Can police just follow me?

[CaptaiN_JacK]

I have some law-related questions also:

1. My friends were sitting in their car in a parking lot. Some dude pulled in next to them. A couple of cop cars came in after the guy and stopped him from going anywhere. He was driving with a revoked license or something. Anyways, the cops asked my friends for their id's, insurance, etc, even though they had NOTHING to do with this guy. Even though nothing happened to my friends, considering all they were doing was sitting in a parking lot, did the cops have the right to question them and check their drivers license's out?

2. My friend dressed up as a ninja for ninja day at school. He put half a leg of a zipper pant (you know, the kind that unzips at the knees) over his head, unzipped it halfway, and tied the top with a shoestring. While he was at Taco Bell after school with some friends, wearing the said pant leg over his head, a cop came up and asked him for his drivers license. My friend asked "are you serious?" because he thought the cop was kidding. The cop said no, he wasn't kidding, and if my friend didn't want to give him id then he would have to go to the police station. My friend gave him the id, and since he wasnt doing anything wrong he didnt get in trouble. (i repeat, he wasnt acting goofy, being loud, anything of the sort. he was sitting there eating). the cop told him not to cover his head in public. Was he violating any laws by wearing a pant leg on his head with only his eyes showing, or did the cop just have terrorist phobia?

[PyRo]

This isn't France you can cover your head in public if you want. I'm pretty sure they can randomly ask for ID, inurance, and registation if they want. Maybie a similar car was just stolen, or used in a crime and they just wanted to check them out.

[dj89]

I have some law-related questions also:

1. My friends were sitting in their car in a parking lot. Some dude pulled in next to them. A couple of cop cars came in after the guy and stopped him from going anywhere. He was driving with a revoked license or something. Anyways, the cops asked my friends for their id's, insurance, etc, even though they had NOTHING to do with this guy. Even though nothing happened to my friends, considering all they were doing was sitting in a parking lot, did the cops have the right to question them and check their drivers license's out?

2. My friend dressed up as a ninja for ninja day at school. He put half a leg of a zipper pant (you know, the kind that unzips at the knees) over his head, unzipped it halfway, and tied the top with a shoestring. While he was at Taco Bell after school with some friends, wearing the said pant leg over his head, a cop came up and asked him for his drivers license. My friend asked "are you serious?" because he thought the cop was kidding. The cop said no, he wasn't kidding, and if my friend didn't want to give him id then he would have to go to the police station. My friend gave him the id, and since he wasnt doing anything wrong he didnt get in trouble. (i repeat, he wasnt acting goofy, being loud, anything of the sort. he was sitting there eating). the cop told him not to cover his head in public. Was he violating any laws by wearing a pant leg on his head with only his eyes showing, or did the cop just have terrorist phobia?

before or after 9/11?

[oldsoldier]

Yup, they can "just" follow you. They have to run a liscense plate every ten minutes, at least here in MA, to avoid their PCs in the cruiser from rebooting (which takes a VERY long time). So, they will just pull up behind someone randomly, run their plate, and, if nothing shows, move on.
Now, before you start screaming about rights, etc., be aware that you are operating on a PUBLIC motorway, and your liscense is in PLAIN VIEW, anyone can read it. And, cases have been fought, and lost, about "entrapment". Entrapment, in the law's eyes, in coercing someone who HAD NO INTENTION OF ORIGINALLY COMMITTING A CRIME into committing one. So, the burden lies on the defendant, that they wrent gonna commit a crime. Besides, if you're a law abiding citizen, what do you have to worry about, with them running plates?

[JimmyBeam]

I was out driving the other night and it was prolly 1:45 AM. I wasn't doing anything illegal, just coming home from my ex-girlfriends house. Well, this cop pulls up behind me and just starts following me. It wasn't like just happening to be on the same road or anything. He followed me for about 2 and a half miles, like I would turn right, he'd turn right. I wasn't trying to lose him or anything, just going home. Just wondering if they are allowed to follow me and wait for me to do something? Would it be considered harassment?
-Mark

tachnically no, but the avg guy on the street that late at night has been driinking......sucks but they play the numbers, and most of the time they're right.

thats why i keep gum, cigs, or something to mask the odor in my car, and just hope im not THAT drunk

[TMAXXKING1]

yank the e brake and wake him up

i had a freind with a 1991 camry with a rod nock ... he was driveing down the road for about 45 mins with a cop.. close enough to smeel what he had for lunch if he farted... was a little po'd the cop was on the bumper for such a long period of time gave him a brake check..
used the e brake ... so there was no taillights lit up.. bang 3800 in damage and a fat check in his hands a month later .... cops should think about who they decide to follow for no reasons at all...

