Major Hwy. drug busts from lane violations question?

[Wildpony]

Everytime and I mean everytime the News up here reports a new record//major drug bust on the interstate ( busts over $1mill), they report that the reason they pulled the vehicle over was for a "improper lane change". Unless the people driving look like the lead actors in a Cheech & Chong movie, what the hell would get them busted?
I never have heard of anyone locally get a improper lane change ticket (even from the Ohio State Patrol). There has to be something that is going on other than "improper lane change". That sounds like one of the petty reasons to pull someone over to look for other things... What gives?

(No I don't plan on hauling a truck full of anything up from Fla in the future)lol

 

[Lawfficer]

They know what to they're looking for. I guess you could call it profileing if you really wanted to but the police that work the major drug trafficing routes get to be very good at what they do.

 

[trapnm]

Whats your problem with it? Damn cops busting those drug runners. Its called probable cause for a stop, along with cracked windshield, burnt tag light, cracked tail light...etc, etc, etc (petty or not). If you're running drugs don't be a jackass and not use your turn signal. As posted in another thread the main reason for these stops are not to give some one a ticket for improper lane change it's to get these people off the street, and make life safer for you and your family.

 

[Wildpony]

I don't have any problem WITH IT. I wonder why that seems to be the reason these guys get caught. They don't ever say they were pulled over for speeding, tailights, cracked windshields, or any other reasoning. It's always the "lane change violation". It just seems weird that this is their "probable cause".
Also thanks for clearing that up Chris..

 

[Lawman85]

I've been to Ohio...no one uses there turn signal up there. The cops could pull over anyone they wanted too for that violation... Yankees can't drive.... !!!!

 

[Wildpony]

If you call turning "left" at 180mph for extended periods of time driving, yeah we can't drive- we have both "oars in the water" up here lol

 

[ChuckV]

I've been to Ohio...no one uses there turn signal up there. The cops could pull over anyone they wanted too for that violation... Yankees can't drive.... !!!!

What gets me is the improper lane use. It makes our highways downright hazardous in moderate traffic. People doing 20+ over in the right lane, weaving in out of traffic, etc. Then you get the guy parked in the left lane doing 10 under with a line of traffic two miles long behind him. After spending time driving on German Autobahns, I have NO tollerance for that kind of driving. It's reckless. The concept is easy. Slow lane, traveling lane, passing lane. If someone is coming up on you in the left lane going faster than you are, GTF over. If you're in the middle lane and you need to pass someone, turn on your left blinker, check your mirrors, check your blind spot, pass them, and get back into the middle lane. The reasons that people safely crusie at 120-130 on Autobhans is because people are religious about following the basic rules of the road. I feel more comfortable doing 155 on an autobahn then I do doing 85 on a US highway, even a perfectly paved one, because people in the US don't drive in a way that increased the safety of highway driving. It is funny watching my German friends try to drive over here though "WTF is this asshole doing?! He's passing me on the right! FU you reckless idiot!!!" *middle finger*, hahaha.

Sorry, /rant off.

The OP has an interesting question though. What do you LEOs look for when you stop a car to make you take a claser look, besides the obvious? (drugs, paraphenalia, odours, etc)

 

[DaleM]

Another thing, a cop says can I search your car? And you say No sir. What then?
I'm not sure there is a reason to do this if something didn't come over the radio or computer but if you don't have anything to worry about but don't feel like getting searched it seems east to say no thank you officer.

 

[ChuckV]

Another thing, a cop says can I search your car? And you say No sir. What then?
I'm not sure there is a reason to do this if something didn't come over the radio or computer but if you don't have anything to worry about but don't feel like getting searched it seems east to say no thank you officer.

He'll either give you justification for the search and continue, try to intimidate you into it, or so ok. If you aren't happy with his actions, at least in the state of NJ, you can request that a superior officer become involved. Motor Vehicle illegal searches are difficult to fight, and it's easy to find just cause. Your person, however, is a different story. The officer has the right to pat you down IF they feel threatened (which obviously requires justification), and do not have the right to search you without your permission or just cause. And just cause is much more difficult to justify for a person than a car, from what I've seen. LEOs, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. This is just what I understand from conversations with lawyers.

