How to talk to cops

You're on the road and you see those lights in your mirror. You may know exactly what you did, but one thing is guaranteed--everyone gets nervous when they have to talk to cops. There are just a few things to remember when this happens to you. You may get a ticket, or you may not. But by following these suggestions, you will leave with a pleasant feeling in your gut, and you will also make a cop's job easier.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A good attitude
• Honesty
• Ability to follow directions

1. First, remember that the police have two basic missions. One is to enforce the law, the other is to protect the people who pay their salary. Sometimes that means protecting you from yourself, as in driving drunk. But none of what they're doing is personal, it's just their job, and somebody has to do it. Cut them the same slack you would any other human being doing a tough job.
2. A cop is doing a job that means spending at least 8 hours a day assuming that everyone is out to get them. And they have to be polite, fair and professional at the same time. Help keep things in balance by not giving your cop any reason to be nervous. Keep your hands on the wheel until they approach. It's okay to roll your window down before they get there. Don't get out of the car unless asked. Ask permission before you dive into a pocket for ID.
3. Don't argue. You may be right, she might be wrong. It doesn't matter--this isn't the time or the place to argue the point. If you want to fight the ticket, go to court. That is the appropriate place to argue your case. And always go to court anyway. You'll probably do better than the original fine.
4. Be honest. If he says you did something, and you know you did, be honestly contrite. You'll probably still get a ticket, but you owe the other drivers an apology anyway. The cop is just the surrogate. And he may reduce your infraction if you have a good attitude.
5. Be friendly and courteous to the max, but don't offer information that isn't requested.

Tips & Warnings

• If you truly feel the ticket was undeserved, go to court and fight it. It will cost you a few hours, but the charges are dropped if the cop doesn't show up. It's worth a shot.
• Remember, they have a job to do. It's not pleasant at the time, but each of us has had at least one occasion to seek the help of a cop, and mostly we were grateful they were there.
• There are "badge heavy" cops out there. They give the white hat guys a bad name. If you're not happy with the way the situation is being handled, the cop's badge number should be on the ticket. File a written complaint, but do it after the ticket is settled.