Cops pulled me over - for using mobile phone?!?!

[achk]

I was driving home this morning when I noticed a police car behind me with lights flashing. I pulled over not knowing what I've done wrong. Cop got out and said that the reason he pulled me over was he saw that I was talking on my mobile phone.

Well, I was NOT. My hand was nowhere near my mobile which has been in my pocket all morning.

I showed him the phone bluetooth screen on my factory sat-nav, with my phone connected, and demonstrated to him that I don't NEED or I even CAN'T bypass the car handsfree to use the mobile. I even showed him my phone history which showed the last call received/made was yesterday. Even then, he was still convinced that I was talking on my mobile while driving and asked me to explain why HE WOULD HAVE SEEN me holding my phone to my ear. Isn't that just a dumb question or what? How can I explain WHAT HE SAW?!?!

Well, I stayed firm on my ground and said that I CANNOT explain what HE saw. He finally let it go after awhile and said he is giving me "the benefit of the doubt". I guess he cannot mount as strong an argument as me.

I guess bluetooth does really save you from getting a ticket EVEN when you are NOT using your phone!

Edited July 14, 2008 by achk

[J e r e M y]

My fren got fined cos he was on the phone via bluetooth handsfree =_= i have no idea how that works but he got slapped a $120 fine for that.. Im pretty sure its fine if we use handsfree..The cop just said that he saw my fren talking on the phone and cos my fren have the habit of puttin his phone in this like compartment underneath the HU..he took it out from there to show the cop that he was on handsfree..my fren asked the cop if he saw him HOLDING the phone NEXT to his ear..all the cop said was that he saw him talking =_= u get fined for talking now do u?

And another fren of mine who has long asian hair :P got stopped because he " was on the phone " but he was just sweepin his hair to the side..lols that was funny..but the cop was ****** thou..n then the cop went on saying that it is a very serious offence if u play pranks on cops.. He came and stop us..like wtf?

So im just wondering..if situations like these happen..what can we say and how can we fight it without gettin into any trouble? What if the cop says like oh i`ll throw u in lockup for a night n stuff?

[Kenneth]

they r just bunch of donout eaters that have nothing better to do then drive around and try to pin point the smallest problem and often forget about the other "BIGGER" issues/problems which should be attended/solved...

bunch of <insert word here> ...

[SILVABULLIT]

Well that tells me one thing.... Don't have long Asian hair!! Get your haircut like me and you'll have no worries from the Cops pulling you up for having long Asian Hair!!!!!!!!

[and1]

I was driving home this morning when I noticed a police car behind me with lights flashing. I pulled over not knowing what I've done wrong. Cop got out and said that the reason he pulled me over was he saw that I was talking on my mobile phone.

Well, I was NOT. My hand was nowhere near my mobile which has been in my pocket all morning.

I showed him the phone bluetooth screen on my factory sat-nav, with my phone connected, and demonstrated to him that I don't NEED or I even CAN'T bypass the car handsfree to use the mobile. I even showed him my phone history which showed the last call received/made was yesterday. Even then, he was still convinced that I was talking on my mobile while driving and asked me to explain why HE WOULD HAVE SEEN me holding my phone to my ear. Isn't that just a dumb question or what? How can I explain WHAT HE SAW?!?!

Well, I stayed firm on my ground and said that I CANNOT explain what HE saw. He finally let it go after awhile and said he is giving me "the benefit of the doubt". I guess he cannot mount as strong an argument as me.

I guess bluetooth does really save you from getting a ticket EVEN when you are NOT using your phone!

man i think u just got a picky copper.. thats unlucky mate..

