to watch my children grown up

I think that once a diabetic goes into keto-acidosis is when things like this happen..

However - at extreme low blood sugars - behavior / movement / motor skills are pretty much dead ringers for alcohol impairment. Including combativeness. It doesn't happen often, but there have been cases of severely hypoglycemic diabetics having been killed by the police due to how combative they were. Very sad situations all the way around.

I can't do the backwards alphabet thing. "I couldn't do that even if I was sober" is probably not the best way to put it.

Same here! It'd take me 5 minutes to do it backwards. And I'd have to do it three letters at at time - after I mentally sang the song to myself to figure out what came next.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Can people with diabetes blow a false result?

I don't know about the portables, but the certified breath tests machine knows the difference between ketones and ethanol. It won't give you a false high, if the ketones are too high for the machine to filter out it will say it can't give you a reading.

 

[Rookie]

Got a buddy who woke up in a paddy wagon. Seems he was driving the wrong way down a one way street, got pulled over, got into a fight with the officer, got into a fight with three officers. He came to long enough to tell him he was diabetic and woke up later in the hospital. Officers thought he was drunk. He ended up losing his license for awhile until he could get his diabetes under control.

 

[kml]

If you feel you have to answer the "do you know why I stopped you?" question I don't recommend "because you used to get your lunch money taken from you in school" as an answer.

If it's a motorcycle trooper I wouldn't comment that "I didn't know they made those boots for men" either!

Just sayin"


As for the medical thing, I can't pass an impairment field test. I no longer have a DL as a result. It sucks.

Not trying to be a negative Nelly but if you have a medical condition that could impair your ability to drive talk to your Dr., the state BMV, and your insurance company because their opinion of your impairment in case of an accident matters way more than a patrol officer's during a traffic stop.

I've noticed though that plenty of folks with medical conditions will explain in, great detail, how they can't function in life due to it's horrible effects when talking to Social Security, workman's comp, or the VA but seem to get much, much better when it comes to the BMV.....

 

[sharkey]

the backward alphabet test is not part of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests as outlined by NHTSA.

The three tests that are part of the SFSTs are the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), the 9 Step Walk and Turn, and the One Leg Stand.

You mean I've been rehearsing for NOTHING?!?!

[video=youtube_share;Wz8dsvm0GFo]http://youtu.be/Wz8dsvm0GFo[/video]

 

[HoughMade]

I have answered the "do you know why I stopped you" question 3 times in the last few years:

#1 "Because I rolled that stop sign back there." Result: verbal warning.

#2 "Because I was speeding."
Follow up, "do you know how fast you were going?".
"I'd say somewhere north of 60."
Result: $25 seatbelt ticket (68 in a 45).

#3 "Because I was speeding."
Follow up, "do you know how fast you were going?".
"Around 65."
"Actually 70; do you know the speed limit here?"
"55"
Result: written warning

 

[SteveM4A1]

I have answered the "do you know why I stopped you" question 3 times in the last few years:

#1 "Because I rolled that stop sign back there." Result: verbal warning.

#2 "Because I was speeding."
Follow up, "do you know how fast you were going?".
"I'd say somewhere north of 60."
Result: $25 seatbelt ticket (68 in a 45).

#3 "Because I was speeding."
Follow up, "do you know how fast you were going?".
"Around 65."
"Actually 70; do you know the speed limit here?"
"55"
Result: written warning

Solution: Stop speeding

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I have answered the "do you know why I stopped you" question 3 times in the last few years:

#1 "Because I rolled that stop sign back there." Result: verbal warning.

#2 "Because I was speeding."
Follow up, "do you know how fast you were going?".
"I'd say somewhere north of 60."
Result: $25 seatbelt ticket (68 in a 45).

#3 "Because I was speeding."
Follow up, "do you know how fast you were going?".
"Around 65."
"Actually 70; do you know the speed limit here?"
"55"
Result: written warning

You're a lawyer and you TALKED TO THE POLICE!????? Don't you know they were entrapping you into admitting your guilt?

I figured you'd have a business card that reads "Am I detained?" and would just pass it out a specially made slot in your car window.

 

[lovemachine]

I have answered the "do you know why I stopped you" question 3 times in the last few years:

#1 "Because I rolled that stop sign back there." Result: verbal warning.

#2 "Because I was speeding."
Follow up, "do you know how fast you were going?".
"I'd say somewhere north of 60."
Result: $25 seatbelt ticket (68 in a 45).

#3 "Because I was speeding."
Follow up, "do you know how fast you were going?".
"Around 65."
"Actually 70; do you know the speed limit here?"
"55"
Result: written warning

That doesn't always work. Couple years ago, I was pulled over on a small county road. At the time, the speed limit was 40, and since it was a county road, I was going between 55-60 mph.

Cop pulled me over, asked if I knew why he pulled me over. I replied, very politely, that I was speeding around 55-60mph. Reason being, there was no traffic, it was a county road, and I just wanted to get home.

He still gave me a speeding ticket.