Being stoped by the Police

[lingerieLiz]

I was watching one of the police shows today where they were stoping people for minor infractions and checking for drugs, DUI, etc. It was filmed and several people didn't want to be filmed but they did anyway.

Made me think what if you were stoped and filmed for a tv show. What would the ramification be?

In my case I don't think it would surmise people who know me. Others who cares.

Years ago I was stoped by the police checking why I was leaving a neighborhood. I had on a dress. Luckily it was raining and I had on a rain coat. Was able to grab my pants and get my legs covered. Police didn't ask me to get out and I had a good excuse for why I drove through late at night. That was back in the days of they took you to jail for crossdressing.

[Tracy Irving]

Unless you did something really stupid a cop doesn't want or need you to get out of your vehicle. So, assuming you are prepared, you can cover up or hide almost anything before you park and he gets to the window. It has happened to me once while driving. I put my forms in a gym bag and threw on a light jacket. Put the skirt fabric between my legs and close them a little so they look like pants. It was dark out so I probably went overboard. I could have just leaned forward a little.

The first question he asked of me was, "Why aren't you wearing your seatbelt?"

[Teresa]

Liz,
It depends what they stop you for, if it's a stupid infringement I wouldn't want to be filmed , otherwise being dressed wouldn't be a problem.

[Tracii G]

Just recently I was witness to an accident and when the police arrived they took the statements from both drivers and one from me and a 20 something guy.
I was in 100% girl mode that day and it didn't feel odd or I wasn't trying to hide in any way.
The policeman asked for my drivers license (guy info) and I handed it to him. He looked at me and said thank you ma'am now tell me what you saw.
The policeman were more than professional. In my town we have a fairness ordinance so trans an gay people are treated pretty well by police and businesses.

[josie_S]

I was stopped about 6 years ago for a bad tail light (pro tip: check your lights before you go out!). I was just out for a drive, no drinking or anything like that, but it was past midnight on a Saturday so it was totally warranted. Still, my heart was racing! But he was so nice and sweet--he looked at my license, looked at me, and asked what was doing out and said I was just driving. He gave me back my license and gave me a verbal warning.

It could have gone bad quick if I'd been drinking or if he'd been a bigot etc. But looking back, it was one of my favorite moments dressed! I loved how he spoke to me and how respectful he was...made me feel like a girl in a whole other way

[Robyn n TN]

This is one of my worst thoughts that I might get pulled over dressed. If I go out dressed, even driving, I will be in makeup and a wig, so there isn't a really good way to change to male mode. Not sure the police in my town would be so understanding, but you never know and I really hope I never have to know.

[gina shiney]

Right or in the wrong, at fault or not ,dressed or not.
Being filmed for a TV show would be a legal action if it occurred to me. I have rights and privacy, is to me a fundamental one.
Used to prove/disprove a legal matter in court is entirely a different situation. As that is not for entertainment.

[~Joanne~]

I was just out for a drive, no drinking or anything like that, but it was past midnight on a Saturday so it was totally warranted.

How so? There are no laws that say you can't be out driving around on a saturday, minding your own business, after midnight. they have to have a legit reason to pull you over. This wasn't it.

I got pulled over once (there is a post here somewhere about it) when i first started venturing a little past the front door. It was totally my mistake and I am sure I looked suspicious. The cops were very professional and thank god there were no cameras unless you count the one in the cop car or on his person and I don't know if they had those then or not.

That's why I don't like watching those cop shows, glorifying the violation of people's rights never sits well with me.

[Stephanie47]

My local sheriff's department use to be on "Cops" for several years. The rule of thumb was the person had to sign a release for the images to appear on television without the face and license plate not to be fuzzed out. Right now there is a lot of discussion as to whether the policeman's body camera images can be released under a FOIA request. And, if released whether the images should be fuzzed out for those who are bystanders, etc.

I would hope all policemen are courteous to anyone. Obviously that is not the case. I go out for evening drives. I make sure I have a full tank of gas and all my lights are in working order. And, I do not consume alcohol. Also, know your state's driving laws. Some states still criminalize certain traffic infractions while others do not. You may not want to be placed in a holding cell with someone who is not appreciative of any transgender men or women.

[Robertacd]

I am sure the laws vary by state, but I believe here if you were doing nothing wrong they have to have your permission to use the footage. But of course if you did something wrong, even a traffic infraction that right to privacy may be gone.

But this does remind me of an old Cops episode back in the day, the cops were trying to pull a little pickup truck over for something minor like a burned out tail light. The truck would not pull over, it did not flee per se but there were several other cop cars involved before it finally pulled over. It turned out to be a crossdresser, fully dressed and what was left of full makeup. When they asked why he did not just pull over he said he wanted to get his makeup off first. What could have been a minor traffic infraction turned into an eluding charge and he went to jail.

[~Joanne~]

I remember that episode. it was one of the very few I did see and the advertising for the show always had that one in it but only a small piece of it. It was fear that made him do it, not saying it was right but TG wasn't like it is now, now it's out there more so the results might have been different who knows.

I often think back to when I got pulled over, it was right around Halloween so I felt a tad more at ease about just pulling over but had it not been? might I have not done that same? who knows, I think I made the right choice Plus it had a positive come out of it because that was also the night I was forced to have "the talk" with my SO, who has absolutely no problems that I know of about any of this and she got a really good laugh at the whole thing.

