Have any of you guys been racially profiled by the police?

[Bosnian Sajo]

The first time I was pulled over, I had my hair cornrowed. It was between 1 and 2am, so I'm thinking all the cop could see was my silhouette. I was let off with a warning, probably after the cop saw I was a white guy.

White guy wth cornrows

[Just2McFly]

White guy wth cornrows

there was a poster here with them, it looked alright to me but he was a ginger

[highwhey]

Not racially, but when I used to skateboard I would get pulle dover all the time on the way home from the skatepark. They pulled me over for making a "wide u-turn", my tags insurance and everything was good, and the cop told me my eyes were bloodshot and what I was doing. I told him I was skateboarding for at least 4 hours, fell pretty hard a few times and I was wore out. He ended up searching my car, his back up came, put me in handcuffs and made me sit on the curb. After finding absolutely nothing (hence the reason I allowed them to search it) they gave me some speech and tried to scare me thinking I was high or on drugs, then let me go. I swear cops fvcking hate skateboarders, they used to harass the shit out of me

I think a lot of these cops get very minimal training in observing intoxication through a person's eyes. Never mind that there would be more obvious signs especially if they ask you to get out if the car but I've been told a couple times that my eyes didn't check out.

"Are you high?" Has to be my favorite, completely sober on my way home from church and yes I was in a suit.

Anyway, I can honestly say I've been pulled over once or twice due to my race. They give the typical bs excuse when they see I'm clean. I've gotten pulled over maybe 6-7 times though.

My brother is the best bs' er I know though. He was pulled over because they said he had an unpaid ticket (from another city). He had payed the ticket and even had a letter from the court house clearing him but the cops computer didn't show that so he asked my brother to step out of the car and a tow truck would come to impound it. My brother refused and 2 cops forced him out, it was a couple mins of struggle too but dude is strong and he just held tight to the steering wheel. Anyway, the guy is sitting in handcuffs in a cop car and after a few mins he talks his way out of everything.

[outbreak]

I don't think it's always "racial" profiling, it's usually more to do with just profiling in general. I used to get stopped all the time by police when I skated or when I hung around in punk gear, would always walk past everyone else at a train station and stop to check our tickets and try to search our bags.

[ihoopallday]

Got pulled over 5 minutes after picking up a few friends to go fishing. Cops said I didn't signal early enough before turning. He really just wanted to search the car and everyone in it. One of the people I was with had a couple possession charges against him and the cops had really been watching him. I've always told my friends to NEVER carry drugs if their in my car so I had no problem letting them search. Only time I've ever been pulled over.

[PHX_Phan]

Used to a lot when I was younger and lived in Gilbert and Mesa. Probably because a Mexican last name sticks out more in a white mormon suburb.

Never been pulled over anywhere else in Phoenix.

[BasedTom]

Again, I really don't blame them. Most of the cops that do it to me are pathetic, short, and swarthy so it probably makes their day to go up to some random white guy and bother him for no reason. The assholes think they're John Wayne, yet they only ever seem to be giving tickets and harassing skateboarders while being nowhere to be found when the real shit happens.

My trick is to ask them "Officer, am I being detained?" If they say "Yes" then I ask for an explanation and if they say no, then I tell them that I'm leaving if that's the case.

[ALBballer]

Well I condone profiling to some degree. For example, if you are on a TSA line and you see a multi-millionaire celebrity, I think chances are he isn't a terrorist and there is no need to check him.

Cops profile the way a person drives, is it unfair they pull over the guy that is swerving compared to the guy that is driving straight at 3 am at night?

I have been pulled over a few times. One time there was a story about some kids stealing christmas trees and the car i was driving had some strings hanging out of the back. So they saw me a white teen and the strings, and probably thought I was a good candidate because I guess white kids do stupid shit like that. Obviously it wasn't me.

Racial profiling should be used to some degree but not necessarily at these random stops.

[outbreak]

Well I condone profiling to some degree. For example, if you are on a TSA line and you see a multi-millionaire celebrity, I think chances are he isn't a terrorist and there is no need to check him.

Cops profile the way a person drives, is it unfair they pull over the guy that is swerving compared to the guy that is driving straight at 3 am at night?

I have been pulled over a few times. One time there was a story about some kids stealing christmas trees and the car i was driving had some strings hanging out of the back. So they saw me a white teen and the strings, and probably thought I was a good candidate because I guess white kids do stupid shit like that. Obviously it wasn't me.

Racial profiling should be used to some degree but not necessarily at these random stops.

There's an issue with racial profiling but to some degree it has to happen I guess. I can't really complain about when me and my friends where profiled based on how we looked because we looked like the kind of people who would have been causing problems and on more than one occasion we were. If you were just hanging around in a 5 grand suit chances are the cops wouldn't approach you because in all likely hood they haven't had any calls about someone dressed like that and in the past they haven't arrested anyone who is dressed like that.

[Cactus-Sack]

Yes, and it sickens me. Cops are always stopping me and asking "How are you" and making other polite chit-chat... and all because I'm white.

[Myth]

i dont believe this

Better yet, I once had my hair cornrowed while dyed pink. I had long hair and my coach gave me crap about my hair causing drag. I pony tailed it and my coach gave me crap about that. So the next week I cornrowed it. I was joking with a bunch of the black sprinters from other colleges and they told me that they were making me an honorary member of the black community. That was the same night I got pulled over for the first time. I think my hair was cornrowed 3 times. Twice for track meets, and once for a Halloween costume (I was Flavor Flav).

[Myth]

White guy wth cornrows

Don't worry, I didn't wear them because I thought they looked good. I wore them knowing that they looked ridiculous on me.

[TheMan]

They probably wanted to book you Deuce but were confused as to which jail to take you to...

anyway, females do have it the easiest when it comes to police issues...

[J.101]

Yep got pulled over driving my brothers new bmw. Cop was going the other way past me did a 180 ran traffic light in heavy traffic sirens on/lights the whole show nearly causing an accident.

I go to get out of the way coz some srs shit must be going down only for him to pull in behind me. First question before asking for license/registration "Who's car is this?" just because I was a younger black guy driving a "newish" bmw I nearly lost it, Luckily my friend was able to get me to chill out.