I am here to detail my stories of my own interactions with the police while driving. Now I try to be a law abiding citizen but then again I have made mistakes and dealt with the consequences. Being a white male though, has allowed me to never even worry about anything worse happening. I always took for granted that I wasnt going to be shot in a traffic stop simply for being the wrong color. Anyways, here are my stories.
#1: In high school, I was once pulled over for driving with no headlights. I was driving late at night in a friend’s car because they were drunk as hell and it was the responsible thing to do since I did not partake in any drinking. Unfortunately I didnt notice the lights were off because there was enough street lighting and the gauges were lit enough to see and it was not a familiar car. Cop pulls me over, asks why I have my headlights off, I show him that they work and that I am sorry, and then he just lets me go. Didnt even ask for ID or ask any questions.
#2: In college, I was driving along on I-84 headed toward Boston for an event with my fraternity. For reference, I was driving my ‘99 Honda Civic with 3 passengers, all of us white. The car had a messed up rear bumper that made it look a bit questionable I would say. Stupid me was cruising at about 85 mph in a 65. As soon as I crossed the state line from CT to MA, I was lit up by a state trooper and pulled over. I was acting SUPER suspect/nervous since I just felt bad for getting in trouble and really hadnt been pulled over before with people in the car. So I was shakey and overall real questionable. I did get a ticket but that was it. Officer asked why I looked nervous and I just said that I hadnt been pulled over like this before and that was that. No further questions.
#3: Later in college, I was driving in Hoboken, NJ near school and decided to make an illegal left turn from the right lane to avoid a long line of traffic. Whoop whoop hear comes a motorcycle cop right behind me as soon as I do this. I had made this turn more than once before like that, so I was asking for it. Again, I received a ticket for this as I had no decent excuse other than I was wrong. But yet again, no questions, heres your ticket.
#4: Just after graduation, I was working a full time job and was sent on travel to Norfolk, VA to take care of something down there about 6 hour drive from home. Well the car I was given as a rental had no cruise control (WHAT DAMN 2015 CAR COMES WITHOUT THAT??). Anyways, on my return trip I had left Virginia around 2100 so it was pretty late when I was passing through nowhere in Delaware. I was pulled over for doing 60 in a 50 (was 55 until that point). I am driving a rental with NY plates, so it makes sense on that route. No hassle at all and no ticket, just told to slow down. Again didnt even take my license back to run it.
#5: After school a few years, I was driving my Miata returning home from having just bought two knockoff red Bride seats across the state in NJ. I had been stuck behind a slow guy on a one lane each way road with a 55mph speed limit traveling about 52-54 for miles with no passing zone. As soon as a passing zone came about I dropped it into 3rd and went for a gratuitous pass at full throttle. In a Miata, this only meant I got up to about 70 anyways but of course there was a cop right there who then pulled me over. He was extremely friendly and just told me to slow down giving me no trouble, no hassle and no ticket.
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Why do these stories matter? If you were any person of color, especially black, then you would be flabergasted at how little trouble any of that has gotten me in. Particularly situation #2, imagine the car full of non-white people instead. How do you think that would have gone? Even if there was “minimal” hassle, there certainly would have been questions about drugs and a harsher demeanor. The worst outcome that I need to worry about as a white male is a ticket. Maybe a summons if I do it in Virginia, but still I am not going to get guns drawn on me or demanded to know where I am from and what am I doing in this neighborhood.
While sure, statistics on the internet are made to lie, this is just clear how different things are.
And this is in sharp contrast to the population distribution of color in the US.
I will conclude with some reading material and videos that are worth educating yourself with.
Here is an important piece, I am a very big fan of the Know Their Names idea as its essential that we do not forget a single one of them:
“Darrius Stewart was riding around with friends one night in July, sitting in the back seat of their faded blue Chevy Malibu, when a Memphis police officer noticed a missing headlight and signaled for them to stop.
The officer, Connor Schilling, asked everyone for identification, found two out-of-state warrants for Stewart, 19, and pulled him out of the car. A half-hour later, Stewart was dead.”
And for a much better researched set of statistics see this article. Not as flashy but much more conclusive than the graphs I shared above:
And some videos I have recently watched which really spoke to me:
If you have made it this far, all I ask is that if you are white that you too think about how your privilege impacts you. I dont use much of social media, Oppo and reddit are about the only places I interact on the internet. So I am doing my part to do something about how frustrated I feel. I will also tell you to vote as well. It is the most impactful way we all can make a difference, regardless of color.