Courtesy cards

[Drac]

Most of you non-LEO's have seen them. They are cards given to you by a cop buddy sometimes refered to as a ' get out of jail free card", and that is incorrect. It is usually get out of a ticket card. There is a procedure to using them that seems to have been lost and after a recent conversation with a buddy I think it bears posting.

Ya get pulled over for a minor traffic violation..The officer approaches you and requests your DL and proof of insurance. Let the officer finish speaking before you present your card and ASK POLITELY if this will help as you present the card. Now its not a rule set in stone that the officer will accept it, if you were speeding through a school zone no amount of cards will save you and you will get what you deserve.

Normally the officer will take it and you will have to get another one. Getting angry or upset wont help you. I only had one of my cards ever refused, and when I called the station to find out why I spoke to the officer that had decline my card. He stated my buddy tried to tell him how to do his job. I apologized for bothering him

 

[Jade Tigress]

A friend of mine just got a card from a cop acquaintance of his. He was surprised and thought it was a very nice gesture. Although I'm sure he "gets it" (protocol), I'll share this info with him anyway.

 

[Ken Morgan]

Never heard of them....perhaps it's only (sadly), an American thing?

 

[Tez3]

Never heard of them....perhaps it's only (sadly), an American thing?

I think it must be!

 

[Omar B]

Never heard of it, and my best friend's dad is a cop.

 

[David43515]

Never heard of them, and I have to say I`m a bit disappointed to know they`re out there.

 

[Carol]

Never heard of them, and I have to say I`m a bit disappointed to know they`re out there.

You can make your own.

Take one reasonably clean driving record. Add some eye contact, basic politeness and respect, and then mix in a generous amount of sobriety and unexpired paperwork. Discard any evasiveness or unpredictable moves. Top with hands where s/he can see them.

Bake with cell phone off, and dome lights on. For best results, keep car in good repair.

Voila. Instant courtesy card, that is probably accepted at the same success ratio.

 

[Ken Morgan]

You can make your own.

Take one reasonably clean driving record. Add some eye contact, basic politeness and respect, and then mix in a generous amount of sobriety and unexpired paperwork. Discard any evasiveness or unpredictable moves. Top with hands where s/he can see them.

Bake with cell phone off, and dome lights on. For best results, keep car in good repair.

Voila. Instant courtesy card, that the officer may or may not accept.

Oh and if stopped by a male cop, nice cleavage does wonders apparently....if you’re a woman, and not some guy using his man boobs….:angel:

 

[Carol]

Oh and if stopped by a male cop, nice cleavage does wonders apparently....if you’re a woman, and not some guy using his man boobs….:angel:

Ha. If cleavage was the answer, I wouldn't have gotten in to anywhere near the trouble I got in to with fast cars.

 

[jks9199]

Courtesy cards are FAR from universally recognized -- which has led to more than a few heated discussions. Nor is their meaning universal... which has also led to some serious disagreements.

Should you have one, and the cop doesn't "respect" it -- DON'T WHINE. Don't send your buddy out after the cop -- especially if you're not certain his version of the incident is going to paint you in a good light. You got stopped because you were wrong anyway. Take your lumps.

 

[jks9199]

Oh... my universal advice for getting out of a traffic ticket:

Be polite. Be honest; if you know you were speeding or rolled the stop sign or whatever, say so. Women (especially), don't try the waterworks. (I had a friend in high school who got stopped about 8 times that I know of, and every time, she was wrong -- and got out of it when the tears started. Tears don't get much sympathy from me...) If you've got an explanation -- give it a try. I may or may not buy it (not much sympathy for "I gotta pee" when you passed three places that I'm willing to use the bathroom at... or let my wife or mother use). But don't try to explain that you're lost, you're not from around here, or whatever along those lines to justify ignoring signs or speeding...

 

[Bob Hubbard]

*makes notes - learn how to turn on lights on Prius....ask leos on MT to send in their cards....stop driving without pants.*

Got it.

