So I'm extremely ignorant on the issue and couldn't find anything else online about this, so I thought this would be the best place to ask Sunday evening, I'm driving in Mississauga around the Heartland area with 2 friends of mine in the car, well on par with the speed limit, driving 70 on a 70 road. Was on Britannia near Mavis. Anyways, a cop car besides me, slows down, and then gets behind me, and turns on its lights to pull me over. I stop the car, the officer asks me for my licence and registration which I duly provide to her. She asks me what we're up to tonight, to which I respond, "nothing, just had a meal and we're heading home." She asks if we've had anything to drink, to which I respond "no alcohol." She then asks "so you've had other beverages?" to which I respond " yes ," and she laughs. She then tells me "I noticed you're driving a rental so I wanted to check up on your licence and ownership papers," and then proceeds to take my licence and papers to her car, and gets back after a minute or two and says "all good to go." I then tell ask her if there was a reason I got pulled over, and she said, while stumbling and hesitating, that there's a history of rental cars being driven by unlicensed individuals so she just wanted to check if all was okay. That's all. That was it. My friend who was in the backseat recorded the whole thing on video at my request. Don't feel the need to post or upload that just yet. So my question is, is this normal? Is the reason that I was given good enough to stop my car? Do cops run plates of all cars around them? I don't know if its a factor, and I feel weird even putting it out there, but I am of an ethnic minority, I'm South Asian... but I don't necessarily think it was a racial thing at all. Let me stress, the officer was polite, courteous and friendly throughout the whole interaction. So no complaints there. Just wanted to know from you guys if this is fairly normal or even legal? I do not own a car, and have been renting cars regularly for the last 3-4 years and this is the first time it's happened. Any input would be appreciated from you guys. Thanks a bunch. And stay safe and warm out there today :)

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Got pulled over for driving a rental car. Legal?

by: Rentalpullover on

20 Replies

UnluckyDuck
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Re: Got pulled over for driving a rental car. Legal?

Maybe if it was criminal the officer would introduce what you said, but for traffic court, HIGHLY UNLIKELY. I get pulled over probably once every 2-3 months, and I always remember what happened at the incident because it's significant. It's not something that happens everyday. I can't remember what car cut me off this morning, because that happens frequently, and isn't significant. If the car cut me off, and proceeded to brake check me, causing me to rear end it, then I would remember it, because it is SIGNIFICANT. In order to not be able to recall, you'd have to be 80+, and I'm pretty sure some people that old can recall what happened too.

Maybe if it was criminal the officer would introduce what you said, but for traffic court, HIGHLY UNLIKELY. I get pulled over probably once every 2-3 months, and I always remember what happened at the incident because it's significant. It's not something that happens everyday. I can't remember what car cut me off this morning, because that happens frequently, and isn't significant. If the car cut me off, and proceeded to brake check me, causing me to rear end it, then I would remember it, because it is SIGNIFICANT. In order to not be able to recall, you'd have to be 80+, and I'm pretty sure some people that old can recall what happened too.

CAROL
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Re: Got pulled over for driving a rental car. Legal?

Well then, you picked a great user name to use on this forum!

UnluckyDuck wrote:

I get pulled over probably once every 2-3 months

Well then, you picked a great user name to use on this forum!

argyll
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Re: Got pulled over for driving a rental car. Legal?

Kind of the same about people talking to the police. If you're doing nothing wrong then they have nothing to worry about. If I walked up to a car and had a cell phone shoved in my face then that would set the tone for the interaction. I'd be professional as I always was but there'd be no breaks given. Bit like being met with the old I reserve my right not to talk to you, or the window cracked only 2 inches. You want to be a dick, fine but don't go whining when I do my job to the fullest amount possible. Treat me with some courtesy and you're probably going to get a please slow down and have a good day. Plus bear in mind that if you record something that results in a charge you risk having your phone seized as evidence.

jsherk wrote:

I highly recommend everybody have a dashcam and record ALL interactions with police because most of the time the courts will always side with an officers testimony over an accused. If they are doing their job correctly, then they have nothing to worry about.

Kind of the same about people talking to the police. If you're doing nothing wrong then they have nothing to worry about.

If I walked up to a car and had a cell phone shoved in my face then that would set the tone for the interaction. I'd be professional as I always was but there'd be no breaks given. Bit like being met with the old I reserve my right not to talk to you, or the window cracked only 2 inches. You want to be a dick, fine but don't go whining when I do my job to the fullest amount possible. Treat me with some courtesy and you're probably going to get a please slow down and have a good day.

Plus bear in mind that if you record something that results in a charge you risk having your phone seized as evidence.

Former Ontario Police Officer. Advice will become less relevant as the time goes by !
CAROL
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Re: Got pulled over for driving a rental car. Legal?

If I walked up to a car and had a cell phone shoved in my face That's nice, but that's not what he said. A dashcam is not a cellphone and it's not being shoved in your face. The amount of cars that will have them will continue to expand and it's not long before you see them built into cars as a standard feature. The technology that is creating this cheap miniature audio and video recording technology will continue to explode. That means that you can be recorded at any time in a public place with or without your knowledge. The smart ones in the police are those who will just assume they are being recorded and will act professionally.

argyll wrote:

jsherk wrote:

I highly recommend everybody have a dashcam and record ALL interactions with police because most of the time the courts will always side with an officers testimony over an accused. If they are doing their job correctly, then they have nothing to worry about.

If I walked up to a car and had a cell phone shoved in my face

That's nice, but that's not what he said. A dashcam is not a cellphone and it's not being shoved in your face. The amount of cars that will have them will continue to expand and it's not long before you see them built into cars as a standard feature.

The technology that is creating this cheap miniature audio and video recording technology will continue to explode. That means that you can be recorded at any time in a public place with or without your knowledge. The smart ones in the police are those who will just assume they are being recorded and will act professionally.

argyll
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Re: Got pulled over for driving a rental car. Legal?

I did and when I was an instructor at police college I taught that to all recruits.

I did and when I was an instructor at police college I taught that to all recruits.

Former Ontario Police Officer. Advice will become less relevant as the time goes by !
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bobajob
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Re: Got pulled over for driving a rental car. Legal?

reminder to get a dashcam, good advice :)

jsherk wrote:

I highly recommend everybody have a dashcam and record ALL interactions with police because most of the time the courts will always side with an officers testimony over an accused. If they are doing their job correctly, then they have nothing to worry about.

reminder to get a dashcam,

good advice :)

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* Speeding is speeding
* Challenge every ticket
* Impaired driving, you should be locked up UNDER the jail

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