Whitaker police (home, inspection, to live)

[hondajim]

On Aug.2nd my wife was pulled over in whitaker on her way to my in-laws, she was told that her inspection/registration had expired on July 31st.
my wife called me at work to tell me and I laughed a her and told her that he should give her a 7day warning notice and I'd take care of it the next day.
(I work in the car business and have personally filled some out for our customers) I was stunned when she called back crying and said the officer told her that she would have to get the kids out of the car and call somebody for a ride because they were going to tow it.
I called the police dispatcher while this was going on and was told that they
"have the legal right to tow it if thats what they want to do" she then gave me another number to call the chief of police. i got an answering machine and no return call.
I refuse to believe that the right thing to do was to have my wife and my two girls, the youngest only 2yrs old, standing on the side of the road in 90 plus degree heat waiting for a ride, while they towed her car.

[Drover]

Here's a couple of ideas:

1) Keep your tags current
2) Don't ever suggest to a cop that he should take a certain course of action (such as "you should gimme a 7-day warning ticket"). Many cops don't like being told what to do, and trying to do so simply hands him a ripe invitation to show you who's boss. Yes, that was a d#*ky thing for him to do even though it was technically legal, and yes it would have been nice if he had exercised some discretion. (I also slightly suspect we're not getting the whole story here.) But you helped to create the situation so you need to live with the consequences. Sorry if that's not the response you wanted to hear, but it's time we started taking some responsibility for our own actions again.

[Hopes]

Drover's right. You did helped create the problem.

You've learned the hard way that getting pulled over by the police is no laughing matter. I'm sure the police officer didn't appreciate your wife interupting him by calling you. (Shame on you for laughing at her! You work in the automotive business so there's no darn good reason for your inspection to be expired!) Then her explaining what you said he should do just pushed him over the edge.

The best way to deal with police is to be surprised and apologetic. I was able to drive my car home when I got pulled over for driving on a suspended licence. A smile or a tear goes a long way with police officers. Always be respectful and properly submissive. They like that.

You need to learn how to play the game of life!

[janiesgirl]

If you re-read the post, the OP suggested to his wife that the offense would warrant a warning and grace period, but he doesn't indicate what she actually said to the officer. Maybe she antagonized the officer, maybe not.

In any case, that is a tough break. Guess Whitaker needs some revenue, hence the hard line??

[Pitt Chick]

I guess someone will pay better attention to expiration dates now!


Tough break... but the vehicle WAS illegal...

[guylocke]

Sheesh am I the only one in hondajim's court?

I was stunned when she called back crying and said the officer told her that she would have to get the kids out of the car and call somebody for a ride because they were going to tow it.

This is not standard protocol. The cop didn't HAVE to do this. Even if she did say something to the cop like "could I maybe have a 7-day warning and my husband can take care of it tomorrow?" that doesn't matter, the ends don't justify the means. Was it illegal to be driving, sure. Did she perhaps antagonize the cop to do what he did? Quite possibly.

Was this appropriate?

I refuse to believe that the right thing to do was to have my wife and my two girls, the youngest only 2yrs old, standing on the side of the road in 90 plus degree heat waiting for a ride, while they towed her car.

Absolutely not. This cop OBVIOUSLY doesn't have young children and I'd also be quite upset hondajim.