Getting Out of a Ticket: My New Year's Tip

I am writing this entry because I got pulled over this morning. My crime? Stopping traffic with my legendary badonkadonk while running in yoga pants. Seriously? My license plates expired and I was at a red light when a police officer changed lanes and got right behind me! I am a very detail-oriented person when it comes to relationships and work, but I am pretty much oblivious when it comes to everything else.

I have gotten out of many traffic tickets before and today was no exception. I will give you a play-by-play and then break it all down.

Saw the red and blue lights flashing and cursed to myself. 

Slowly and carefully pulled into the closest parking lot off the road. 

Got out my license and registration immediately and mentally prepared myself to be as charming as possible.

I rolled down my window as the officer approaches and smiled a big, winning smile. 

"Good morning, officer!"

"Ma'am, I pulled you over because your plates have expired. I need to see your license and registration."

"Yes, officer. I have my license and registration all ready for you. Here you go, sir! I understand my license plates have expired and I sincerely apologize for not realizing it sooner. This is the first time I have owned a vehicle and I honestly am not used to taking care of such things. A friend just pointed it out to me the other day and I am in the process of getting all the required paperwork, but I have just been working oh so much! This was a slip up on my part and you were completely right for pulling me over." I inserted more sweet smiles and a touch of puppy eyes. 

"I'll be right back ma'am." 

I sat there as nervous as if I were going to go on a date with Brad Pitt. I also hoped I had made a good enough impression. Then the officer returns to my car.

"Ma'am. You know that it is illegal every day you drive around with expired plates." 

"Oh, yes! I understand the severity of this and I am trying my best to get this corrected as soon as I can."

"I'm only going to give you a warning. Here's is your license and insurance card back. You have a good day and drive safely."

"Thank you so much, officer. I hope you have a pleasant day yourself and thank you again."

After he turned to leave and after I rolled up my windows, two thoughts occurred to me:

1. Saaaaawwwwwweeeeeeeeet! 

2. I am so freaking glad I actually look really decent this morning! 

detectorlaser.com

So if you ever get pulled over for a minor* moving violation, remember the following:

1. Don't panic! Take a deep breath and get your license and registration (L&R) ready STAT! Greet the office nicely and smile! You probably want to plead for mercy right now, but don't even attempt to utter anything until you have given the office your L&R. The officer must follow procedure. He/she won't talk to you until these pieces of information are surrendered. 

2. After handing over your essentials, don't let the officer turn and leave- this is key! Once the officer goes back to the squad car and writes the ticket, game over! This is when you plead for mercy. 

3. You probably already know why you got pulled over. Just admit your guilt and tell the officer that he/she is right. The person with that big gun is also packing a lot of pride. You need to play into this factor and make the officer feel proud and important. Once you have successfully accomplished this task, the office will be less likely to want to punish you further. If you're pulled over because you were speeding, DON'T admit fault! Ask the officer extremely politely to see the radar (in some jurisdictions, you are allowed to request this). If the officer does not want to show it you, don't press your luck. 

*"Minor" qualifies as things that are NOT drinking and driving, transporting illegal drugs, transporting a dead body or if you just kidnapped Justin Bieber. You will need a higher power to save you if you are guilty of such. 

mrtraffic.com

If you do end up getting a ticket, it's not really game over. Remember to still be pleasant to the officer. You want to leave a very good impression of yourself. You can still contact the officer later via a phone call or a written letter to further plead your case and your circumstance - you still have a shot. Be thorough and convincing about why he/she should drop your ticket. If this doesn't work and you have to go to court, it's still not game over yet. You can still plead your case to the judge and it pays to be nice to the office in case he/she is at court. I have gone to court two times for traffic tickets and the judges have dropped my tickets both times. I had to pay a very small court fee and I was free to go with nothing on my record.

I have been fortunate enough to have dated an attorney, who enlightened me with all these tips. Always remember to present yourself on your best behavior and be as genuinely pleasant as possible. For my friends who claim the only reason I got out of my tickets was because I am a pretty girl... brains beat beauty, baby! The only way I weaseled out of those tickets is because I was smart enough to be cool and collected as well say the right things. Even gorgeous celebrities get tickets, so beauty isn't everything! But, I have to admit, looking pretty definitely did not hurt my chances! Maybe I should stash makeup in the glove compartment in case I get pulled over on a day when I look like Courtney Love instead of Courtney Cox. 

I hope these amateur tips will help you next time you look up and see those flashing lights! Good luck!


Note: Within a few hours of getting pulled over, I got my plates renewed. I'm good for 2 more years!