When it comes down to it, getting pulled over sucks. But you can make the situation even worse by saying the wrong thing. Police officers have heard all types of excuses in their careers. They’ve heard them thousands of times and are trained not to have their emotions get involved. These four phrases will only make you look more suspicious.
What’s the Problem, Officer?
Don’t say these words even if you are completely innocent and the police officer is just making a mistake. The police officer thinks they have made a good stop, and you come across as though you think they haven’t. The officer is looking for any reason to give you a ticket, and now they have one.
I’m Not Drunk
It’s not uncommon for intoxicated drivers to self-diagnose themselves and insist they’re sober. The reality is that even if you’ve only had a couple of drinks, they could affect your judgment enough so that you tell a police officer something incriminating or behave in a way that makes him suspicious.
If he has reasonable suspicion that you’re intoxicated, he can ask you to get out of your vehicle for a field sobriety test. If he doesn’t have reasonable suspicion yet, don’t give him one by denying any drinking at all. Instead, try something like: “I’m on my way home from dinner.” If he smells alcohol on your breath, there’s no need to deny it.
How Fast Do You Think I Was Going?
It does not matter how fast you were driving if the police officer pulled you over for another reason. It would help if you did not try to talk your way out of a ticket by guessing at the speed limit. Police officers can determine how fast a car is going in several different ways. They do not need to guess based on what you say.
Do You Know Who I Am?
Some people think they can get out of tickets by telling the police officer who they are or what they do for a living. This is not true in most cases, however. Even if you are an important person, it does not mean that the rules do not apply to you. Most officers will not be intimidated by your status and will simply give you a ticket without even looking at it again.
If a police officer pulls you over, the best thing to do is to remain calm and be polite. You may be tempted to argue with the police officer that you were not speeding or that they did not have a good reason to pull you over. However, your best course of action is to keep things simple and avoid making statements that could incriminate you. Above are four things you should never say when you are pulled over.