 

[Archangel M]

They are just another item to consider when using your discretion to write or not. If I wrote EVERYBODY except for card holders that would be wrong, but the fact of the matter is that I give plenty of people breaks on tickets, so don't get all offended if I decide to give a cop or a cops relative/friend a break on a traffic infraction too. They don't work for penal law violations.

 

[Balrog]

Oh... my universal advice for getting out of a traffic ticket:

Be polite. Be honest; if you know you were speeding or rolled the stop sign or whatever, say so. Women (especially), don't try the waterworks. (I had a friend in high school who got stopped about 8 times that I know of, and every time, she was wrong -- and got out of it when the tears started. Tears don't get much sympathy from me...) If you've got an explanation -- give it a try. I may or may not buy it (not much sympathy for "I gotta pee" when you passed three places that I'm willing to use the bathroom at... or let my wife or mother use). But don't try to explain that you're lost, you're not from around here, or whatever along those lines to justify ignoring signs or speeding...

Okay, I gotta tell a story on myself.

I was a deputy sheriff back in the mid-70s. Started in Communications, worked my way into Patrol. My very first night on the street, my partner and I are writing up a theft report at about 0200 when a car come sailing past us like the DeLorean trying to go back to the future. I'm driving, so I take off after it. We get a good speedometer clock of 90 in a 55 mph zone and I pull the car over.

The driver gets out and to this day, she still ranks as one of the three most beautiful women I have ever laid eyes on. Long story short, she pulls the line about how her period just started and she's looking for an open service station restroom so she can put in a Tampax. I tell her that's not really an emergency and start writing the ticket. She puts her hand on her (oh so lovely) hips and says, "Are you giving me a ticket anyway?"

I reply, "Yes, ma'am".

She says, "You cold-hearted little bastard - the last four cops I pulled that on, I got away with it!"

My partner busts out howling with laughter. A few seconds later, so do I and she joins in. Since she made me laugh, I cut her some slack and only wrote her for 65 in a 55 and sent her on her way. My partner told the story all over the office at end of watch and the next night, I come in to find a big sign on my locker:

THE COLD-HEARTED BASTARD
OF TRAVIS COUNTY

I still have that sign somewhere.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

LOL!

"the last four cops I pulled that on, I got away with it!"

Love it.

 

[MJS]

you can make your own.

Take one reasonably clean driving record. Add some eye contact, basic politeness and respect, and then mix in a generous amount of sobriety and unexpired paperwork. Discard any evasiveness or unpredictable moves. Top with hands where s/he can see them.

Bake with cell phone off, and dome lights on. For best results, keep car in good repair.

Voila. Instant courtesy card, that is probably accepted at the same success ratio.

qft!!!!!

 

[Drac]

Ha. If cleavage was the answer, I wouldn't have gotten in to anywhere near the trouble I got in to with fast cars.

Oh the comments I could make...LOL

Courtesy cards are FAR from universally recognized -- which has led to more than a few heated discussions. Nor is their meaning universal... which has also led to some serious disagreements.

Should you have one, and the cop doesn't "respect" it -- DON'T WHINE. Don't send your buddy out after the cop -- especially if you're not certain his version of the incident is going to paint you in a good light. You got stopped because you were wrong anyway. Take your lumps.

Well said..JKS..

Never heard of them, and I have to say I`m a bit disappointed to know they`re out there

Never heard of it, and my best friend's dad is a cop

The officer must be a member of the F.O.P or other such union in order to have them issued to them.We usually get a limited supply once a year along with our new pocket calanders.I don't just hand them out to anyone, I have to know the person pretty well. True Story Time: My barber/stylists was forever on my case for not giving him a card, I just never had them on me when I had an appointment. Well on Christmas Eve one year I made a special trip to drop by his shop and give him one.
During my next appointment he informed me that he got stopped that evening for an illegal turn and after showing his DL and insurance he asked if the card would help. It did and saved him a ticket.

 

[terryl965]

I want one, can I have one please?

 

[Drac]

I want one, can I have one please?

Lemme look and see if I have any left..Being retired I still get them, all I gott do is remember where I put them...

 

[terryl965]

Lemme look and see if I have any left..Being retired I still get them, all I gott do is remember where I put them...

OK and thank you.