[J e r e M y]

Well that tells me one thing.... Don't have long Asian hair!! Get your haircut like me and you'll have no worries from the Cops pulling you up for having long Asian Hair!!!!!!!!

post me a pic n i`ll bring it to the barber! xD

[leasaunce]

cops are just human! they make mistakes too.

glad u showed him your calls history, i bet he got OWNED when you showed him the screen to his face LOL... Or maybe the officer was checking you out?! :P

[xoom]

Well that tells me one thing.... Don't have long Asian hair!! Get your haircut like me and you'll have no worries from the Cops pulling you up for having long Asian Hair!!!!!!!!

post me a pic n i`ll bring it to the barber! xD

and as u will c it even helps u get the hooters chicks in as well ..... not just deter u from being accused of having a mobile to your ear ;) ;) ;)

[J e r e M y]

Well that tells me one thing.... Don't have long Asian hair!! Get your haircut like me and you'll have no worries from the Cops pulling you up for having long Asian Hair!!!!!!!!

post me a pic n i`ll bring it to the barber! xD

and as u will c it even helps u get the hooters chicks in as well ..... not just deter u from being accused of having a mobile to your ear ;) ;) ;)

xD oh check out those chicks!

im so gonna get that hair cut!! xD

[mrs.sportivo]

hahas check out the lady in the back with glasses HAHAHAH

[SILVABULLIT]

yeah some moron who thinks they are cool........NOT

[Azza]

Truth be known, you are still breaking the law even with Blue Tooth. THe law (at least in Qld, NSW & Vic) is "Using Mobile Device Whilst Operating A Motor Vehicle" meaning that even when using a complete handsfree device, you are still breaking the law.

I was talking o a Police Officer up here the other day about it as with the increase in mobile phones (especially Nokia) which have the inbuilt Handsfree feature, and people are sitting them on their laps, top pockets etc, they are still using the mobile device whilst operating the motor vehicle.

He went on to say that it is at the officer's discretion when he/she will apply the fine, and it sounds as though you were on the harsher end of the discretion, but it's still a law that can be enforced....

[lylee]

if it is at their discretion than there is no black and white with phone use only all shades of grey which depending how pised off the cop is on that day which is ludicrous

[Kenneth]

well i suppose this is where the unfairness in the world comes in... so u better be wearing your miniskirt when a cop pull you over :)

[Kelpie]

Although this is an older topic now-- may I clarify one thing.

The police will book anyone using a mobile phone while driving, even if they are using a bluetooth earpiece or a bluetooth via a sat-nav link, irrespective of where the handset it in relation to you.

If you are taking or making a call on a mobile while your car is in motion, even if it's via an ear piece or some other intermediatry device, then by their rules, you are using a mobile phone while driving.

Same applies for a CB radio etc.

And if you are eating or drinking anything while you are driving and you car is in motion, they can book you for that as well.

Be careful at night if you are using a bluetooth ear piece. They flash a blue light when active-- a dead give away to any copper in your vicinity.

I have a very good friend who lost his son when the boy was hit and killed by car being driven by a person, who was in the act of typing up an SMS on a mobile while driving.

I have no sympathy for anyone caught and fined by the police for using a mobile phone when driving.

[J e r e M y]

If u use bluetooth .. doenst it sorta the same as talking to people in the car? I reckon people in the car can distract u more than talkin thru headset..

The cops should book people who do make up in the car =_= i swear.. Applying mascara while driving at 70km vs People on headset.. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Sweety]

yeh Jeremy i agree with u there. Its the same as talking to a passenger. :D

Anyway the biggest distraction ever in a moving vehicle is KIDS...fightin, whingin and bitchin gets u so fired up!!! U then turn your head to chastise them or turn the music up full blast so you cant hear them. Thus loss of concentration.

I thought the bluetooth & headsets for mobile phones woz brought about so u can talk but keep your hands on the wheel.

Wots next are they gonna fine u for talking in your car altogether. <_<

[Simo]

They can also pull you over if a passenger has there bare ar5e hanging out the window

Edited September 21, 2008 by Simo

[Kelpie]

I spend most of my working day on the road behind the wheel and I can say from personal experience, that talking on a mobile is far more distracting than talking to a passenger in the car with you.

While on the phone you tend to zone in on the person who is on the other end and zone out of what's going on in the vicinity of your ride.

Not so when talking to a passenger in the car or listening to the car radio.

