The following is 100% a true story. God as my witness. Not making anything up. This happened Thursday night/Friday AM.
11:45pm I leave CFPB, taking Stephen (one of my lighting volunteers) home. Stephen lives in some apartments down by Southland Mall.
11:56pm I drop Stephen off and leave his complex
11:58pm I pull up to a stop light next to a car. I'm in a not-great neighborhood. A cop pulls up behind the car next to me.
12:00am Cop flashes his lights at me and pulls me over. I'm in the parking lot of the Harley Davidson Shop at US1 and the Turnpike.
12:01am I get my license and registration out. I take my seat belt off to get my license out of my wallet.
12:02am He approaches my car. My license and registration in my left hand out the drivers-side window. My right hand laying still in my lap.
12:03am He has pulled his gun on me, asking me several times if I have any weapons or drugs in the car. I have both my hands out the window, trying not to get shot.
12:04am He asks if he knows why I got pulled over. I said no. He laughs at me. Here's the dialogue:
Cop: "Sir, are you aware that the license plate on your car doesn't go with your car?"
Jeff: "I'm sorry officer, what?"
Cop: "The license plate on your vehicle. It's not registered to your vehicle?"
Jeff: "But officer, I have the registration right here."
Cop: "Fine, but it doesn't go with your plate."
Jeff: "Are you saying that I have the wrong plate on my car?"
- note, I go to open the driver door to look at the plate, he moves his gun towards me... I stop opening door.
Cop: "Yes, your plate doesn't match this vehicle."
Jeff: "Sir I haven't changed plates since I got the vehicle. Are you sure?"
Cop: "That's what the computer says, and computers don't lie. Are you calling me a liar?"
Jeff: "Officer, I haven't changed the plates on my car since I got it. If it was done, it wasn't done by me. There was no malicious intent."
Cop: "This is your truck?"
Jeff: "Yes Sir."
Cop: "Who is MMA Leasing?"
Jeff: "Officer, I have no idea. I own my truck."
Cop takes my license. Sits in his vehicle. 2-3 other cops come by to make sure I'm not a threat...
Cop: "Everything's okay."
Jeff: "What happened?"
Cop: "Computer mistake. The computer read the "B" on your license plate as an "8"."
JEFF THINKS: "Yeah, call me a liar copper! Your computer stinks! Pull me over and harass me at midnight when I didn't do anything wrong? Give me a break!"
JEFF SAYS: "Thanks Officer. Have a good morning."
The computer didn't lie, the cop did.
You totaly should of whipped out a CF card and invited him. That would of knocked him back a few steps.
Posted by: Jorriss | 2008.04.11 at 03:28 AM
Must be a Vista based system......
Posted by: Eddy | 2008.04.11 at 11:57 AM
welcome to the world of profiling!!!
Posted by: Berch | 2008.04.11 at 05:42 PM
You should have replied, "PC or Mac?"
I'll have to tell you the story of when my barracks room in Great Lakes got raided by the base SWAT team. Rather humorous story.
Posted by: Chuck | 2008.04.11 at 09:53 PM
Sorry to here about your contact with our wonderful police department. He was right computers don't lie, but the computer did not mistake the "B" for an "8", HE TYPED IT IN WRONG, I know I have the same computer. I think you got an over reactive cop (newbie) who saw a white guy in a bad area (yes berch it is called profiling) and ran your tag, one slip of the finger and your tonights headline,
OSCAR SAYS: On behave of the entire police department, "Sorry sir for the mistake."
OSCAR THINKING: "butch up Jeff at least they didn't taser you!"
I would have! A big bald white guy buying dope sure you are with some church! yeah right...
Posted by: Oscar Roque | 2008.04.17 at 11:28 PM