What not to say when a Traffic Cop Pulls you over
No matter where you are driving in the world there are some universal rules of what not to say to traffic cops if they stop you. It is worth bearing in mind though that different countries have different ways and what won’t go down well in one may well work a treat in another. Thus it always pays to brush up on the rudimentary elements of traffic cop etiquette before driving.
What not to say which is universal are such phrases of admittance such as “sorry I was speeding” and “I did mean to have the broken tail lights fixed”. Personal abuse won’t go down well anywhere either, so calling the traffic cop an idiotic moron or accusing him of police brutality are best not mentioned. Acting like an aggressive jerk won’t win you any favors, nor will foul language. It always pays to smile, be polite and not rabbit on too much.
In many countries the police do like to fill their coffers with the money from fines issued to drivers. You should be familiar with the offences you can commit whilst driving in certain places to avoid doing them. In some countries the police will issue an immediate on the stop fine for such infringements as failing to wear a seat belt; driving the wrong way down a one way street; failing to have identification; and sounding your horn at the wrong time of day.
In many countries police will routinely pull over foreign cars simply to issue a fine on some pretext. This can often be dealt with by a speedy bribe of the required denomination. This is a common occurrence in some parts of Eastern Europe where plenty of the police are still corrupt. In other areas legitimate fines can be halved on the spot if paid immediately. Obviously though it is preferable to avoid a fine in the first place but often times the police will just routinely stop and pull over all the vehicles on a certain stretch of road.
If this happens it is best to keep your mouth shut beyond the hopefully acquired phrase of “I don’t understand.” The police will most likely get bored and send you on your way. If on the other hand you emphasise that you are a rich tourist and will be speaking to your embassy then your words won’t go down well as you are undermining their legitimate authority. You may well find a visit to the police station awaits you.
If you are local to the area where pulled over it often pays to mention you are friends with the local mayor or socialize with the police chief. However this could backfire in certain places so be cautious when you make use of it.
Recently I was routinely pulled over by a traffic cop outside my local area that was stopping vehicles on a certain stretch of road. He had me fair and square when he asked for my driving licence and I confessed it was at home. Despite my attempts to point out I was worried that if said licence was in my bag it could be stolen, and despite remaining unfailing polite and smiling, his pen was poised and I was about to be issued with a 300 euro fine.
I was spared the fine only when the police officer asked what I did for a living. I told him I was a writer and the cap went back on the pen, my hand was shaken and I was left with the instruction to write something nice about the Greek police. In compliance I will conclude that the Greek police are perfectly charming, wear attractive uniforms and would much prefer to do something else with their time than fine motorists.
