ageism, discrimination?

[timmah]

Ohio

Allow me to start of by saying I have the utmost respect for Police Officers. I am not in any way trying to offend anyone here and anyone's help is greatly appreciated.

I got pulled over and was issued a ticket for speeding a few weeks ago. I feel that the only reason I was pulled over was because I had 4 people in the car and it was around Mightnight. Cops in my area are KNOWN for pulling people over at night just for having multiple passengers late at night. Here is where i feel that i was violated. When the officer came up to my car he told me that my car smelled like Marijuana. I was SHOCKED, i have NEVER smoked in my car and the only friend I have that smokes ciggarettes didnt even have a ciggarette that day.(I know this because I dislike the smell so it is something i would notice, I have smelt marijuana before and it has a distinct smell to it so I would also know the difference.).At the time i was offended that he would say such a thing to me. I protested to the officer telling him that it was physicaly impossible for him to smell marijuana coming from my car. I told the officer that no one has EVER smoked in my car or smoke even a ciggarette today. He asked me for my License and Insurance and walked back to his car. 30-35 Minutes later he brings me a ticket for speeding back.

I looked up information regarding discrimination and found this from Wikipedia.

Discrimination.... "is to make a distinction between people on the basis of class or category without regard to individual merit. Examples include racial, religious, sexual, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic, height-related, and age-related discrimination"

More specificaly age discrimination, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination#Age_discrimination

I feel that the officer should not have made his comment about my car smelling like Marijuana it was VERY VERY unfair of him to say such a thing since there was 4 kids in the car. If it would have just been me alone I am convinced he would not have said that. I feel he said it because i had 4 people in the car is what im trying to get at.

I asked my lawer friend and he was unsure but he thought it was discrimination on the officer's part. Could someone please clear things up for me I just feel offended by the way i was treated and would like some advice.

 

[Cally O]

Sterotyped

You sound as if you encountered some bias behavior and the officer may have dealt with two or three vehicles earlier in the evening that indeed where smoking pot. That is no reason to fish or try to see what your reaction was etc... You can call the station and speak to his superior and inform him you have the utmost respect for Law enforvement but in dealing with this officer you felt as if you were treated disrespectfully.Maybe he can use some help with counseling or training. He more than likly had a fifficult night and took it out on you it sounds like.

Best Regards
Cally

 

[timmah]

You sound as if you encountered some bias behavior and the officer may have dealt with two or three vehicles earlier in the evening that indeed where smoking pot. That is no reason to fish or try to see what your reaction was etc... You can call the station and speak to his superior and inform him you have the utmost respect for Law enforvement but in dealing with this officer you felt as if you were treated disrespectfully.Maybe he can use some help with counseling or training. He more than likly had a fifficult night and took it out on you it sounds like.

Best Regards
Cally

thanks for the help man, I just recieved a lot of "crap" you could say from the cop and felt that the officer should not be able to just assume i was smoking pot because i had a couple of friends in the car and feel that it was unlawful to pull me over for having them in the car and then giving me a speeding ticket because he cant nail me for a dui or marijuana...

 

[Ohiogal]

You sound as if you encountered some bias behavior and the officer may have dealt with two or three vehicles earlier in the evening that indeed where smoking pot. That is no reason to fish or try to see what your reaction was etc... You can call the station and speak to his superior and inform him you have the utmost respect for Law enforvement but in dealing with this officer you felt as if you were treated disrespectfully.Maybe he can use some help with counseling or training. He more than likly had a fifficult night and took it out on you it sounds like.

Best Regards
Cally

And you can be totally off the mark. Read what the OP said again.

 

[Ohiogal]

Ohio

Allow me to start of by saying I have the utmost respect for Police Officers. I am not in any way trying to offend anyone here and anyone's help is greatly appreciated.

I got pulled over and was issued a ticket for speeding a few weeks ago.

Then there was reason you were pulled over. Speeding. Were you speeding? Yes or no? Even one mile over the speed limit is against the law. And in some areas they will pull you for that. And you can receive a ticket for it.

I feel that the only reason I was pulled over was because I had 4 people in the car and it was around Mightnight.

How old are you? Some areas have curfews.

Cops in my area are KNOWN for pulling people over at night just for having multiple passengers late at night. Here is where i feel that i was violated. When the officer came up to my car he told me that my car smelled like Marijuana. I was SHOCKED, i have NEVER smoked in my car and the only friend I have that smokes ciggarettes didnt even have a ciggarette that day.

Here is where you start to have a problem. You have NEVER smoked in your car -- which leads me to believe that you have smoked and do smoke marijuana. Which means your clothes, hair and belongings may smell like marijuana. And if your friends smoke, same to them. Had you been smoking in the last couple days?

