By Sue Doyle
The Los Angeles Daily News
LOS ANGELES — Your lead foot might get you pulled over by the police, but don’t let your big mouth make it worse.
That’s the advice from traffic cops who have heard every excuse - from PMS to “I’m from Texas.”
Most motorists clocked zooming down a city street 20 mph above the speed limit will get stopped, but not all will be ticketed.
You hold more power than you think, because it’s largely up to the officer’s discretion whether to write you up or let you go with a warning.
The way you handle yourself goes a long way, said Sgt. John Balian of the Glendale Police Department.
“The first thing out of your mouth should not be, ‘Why the hell did you pull me over?’ ” he said. “That’s not a good way to start the contact. For me, if you have someone who’s cooperative and understands and says they won’t do it again, you let them go with a warning.”
So what are some of those excuses — which, by the way, really didn’t help some motorists last year in Los Angeles County, where 1.79 million tickets were handed out.
One common reason women give is related to “that time of the month.”
No joke, according to the Los Angeles Police Department and other law enforcement agencies.
Other reasons include being late for work, school, airline flights and even funerals. Some say they didn’t realize they were speeding because their cars drive so smoothly.
Once, a speeding doctor told Balian he was responding to an emergency at the hospital. Dispatch called the hospital and found there was no such crisis. The doctor got a ticket.
Sometimes drivers from other states use their out-of-town residency as excuses.
After one Texan was stopped for blowing off a stop sign, he explained: “I’m from Texas.”
“People think that because they’re not from here, the laws are much different,” said Travis Irving, a spokesman for the Burbank Police Department.
“I think everywhere in the United States, you have to stop at a stop sign. But that’s what keeps the job interesting.”
MOTORIST’S PRIMER
Here are some tips from Los Angeles-area officers about what to do when you’re nabbed:
1. Pull over to the right as soon as it’s safe.
2. Turn down the radio and hang up your cell phone.
3. Keep your hands on the steering wheel.
4. Stay cool.
Copyright 2007 The Los Angeles Daily News