I Swear Officer, "i Did Not Steal This Smart!"

[rrrucke 0]

Instead of posting to my Smart Life, I had to know "Am I the only one!"

Disclaimer: Strong language contained in this story...reader beware.

It started on a cold and pre-storm night this past Thursday. I knew I had to purchase a long armed snow scraper so I took myself to Staples (an office supply chain place) which always has a display of winter car accessories. Right before I was about to exit the highway, I drive right past a cop who is facing the highway from the Duncan Donuts Shop (no joke). Anyway, I check my speed and I'm doing about 50-55 mph and then I check my rear mirror. I'm not alone on the highway because it's around 7:15 pm but the cop swoops out and begins to follow me for about 100 feet then I exit the highway. All along I'm praying, "Not me Lord, please not me!" But off the highway we go. Then we go over the overpass, then the cop takes the next right just like I did and he even takes the next left just after me into the Staples' parking lot. I'm thinking "Are you serious!" But I park anyway since he didn't set off his siren or turn on his lights. While opening my car door, the cop pulls behind me in a perpendicular fashion to block me from backing up. WTF?? This doesn't make sense so I think, he just wants to look at the car. Stupid me.

The cop jumps out the car with his hand on his gun and says in a stern voice, "Where did you get this car? Where did you get those plates?" And I said, "From the dealership! What's wrong?" He then loosens up a bit (but he still sounds like the dead pan voice and demeanor of the actor who played the 2nd Terminator). He says, "That sure is a cool looking car but it doesn't come up on my computer when I run the tags. Please hand over your registration and drivers license." I immediately think this guy is lying and he just wants an excuse to pull me over to check out the car. But then he says, "Your insurance card doesn't match this car. This isn't an Acura?" Then I realize, I put the wrong insurance card in this car. Damn!!! I try explaining and then he says, "Technically, I could give you a ticket for not having a proper insurance card but I'm not going to harass you." [in the back of my head I'm thinking, "But you are harassing me Asshole!"] Then he says, "Where did you get this registration card from?" Like a broken record I said, "From the dealership!" He then made some comments like the registration looked fake because it was off centered, it had poor copy quality and so on. I'm like, "Dude, I didn't steal this car! I got everything from the dealership!" He then told me to have my documents checked out by the DMV and then he left. That whole situation was creepy and weird. I really thought he was lying so I chaulked it up to another smart adventure.

Then on Sunday afternoon, as I am about to turn right into my housing development, I see a police SUV cruiser stopped at the light but facing in the direction I just came from. As I turned into the complex and went around the bend, I see a minute later the cop coming up behind me. Now there are at least 5 turns before I get to my townhouse and this cop follows me the entire way. OK...I'm thinking once again, "WTF!" When I get to my garage, I hit the button and pull a move to back in and the cop pulls in front of my car in a perpendicular fashion. Am I in the Twilight Zone or have I been Punked?? As I look in the cop's eyes, he gives me the come hither finger. So I again, exit my vehicle and what does he say, "Your tags don't come up on my computer. Where did you get this car? Where did you get those plates?" I said, "Are you kidding?" The cop said, "Well I see you are home so I'm not going to make it a big deal but your plates aren't registered." So I offer him my registration, drivers license but not the insurance card.

This second cop and I have pretty much the same kind of conversation but he was smiling the whole time and I'm pretty sure he never reached for his gun unlike cop #1. (Ok, it was a sunny day on Sunday and I look pretty harmless to cop #2 but of course, somehow I looked pretty menacing in my neighborhood shopping mall on Thursday evening if you asked cop #1)

Anyway, I suggested to cop #2 that he run my VIN# and he did but it didn't come up. We both are like WTF that's pretty weird. Cop# 2 told me to be sure to contact the dealership because maybe there's a typo on my paperwork or maybe the DMV is just slow to upload my car information. Now mind you, tomorrow makes it three weeks of ownership and I find all of this to be hilarious. Because how do you issue plates without putting the information into the system and how do you issue a vehicle registration card without putting the information in the computer?

Thankfully both cops thought the car was cool so I got a pass! But now, my smartie is flagged as an illegal renagade or something until I can get all this titling and registration stuff sorted out! Have any other 451 owners been stopped by the cops or am I just the fan favorite?

Thanks,

Regina

Edited February 25, 2008 by rrrucke

[Tom P. 0]

I always thought that you were a scoff-law or renegade from justice but dismissed these as just my imagination running wild. Now we know for sure!

[Commander Cody 1]

I'll betcha we will hear more of this going on. It's not in the computer...can't find it....it must be stolen....you're under arrest!

[Guest kwaldron]

I'd get that checked pretty quick. Sounds like the cops in your area have the new cameras that scan every car license plate that passes them and checks the registration and outstanding warrants. If so, just about every cop you pass is going to have your car pop up as a potential bust for them.I saw an article on this how they can drive down a line of parked cars and check every one out almost instantly.

[a2jack 1]

Regina.We know the feeling. Long ago, but not so far away, We came to the mid-west with our prized Micro-Bus. California tags and all. We were pulled over often and even searched. The reason they gave then, as now, tags. Or the other trick a "flickering" tail light, Yet my hair wasn't that much longer than the Beetles. Some things never change in the world of oink. A2Jack.

Edited February 25, 2008 by a2jack

[rrrucke 0]

I just got off the phone with Danny Wong at Edison. He was shocked but promised to get right on this issue. Thank GOD!!

