I drive a newer car, and do not get pulled over. But I do not really break traffic laws...

They stop people in older cars more often. In my experience, they also ask to search those cars more often.

I use to get pulled over all the time in my old car. I am a white female, oh wait that is because I was always leaving bars at 2 am...


My bad... Bad example, thank god drunks are pulled over.

Not from DC. But to prove the point that it is true:

I'm a white male in my 20s

I haven't been stopped at all by the police since I got a brand new honda civic in 2011

I work 2nd shift and in my area you are likely to get stopped when I'm leaving work

I was stopped several times in my old car that had fender damage

Never ticketed. They didn't find what they wanted (drugs I guess?)

Yes, cops do profile based on vehicle image. And I don't blame them. It is a good indicator

Anonymous wrote:Even when there is seemingly nothing wrong

Same reason some people think police tend to stop cars with out of state plates more often...
Same reason some people think police tend to stop cars with tinted windows more often...
Same reason some people think police tend to stop cars with rims and custom paint jobs more often...
Same reason some people think police tend to stop cars with black drivers more often...
Same reason some people think police tend to stop cars with latino drivers more often...
Same reason some people think police tend to stop cars with middle eastern drivers more often...
Same reason some people think police tend to stop cars with women drivers more often...
Same reason some people think police tend to stop cars with teen drivers more often...
Same reason some people think police tend to stop cars with interracial couples more often...
Same reason some people think police tend to stop cars with certain bumper stickers more often...

The list goes on and on and you know why?
Cause everyone thinks its all about them and their problems.
Cause everyone thinks its absolutely impossible for anyone else to be as burdened or as troubled or as tortured as them AND cause if they look for it hard enough everyone can find evidence everywhere of racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, classism, homophobia, religious intolerance...the list goes on and on and similarly the presumptions about the police targeting one specific group go on and on as well.
Gimmie a break.

It's both extremes. Either really old or luxury cars (if driven by a minority) are stopped.

Because all poor people, and only poor people, are criminals. Duh.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they are profiling based on (perceived) income of the driver.

Yes.

+1

Anonymous wrote:I think you are over-simplifying the scednario. I dont think police target an older car just because its old. I think it tends to be if the car is poorly maintained or really ratty looking. I also dont think they target older car driven by an old person, or a teenager, even when the car is run-down looking. I do agree that old, run-down, ratty looking cars driven by people in their prime working years is an odd sight. Its a sociao-economic thing. Yes, I know many well-off folks drive older cars, my parents included. These folks believe in getting the moist of their vehicles but in such cases the older cars are very well-maintained.

Maybe not everyone has as much money as your parents (no slight intended). And maybe some of those people in their prime working years driving ratty, run-down cars might be paying off tons of student loans, paying tuition for kids, or maybe their money might be invested elsewhere and a fancy car is not a priority.

As long as it's not spouting out three tons of carbon monoxide, I don't care what they're driving.

Anonymous wrote:Because they are profiling based on (perceived) income of the driver.

Yes.

I think you are over-simplifying the scednario. I dont think police target an older car just because its old. I think it tends to be if the car is poorly maintained or really ratty looking. I also dont think they target older car driven by an old person, or a teenager, even when the car is run-down looking. I do agree that old, run-down, ratty looking cars driven by people in their prime working years is an odd sight. Its a sociao-economic thing. Yes, I know many well-off folks drive older cars, my parents included. These folks believe in getting the moist of their vehicles but in such cases the older cars are very well-maintained.

Because the faster cars can outrun the police. It's always those who have the least pay the most. In this case, tickets.

I rarely see Mercedes, Corvettes, BMW, etc, stopped but always see older cars and those that are not as flashy stopped.

I was in one of the state's offices making a tax payment, and the line was filled with people whose driver's licenses had been revoked for small and larger tax bills. I was listening as they discussed their cars and problems. Most were old(er) cars, and they were dependent on their cars to get to their menial jobs.

Because they are profiling based on (perceived) income of the driver.

I don't know the answer, but I always think something must be up with all the old cars around here. How do they pass their emissions inspections?!! They must have a "friend" in the body shops.

Even when there is seemingly nothing wrong