Stephen's Snippets

Hello All! Just a quick note - I started a new page that I'm calling "Stephen's Snippets". Kind of a silly name, but at least I can remember it. Head on over for useful/entertaining/time-wasting links.

That is all. Move along.

What to do if you get pulled over

I have been pulled over twice (now three times!) and gotten 2 tickets. Someone else I know (cough, cough) has been pulled over 11 times and gotten ONLY ONE ticket. Yes folks, only one. How you may ask? By following these guidelines:

1. Pull to a safe spot as quickly as possible—slowing down and using your turn signal will signal to the officer you see them and are looking for the safest place to pull over.

2. Place your driver’s license and registration on your dash or lap—if you have your driver’s license and registration ready before the officer has gotten to your window. If you are unable to get them before the officer gets out of his car, wait until he gets to the window and tell him where these items are located. Keeping them in an envelope for easy access would be best!

3. Place your hands on your steering wheel while the officer is walking up—there are no “routine traffic stops” and if the officer can see your hands while he walks up, he will know you aren’t reaching for anything (like a gun!) and he won’t reach for his.

4. If you are stopped at night, it is a good idea to turn on your interior lights.

5. Avoid any sudden movements

6. Be polite! I cannot underestimate this! None of us like being pulled over, but the nicer you can be the better. “Yes, sir”

7. Answer only the questions asked. You don’t need to elaborate, just answer clearly and briefly! Don’t talk unless responding to a question by an officer.

8. In my experience, crying doesn’t help! It may get you a lesser ticket, but it’s never gotten me a warning!

I got pulled over in a speed trap of a town coming back from the beach. The speed limit dropped from 55 to 35. Oops. Additionally, I couldn’t find my registration for the longest time. When I did, the following conversation ensued.

Officer: Did you know it is a misdemeanor in the state of North Carolina to not have your registration signed?

Me: Oh! I’ll sign it right now!

Officer: That would be considered a felony, ma’am. You are not Stephen.

Me: Doh!

AND I STILL WALKED AWAY WITH ONLY A WARNING! BOO-YAH!

Steve-O's Update

It's been awhile since I've written, so here's a few random tidbits of things I've found interesting lately.

- Google released a new browser, called Chrome.  I love it.  It is still in really early beta, but it has the potential to really modify the browser scene.  Check it out here.

- My NCAA Football allegiance is about to be tested!  BYU is 2-0, as is ECU.  Both BYU and ECU had some terrific wins this week.  This article kind of sums it up.  Check out #3 and #5 specifically. Since I started college at BYU, and will end up finishing at ECU, I think it'll be an interesting season!

- Hurricane season!  We had a 'close call' this weekend with Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hanna.  It turned out to be a non-event for us in Greenville, which kind of made me sad.  For me a big tropical storm or a hurricane is kind of a must-have experience while on the East Coast.  If anyone is interested this blog is really interesting, and always kept up to date on tropical weather happenings.

Not much else new for now.  Hope everyone is happy!