Exhibition Driving

[timwdegner]

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Hey, I'm brand new to the forum, which I found while searching Google for information on exhibition driving. Google sent me straight to a thread in this "Ask a Cop" section that was similar to what I'm going to post, so, though I'm a little confused about whether or not I'm supposed to ask this type of question here, I'm going to go ahead. I apologize if I am out of line.

First of all, I escort oversize loads (prefabricated houses) in MN, IA, WI, and MI. I've been doing this since September 2004. The company that builds the houses subcontracts a trucking company to move the houses, and one of the truck drivers has hired me to escort, driving his vehicle, a 1991 Ford Ranger. Because my car recently blew a head gasket, I also have used this vehicle for personal use on several occasions this year.

One of these occasions was January 2, when I was in Hutchinson, MN, eating supper and watching a movie with my passenger. While we were in the movie, a snowstorm kicked up and the roads were very icy by the time we headed out around 11:30pm. A little bit after we left the theatre, I needed something from my pocket . . . my seat belt was in the way, so I pulled into a completely empty parking lot to retrieve it. Here's where the problem started.

I knew very well, as did the guy who owns the Ranger, that it needed new tires very badly - it had needed new tires for a couple months. It was my own stupid mistake for not making him replace them. I have a receipt for brand new tires on that pickup now, but it is too late.

As I pulled away from my dead stop in the middle of this empty parking lot, the pickup (with an empty bed and therefore no weight over the wheels) easily lost traction, and the rear end slid counterclockwise about eighty (80) degrees. Before you judge me, let me explain something.

When you are escorting in front of a truck hauling 50,000 lbs of house, you do not make sudden stops without getting run over. This makes stoplights very difficult - if we're approaching a green light that turns yellow, and I know it's going to be close, I usually have to shoot through it - or be killed. Another example is: there have been a couple times when I have, while escorting in snowy winter Michigan, begun to lose control on iced gravel roads with a house behind me. I have two choices: take the ditch or KEEP GOING!! It quickly becomes second nature to keep going and maneuver how you have to to regain control as an escort, before you are nailed from behind by a couple dozen tons of wood and steel.

So what did I do? I cranked the wheels to the right, kept it going, regained control, and continued off into the night. I did not launch hard, and after regaining control, stayed under 15mph (I was guessing that to be the parking lot speed limit, and any more would have been stupid under the existing conditions anyway). Well, guess what? Two seconds later, I see a squad car absolutely cruising up to my back door (guy must have hit 35mph). He flips on the light bar and I pull over.

Obviously, the charge: exhibition driving. I knew it without being told, though I felt that a ticket was unwarranted, given the circumstances. The officer shined his bright flashlight on my passenger through the rear window, approached my window, and said, "I suppose you know why I pulled you over?" I simply nodded and said "yup." To my credit, I guess, that's the only way I identified why I was being pulled over - I never mentioned my stupid little maneuver.

He wrote me the ticket, talked some . . . he had just given another guy the same ticket (charged the two of us under a city statute instead of county regulation to make the $300-something fine go down to $90) for doing donuts at a Wal Mart in the same city. He asked if I had been goofing off earlier too, and I said I just got out of a movie, ate before that, and before that had come straight from a neighboring town. He said the local PD had received a call about a pickup pulling stunts in another parking lot earlier that day. Well, wasn't me, but I guess that's why he was so quick to pull me over. He said he'd been watching me since I entered the parking lot.

He was a really friendly guy, and I appreciate the job he's doing - and understand that he has to be seen doing something about the crazies driving their rubber off out there . . . but I also feel that the ticket is undeserved and will be in court on March 3 to try to get it dismissed. I was surprised - and told him so - that I could even be pulled over for that on private property (the parking lot), and he said something about it being so because the highway is accessible from the nearby county highway 15. He said he can pull anyone over for exhibition driving, whether they're on a public road, on their own private property, on a lake, whatever. Is this true nation-wide? In any case, back to my situation.

To my credit, I have a perfect driving record. No crimes ever, period - not the most minor traffic violation. Working against me, however: I'm 18 years old and male. Also, the Ranger I was driving was lifted a couple inches in back, has oversized tires, and has a chrome nerf bar, roll bar, and whatever they call the chrome bar in front of the grill. I don't know, I'm not into that stuff. But anyway, I'm a young guy and I was driving a cool-looking pickup. :cool: Great.

I checked the place that owns the parking lot for video surveillance tapes, but they had already taped over that night. All I've got to my advantage is the receipt for new tires. I even tried to run to Wal Mart to get one of the old tires when I realized that might be handy (I don't know, I've never done this before), but they had already sent their tires off to be recycled.

Oh, turns out the officer (a trooper, I believe) was wrong: the fine is $110. Either way, I'm not rich, don't want this on my record, and sure don't think I deserve this. My arraignment was my first experience in court, so I'm looking for a book to read about court procedures - any suggestions? I've found a few on Amazon.com, but they all seem to be targeted toward people who are trying to get out of speeding tickets (and obviously deserve the ticket). I don't want to make an a** out of the trooper (heck, I am seriously considering a law enforcement career myself), but I must do what I can to get this dismissed.

So . . . the prosecuter told me to call her the day before the appointment. I'm wondering if I should do so sooner - could I request the officer's notes for that evening? There were none on the back of the ticket, so the prosecuter said he probably has them on his laptop.

Thanks in advance for any replies. Oh, here's a link to a scan of my ticket:

http://stpluth.com/ticket.jpg

I don't know what that is he has written for the location. It was in a Hennen's Furniture parking lot.

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[acreature]

You pulled into a PVA to retrieve your seatbelt. Gave it too much gas and slid sideways. Instead of allowing your vehicle to slow, you stayed in the gas and went sideways...... Explain it to the Judge.

And yes, PVAs or Parking Lots allow for several different charges.

[timwdegner]

"Explain it to the judge" as in "yea right, you're screwed," or as in, "he might understand?"

Thanks for your reply! Sorry, I just can't tell exactly what you mean by the last part.

[Seand442]

First, good luck getting the officers notes. Second, you knew the tires were bald yet you proceeded to drive the vehicle. If it were me, you might have gotten the exhibition ticket but you definitely would have gotten a ticket for operating an unsafe vehicle. If you had gone spinning into oncoming traffic, it would have been your *** at fault. Third, so what if the officer was wrong, do you know how many different violations have different fines. We are intelligent people but we can't memorize everything. Finally, go to court, pay your fine and be glad you only got a ticket and didn't kill someone.

[timwdegner]

Okay, so I don't have a legal right to the officer's notes (not meant offensively, honestly want to know what my rights are)?

Well, yea, as I stated, it was my mistake for being willing to drive on those tires. It was night, so the officer probably didn't notice, and I'm not one to make excuses or suck up, so I didn't mention it. I just realized that he wrote down the wrong color for the pickup - it's black, and I assume BLE is blue, right? I'm not trying to find fault with him - just explaining that it was dark so he couldn't see the correct color and therefore couldn't see the tires either.

I meant no offense to you. Like I said, I am interested in law enforcement. I was just saying that either way, I can't easily afford the ticket. Obviously, if I am found guilty, yes, I will pay it. But I will be pleading not guilty. I would sure appreciate and expect the same decency from you that I have shown, instead of the "so what?" argument of a child.

I already learned my lesson - that's why the pickup had new tires two days after the incident.

[timwdegner]

It works like this: I learned my lesson and refused to drive the pickup until he replaced all four tires.

The roads were not icy when I set out and the storm was not forecasted - otherwise I wouldn't have even been out that night with those tires.

[acreature]

It works like this: I learned my lesson and refused to drive the pickup until he replaced all four tires.

Good on ya, but you're still responsible.

[timwdegner]

Okay, I'm responsible for spinning my tires, causing a pickup to turn 80 degrees counterclockwise, and then back clockwise, and then driving away at a lawful speed. In a parking lot completely devoid of any cars (not so much as a shopping cart) or people. During a snowstorm that, as is common in Minnesota, could not be predicted. Because I decided to get off the road before taking off my seat belt.

Come on, people, this is ridiculous. If that is worth a $110 fine and twenty minutes of a police officer's time, then my tax money is being wasted.

[acreature]

We are only hearing one side. This is the internet, we aren't going to say a fellow officer was wrong, for we were not there.

[timwdegner]

Yea, I can understand that you were not there and can't say that a fellow officer was wrong. But I'm not asking you to judge the case - just to help me figure out what my options might be.

IMO, the officer wasted his own time. No people or property were in danger. Maybe I didn't properly convey this, but it was glare ice in the parking lot. If you've never seen someone lose control on ice (I wouldn't even call it losing control, as I pulled it back straight right away), then you've definitely never been to Minnesota in the winter. Not that that is a bad thing.

[Drew27k9]

Come on, people, this is ridiculous. If that is worth a $110 fine and twenty minutes of a police officer's time, then my tax money is being wasted.

[MOCOP]

Is it just me or is it that every time this type of thread is posted.

It's in an empty parking lot........hmmmmm

After it's snowed and iced.......hmmmmmm

The driver in question is always there for a valid reason.........hmmmmmmm

The tires always spin when he begins to drive away (at a safe speed)......hmmmmmm

The car always fish tails/spins/ swerves/ does a really gnarly Rockford.....hmmmmmmm

The driver always cops a cite from an officer who didn't see what actually happened ( I didn't see the cop until after I did that sweet J turn)
and doesn't give him a break because of conditions. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Perhaps this is just my nature and the fact that I question everything.

But it always reeks of....." :rolleyes: I was jackin around in a parking lot in the snow cause it's way cool. And that cop jacked me up. Help think of an excuse."

[timwdegner]

Lol, that pic with the guy trying to look cool with the POS Mustang could be pretty funny - if used appropriately. However, I'm serious, and you are an LEO, not a jester.

Innocent until proven guilty, Mocop. Questioning things comes with your job, but you are a LEO, not a judge - so your post is off topic. I don't care whether you all believe me. I posted to tell you all what happened and ask about court procedures and any guides I might find useful. This is not about defending your cop comrades - you don't know me OR them, but you do know that your job is service to citizens, and those citizens are innocent until proven guilty.

You have all taken an oath to uphold the law and the constitution of this country - but you are violating your own oaths by judging my case. To make things worse, I am finally beginning to see why it is that cops are so mistrusted and despised (consult http://cerns.emich.edu/papers/OATH%20&%20ETHICS.pdf, for example). I have met a lot of cool cops, but if you people (minus acreature, who has been fair) are representative of the law enforcement world, I understand why you are so hated. If you want citizens to listen to you, trust you, and be willing to fight crime with you, don't treat them like crap. Things like "grow a backbone" and "so what if the officer was wrong" are not going to make you any friends.

I'm ashamed that even LEOs don't have the integrity to live up to the badge once they get behind a computer screen. If you're gonna make an a** of yourself, don't identify yourself as LEOs first, unless you actually like the nickname "pig." You'll likely avoid some complaints that way too.

[MOCOP]

Innocent until proven guilty, Mocop. Questioning things comes with your job, but you are a LEO, not a judge - so your post is off topic. I don't care whether you all believe me. I posted to tell you all what happened and ask about court procedures and any guides I might find useful. This is not about defending your cop comrades - you don't know me OR them, but you do know that your job is service to citizens, and those citizens are innocent until proven guilty.

You have all taken an oath to uphold the law and the constitution of this country - but you are violating your own oaths by judging my case. To make things worse, I am finally beginning to see why it is that cops are so mistrusted and despised (consult http://cerns.emich.edu/papers/OATH%20&%20ETHICS.pdf, for example). I have met a lot of cool cops, but if you people (minus acreature, who has been fair) are representative of the law enforcement world, I understand why you are so hated. If you want citizens to listen to you, trust you, and be willing to fight crime with you, don't treat them like crap. Things like "grow a backbone" and "so what if the officer was wrong" are not going to make you any friends.

I'm ashamed that even LEOs don't have the integrity to live up to the badge once they get behind a computer screen. If you're gonna make an a** of yourself, don't identify yourself as LEOs first, unless you actually like the nickname "pig." You'll likely avoid some complaints that way too.

If ya don't like it here leave. If you wanna argue your innocence take it to court. If you only want answers you like don't come here.

I'm not violating anything by calling it as I see it so spare,me the lecture on what you percieve to be upholding my oath.

Ashamed of LEO's. Don't have the integrity to live up to my badge. Lemme tell ya something Skippy I pin my Badge on every day and make sure little complaining, mewling, whinning ingrates. As well as solid Citizens and scumbags are protected equally. The only people I'm worried about being ashamed of me as an LEO are my brother/Sister LEO's. Gettin the picture Scooter?

Pig thats orginal. :rolleyes: As far as the computer being a shield, yeah right .

[Ranger__101]

You could have received one of several tickets.

Unsafe driving for the conditions. All drivers must be in control of their vehicles at all times. I think you are very lucky that he gave you such a small ticket. You could have also been cited for having tires with out enough tread.

From what you have told me there really is no way the'll void the ticket in court. It really takes a lot of tromping on the gas to get a car to spin from a stop.

My suggestion to you is pay the fine and learn you lesson.