re: If you get pulled over, do you answer seemingly innocuous questions?

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Anyone asking for the footage of their traffic stop is going to be told that it doesn’t exist. There’s no point.

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Not if they are in the process of charging that individual with the fantasy crime you are envisioning.

I was stopped this evening coming back from the Motley Crue show. I normally stay off the highway and stick to the back country roads as best I can. I see the cop lights aways out, up the hill, looks like multiple cars with flashers. Just a friendly license check at 0030. I stop.

Cop: Evening, Sir, we are conducting a license check, do you have your driver's license?
Me: Yes, Sir. Hands him license.
Cop: Where are you headed tonight?
Me: I'm just heading home.
Other Cop: You know your tag expires this month.
Me: Yes, Sir, I need to get her inspected and pay the registration. It's on my to do list this week.
Cop: Hands me license. Drive safe, Mr Alfonzo.
Me: Have a good night.

First time I've ever hit one of those on the road. Pretty easy encounter with police. Be legal, be respectful, be on your way.

I’ll answer their questions, nothing to hide and I always answer with yes sir or ma’am depending on if they are a male or female officer.

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She asks me what I did to afford a nice car. I started getting irritated & told her something like "I went to school to do a job that paid well & I don't waste money on alcohol, tobacco, or terrible looking tattoos."

I guess she got it that I was talking about hers, started trying to lecture me about what she could do. I just sat there & looked straight ahead. Then he let me off with a warning explaining how generous she was to me.

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sounds like you made a withdrawal from your White Privilege Account ... in the eyes of that "officer"

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Exactly. All this hard core “don’t answer a question and assert your rights!” is all fine if you’re accused of a real crime but it’s bad advice for a traffic stop.

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I'm not advocating for being an a-hole. You can be polite and not answer the "Do you know how fast you were going," etc. line of questing. They know why they pulled you over, they know how fast they think you were going. You do nothing for yourself by giving them the information. A simple "I'm not exactly sure," is a perfectly fine response. Saying, "Its your job to know that," isn't.

I've been pulled over for speeding and rolling stops. I've gotten tickets some times and warnings other.

If they've already made up their mind to give you a ticket no amount of being polite is going to get you out of it. You can convince them to give you one by being an a-hole, though.

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When he walks up to the car, my car window is already down and I have my DL and CCW cards together along with my insurance papers.

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and both hands on the wheel at 11 and 1 o'clock, but I like Lemmy's idea of wrists resting on the wheel and will adopt that

disclosure is not required in my state, but I've always included my CCW along with other paperwork just to put them at ease that I've had a background check, etc; can't say for sure how many times it's helped but haven't had a ticket since I started doing that

To do anything other than answer questions that require a very brief response and almost no effort would possibly make someone seem they are hiding something. Just my thoughts.

I do know there are a large % of people that think cops should not exist and there job must be a horrible life. With that said, they do have this job so the easiest thing is to provide requested info, answer very brief questions if asked, and move on.

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and both hands on the wheel at 11 and 1 o'clock,

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I even roll the back windows down in my truck because they always want to check for any surprises in the back seat. Just never leave a door open if they ask you to exit the vehicle.

I think anyone with a clue knows when an interaction with a cop is going to go sideways. The simple fishing for an incrimination is just that, seeing if you will nibble to make their job easier. If he has pulled you over for speeding and you confess to speeding then you are already admitting guilt. If he asks you where you are coming from and you are dumb enough to say the bar, then you just gave them reason to question you more. Like Dalton says, just be nice and usually it all ends well. If they are really fishing, the poster above mentioned asking them if you are being detained is a great question to ask. If they answer yes, then you ask them for what charge? At that point, you quit answering everything and tell them you want your attorney present. .

I can promise you if you pull that move during a regular traffic stop your chances of getting off with a warning go down to zero.