Went to drive-thru at Chick-Fil-A today early to beat crowd but drive-thru already getting crowded. Anyway, after waiting behind some cars a little bit, I get to the window and I see a motorcycle cop in front of me writing a ticket to a van in two parking spots right where you pull out. He appeared to be checking out my windshield stickers while he was writing the van driver a ticket as I pulled up and out...like he would have directed me to pull next to the van and park for my ticket if I was in violation. Seriously, cops staking out Chick-Fil-A drive thru lines now for windshield sticker expirations? Only other place I've seen them do that is at a busy intersection running up and down rows of cars making people pull over to a parking lot. It's a good idea due to the high volume going driving thru but go to Chick-Fil-A waiting in a long ass line for a meal and then promptly be caught by a cop writing you up for an expired windshield sticker ticket while your food gets cold as you wait? LOL I really wanted to flip him the bird so badly. But, I know better. Ponch and John would never pull this sh_t on "Chips". Weak sauce. I suppose it was just coincidental and he pulled the van over where both just happened to pull into the two spots right in front of the drive thru line and he was looking for his next victim before he finished with the van...but it sure didn't feel like that. Anyone seen this before?
Wow similar thing happened to me today. I saw this car at chick fil a that had expired stickers and I wrote him a ticket.
I drive all over the greater Houston area, around Harris, Galveston, Montgomery, and Fort Bend Counties, and I have seriously and literally never been to or driven by a Chic-Fil-A that didn't have multiple cops on site chowing down. It is so hard and fast a rule that I actually try to find a Chic-Fil-A without police on site and haven't been able to do it. I honestly think they must give free food to police or something similar.
End of the month, gotta be careful. Quota time. Funny thing is, I've lived in other states where the expiration is on the license plates. I've always thought Texas to be lucky in that regard, because all a cop has to do in some other states is be behind your vehicle, and BAM, lol.
Nothing that cops do or say should surprise you. They split time between being tax collectors and paramilitary for corporations.
Cops do this at Clear Lake Shores, right by Kemah Boardwalk. They want any reason they can to give you a ticket so they'll check the windows at a red light if they can't get you for speeding.
I've been seeing bs like this more and more often lately. Almost every morning there are 1-2 cops parked at the feeder from I-10W going to 45S (Galveston) near downtown. Since it's a huge bottle neck they just sit there and pick people off as they're waiting to get on 45 and try to get to work. That pisses me off to no end -- they've been doing this since like November/December of last year.
Quite a few restaurants do that. I know Johnny Tamale's does, and I'm pretty sure the rest of Ybarra corp does; Gringos El Torro Bullritos etc. Easy way to keep trash out of your business if you can keep cops in it.
Private property? I was under the impression that police could only give you driving violations or citations for moving violations in the roadway, but I only heard this from an officer who told me this about 10 years. Of course, this could have changed, what with the private property person or owner giving the peace officers permission, but I'm still not sure. I need to ask again, but... if you are STRAIGHT with all your inspection and registration stickers and everything else, what do you have to fear and why you mad, bro? Also, why would you flip any officer the bird? Disrespectful? Don't flip ANYONE the bird, man, much less a police officer. I'd like to see you or anyone try. :grin: I see this too as I drive into downtown from I-10. Sometimes I feel like just parking a bit past them and asking, politely of course: "Hey, guys! What are you guys doing? What's going on? "
They used to sit at the end of Hwy 6 and Knights Court or whatever that st is by Elkins. They would direct people to the shoulder if their stickers were expired. It's really not that big of a deal. I think you pay a small fee once it is inspected, if it's under 6 months past due. Mine was 9 months late when I got caught. Much more difficult to sort out.
That's what I was thinking as well. I know that cops can give anyone a ticket if they park in a handicap space no matter where it's at, but for expired inspection stickers on private property is questionable.
I've always wondered, what can they do? Everyone has had that feeling one time or another, where you just want to tell off an officer who thinks they are hot **** and can talk rudely to people. Freedom of expression? Vulgar language I can see as that is technically "disturbing the peace," but a finger?
Well if they couldn't, wouldn't they just wait till you pulled out of the lot? Not like your sticker's gonna change in the 50 ft to the street.
Not saying this is necessarily what happened in your situation, but often times when someone is pulled over for a ticket if there is little room on the side of the road or if the driver does not feel comfortable doing that, they will just pull into the nearest parking lot. It could just so happen to be the nearest parking lot to pull into was that one. But then again, I really don't know what happened entirely. It seems that you might not know either since he was already there and writing the ticket by the time you even saw the situation.
