Autoblog

Many criminals today have tools to evade capture, and now tech companies are doing their best to help law enforcement catch up. License-reading cameras, infrared lights, GPS tracking, enhanced communications, and WMD sensors are just a few of the ways that cops are helping to get criminals, but law-breakers are constantly adapting their methods. Popular Mechanics analyzed all the new technology that is helping the good guys catch the bad guys, and they've come up with a list of the most cop-friendly gadgets. You can check them out after the jump.

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

It's nice to know that people read your blog, and it seems that this information can be learned at the oddest of times. Edmunds blogger and editor in chief, Karl Brauer, discovered that the police read his blog, and that the information written within Karl's sacred place of rambling was used against him in a court of law. Brauer was pulled over for speeding in Ventura County, and like any good scribe, he mentioned as much in his blog. Unfortunately, the officer is also a reader, and the policeman highlighted the damning evidence and presented it to the judge. It didn't really matter if the officer had the blog as his smoking gun, as any "good" judge will side with the police far more often than not.

In the end, Brauer lost his case and paid the fine. So how did he win? Well, Brauer was told by the officer that any time someone fights the ticket in court, the officer gets paid for overtime (a common practice in most cities) and any money from the ticket is used for court fees. In Brauer's mind, and in ours, that means when anyone fights a ticket in court, the government doesn't profit from turning police officers into revenue. We guess that's a win, except that when you go to court you still have to pay for the ticket, while at the same time you're likely losing more money by taking time off of work. At least you're sticking it to the man while also sticking it to yourself.

[Source: Edmunds]

An old friend of mine used to have a trick for getting out of tickets. She would flick her long blonde hair back over her shoulder, blink a lot and emphasize the ending of any word that concluded with a long "e" sound. "Sorryyyyyyy," she would say, and the cop's pen would never touch pad. Unfortunately, my bag of tricks is missing a few of those tools, so I've gotten a ticket for every time my car has been motioned to the shoulder.

Perhaps, however, there are strategies to get out of a ticket for those of us who are not blessed with long blond hair and a cute voice. Our brand new sister site, DIY Life, has somewhat of an ex-cop on staff who offers his own How To on getting out of a ticket by being respectful. Yes, respectful. If you've been pulled over, you should suck it up and own your mistake, then go about seeing how the officer's attitude towards you can be improved. Among DIY Life's best pieces of advice is submitting to the cop's authority by having both hands on the wheel before he or she arrives at your window. That gesture alone will make the cop feel much more comfortable approaching the situation, and a comfortable cop that sees you don't intend to be confrontational may be more lenient. There's plenty more good advice available by clicking the Read link below, but let us know in the comments some of your own tips that have proven successful.

[Source: DIY Life]