I was Stopped for running a stop sign

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John6185

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The last time I was stopped was several years ago in Texas. I didn't realize it but I was speeding and a State Trooper pulled me over. I pulled my car off the road so he wouldn't be at risk of being hit and he walked up and asked for my driver's license. I'm (ahem) older and I pulled out my military ID (Ret) and nervously shaking my hand I said "Oh, that's not it." and then gave him my driver's license. He gave me a warning ticket that I still have, it was the first warning I ever received! But I will say that I need to start preparing to stop when I come upon a signal light and quit gunning the engine to beat the light or they are going to get me.
 

dennishoddy

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I was stopped at the stop sign. The driver in front of me was a cars length past the sign. In fact, I sat there for 2 minutes waiting on traffic. The driver in front of me was there longer than that, but I don’t know how long.
I've done the same thing. In drivers ed back in the day we were instructed to stop with the front fender of the vehicle parallel with the stop sign, look for traffic and proceed if traffic was clear.
When someone has gone past the stop sign and my front bumper is parallel with it, I go when they do if there is no traffic. Sounds legal to me.
 

Boehlertaught

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I'm with you and dennishoddy. I've done this many times and will argue it's legal. Where I live many folks stop with the middle or the back of their car even with the stop sign. I'm stopped at or just behind the sign like drivers ed taught. I go when they go with no other traffic around.
 

dennishoddy

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But wouldn't that leave the dinosaur out in the flow of traffic?

So If I were 2' behind the sign is that illegal? I would have to move up 2', stop again and then move into traffic?
I think the bumper being parallel to the stop sign was a suggestion, not a traffic violation coded into law? Just asking.
 

SoonerP226

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So If I were 2' behind the sign is that illegal? I would have to move up 2', stop again and then move into traffic?
I think the bumper being parallel to the stop sign was a suggestion, not a traffic violation coded into law? Just asking.
I'm just surprised that a dinosaur-drawn wagon had fenders.
 

TheDoubleD

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Two things I recall from police academy in the 70's.

As you walk up to a stopped vehicle, check the trunk to see if it was open-counter ambush strategy taught citing an incident in California. It be came second nature to touch the back of a vehicle as you walked up, even pick-up's. In recent times it I've seen it said to leave some DNA.

Second thing they taught us, always be prepared to be talked out of writing a ticket, never be talked into writing.

Back in the olden days, if I saw two vehicles vehicle moving at the same time from a stop sign I would have stopped the second vehicle. In the jurisdictions I worked the second vehicle would have been required to move up and stop after the first vehicle moved.

I recall back in those olden days written Department Policy allowed discretion. For a stop sign violation the black and white of the policy, required a citation be written only in "accident or hazard" "all others warn".

What OP describes as his actions would be a violation of the statute's from my past and the officer exercised discretion and issued a warning.
 

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