 

[trapnm]

In most states, make any (what the officer can justify as) suspicious actions or movements and there can be legal justification to search you (weapons patdown) and search your vehicle within the scope of the driver's reach for the officer's safety. There is case law as to what exactly can and can not be searched within the vehicle and when and why (Im not going to get into that), but know that you and parts of your vehicle could be searched based on your actions. PS Wild Pony sometimes posts are misconstrued as hostile. If you took my "What's your problem with it" as that, it was not meant that way, just a question.

 

[black01mustang]

I really dont get the term profiling, I understand what it means but I believe a cop should be able to pull over whoever is breaking the law.

 

[RDJ]

What gets me is the improper lane use. It makes our highways downright hazardous in moderate traffic. People doing 20+ over in the right lane, weaving in out of traffic, etc. Then you get the guy parked in the left lane doing 10 under with a line of traffic two miles long behind him. After spending time driving on German Autobahns, I have NO tollerance for that kind of driving. It's reckless. The concept is easy. Slow lane, traveling lane, passing lane. If someone is coming up on you in the left lane going faster than you are, GTF over. If you're in the middle lane and you need to pass someone, turn on your left blinker, check your mirrors, check your blind spot, pass them, and get back into the middle lane. The reasons that people safely crusie at 120-130 on Autobhans is because people are religious about following the basic rules of the road. I feel more comfortable doing 155 on an autobahn then I do doing 85 on a US highway, even a perfectly paved one, because people in the US don't drive in a way that increased the safety of highway driving. It is funny watching my German friends try to drive over here though "WTF is this asshole doing?! He's passing me on the right! FU you reckless idiot!!!" *middle finger*, hahaha.

Sorry, /rant off.

The OP has an interesting question though. What do you LEOs look for when you stop a car to make you take a claser look, besides the obvious? (drugs, paraphenalia, odours, etc)

No need to apologize for the rant LOL You beat me to it! I spent two years in Germany and felt safer there at spped than doing 55 here. As you say there , You ALWAYS know what they are going to do .. move to the right when you come up behind them. Not like the states at all where peoples driving habits are unpredictible. Drives me bug****ingnuts it does...

 

[427Lightning]

"Inproper lane change" on the hiway your suppose to give at least 5 seconds notice with your signal. How the person acts when speaking to the "Man" is what gives him away.

 

[ChuckV]

No need to apologize for the rant LOL You beat me to it! I spent two years in Germany and felt safer there at spped than doing 55 here. As you say there , You ALWAYS know what they are going to do .. move to the right when you come up behind them. Not like the states at all where peoples driving habits are unpredictible. Drives me bug****ingnuts it does...

Hahah, you have my appology. Why were you in Germany? Military? I've never been over there for any period longer than 3 weeks, but I have some very close friends over there that I visit multiple times a year. If I can make "Business Trip" excuse while I'm doing it, all the better!

 

[RDJ]

Hahah, you have my appology. Why were you in Germany? Military? I've never been over there for any period longer than 3 weeks, but I have some very close friends over there that I visit multiple times a year. If I can make "Business Trip" excuse while I'm doing it, all the better!

Born in Munich and then spent 1982-1984 in BONN working at the American Embassy there. two of the best years of my life. Unfortunately they were not making Cobras then and I was driving a volkswagon dasher station wagon LOL. I had more fun driving the Ford Granada's (German Edition) that the embassy had.

Made it from BONN to Frankfurt in an hour and 10 minutes and was working on making it in an hour on the way back when I had a blowout .. now THAT was an interesting ride LOL!

 

[94ShoOff]

Another thing, a cop says can I search your car? And you say No sir. What then?
I'm not sure there is a reason to do this if something didn't come over the radio or computer but if you don't have anything to worry about but don't feel like getting searched it seems east to say no thank you officer.

Most likely you'll have a narcotics dog walk around your car. I've seen a few dogs that would hit on everyones car, which then allows the officer to search your car without your consent.

A department near mine, hits the freeway very hard and has its own narcotics unit that perform traffic stops. The portion of highway is a common strip for runners from Buffalo through Cleveland. The unit has performed very well. Hell, they stopped me one night cause they profiled my car.