Week 10 - Racial and Ethnic Inequality

I can recall an incident.....


It was the summer of 1995.  I was driving southbound on the New Jersey Turnpike, heading back to Dallas, TX, what was then my home.  I had recently purchased a pre-owned black-on-black convertible Porsche 944 (sweet) and was so enthusiastic about driving it that I took it for two long drives that summer.  Once to NYC and the other to Atlanta, GA for "freaknik" (off the hook party).  Where was I?  Oh yea right, "the incident."


So I'm driving down the NJ Turnpike, 10 mph over the speed limit (the acceptable norm), when this young white State Trooper pulls behind me and lights up his cruiser.  First I thought he was in pursuit of someone else so I switched lines, but he switched with me.  So my initial thought was "what the fu*k".  Naturally, I pulled over to the shoulder of the highway.  One of my older brothers, Joel, is Commander of the 7th district in Washington, D.C.  7-D is S.E., so he is running the toughest area of Washington.  Joel told me how to handle situations like this so I followed his lead.  I turned my vehicle off, placed both of my hands on the steering-wheel so the office could see them and greeting him with respect (Hello officer.  How are you doing?  How may I help you?).


The young white officer, about 28 years in age, asked for my drivers license and registration.  Once he had it and confirmed that I was the owner of the vehicle (because of course a young black brother should not have the means to acquire such an expensive car), he told me that he pulled me over because I changed lanes without signaling.  My second thought was the same as my first, "what the fu*k."  Who really stops someone for not signaling.  This seems rather "selective".  But I dismissed it and admitted my offense to the officer in hopes to get off with a warning.  


Do you think that is what happened?  No!  He starts peeping into my Porsche and begins to ask me a series of questions like.... do you have any illegal drugs in your possession?  Like if I did I would say "huh yea?"  Daaa!  So he asked me to step out of the vehicle.  Wheew, boy why did he ask me to do that.  My temper started to fly in my head and I wanted to begin to verbally lash his azz.  But I remembered what my brother Joel said.  Stay clam and do not antagonize the situation.  So I did.  I remained clam and I stepped out of my car.  He then walked to the back of my car and said I see you have Texas tags?  I said yessss.   He said the laws are different in the state of Texas, they allow you to carry concealed weapons.  Do you have any guns or other weapons in your possession?  I said no I do not.  He said well what do you have in the trunk?  I told him my luggage.  He asked if I would not mind opening the trunk. In the spirit of cooperation and to get on my way I opened the trunk.  Why did he do what he did next.  He began to search my trunk.  I stopped him dead in his tracks, closed the trunk and told him that it was illegal to search my vehicle without probable cause.  What the fu*k was he thinking?


Well he got pissed that I knew my rights and starting to try and escalated the already unnecessary situation.  The officer said I can keep you here while I call in the dog unit to sniff for drugs or weapons. I said go the fu*k ahead, I know my rights and you ain't check'in shyt. 


He returned to his vehicle and I returned to mine.  He ran a check on my license, tags, and background.  Naturally it came up clean and that probably pissed him off even more (smile).  Well, after about 20 minutes he returned to my car, gave me my license and registration back along with a ticket and the standard blurb about the ticket and my rights.  I'm thinking, my rights... yea right you racist son-of-a-bit*h.  Well we parted ways and I continued on my way down the turnpike.


Would you believe that I got no further than a mile down the road when he turned his lights on me again.  I'm about ready to blow.  I'm cursing like all outdoors and thinking... this must be an episode of "Punked", but wait I'm not a celebrity.  Okay, the same routine....  I stop, turn the car off and place both hands on the steering-wheel.  The young white officer comes up to  the window and said I am stopping you this time because you made an illegal lane change.  I said WHAT.  He said it was illegal to change from the left lane to the right lane and back to the left lane. LOL.  No literally, I laughed out loud in his face.  I told him this is a joke and begin to go off with racial profiling accusations.  Remember this was 1995, the beginning of the whole New Jersey State Trooper profiling fiasco.  I rolled my window up half way and got on speaker phone with my Prepaid Legal attorney while the officer stood outside my car with his right hand resting on his .40 mm Glock.  I used speaker phone to intimidate the officer with the conversation and also because Prepaid Legal records all conversations so if the officer said anything fowl and decided to blow my brains out at least it would be recorded for the trail and my family could reap a large lawsuit :-0

My attorney told me to cooperate with the officer and that he would file a harrasment lawsuit against the officer and police department.  I was cool with that so I went head and gave the office my license and registration again.  

He later returned to my car with a second ticket and we parted ways.  Well, kind of.  He followed me the rest of the way down the NJ Turnpike until I crossed the Delaware state line.  


Well, I got over the incident and never filed the lawsuit.  I believe I handled the situation fairly well.  My behavior was a bit emotional but justified so I would not change it if I had to go through it again. 


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