evolusion

iTrader: (7)

I see that you just got your Evo recently written on the info tab. My guess is that you probably think it's the racial aspect that gives you hard time rather than the cars appearance. Iam sure you agree with me because you have driven many other sports compact too right? well, I've been pulled over 4times in 5month after I got my evo and I've only been pulled over only once or twice driving other sports compacts that attracts attention like a "RED VR4." I've had many others but nothing attracts more coppers than this EVO did. However, I certainly do not narrow it down to one aspect of being a minority or a car itself. It can all addup driving a car with ridiculous size wing, town infested with coppers and so on... although I cleared up most of those citations through tbd/court.


This problem your having can also have so much more unknown variables...
And yes, your environment and media doesn't make it any better.

Drive safe and I feel ya!

rogue

iTrader: (34)

I think it is a combination of factors for example:

the cars I have been pulled over the most in were:

330ci, Integra GSR and Mercedes Benz 190E - in these cases I know it was because I was black. I got pulled over in snooty rich areas in MD and VA and i also got pulled over in bad areas of DC in my BMW (While wearing a suit late after a long night of work). In these instances I never got a ticket, but I would get questions like "why are you here", "who do you know", "what is your business being here", "if you really work here let me see your ID", "is this your car", "is this car stolen"...etc etc... I have even been pulled over for having my EZpass on my windshield even though this is where the state requires you to put it).

I have never been pulled over in my EVO, I have had cops look at me funny and what not, but I try to look and dress professional and I try not to give a the police any reason to pull me over.

I know I have been racially profiled, but I also know that the police use common trends to make there decisions. For example, whenever there is a bunch of imports someone has to do a stupid burnout, or crash or rev thier engine. However, not all police like mustangs, hell most of them are pretty young now and are into the sport compact scene.

Regardless we all need to drive better, try and follow the rules and give them no reason to pull us over.

I am black (brown in my eyes, lol), so I have to be a little more careful in certain areas that i drive, that is a fact of life (most minorities know this). But like someone said, unless you have experienced racial profiling you will never know. In saying that, i would never pull the race card, even if I knew it was the case, I would rather make a case of police incompetence that would hold up in court.

Lancer7

iTrader: (2)

When I first started driving, I had a junker 85 Buick Riviera. I was waiting for my friend outside his house in a rich neighborhood and cop pulled up and stopped behind me with his lights on. He asked what I was doing there and said I didn't belong there. I didn't get a ticket then, but he told me if he saw my car in the area again he would give me a ticket for anything he could think of.

Lancer7

iTrader: (2)

I also remember having a cop as a guest speaker for a class in high school. We asked if they ever did any profiling. He said of course! If there's a white guy driving a nice car through a run down predominately black neighborhood, he's going to get pulled over because he looks like a drug dealer. There's a book this thick |-------------------------------------------------| (size may vary depending on resolution settings) filled with excuses to pull you over. If a cop wants to pull you over, they can.

X350ZOwner

iTrader: (5)

I've gotten followed by 3 different cops on the same night, while driving to my house. It was only a 5 mile drive!!!

Granted it was 3am in the morning on a saturday in Las Vegas. But when I had my Z with Flashy Bronze and staggard wheels. . . I rarely EVER got followed.

I dont' think it's cause your black. I think its the car.

PANGES

iTrader: (6)

I always get pulled over for modified exhaust. Then I get pulled over for no plates (still have dealer plates on). Every single time I get pulled over, I get my hood popped. Everything under the hood looks stock though, so i always just get a ticket for exhaust. (Tanabe Touring Medallion painted black). Shrugs. Guess the tip is just a tad bit too big even tho it looks stock.

High_PSI

iTrader: (50)

....."Excuse me sir....Do you know how Black you were driving?"...

Evo2k6Lee

OMG!

7State

iTrader: (21)

Black Too man. Had my 8 for less than a week and got pulled over 7 times. Even got a ticket. FOR THE STOCK DAMN WING. Judge threw it out but still. Ridiculous.

TURBevO8

iTrader: (25)

I remember one time we all got pulled over, there were 4 of us in the car. Tinted windows, spoiler, rims, body kit, lowered, and of course red. We were in my freind's focus show car and the cops wouldnt even tell us why we got pulled over at first. By the time it was all said and done we sat there for almost 2 hours until some old lady came to ID the car. They even made us get out of the car and put our hands on the roof and all that BS. When she got there they said a "red car" was involved in a hit and run a few towns away and they had to wait for her to get ready and then drive there to ID the car. It was total BS. But then we were a bunch of young males with baggy pants in a sport compact car. We were all white. I am not saying racial profiling doesnt happen, but people look at you any time you are different than them. I think white boys with mohawks and nose rings get just as many looks at the mall as black kids with corn rows and baggy pants. Maybe I am getting off topic but the racial tension in this country just frustrates me. Why can't we all just be Americans???

7State

iTrader: (21)

^Agree
THATS WHAT IM TALKIN BOUT. Bout time someone said it. And yea I have white friends who are kinda punker-ish. They get looked at harder than me when we go out sometimes.

TURBevO8

iTrader: (25)

I dont want to get all political here but sometimes this stuff frustrates me. I do have strong oppinions on this issue as with many others but a car forum is probably not the place to discuss it.

7State

iTrader: (21)

I know what you mean. I just like the last thing u said. We should all just be americans. One of the reasons I wasnt that upset when I let my 8 go was because of the wrong attention it got. (main reason was kid). BTW. If u like ur evo. Dont have kids. But I agree. Its frustrating. It may not be a racial profile thing but if it isnt that means it is a Car profile thing. Which still is ridiculous if you arent doing anything wrong.

MAS2377TECH

YEp. People are people to me no matter what kind of car they drive. It's the people who can't drive that's behind a wheel that gets to me.

WhiteEvo9

iTrader: (3)

I am a police officer and I drive an Evo 9, kind of ironic. I love import cars, but I do have a job to do. I try to stay away from import cars, but sometimes the drivers do such stupid things that I HAVE to pull them over. My advice to everyone who owns an import are some of the things others have already suggested. Evo insurance is expensive enough, so I recommend that you do the speed limit, that should severely limit speeding tickets. Also:

1. Dont carry drugs or contraband in the car.
2. Have all paper work/insurance/tags/license etc. up to date.
3. Keep an eye on your headlights and tailights, this is an easy stop for police.
4. Don't do anything that draws more attention to you then that wing already does......weaving through traffic, extra loud exhausts, stupid neon lights, stickers..etc.
5. If you hang around the street races....expect to be stopped.
6. Window tint is bad. It makes your vehicle look shady.

Most of the police I know are too busy to really worry about you unless you are really doing something stupid. I work in a big city where armed robberies are a constant and people are doing serious things.....most of us could care less about your muffler. I find that most of the guys I know are good people and not dicks...but there are the exceptions. I don't stop cars to give them a ticket unless you are doing something out of the ordinary.....however I do use the little tiny things on cars to stop them if I think they are up to something else. Most of us are not against you, and most don't care about street racers....but when we get a call, show up, and then people act like dicks.......we do to, and we get the final word. If you get pulled over, just be nice, and you have a much better chance of not getting a ticket.....then again, don't complain if the officer has a legitimate excuse, it's his job.