Pulled...for being young in a nice car?

shauncr91

shauncr91

shauncr91

Soldato
Joined
28 Dec 2007
Posts
11,552
Location
Sheffield
Tonight me and my friend were pulled over while we were out driving in his car (e46). Now my friend is 21 (but looks younger)and was driving very slowly up to a junction, didn't break any laws or do anything else dodgy, and a Police car puts the blue lights on.

When the officer talks to us first thing she says is "Bit of a nice car for someone as young as you isn't it?", then spends around 15mins checking his license/insurance etc. That was her sole reason for pulling us, having a nice car.

Is this normal practice? I was always under the impression that you couldn't be pulled unless you break a law or the Police have reason to think you may be up to no good?
 
Last edited:
I think the Police can pull you for no reason, maybe you looked a bit boy-racer ish and he was having a quiet night. You can understand it to a certain extent.
 
Yes it is normal practice, and of course they have a reason to think your up to no good, its a 21 year old in a BMW driving unusually slowly (you did say very slowly) late at night.

Thats grounds for suspicion.

At the end of the day they're doing their job. Just give them 'em what they want and let them do their job and move on. Better pulling over suspect drivers than hiding in a bush somewhere with a laser gun and a box of doughnuts.
 
Robboftw said:
I think the Police can pull you for no reason, maybe you looked a bit boy-racer ish and he was having a quiet night. You can understand it to a certain extent.
Click to expand...

The car isn't even boy racer'ish though. It's 100% standard and doesn't even have so much as tinted windows. Wouldn't have gotten a second look if it was someone older driving.
 
MrLOL said:
Yes it is normal practice, and of course they have a reason to think your up to no good, its a 21 year old in a BMW driving unusually slowly (you did say very slowly) late at night.

Thats grounds for suspicion.

At the end of the day they're doing their job. Just give them 'em what they want and let them do their job and move on. Better pulling over suspect drivers than hiding in a bush somewhere with a laser gun and a box of doughnuts.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying we were crawling along a road at 5mphh, when the car pulled us we were just stopping at the junction as it came around the corner, they instantly span round and pulled.
 
young looking driver, early hours of night, car with stereotypes and generally not cheap to insure.

Sure, sounds good for a pull to me.
 
shauncr91 said:
The car isn't even boy racer'ish though. It's 100% standard and doesn't even have so much as tinted windows. Wouldn't have gotten a second look if it was someone older driving.
Click to expand...

none of which matters how standard it is ?

Its a young driver late at night in a BMW driving slowly. Driving slowly means they are trying to avoid attention. This warrants investigation as to what you have to hide.

shauncr91 said:
I'm not saying we were crawling along a road at 5mphh, when the car pulled us we were just stopping at the junction as it came around the corner, they instantly span round and pulled.
Click to expand...

No, but you were driving slowly. Most people at this time of night drive faster because the roads are empty.

If you werent driving fast, that implies you were trying to avoid attention and have something to hide.

It could also mean absolutely nothing, but coppers have a nose for this sort of thing. Just accept you fit a certain profile doing what you did and let him do his job.
 
They can do it for whatever reason they feel necessary, and for good reason too.

Young lads, expensive to insure car = quite a lot of uninsured or stolen motors. Makes sense, at the end of the day they're trying to protect the people that do pay for insurance. :)
 
Ok thanks, just to say we weren't at all upset about it, we were just a bit shocked at the reason when she said, hadn't heard anything like it before. Always thought that they could check things like insurance just by scanning the plate and without stopping to question the driver.
 
shauncr91 said:
The car isn't even boy racer'ish though. It's 100% standard and doesn't even have so much as tinted windows. Wouldn't have gotten a second look if it was someone older driving.
Click to expand...

You've pretty much answered your own question. Two young lads in a nice BMW, it does arouse suspicion and while inconvenient, I'd rather the Police did things like this as they often catch out scumbags.
 
shauncr91 said:
Ok thanks, just to say we weren't at all upset about it, we were just a bit shocked at the reason when she said, hadn't heard anything like it before. Always thought that they could check things like insurance just by scanning the plate and without stopping to question the driver.
Click to expand...

there aint no replacement for good old fasioned police work.
 
shauncr91 said:
Always thought that they could check things like insurance just by scanning the plate and without stopping to question the driver.
Click to expand...

Nice one, doesn't work if the car is stolen does it?

Whats to say two other young guys in another BMW weren't selling crack to 15 year olds on the other side of Sheffield? Police are gonna have to stop you to check, it's no big deal, and to your thoughts on never hearing anything like this and being shocked by the polices reason, how old are you? This happens all the time everywhere?
 
If it was your car that'd been stolen and you found out the police had seen it being driven by a v young looking guy in those circumstances and they thought nothing of it you'd probably be on here going mad :p
 
Good, I'm pleased. Hopefully for every 10 people they pull they will find someone a) over the drink drive limit or b) without insurance. I think this is a positive thing and only a minor inconvenience.
 
Used to get pulled over every couple of weeks in the MG. When I had the exhaust fitted it was nion weekly, was almost tempted to get rid of it solely due to this, was getting proper fed up with it.

EVERY time it was "bit of a flash car for someone young isn't it?"
 
I never once had it this despite at the time driving a larger BMW that was newer than an old E46 is now, often late at night on nights out at Uni, people in the car, etc etc.

I'm pretty sure the car is a secondary factor - its your driving style that draws attention to you.
 
Will Smith: Oh, I get it now. We were stopped because we were driving too slow. Yeah, we were breaking the slowness limit, huh? Well you see, I've never heard of that law before. But there's one law that I've heard before. It's called the "if you see a black guy driving anything but a burnt-out Pinto, you better stop him because he stole it law". Yeah I've heard that law before. But you see, I thought it was the black guy law, when in actuality, it was the slowness limit law. Gee, thanks for sharing that with me, Carlton. Good night.
Click to expand...

Replace Black with young and you have your explanation.
 
I havent been pulled over for anything other than speeding, I probably wouldn't mind, if they didn't take such a smarmy attitude to it, and just said something along the lines of "we're pulling you over because of the car, and the time of night it is", not a smarmy "Bit of a nice car for someone as young as you isn't it?"
 
[TW]Fox;17771861 said:
I'm pretty sure the car is a secondary factor - its your driving style that draws attention to you.
Click to expand...

Agreed, must've been the 100mph I did everywhere.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom