I am 68 yrs old. I haven’t had a ticket in 48 years. Probably because I’m white.
I have been pulled over twice by the Washington State Patrol for the same offense. Almost ten years apart. Both times in my car. Each time I was pulled over, the WSP marked car was right behind me at a red light. I turned left on the red light onto the freeway entrance. Two different places on the freeway. Both in Olympia, the state capitol. First time was a young officer, the second was at least fifty.
Each time, the officer approached my window, and said “Do you know why I pulled you over?” Each time I responded “I have no idea.”
Each then proceeded to tell me it was illegal to make a left turn on a red light. The first time, I politely said “I am quit confident that it is, in fact, legal to do it when you are turning from a two-way street onto a one-way street, there is no oncoming traffic, And there is no sign specifically saying you can’t. Furthermore, I said, I get irritated when I am stuck behind drivers NOT making the turn on the red. In addition, I told him, I had bet my wife $1,000 that it is legal to do it. He said “You owe your wife $1,000 and stop getting annoyed at the other drivers. Have a nice day.” He was quite pleasant, and didn’t write me a ticket.
You know how larger newspapers have a write-in column where you can ask traffic law questions? I wrote to the Tacoma News Tribune the next day. A month later, they published my question with an answer from a State Patrol captain. (My question was edited by the newspaper to not include the part about being pulled over.). The captain said “That might be the least well-known traffic law in the state. Traffic would flow much better if all DRIVERS knew the traffic laws.”
Years later, I get pulled over again for the same scofflaw activity. This time, the officer mentions immediately that he is recording our conversation. Again, I politely explain that what I am doing is quite legal. “In fact, I have a newspaper column in my glove compartment that says just that, and actually includes my name as the person asking the question.” I’m surprised when he says he doesn’t want to see it because he knows I am wrong. He then walks around the car and says he can also issue me a ticket for obscuring my license plate on my Volvo with a bicycle rack.
Now I’m annoyed. I ask him to make certain he records what I am about to say. “i just told you that I have a written, and published, statement from a senior WSP commander that directly contradicts what you are accusing me of. You refuse to even glance at it. So...PLEASE write me up for the supposed offense, as well as the obscured license plate. And save the recording of our interaction. It will be subpoenaed by my attorney (I’ve never hired an attorney in my life), as well as the newspapers I contact BEFORE the hearing, that request it under the Freedom of Information laws. They will want to carefully review it before they send reporters to cover my day in court. And you just might want to give a heads up to your supervisor. I think he or she will see this as a “learning opportunity “ for you. But, hey, maybe I’m wrong! One of us is...”
I didn’t get a ticket. Even for the obscured license plate.
White privilege.
