Do you know why I pulled you over?
When a cop pulls you over and asks you “Do you know why I pulled you over?” many think that it’s only polite to respond. You can’t just leave a guy hanging right? The common legal advise to use your right to remain silent seems so wrong. “Don’t talk to cops” doesn’t seem correct in real life. I am here to tell you that this is simply not the case.
You see, when a cop asks you “Do you know why I pulled you over?” he or she is lying to you. They don’t care if you know why you are receiving a traffic ticket, nor are they there to lecture you. Police officers are trained to interrogate perpetrators by engaging them in conversation. They hope to obtain a confession which will make convicting you easier, and they also hope to ensnare you into a traffic offense or a crime that they themselves did not see you commit.
When a cop pulls you over and asks you “Do you know why I pulled you over?” many think that it’s only polite to respond.
What police officers would really say if they were being honest is “please confess to me that you just committed the crime that I witnessed and a new one that I did not”. Not responding will actually raise the level of respect the officer has to you.
So the next time a New York State Trooper asks you “Do you know why I pulled you over?” remember that the cop is not there to help you, and be proud of your 5th amendment right to remain silent, and don’t talk to cops.