Stopped by the Police!

[CatBird]

I was driving my red 1959 Cadillac convertible, beautiful sunny day, cruising slowly through Stone Mountain Park (Georgia) and a police car made a screaming U-turn, lights flashing, stutter horn, siren, the whole magilla! 

I pulled over. Large woman got out of the police car, aviator sunglasses, and slowly walked up in a stentorian voice stated, "SIR! You are in serious violation!!" I asked, "what did I do?" She stated again, "SIR! You are in serious violation!" 

I asked again, "What did I do?" She said, "SIR! You are in serious violation of having the most fantastic car in the Park!" 

You meet the most interesting people in a Cadillac.

[Glen Andrews]

Excellent! The entire story and picture; very cool!!!!!!!

[1937McBuick]

Did she at least ask to see your driver's license and registration?

 

You could have been a fugitive doing a piss poor job of trying to blend in with the crowd.

[Walt G]

this is why we have old cars, it makes people happy.

[1935Packard]

Fun, although, to the extent anyone cares, also unconstitutional. The police are not allowed to pull people over just because they want to check out a neat car.  (Sorry, I know no one likes the lawyers who show up in a car thread....)

[1937McBuick]

37 minutes ago, Walt G said:

this is why we have old cars, it makes people happy.

Indeed.

I was talking to a guy(stranger) at a nearby restaurant, it was his Volkswagen van they were driving that started the conversation.    He said everyday he drives the Volkswagon is like a parade.

[lump]

When I was a kid, my parents came home from driving around with some friends in the 1923 Hupp touring which I still have. My dad had not yet installed the new-year license plates, so he worried a little when he went past a city cop. Sure enough, the prowl car pulled out, and followed closely behind. Shortly the red n blue lights went on, and Dad pulled over. The policeman, and older gentleman, walked up casually and Dad blurted out, "Officer, I know my plates are expired, but I do have the new plates at home. I"m sorry, I just forgot to install them today!" The officer chuckled and said, "Well, how about that? I never even noticed! I just wanted to put my foot on a running board again. I haven't done that in decades!" 

 

After some pleasant chatting, Dad fired up the old Hupmobile and headed for home. He and Mom and their guests were still laughing about it when they pulled in the driveway at home, where I was playing with some friends. 

[zepher]

Back in the late 80's, not too many years after I had purchased a 1964 Malibu SS convertible, I was pulled over by a city cop.

He apologized for the traffic stop and said he just wanted to check out the car since a good friend of his had one back in high school when they were new.

[TAKerry]

Cool story Catbird. I bought my trans am in FLA. Loaded on the trailer heading home I was winding though Jacksonville and a cop got behind me and followed along for several miles. My first thought was, what is he going to find wrong and how much time and money is this going to cost. He finally pulled around just barely passing me. When he got eye to eye with me I started to panic a bit. I finally glanced over at him, he gave me a big thumbs up then rolled on down the highway.

[CatBird]

I was driving our 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz and was sorta lost in a seedy neighborhood top down as always. A cop started following me. I made left turns, right turns yet he kept following me. Finally I got out on a well-traveled road and pulled into a restaurant. He still followed me!

I got out of my car and approached him. He said he was covering me in case that someone might would car jack me.

Seemed inappropriate to take his picture. But I thanked him for his service! I very much respect our police, military and first responders.  They have a very hard job, for little pay keeping the wolves from us.

[gwells]

I get pulled over for speeding all the time, Bill.

 

[Pete O]

Dissenting opinion here.  It is not cool in any conceivable way for the police to pull you over with lights and sirens just so they can tell you they like your car and take a selfie with it!    I don't know about you all, but if a cop were to put on lights an sirens behind me, I'd get so nervous and anxious I might have a heart attack.  It is absolutely against police guidelines to use lights and sirens for something as frivolous as this.

[Harold]

I had just bought a plain-gray sedan from a government auction and my cousin (my co-driver for this trip) was driving home behind me.  At one point, a car got between us on the highway, at the same time we were getting off the road for lunch.   I stuck my arm out the window of the auction car and waved so my cousin would know to follow me off at the exit.  The in-between driver got off also.  When I pulled into a parking lot, both he and my cousin followed.  When I got out of my car, he asked me 'why are you pulling me over, officer?'   I quickly explained that I wasn't a policeman.  His look of relief was incredible.

[keiser31]

I was pulled over by a Detroit cop way back in 1971 while driving my 1936 Dodge sedan. The cop (Carlos) just wanted to see my car close up and learn about it. We became great friends and he ended up with a Model A Ford. We spent hours getting it running. You never know what an old car will do for your life.

