Cop pulls up behind me & as the light turns green he turns his lights on to pull me. This happened about a year ago around 11:30 P.M. on a Tuesday night so no one is on the road. I pull into a gas station w/windows down, music off, interior light on, hands on the wheel & I’m very polite. When he walks up, he asked if I know why he pulled me? I said, “I have know idea.” Then he tells me he pulled me because one of the 2 little lights illuminating my license plate is out. Which was news to me but this wasn’t the first time I’ve been pulled for this so I wasn’t to surprised. It had happened about 3 years earlier but they gave a warning & let me go. I think they use it as a reason to look for drunk drivers. I’m not drinking so I figured he’d give me another warning like the previous time. Still, he asked for my license & registration & goes back to his car. When he comes back up to my car he ask me to step out & he’ll show me the burnt out bulb. I get out & walk around back. While I’m looking at the bulb which wasn’t completely out it was just really faint compared to the other bulb he ask me what the white residue was on the compartment between the front seats. My car is 12 years old so I have no idea. I attempt to walk up to see what he’s referring to & he’s tells me to stand behind the car & that he has back up coming so we wait talking about 5 minutes until another cop rolls up. Somewhere in this time I figured out that he thinks it’s drugs, I’m not sure how it came up but maybe he asked & I said he could check it out, since I don’t do drugs & never really have aside from trying cocaine back in the 80’s. The cop gets a toothpick out & scrapes the residue into a vile w/ liquid in it & shakes it up while I’m talking to the 2nd cop behind the car. After he does this, I ask him if he’s satisfied that it’s not drugs & he tells me it’s not enough to determine. I promise him that’s it’s not drugs. Btw- This residue he’s checking out, is about the size on your little finger nail that I guess he was able to see since I had my interior light on when he walked up. You can barely see it down in the corrugated grooves covering the middle section between the seats. After the cop goes through my entire car, climbing into the back of my CUV & looking into everything, he finds nothing & lets me go. I realize the cop is just doing his job so I’m respectful and compliant.
Bottom line: If you drive often late at night, it’s just a matter of time before you get pulled. It doesn’t take much so you better be safe & legal.