[Duck 16]

What an awful feeling Your heart just sinks whenever you get pulled over for stuff like this. Something similar happened to me once in my Tercel - they pulled me over thinking I'd stolen it and gave me a hard time. I've been pulled over a few times in the smart but it's mostly friendly stuff (incl. last night... heh) but yeah to have the same thing happen to you two days in a row is creepy and uncomfortable. Hopefully, they will get your stuff fixed up so every time you pass a cop they won't give you trouble!!Gun thing is freaky too - in Canada, they'll only approach with their hand on their gun (if they have one) if they can't see your hands aren't somewhere that they can see them (to be safe - makes sense).-Iain

[rrrucke 0]

OK...Danny just called me back. Here's the story:When I got the car, Edison put my vanity plates on the car and a temp registration in the window.Two days later, Danny called me back and said I can't have my vanity plates on the car because they are still registered to the Acura. So back to the dealership for them to remove the vanities.Next day, Edison called to say my regular plates were ready along with my registration card. Off to the dealership to get the plates and card.Now today, Danny said the reason why the regular plates didn't come up is because the vanity plates are now registered to the smart. So back I must go to the dealership to switch them out. But now I have to re-register the Acura. What a roller coaster!!

Edited February 25, 2008 by rrrucke

[RichHelms 1]

I bought a brand new pickup truck many years ago when I moved to my farm. The dealer made a mistake in the registration. When I noticed it the dealer said to just go down to the DMV and they will fix it. RIGHT!!!!!!Many hours later at the DMV it was finally fixed but what a nightmare. Moral of the story - get the dealer to fix it. It was their mistake.

[42Kruiser 0]

I'm like, "Dude, I didn't steal this car!

It was not long ago I read a post about a certain member obtaining a "free smart" Good to see that they are keeping an eye on your car for you.

[bilgladstone 13]

Pretty scary there, Regina! Always keep your hands where they can see 'em.Since we're sharing tales...I got stopped last week at a roadside check point. Very nice Mountie told me my car was not street legal because of my window tints and if I ever got in an accident my insurance company wouldn't cover me and whether the accident was my fault or not, the "other guy's" lawyer would take everything I own!Then we both smiled and off we went, he back to his vehicle, and I to the highway for my trip home to Kelowna, where every other car in town has illegal tints too because of the hot and sunny summers.Bil ... <--- hence, my sig icon

[deezle 0]

Bil: At least he didn't shoot you at the checkpoint because he couldn't see your hands through the tinted glass!

[SmartieParts 12]

I think the guns up here look real, but they shoot beer. Yeah, it sucks having sunny weather all the time. Not sure why I ever moved here. - Steven

[B Tisshaw 0]

Regina...I can't fathom why you didn't try to outrun both of the men in blue, and then blend into the traffic like nothing was up.Oh wait, you need a silver Corolla or Malibu to do that, forget I mentioned anything.

[SmartieParts 12]

Or just ducked into the garage and swapped the panels and rolled back out cool as a cucumber. Grand Theft Auto 4 is going to have that feature I hear

[ve9aa 0]

OUCH!I've been pulled over at a checkstop before and the nice officer questioned me about the steering wheel being on the wrong side of the car (it's a right hand drive Mini from the UK). "...but officer, it's on the the RIGHT side of the vehicle..." (LOL)Try 'Splainin' that one some time.....LOL!!I do feel for you though.....but I find most of the time the men in uniform just wanna check out your car. If you're nice and give them a few minutes of your time w/o being defensive, usually it's a very nice (if inconvenient) visit on the side of the road.

[Gent 1]

I still get Customs guys chatting to me about the car for 5+ minutes everytime I cross to the States.

[Nextourer 1]

wow, what a story!Cop #1 with the gun was pretty freaky. I'd freak out if a gun was pointed at me for no reason. Up here, guns aren't drawn unless it's a last resort.Thankfully everything's sorted out!

[Speedie 4]

Most place in the States the police are pretty paranoid about traffic stops - with good reason - their are a whole lot of them that get shot each year. The drill most places is to keep your hands on the top of the steering wheel in plain sight and follow instructions to a tee.Police usually latch on to anything out of the normal - and a smart in NJ is probably an alarm bell. Heck they would probably check it out even if it was parked. I drove all the way from Victoria to Thunder Bay on expired tags in the Jeep (long story - it was a pretty stressful period) - didn't even get eyeballed. The old dodge I had could cruise by at 90mph and the wouldn't even look up from the donuts.Same deal with sports cars or sporty looking cars - always good to get one of those in front of you when cruising - to draw the heat Cheers,Cameron

[rrrucke 0]

Well I really don't trust traffic cops due to lots of reasons that involve profiling but in the case, I knew it was about the smart so I was very cordial and smiling a lot. I hope to get everything resolved today at the DMV which gave me an excuse to drive the smartie into the city this morning. It was a nice drive this morning (70mph) and I know I'll hit a 1,000 miles by Saturday. YIPPEE!!

[RichHelms 1]

On a trip driving back from Florida to Toronto in my smart, I was followed into a gas station twice by police. Both times they just wanted to see the car and ask me some questions. Never asked for ID or anything. They had just never seen a smart car

[Guest kwaldron]

I love how the smart gets me through the border. 5 minutes of questions on the car, 10 seconds about who we are and where we are going.

[MikeT 744]

Try it next time with an Osama shirt on

[rawlus 0]

i was a cop for 20 years, if i ran a plate and it came back stolen or an obvious mismatch to the vehicle it was on, then that "traffic stop" has automatically been elevated to a "felony stop" and necessary precautions must be taken if you want to go home at the end of the shift to see your family. while it may be stressful for the "innocent" driver, MOST stolen cars stopped do not contain innocent drivers. most contain rather hardened criminals with weapons who won't hesitate to use any advantage or opportunity that may present itself to get away from the cops. having the gun at the ready is nothing personal and shouldn't be taken that way, it's self-preservation and training that causes the cop to move into that mode with any stolen vehicle.

[rrrucke 0]

Rawlus, I hear ya and accept the explanation but not all people who look like me are criminals. I'm just a happy smart owner!