Tweet
I'm driving in my car with the SO across the country to move. We were driving from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario when we were pulled over by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in a "ghost car".
We weren't speeding (cruise control was set to the speed limit). We had no idea why we were pulled over. The reason was, supposedly, because I had an "illegal license plate cover" on my car, which is BS. For one, it's sold at every Canadian Tire store across the country -- it's a clear plastic license plate protector that helps protect against rust. It does not inhibit visibility in any way.
The real reason he stopped us was because I had a ****load of stuff covered up in the back seat. When we first spotted his car, he was heading the opposite direction and we saw him glance over at our car then immediately turn around and come after us with lights on...the license plate BS is just an excuse he made up afterwards. I've been pulled over a total of three times in this car, been part of many checkstops, and never has any cop made any comment regarding the license plate cover, by the way.
So he makes us wait on the side of the road in the car while he disappears for 15 minutes inside his car behind us. Then a second OPP cruiser, a marked one, appears. They both approach my car now, one on each side...they ask me to step out. I asked what was going on...
He gave me a quick "warning" (there was no documentation as per real warnings) about my license plate covers and then quickly handed me a "consent to search" form he conveniently already filled out for my vehicle with my name, etc. He told me that they would like to search my vehicle, but needed my permission to do so.
How cheap is that? This cop establishes "leverage" by making a BS claim about writing me a ticket for something that's not illegal then basically asks to search the car. If I say no, I know he'd likely reconsider the warning or follow me and give me another ridiculous ticket for something else. This was pretty obvious given his body language, how he talked about the search and all of the "contraband" on the highway...
I reluctantly signed the form, and immediately took a camera phone picture of both cruisers, then again of one of the officers while he took everything out of my meticulously packed car and searched it -- opening suitcases, going through my underwear(!), opening unopened retail boxes such as for a new wireless router...took over half an hour while I stood on the side of the transcanada highway next to another officer.
When I took the camera phone pictures, it clearly made the officers uncomfortable. But I don't think this is really proper behaviour on their part, and I wanted to document who went through my stuff in case anything is missing.
I have the officers #s/car #s now from the pictures -- is this a normal thing in Ontario (you never know in a province that doesn't trust private businesses to sell booze), or should I make a complaint?
We weren't speeding (cruise control was set to the speed limit). We had no idea why we were pulled over. The reason was, supposedly, because I had an "illegal license plate cover" on my car, which is BS. For one, it's sold at every Canadian Tire store across the country -- it's a clear plastic license plate protector that helps protect against rust. It does not inhibit visibility in any way.
The real reason he stopped us was because I had a ****load of stuff covered up in the back seat. When we first spotted his car, he was heading the opposite direction and we saw him glance over at our car then immediately turn around and come after us with lights on...the license plate BS is just an excuse he made up afterwards. I've been pulled over a total of three times in this car, been part of many checkstops, and never has any cop made any comment regarding the license plate cover, by the way.
So he makes us wait on the side of the road in the car while he disappears for 15 minutes inside his car behind us. Then a second OPP cruiser, a marked one, appears. They both approach my car now, one on each side...they ask me to step out. I asked what was going on...
He gave me a quick "warning" (there was no documentation as per real warnings) about my license plate covers and then quickly handed me a "consent to search" form he conveniently already filled out for my vehicle with my name, etc. He told me that they would like to search my vehicle, but needed my permission to do so.
How cheap is that? This cop establishes "leverage" by making a BS claim about writing me a ticket for something that's not illegal then basically asks to search the car. If I say no, I know he'd likely reconsider the warning or follow me and give me another ridiculous ticket for something else. This was pretty obvious given his body language, how he talked about the search and all of the "contraband" on the highway...
I reluctantly signed the form, and immediately took a camera phone picture of both cruisers, then again of one of the officers while he took everything out of my meticulously packed car and searched it -- opening suitcases, going through my underwear(!), opening unopened retail boxes such as for a new wireless router...took over half an hour while I stood on the side of the transcanada highway next to another officer.
When I took the camera phone pictures, it clearly made the officers uncomfortable. But I don't think this is really proper behaviour on their part, and I wanted to document who went through my stuff in case anything is missing.
I have the officers #s/car #s now from the pictures -- is this a normal thing in Ontario (you never know in a province that doesn't trust private businesses to sell booze), or should I make a complaint?
Comment