[Hans1]

I think about 1965, in college, after the NAVY...........my younger brother and I took a 1931 Essex to gas station 3 blocks away.

 

We were sitting on inverted milk boxes, no interior, with just a little gas in the vacuum tank.

No plates on car, just going to get 3 gallons in gas can........

 

Leaving station I did not go home the way I came, using ally behind station.

 

Pulled out on West Warren Ave. at Outer Drive ( West side of Detroit ) and a Police car rounded the corner right behind us.

Followed us two and  ahalf blocks, STOPPED US RIGHT IN FRONT OF HOME.

 

Big Motor cycle policeman, in car duty........ just wanted to crank it!!!

And did he ever spin it over !!!

 

 

 

[hidden_hunter]

On 12/20/2022 at 12:36 PM, 1937McBuick said:

You could have been a fugitive doing a piss poor job of trying to blend in with the crowd.

or a fantastic one, no-one would possibly think that anyone would be that silly

 

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by hidden_hunter (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

Then there are some guys who don't know they are in the presence of greatness.

Edited December 21, 2022 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[Jim Skelly]

On 12/20/2022 at 10:42 PM, Hans1 said:

I think about 1965, in college, after the NAVY...........my younger brother and I took a 1931 Essex to gas station 3 blocks away.

 

We were sitting on inverted milk boxes, no interior, with just a little gas in the vacuum tank.

No plates on car, just going to get 3 gallons in gas can........

 

Leaving station I did not go home the way I came, using ally behind station.

 

Pulled out on West Warren Ave. at Outer Drive ( West side of Detroit ) and a Police car rounded the corner right behind us.

Followed us two and  ahalf blocks, STOPPED US RIGHT IN FRONT OF HOME.

 

Big Motor cycle policeman, in car duty........ just wanted to crank it!!!

And did he ever spin it over !!!

That's a funny story!  There are still a lot of cops pulling people over at that intersection.  I used to see it almost every day driving to and from work at Detroit Diesel.

[28 Chrysler]

I got stopped after pulling off the highway back in 1987 while driving a 1967 Mercury wagon. The officer had followed me for sometime, it happened to be an identical car his parents drove when he was in high school.

[Paul Dobbin]

Catbird,

A least your encounter was with an officer with great taste in cars.  

[Xander Wildeisen]

I grew up with Law Enforcement and Military in my family. Has always had a good relationship with both groups of people. My uncle, who retired out a Ada County Deputy Sheriff just passed away a few months ago. I did not return to Idaho for the service. I was told he had a escort by the Sheriffs department. My last conversation with him did not end on a positive note. In fact, everything that has taken place over the past years. Has really given a person a different outlook on some people in that profession. On a positive note, the Mayor of Boise has hired a law firm out of Washington DC, headed by a former Justice Department Inspector. To look into extremist views held by law enforcement. It is my hope that this investigation will spread into other departments in Idaho. And maybe a end will be put to the targeting of people, that is aloud to take place. While some in law enforcement turn a blind eye.

[oldcarfudd]

I’ve told this one before, but here it is again.  I trailered a 1913 Ford roadster to the HCCA’s 75th anniversary convention and tour in Colorado Springs.  The following week, Joan and I took kids, spouses and grandkids to a wonderful dude ranch in southern Colorado, just east of the continental divide.  The Model T proved very popular, and I gave lots of rides and driving lessons to family, ranch staff, and other guests.

 

One evening after dinner I took my huge moose of a son-in-law out on the local washboard gravel forest road, 9,000 feet above sea level, for a lesson.  A police car passed us, going the other way.  We waved and kept going.  When we found a safe place to turn around, we did so, and the police car pulled in behind us.  It turned out to be a county deputy sheriff.  The moose started the discussion with: “Officer, I have to confess that I left my license back at the dude ranch.”  Oh, great.  The cop asked:  “What is that thing?”  “A 1913 Model T Ford runabout.”  Looking at the weird pedals:  “How does it work?”  So I showed him what things did what, and asked: “You want a demo?”  “Sure!”

 

I got behind the wheel, the cop got in beside me, and off we went.  Leaving the unlocked, window-down fuzzmobile on an isolated pullout in the middle of nowhere, protected by the moose with no license on him; Lord only knows what was in that car.  I went about three miles up the road, showing the cop how it worked, and turned around and stopped.  “Wanna try it?”
“Sure!”  So we changed seats, and I talked the cop back to his car.  He thanked us, got in his car and left.  The moose and I couldn’t stop howling with laughter all the way back to the ranch.  For three miles, my 1913 Ford had been an official Conejos County Colorado sheriff’s vehicle.  Fortunately, we hadn’t had to chase any speeders or fugitives.

