white folk. How often do you get stopped by the police?

Question

I think it happens to me too often, and today I am convinced its because Im black.

I go to people's houses at my job. Today I was on a call, and I got lost. I was at light, and a cop was next to me and I considered asking him for directions so I looked over at him and he looked at me then the light changed. I didn't want to hold up traffic so I pulled off, and when I did he got behind me. At the same time I reached on the passnger side floor to get my map, and when I looked up I was getting pulled over.

Long story short. The cop searched my car for drugs and weapons (WTF?). Despite the fact that I had on a company shirt, wearing a company badge around my neck, I had a work laptop, and a stack of work orders. He said that "looked nervous" at the light and when I pulled off I looked like I was hiding something.

45 minutes out of my life I can never get back. Not the first time, prolly not the last.

Do you think he would have jumped to that conclusion if I were white?

cop asked me waht I was doing in the area, He acted like he didn't believe me even though I had on a badge, lap top on the seat and tools in the back.

of course he found no drugs or weapons. I WAS AT WORK!

nah, boo. I gave up drugs after college, and when I smoked, I never rode dirty, I got high at home, and the dope man delivered.

refuse the search only would have made the cop detain me longer, to wait and get a warrant. I know, i've tried that once.

Answer 1

That's why I got me a white girl!

I let her do ALL the driving and I just sit in the passenger seat with a hoodie on...

Its a hard knock life for a brutha these days and the cops seem to be getting more and more trigger happy. b*stards.

Answer 2

Well, I've been pulled over a couple of times, but I know that they do pull blacks over more often. But as far as searching your car, you do know that you can say no. You have a right to say no. I know that you weren't hiding anything, but why let them go all through your things? Piss on them, tell them no, then use your cell phone to dial 9-11 and ask for a black officer to come and assist, or call your one of your parents. Cops do a lot of things to people when they don't know their rights. Learn your rights and exercise them. Also, if I were black and being pulled over, I'd probably drive until I found an area with several people, the more witnesses the better. Cops aren't always the most intelligent people, so you need to be smart if you don't want to be taken advantage of.

Answer 3

I'm not sure about the proper procedure, but I believe it's illegal to pull someone over for "looking nervous". And no, I don't get pulled over much at all, but then I'm a white woman over 30. Problem is, a lot of police officers use their badge as a way of working out their problems, and innocent people get caught in the middle. It's disgusting that people still deal with that kind of bullsh*t racism in 2007. I don't know if you can file a complaint with the police department, but I'd look into it if I were you.

Answer 4

I don't know if he would've done the same thing if you were white.
If he did pull you over due to racial profiling, I don't know what else to say but I'm sorry. I am aware that sorry doesn't help at all.
My boyfriend is Indian/Black and even when he's dressed to the nines in a suit and tie, he has been followed around in stores many times. He says that, although he cannot prove it, he knows it's due to the color of his skin. I have to agree with him, because he certainly does not look nor "act like" he's doing/going to do anything wrong.

Take care.

Answer 5

whatEVER!!! Sure...racial profiling exhists--and it may have been the case in this instance, but I don't know how many times I've been in a car with white people that get pulled over for "looking nervous" or "suspicious"!! Plenty of times. Sometimes these crooked cops just want to make quota, and are taking a chance on what they think might turn out to be something. It doesn't matter what color you are, if they think you look suspicious, they will stop you in the hopes that they'll be able to find a reason to write out a ticket.

Answer 6

Maybe you have been the victim of profiling in the past, but this time it doesn't sound like it. You did look at him at the light, then pull off, then lean over the seat. Don't you think they have pulled over enough ppl from work that have had drugs or weapons to still be suspicous of you?

Answer 7

If you were White, he would have cheerfully given you directions and told you to have a nice day.

But, since you're African American, he stopped you and searched your vehicle for non existant drugs and weapons.

Worse yet, there were probably a half dozen suspicious White guys who drove by while he was harassing you - with pistols under the car seats and trunks filled with crank - but THEY didn't get stopped, because of their skin color.

America - don't you love it?

Answer 8

there are racist people out there and I'm sure it suck loosing time out of your life on a stupid hunch of a racist cop but in the end if you have nothing to hide and have done no wrong it is you who has the last laugh at the ignorant person

Answer 9

Some cops are total sausages. Not like thats news to anyone!

Answer 10

if you wouldnt have looked at him thinking about asking for directions he would have never stopped you unless you were doing something wrong. i happen to live in a place where there are very few blacks and it is honestly a little odd when you see one. its no different than a white man being lost in a black neighborhood. its happened to me and yes everyone stares at you and you look lost and suspicious.
this traffic stop could have been much worse. and,,i have only been stopped a couple times.