(I know this because I dislike the smell so it is something i would notice, I have smelt marijuana before and it has a distinct smell to it so I would also know the difference.).

Again, do you smoke marijuana?


At the time i was offended that he would say such a thing to me. I protested to the officer telling him that it was physicaly impossible for him to smell marijuana coming from my car.

Are you positive about that?

I told the officer that no one has EVER smoked in my car or smoke even a ciggarette today.


Again you were specific about IN YOUR CAR. Which leads me -- and probably any intelligent individual -- that by excluding your car you have smoked it elsewhere.

He asked me for my License and Insurance and walked back to his car. 30-35 Minutes later he brings me a ticket for speeding back.

I looked up information regarding discrimination and found this from Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is NOT the best place to determine what anything is. It is compiled based on what people add to it. Age discrimination laws apply to those over the age of 40. How old are you again?
Discrimination.... "is to make a distinction between people on the basis of class or category without regard to individual merit. Examples include racial, religious, sexual, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic, height-related, and age-related discrimination"

More specificaly age discrimination, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination#Age_discrimination

I feel that the officer should not have made his comment about my car smelling like Marijuana it was VERY VERY unfair of him to say such a thing since there was 4 kids in the car. If it would have just been me alone I am convinced he would not have said that. I feel he said it because i had 4 people in the car is what im trying to get at.


PROVE IT! It sounds to me like he had probable cause to stop you. He had probable cause to question you.


I asked my lawer friend and he was unsure but he thought it was discrimination on the officer's part. Could someone please clear things up for me I just feel offended by the way i was treated and would like some advice.

he was unsure? I see nothing discriminatory about this.

 

[timmah]

he was unsure? I see nothing discriminatory about this.

but he said he smelled Marijuana, he didnt tell me that he thinks he smells marijuana.

 

[BelizeBreeze]

but he said he smelled Marijuana, he didnt tell me that he thinks he smells marijuana.

SO????????????

 

[timmah]

SO????????????

it wasnt a question of whether or not he was sure or unsure, he told me he smelled marijuana and it was impossible for him to have smelled marijuana, i felt he was trying to nail me for something i wasnt doing.

 

[CdwJava]

I got pulled over and was issued a ticket for speeding a few weeks ago. I feel that the only reason I was pulled over was because I had 4 people in the car and it was around Mightnight.

What you "feel" the reason was, and what the REAL stated reason was, are two different issues. I doubt the officer told you he pulled you over because there were four of you in the car. Keep in mind that the USSC has stated that the underlying reason for a stop is not generally important (unless it is for an unlawful prupose) as long as the reasonable suspicion exists to justify the detention.

Cops in my area are KNOWN for pulling people over at night just for having multiple passengers late at night.

"Known" to do this? By whom? And how?

Statistically, the number of impaired drivers goes up a lot after 10 PM, and since calls for service go down at about that time, officers tend to have a lot more dicretionary time to conduct stops. Ergo, they stop more cars.

Here is where i feel that i was violated. When the officer came up to my car he told me that my car smelled like Marijuana.

Since he didn't toss you out of the car and do anything about his observation, this is a moot point.

He asked me for my License and Insurance and walked back to his car. 30-35 Minutes later he brings me a ticket for speeding back.

There's the reasonable suspicion for the stop - speeding.

I looked up information regarding discrimination and found this from Wikipedia.

Discrimination.... "is to make a distinction between people on the basis of class or category without regard to individual merit. Examples include racial, religious, sexual, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic, height-related, and age-related discrimination"

Most discrimination is perfectly legal. More importantly, unless he issued you a speeding citation solely because you were a member of a protected class, there is no issue here.

I feel that the officer should not have made his comment about my car smelling like Marijuana it was VERY VERY unfair of him to say such a thing since there was 4 kids in the car.

He is entitled to his opinion. And to him someone or something in or around the car apparently smelled like marijuana. Plus, if it HAD been a fishing expedition to see if someone would 'fess up to smoking dope, it is still perfectly lawful.

If it would have just been me alone I am convinced he would not have said that. I feel he said it because i had 4 people in the car is what im trying to get at.

Again, what you "feel" is irrelevent. The law was not broken, and there is no cause for complaint or civil action against the officer.

I asked my lawer friend and he was unsure but he thought it was discrimination on the officer's part.

Your "lawyer friend" apparently is not involved in discrimination litigation.

Could someone please clear things up for me I just feel offended by the way i was treated and would like some advice.

You do not have a right to NOT be offended. However, if you feel the officer was out of line, you can always contact his employing agency and make a complaint against him.

- Carl