 

Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ
 

[SC38dls]

I had a morning meeting in Milwaukee and an afternoon meeting in Madison WI. I left the morning one late. The interstate between the two cities is a lonely place. I was in a turbo 300ZX so I kind of put the pedal to the metal. I went thru an underpass and thought I saw a cop car but I was over the hill before I could really see back there. As I crested the next hill I saw a car behind me. No lights so wasn’t sure if it was a cop. I put my foot into it a little more and the ZX responded. Each hill I crested I checked and sure enough the car was still behind me. Now I’m up in the triple digits and had not passed another car. As I got close to Madison I slowed back down to 75 or so. And the car came up behind me and turned on his lights. I pulled over, the cop came up to me and before I could say anything he said that damn car can fly. I couldn’t catch you. I said why didn’t you turn on the lights I would have pulled over. His reply was great - I was having too much fun trying to keep up and there was no one else on the road. He gave me a ticket for 10 over and in WI you could pay on the spot if it wasn’t excessive. Nice cop! I wrote a letter to the chief telling him how decent he was. I made it to the meeting on time. Got the sale too! 
dave s 

[JamesR]

Beautiful car, CatBird! I like the police car, too. Nice color scheme. It's always nice when law enforcement makes an effort to make a positive connection with the public.

 

I have an acquaintance who collects early VW beetles and buses. A couple of them have those "flower power" daisy stickers on them. He sometimes dresses up in hippy garb when driving around. Just for fun, he got a police officer at a local park to pose for a photo where the cop had the hippy on the ground and had his baton raised like he was going to beat on him. 😄 I was amazed that the officer was willing to pose for such a photo in today's political climate, but he did...I saw the image on my acquaintance's phone!! He promised the officer that he wouldn't distribute the photo because it would likely be taken out of context.

 

 

[Olympic33]

I had the sheriff stop one day when I had the Franklin out for test driving.  He was genuinely interested in the car but my neighbors thought otherwise

 

[Dave Henderson]

I had dismantled the front of my recently acquired '37 Cord and removed the engine to overhaul it in the summer of 1952.  I was just a 20 year old kid and not highly experienced but fortunately had a mentor, a mechanic whose daily driver was a Cord and who kept me aimed in the right direction.  After much cleaning, water chamber de-rusting, valve lapping, bearing fitting, ridge reaming and more, it was time to reassemble it.  The engine went back together and into the frame with the radiator attached, but hood, hood fence, front tag and one fender was still off.  It fired right up and I was overcome by the itch to take a spin even though It was almost sundown and no lights were hooked up.  I was elated driving it past Fort Myer Va. on highway 50 when suddenly a flashing red light appeared behind me.  OH @!#$%^&!!  The officer approached and Began asking questions, surprisingly not "Let me see your license and registration", but "What kind of car is this?  Is it really front wheel drive?  How fast will it go!"  He wasn't concerned that it was dusk... my dilemma was should I bare the fact it had no lights or cool it in hopes he would leave.  Finally he pulled away and after he was out of sight I high tailed it for home.  How lucky can a guy get....

[keiser31]

Back when I was 16 or 17 years old, I was driving my 1931 Dodge Brothers business coupe every day, rain, snow or shine. One early evening, some buddies went with me for a ride before dark set in. One guy was in the trunk. It has a huge trunk. We had a garden hose going from the trunk to the cab so we could talk to each other. Well, it got later than I thought and a little bit dark out. I stopped at a stop sign to cross the main road and a cop pulled me over. As the officer came up to the window, the kid in the trunk kept asking through the hose, "Hey, Keiser....what's going on out there? Why aren't we moving?". I am CERTAIN that the officer heard him through the hose as I was being told that my taillight was out. I got out of the car and went to the back of the car and sort of wiggled the taillight stand and the light lit up. The officer just looked at me with a smile and told me that I had better get the car home before someone rear ends it. I agreed and went home without a ticket. I am pretty sure that cop tells this same story or at the least, laughs to himself about it if he is still around. 

[60FlatTop]

Twenty years ago I was taking my daughter back to St. Lawrence University up in the north country of New York. I was on a long stretch of RT 104, a two lane road up near Oswego. The '94 LT1 Roadmaster was rolling nicely just a hair under 80 MPH with my wife in front and my daughter in the rear. A trooper popped up suddenly as he crested a rise from the opposite direction. I slowed but he got me. He asked where I was going. I told him I knew I was moving right along but the car was just flowing. "Slow down and take it easy" he said. And walked away.

From the rear seat my daughter announced that she saw how fast I was going and her friends would have received a ticket and I should have too. Very agitated.

 

I told her "Lisa, when he looked inside the car and saw I had a redhead daughter he probably figured I needed a break more that most." That made her quiet.