Every week while driving, I inevitably end up in a situation where I have to take some sort of emergency action, to avoid a car driven by a "Richard Cranium" who while gas bagging away on their mobile, stuffs up through inattention to what's going on around them in the traffic.

Hate to sound like a pontificating old fart, but having been through the coroners inquest process as a witness,(the aformentioned fatality) it is not something I wish to do again, or wish upon anyone else.

It is not a pleasant experience and can be costly, both financially and also to ones whole future.

And go ask any copper what its like helping to clean up the mess at the scene of a car accident.

It's not nice, especially if any of the victims are kids.

Just because a person has a police uniform on, doesn't make then immune to emotions.

After a while they get sick of helping to clean up the carnage and they see a lot more of it than any of us. That's why they get grumpy people.

Pull over and stop if you are going to use your mobile. It's safer and "Plod" will leave you alone.

And no, I am not a cop, or an ambo or a firie.

[Sweety]

I spend most of my working day on the road behind the wheel and I can say from personal experience, that talking on a mobile is far more distracting than talking to a passenger in the car with you.

While on the phone you tend to zone in on the person who is on the other end and zone out of what's going on in the vicinity of your ride.

Not so when talking to a passenger in the car or listening to the car radio.

Every week while driving, I inevitably end up in a situation where I have to take some sort of emergency action, to avoid a car driven by a "Richard Cranium" who while gas bagging away on their mobile, stuffs up through inattention to what's going on around them in the traffic.

Hate to sound like a pontificating old fart, but having been through the coroners inquest process as a witness,(the aformentioned fatality) it is not something I wish to do again, or wish upon anyone else.

It is not a pleasant experience and can be costly, both financially and also to ones whole future.

And go ask any copper what its like helping to clean up the mess at the scene of a car accident.

It's not nice, especially if any of the victims are kids.

Just because a person has a police uniform on, doesn't make then immune to emotions.

After a while they get sick of helping to clean up the carnage and they see a lot more of it than any of us. That's why they get grumpy people.

Pull over and stop if you are going to use your mobile. It's safer and "Plod" will leave you alone.

And no, I am not a cop, or an ambo or a firie.

Yes..u have made some very good points and yes I agree to pulling off to the side of the road rather than having your phone in your hand...TOTALLY :D

Personally, I would say I have had more close call accidents with people turning and talking to their passengers than people talking on their phones. I think both are a distraction in different ways.

The worst mobile phone users are the ones that txt while driving. I have a close friend that caused a serious accident while txting and she herself woz seriously hurt. It was very hard to have much sympathy for her.

[J e r e M y]

Yea i get what u mean..Its true what u say..but im saying if u use headsets its sorta the same as talkin to people in ur car..I reckon popo's should really dob thos ppl who applies make-up while driving..

Seriously this women who was puttin on her mascara was about 20%+ in my lane..n she was driving a SUV..she kept swerving like crazy...

Ppl who txt n drive r just asking for it.. ><

[mtbrider]

I think it has been pretty much proven that talking to a passenger is OK. Passengers moderate the discussion in terms of what's happening on the road as they can see it. They are also another set of eyes that point out if you are becoming too engrossed in the discussion and not concentrating on driving "the back seat driver syndrome" often suffered by spouses.

Whereas the person on a phone call would just keep talking as you plough into the back of the vehicle in front.

Moral is don't use the mobile phone in the car and get a message service.

[marc2020]

I am not a fan of using the mobile while driving, I usually let it ring out or make the passenger pick up. But I reckon the copper the OP was talking about is a bit of a *****, even after showing the phone history he still sounds like he wants to book the guy.

[qkslvr]

I also turn off the radio, blind-out the side windows, punch my passangers in the mouth and sticky tape my hands to the steering wheel. the last thing i want is distractions while driving. If it's one thing we've learnt since our birth, it's that us humans can only do one thing at a time and we're all accidents waiting to happen.

[SQU-47N]

STATION- there is a hostage situation need all cars immediately to reserve bank POLICE CAR - hang on, p plate on this car i have is not straight enought and has small molecules of dust particles too will be there soon

Stop picking on modified car if were not doin anything wrong.