[PyRo]

Your buddy got lucky, he could have ended up in a whole heap of trouble for that.

[Fixion]

Your buddy got lucky, he could have ended up in a whole heap of trouble for that.

Why? Say his buddy downshifted into 1st gear and dropped the clutch w/o matching the rev (naturally assuming a few things). That wouldn't show a break light and it would be perfectly legal. I've done it a few times, but not to cops.

[HoppysMag]

Why? Say his buddy downshifted into 1st gear and dropped the clutch w/o matching the rev (naturally assuming a few things). That wouldn't show a break light and it would be perfectly legal.

driving a standard your responsible for safe driving still. if you rol on a hill and hit some one, even if they are tailgating, its your fault.

[shartley]

Why? Say his buddy downshifted into 1st gear and dropped the clutch w/o matching the rev (naturally assuming a few things). That wouldn't show a break light and it would be perfectly legal. I've done it a few times, but not to cops.

This is not true. It is not legal.

[rkjunior303]

In Mass, they can pull you over for a 'safety check' so be glad he just followed you.

[PyRo]

What do you mean why, he intentionally caused an accident. If the officer was able to prove this he would be lucky to get off with reckless driving, charges could go as far as assault with a deadly weapon. Remember an officers testimony is worth more in court than a civilians, and more and more patrol cars are being equiped with cameras. If the camera showed a rapid deceleration with no brake lights for on aparent reason the driver is responsable even if the officer was tailgating. At worst if found to be tailgateing (doesn't matter still your friends fault) the officer would get yelled at by whoever is in charge of him and may be required to take an emergency vehicle operation course or somthing similar.
Actually in a situation where someone is rear ended I think the most common defenses are that one or more tailights were out (all of them probably have to be out before fault would be found on the foward car), or that the car rapidly decelerated with no brake lights (downshifting or emergency brake. Although either of those cases are hard to prove without witnesses or video.

[BlackVCG]

You should have stopped walking, let the cop pull up to you and then asked him if you could help him with anything.

He most likely would have said no or asked you what you were doing up so late and then it's up to you what you tell him. Either way he's not going to keep following you after that and you can get him off your tail and out finding someone that actually is drunk.

[logamus]

I have some law-related questions also:

1. My friends were sitting in their car in a parking lot. Some dude pulled in next to them. A couple of cop cars came in after the guy and stopped him from going anywhere. He was driving with a revoked license or something. Anyways, the cops asked my friends for their id's, insurance, etc, even though they had NOTHING to do with this guy. Even though nothing happened to my friends, considering all they were doing was sitting in a parking lot, did the cops have the right to question them and check their drivers license's out?

2. My friend dressed up as a ninja for ninja day at school. He put half a leg of a zipper pant (you know, the kind that unzips at the knees) over his head, unzipped it halfway, and tied the top with a shoestring. While he was at Taco Bell after school with some friends, wearing the said pant leg over his head, a cop came up and asked him for his drivers license. My friend asked "are you serious?" because he thought the cop was kidding. The cop said no, he wasn't kidding, and if my friend didn't want to give him id then he would have to go to the police station. My friend gave him the id, and since he wasnt doing anything wrong he didnt get in trouble. (i repeat, he wasnt acting goofy, being loud, anything of the sort. he was sitting there eating). the cop told him not to cover his head in public. Was he violating any laws by wearing a pant leg on his head with only his eyes showing, or did the cop just have terrorist phobia?

the police can ask you for your id pretty much anytime they want to, espically if you are in a car. driving is a privlage not a right and part of that privlage is that the popo can check your id any time they want to, espically late at night in a parking lot. dont make a big deal about it and they wont either. remember, when your a punk kid the purpose of a cops life is to give you hell so just accept it and move on. and yes, anyone wearing a zipped off pant leg on their head is a punk kid.

[RiddalinJunkie08]

In Mass, they can pull you over for a 'safety check' so be glad he just followed you.

I wasn't doing anything illegal and had nothing to hide. I would have been a little annoyed that he pulled me over for a "safety check".
-Mark