Q: When an officer pulls you over and you cry like a baby, how likely is that to get you out of the ticket? And what is the most outlandish way you’ve heard of someone trying to get out of a ticket?
A: If stopped by an officer, first and foremost, follow all of her or his directions. Now with that said, when pulled over and you are trying to explain your side of the story, crying is definitely an approach. Will it work? I guess it depends why you’re crying. Is it because you just received some terrible news or is it being used to manipulate the situation? I can tell you most officers can tell the difference; and once again, here is where discretion comes in. It will be up to the officer to decide. If you’re scared or nervous, explain that to the officer. You might discover we are very understanding and we may decide just stopping you was education enough.
As for the silliest situation I’ve experienced with someone trying to “get out” of a ticket; I guess it was a man in Chicago who was stopped for driving through a stop sign. He constantly referred to me as “baby” and “honey;” besides proposing marriage to me on the spot multiple times. Needless to say, I didn’t marry him; and yup, he got a ticket with a smile. Flattery won’t get you everything. A piece of advice, never call a female officer “baby” or “honey.” We like “officer” the best.
