Is it just me, or are law enforcement officers a little too eager to pull over young people? I admit that the times that I have been pulled over have been justified, but I think that officers get a rush over trying to make younger drivers feel bad.

On Sunday Oct. 3, I was returning to school after a weekend at home. As I neared my dorm I saw a pedestrian crossing the street. As there were no other cars coming, he stopped to wait for me to drive by. I have been in the same situation many times since school has started and have not felt threatened in any way.

I then proceeded to turn into the drive way leading to the parking lot for Helser. I looked in my rearview mirror to see a DPS vehicle directly behind me with its lights flashing. I’ve always thought that when a person is pulled over they need to get out of the way of traffic.

So I proceeded to slowly head towards the parking spots rather than just stop in the road. When I made a move to turn, the officer sounded the siren and indicated to me to stop directly where I was.

When the officer walked up to my car window, she was clearly agitated.

The officer then crabbed me out for not stopping right away and claimed that my music was too loud for me to hear the siren. This was not the case.

I then tried to explain my actions on not stopping right away and driving by the pedestrian, and the officer again crabbed me out. I became slightly angry but tried my best to stay in control. I believe the officer realized this, and she then became a little more tolerable.

She issued me a warning, and I continued to the dorm.

I’m not angry with the officer for pulling me over, and I’m not trying to irritate her or the DPS in any way. I am simply irritated with the way she approached me. It was obvious that I was pulling into a parking lot, so logic would say to simply pull in beside me and calmly talk to me. I have encountered this attitude with other officers in the past, and I think it is because they see a young guy and automatically think that I am menace. It’s a stereotype that has gone on for too long. I think all officers need to chill out and treat younger drivers like normal people.

Scott Dalen

Junior

Horticulture