VEIL Guy,
Everything you said is right on, I agree with every word of it and I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to start any sort of an argument. However.............
I sure wish there were a nice, polite, non confrontational way of knowing for sure if the nice man was going to write a ticket or not. I really don't want to spend 15 - 20 minutes listening to a safety lecture and chit chatting about whatever he happens to be interested in AND getting a ticket too. I'd prefer to chit chat of course, but I don't want to get poked with both ends of a dirty stick.
It's my experience that the policeman pretty much knows when he gets out of his patrol car if he's going to write a ticket or not. The victim can talk his way into a ticket by being a jerk, but it's next to impossible to talk your way out of a ticket that the officer plans to issue.
Understanding the local laws and asking for a reduced offense citation is a new and appealing idea. Reducing the stress of the situation in any way possible seems to be just common courtesy and a good idea no matter what the expected outcome of the traffic stop might be. And who knows, it might save you from getting a flashlight bruise on the side of your head.
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Ray
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