DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I’m a new driver and was pulled over for something I didn’t do. I was so nervous I hardly defended myself — and when I tried, the officer told me I was wrong. It was my word against his, so I was given a ticket with a huge fine. A friend had a similar experience. It feels like teens are picked on. At 16, people are plenty careful and it’s not fair to “teach us a lesson.” What have other teens experienced? — Krystal, Irvine, Calif.
Editor’s Note: Negative profiling of teens and young adults is widespread, not just by law enforcement but by the general population. Unless adults work with teens, many are afraid of them and consider automatically that most are up to no good. It’s not only unfair, but it creates an environment of hostility and fear, and teaches teens that “the world is not a friendly place.” One of my sons, the kindest soul you’d ever meet, had a ‘fro when he was 17. He was bewildered that women would cross to the other side of the street when they saw him coming. On a flight from Canada he was detained in a private room and searched for drugs because of his hairstyle only. There was no cause, it was strictly profiling. I hope that anyone who recognizes himself or herself while reading this will wait for actual cause before jumping to a conclusion about a young person based on appearance alone — or age alone, in the case of traffic law enforcement. Most teens are kind people looking to adults for cues on how to act. Why not model for them the idea of a friendly and fair world? —Lauren
Comments
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My mom and dad are both CHP officers, and I would like equal time on their behalf. They are very dedicated as are most law enforcement officers, and all they want to do is protect the public and enforce the law. However, from what they tell me, just about everybody who gets a citation claims discrimination. Young drivers claim that it’s becasuse they’re young. Older drivers claim that it’s because they’re old. Members of minority groups claim that it’s because they’re minorities, etc. Supposedly, nobody ever gets a citation because the committed a violation. However, anybody who ever drives sees drivers breaking the law all the time, so how can it always be discrimination? When I spent the night at a friend’s recently, she and her sister had a poster in their room portraying police as pigs which really made me mad and I told them so and my friend said she got it when she got a citation for speeding just because she’s young even though “everybody else” also was speeding. She didn’t even deny that she was speeding. We got into a big argument and I ended up leaving. My sister and I our proud of our parents who protect everyone and have posters in our room honoring law enforcement even though some of our friends make fun of us because of it and for having parents who are “cops.” Where would we be without the protection they provide? I really hurts to hear them put down.
M.J.
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Dear M.J.,
Your point is well taken. I am a big supporter of law enforcement and I applaud your parents. It’s a tough job and it doesn’t help that nobody is ever happy with it. Furthermore, I have zero sympathy for young people pulled over for more than petty cause—especially for things like speeding, carelessness, being on the phone, and DUI. They deserve their fines and suspensions and I’m glad they get them.
Nonetheless, teens do get pulled over for weak causes much more than mature drivers do. Multitudes of mature drivers do gently rolling stops, have running lights out, or go a bit over the speed limit, but they are seldom pulled over. However, the young are often pulled over for sins even more minor than these. A lot of it appears to be an excuse to see “what else” they might be up to. They’re definitely the “freshmen on campus” and by and large, are treated as such. It does end up causing many responsible teens and early 20-somethings who can barely afford to drive a lot of hardship and bad feelings about law enforcement. I just wish the environment was a little friendlier for them, a little less suspicious unless there is cause for it. From the bottom of my heart, there is so much stress today that I believe small acts of generosity and warmth by authority figures make the world a happier place—and make people happier to follow the rules.
Lauren
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I, an adult, was pulled over for ‘not stopping before making a right turn’.
When I want around the corner, the cop was sitting there as I stared at him.
He stopped me because I looked guilty.
I fought it in court and won.
The cop admitted in court that he could not see my car at the time he said I failed to stop.
BTW I DID make the legal stop.
I enjoy reading your col in the Santa Rosa, CA Press Democrat.