[Sallee]

I am sure it has been said some where here "If stopped pull over obey the cop and do what he or she says. Don't run"
I have been stopped probably had had a beer but hours before. He was professional didn't ask me to take my wig off, I said I was a male first thing. No problem, the funny thing is I was stopped for going straight in a left and turn lane in the gay neighborhood, Hillcrest.
I did have to go to traffic school but I didn't have to wear a dress there, darn.

[Tracy Irving]

After you venture out the front door you leave home your expectation of privacy and can be filmed, even in your car. There are probably some gray areas (like audio) and good lawyers to get you out of anything though.

[Alice B]

Unless you have comitted a major crime I am pretty sure the TV show can not use footage of you without your permission and usually some form of compensation. Otherwise they set themselfs up for a defamation law suit.

[Jodie_Lynn]

Like Sallee said, follow instructions, identify yourself, and try to relax. Police interactions can be scary, but despite what the media may portray, most of us are just trying to do a job.

[Renihoward]

Decades ago I pulled into a 7-11 late at night dressed and a cop pulled in behind me. Seems I had an issue and needed to go to the station. I lived about 2 blocks away and he allowed me to go home to change. He followed me there and then to the station. Very nice officer.

[Helen_Highwater]

This article; https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ing-tv-privacy

discusses some of the issues as far as the UK is concerned. In essence it seems we have a right to privacy and can insist that at the very least face and number plate are fuzzed out or refused to give permission to use any footage at all.

Liz,
It depends what they stop you for, if it's a stupid infringement I wouldn't want to be filmed , otherwise being dressed wouldn't be a problem.

So you've committed murder and you don't mind being filmed dressed? Stopped for a faulty brake light, no way are they showing my face?

[Teresa]

Helen,
No ! Surely we only talking about motoring offences here , I admit I have been pulled over more than once for speeding offences. That would have been my own fault but it's not going to happen dressed, I always use the cruise control and keep my heels off the accelerator .

The chances are most of us have been filmed anyway, most major junctions have video cameras , we never know where some of that footage ends up ! How many of us have jumped the lights by a few seconds ?

[Nikki A.]

Most police have more pressing issues than how you are dressed. Be polite, don't be an idiot and it will fine. I bet if you give them a big smile you have a better chance of not getting a ticket.

[Jamie390]

I was just stopped the other day. It was about 4:30 in the morning. I was out for my 2 mile walk before work. In three years of walking at that time, I never saw a cop cruising through the neighborhood at that hour. I was wearing capri leggings, a sports bra with forms, and a t shirt. He gave me the old, "what are you doing out here, where are you walking to, do you have ID, where do you live" routine. Turns out that there were some car break ins a few streets over from mine. Once he believed that I wasn't out breaking into cars he told me that he had never seen me in the neighborhood and that since I was dressed all in black, he stopped to check me out. With a grin, I replied, "I never saw you before and you are dressed in black... maybe you did it." He laughed and told me to have a nice day before driving off. But he never once commented on what I was wearing.

[Bobbi46]

Teresa, You never told me you were a "Fast lady".

In my time I stopped many people for all sorts of things but at the end of the day if one is true to there word and in this day and age all sorts of things are seen and nobody gives a hoot but if one gets stopped whilst being dressed the what of it? taking into account political correctness and the laws we now have any Police officer stepping out of line for whatever the reason is in the cart good and proper. Honesty is all ways the best way its when people get wound up that it goes pear shape.

[kimdl93]

Honestly, i don't think there would be any meaningful ramifications, even if the video was picked up by some cable show. If you were guilty of a felony, you'd have bigger problems than having a video excerpt aired three or four years later on TV.

If you were simply stopped, your face could not be aired without your permission. If it was, you could sue and very likely win an tidy settlement

[Karyn Marie]

My local sheriff's department use to be on "Cops" for several years. The rule of thumb was the person had to sign a release for the images to appear on television without the face and license plate not to be fuzzed out.

Stephanie, You hit the nail right on the head. I believe I know exactly what sheriff's department you are talking about. I retired from that department six years ago after doing 30 years. I was also on four episodes of COPS in 1996. I had the cameral man in the front passenger seat and the audio man in the backseat. They filmed everything I did, however if a person being filmed was not wanting to be filmed and was starting to become a problem for me, they would stop. That only happened a couple of times however. Most people, good guys and bad guys usually did not object and thought it was kind of cool. A person had to sign a release for them to show it on TV, however if a person refused to sign a release, they could still air it with the faces blurred. The crews rode with me for close to two months and filmed hours of video to get the four I was featured in. Of course, they rode with other deputies as well, so all combined, there were thousands of hours of video.

BTW, I still am on in reruns, and often times I am out in drab and people recognize me just from that. When I was still working it also helped me on a few occasions. I remember one time going to a domestic and as soon as I rolled up the guy came out and got real excited saying he saw me on COPS the night before. He started yelling for his wife to come out of the house to see me. Viola, domestic over.

If anyone might like to see them, PM me, and I will share how you might find them on YouTube.

Karyn

[Alice B]

I have never been stoped by police but did have a situation where my car was towed while I was out and dressed. Long story short I had to call the police for help. Two officers came. One male and one female. They were both very polite and even gave me a ride home. There is nothing to fear when stoped while dressed

[valerieg]

I was just out for a drive, no drinking or anything like that, but it was past midnight on a Saturday so it was totally warranted.

How so? There are no laws that say you can't be out driving around on a saturday, minding your own business, after midnight. they have to have a legit reason to pull you over. This wasn't it.

Literally in the sentence preceding the one you quoted... bad tail light.