Is Your Rear View Mirror Free From Clutter?

It's funny. When you finally get your own car that you have been waiting for your whole life, you are so excited. You are a proud owner and want to make this car yours. Maybe you keep it clean. Maybe you don't allow anyone to eat in the car. Maybe you decorate it by hanging dice, feathers, rosary beads or an air freshener from the rear view mirror. Did you know that hanging something from your rear view mirror actually gives the police a fall back excuse when they pull you over? Imagine this. You are young, driving down the road minding your own business. The police pull you over. When you ask why they are pulling you over, you get a response that makes no sense. They just thought you "looked" suspicious. Not that you ran a red light or made a wrong turn. You looked suspicious. You then get very nervous. They start to ask questions and want to search the car. By God, they find something when the search the car and now you are charged with possession of CDS in a motor vehicle. But wait, they didn't have a reason to stop you in the first place. Oh, but wait, you have dice hanging from your rear view mirror. I bet you will now have a ticket for having something obstructing your view and the report will now say that the officer pulled you over because of the obstruction. Now what they found will come in to play because they had a legitimate reason to pull you over. It now becomes your word against a police officer's word as to why the stop initially happened. Who do you think the judge is going to believe?

What could you do differently? Keep nothing hanging from your rear view mirror. Put the dice or other object in the back seat somewhere. Maybe put it by the back window. There is no ticket for that!