3 ms·

I hate to bring it up, but are you white? I suspect that race, and where you live changes these things a lot. Don't get me wrong, I agree that being respectful,

I hate to bring it up, but are you white? I suspect that race, and where you live changes these things a lot. Don't get me wrong, I agree that being respectful, polite, and not being a pain in the ass helps. I'm white, and have been pulled over a couple of times, with no real issue. The one time I was riding with a black family member (who had done nothing ticket-able, or suspicious) was one of the longest and most troublesome police incidents I've ever seen. Anecdotal? yes, but it mirrors statistics that I've seen.

GrinningFool 11y ago
I am and that's certainly a factor - though I lose points in the 'respectable citizen' department for long hair, occasional beard, and tattoos. My wife is not, though, and her experiences have mirrored mine. But anecdotes, etc. I'm not saying that it's always going to work out, nor that there's never a time and place that OP's method is appropriate - only that starting a dialog that way is unnecessarily antagonistic.