Phone behavior

[Greenman]

So I've recently watched a few videos of people getting stopped by the police and turning a simple ticket into two or three felony's. The one thing all of them have in common is that after saying something stupid, they start pecking away at their phones and ignore the officer trying to talk to them. It happens with shoplifters and petty thieves as well. This has ignited my curiosity. Who are these folks texting or what document are they reading? It's clearly something they believe is critical to the situation they find themselves in, but none of them ever mention who or what they're communicating with.
Shortly after the inevitable scuffle and arrest there is almost always a plea for the return of their phone. Again, there is clearly some mission critical information contained on their phone but what it is is never mentioned. The lack of closure leaves me feeling cheated.

 

[KLin]

Sovereign citizens bringing up and reading a prepared statement explaining why the officer has no authority over them?

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

So I've recently watched a few videos of people getting stopped by the police and turning a simple ticket into two or three felony's. The one thing all of them have in common is that after saying something stupid, they start pecking away at their phones and ignore the officer trying to talk to them. It happens with shoplifters and petty thieves as well. This has ignited my curiosity. Who are these folks texting or what document are they reading? It's clearly something they believe is critical to the situation they find themselves in, but none of them ever mention who or what they're communicating with.
Shortly after the inevitable scuffle and arrest there is almost always a plea for the return of their phone. Again, there is clearly some mission critical information contained on their phone but what it is is never mentioned. The lack of closure leaves me feeling cheated.

If it were me, i'd be texting someone with 'I'm about to get arrested, please feed my animals so they don't die before I'm allowed to be a free citizen again'.

 

[Greenman]

If it were me, i'd be texting someone with 'I'm about to get arrested, please feed my animals so they don't die before I'm allowed to be a free citizen again'.

Good guess, and completely valid.

 

[Greenman]

Sovereign citizens bringing up and reading a prepared statement explaining why the officer has no authority over them?

Could be that as well, but they never go into any detail.
I just find it all so odd the focus is on the phone instead of the officer. It's like they expect to find something on their phone that's going to change the situation.
This could be a whole branch of psychology.

 

[Red Squirrel]

For some it might just be a nervous tick. It seems some people are so addicted to their phone they always have to look at it and they'll do it even in middle of conversations etc. I have a friend who constantly spends his time on his phone. He'll ask if I want to go for coffee or something and the whole time he's just on his phone. The other day we were at my off grid property and he was trying to charge his phone but it's an iphone so it uses one of those weird connectors so I didn't have a spare cable, he had one but it was acting finicky and he was practically in panic mode because his phone was at 20% and only charging if he held the cable just right. Trying to use vine and branches to try to macguyver it so it makes contact, like we're in some kind of survival situation lol.

 

[Quintessa]

Who are these folks texting or what document are they reading?

Looking up “rights during police stops” guides or reading from “sovereign citizen” scripts

 

[deadlyapp]

Probably not the case for the videos you mention, but my insurance is on my phone, so knowing the cop might ask for it, I'd probably begin logging into my account to get my insurance information. That said, I haven't been pulled over for probably close to 10 years at this point.

 

[Greenman]

Probably not the case for the videos you mention, but my insurance is on my phone, so knowing the cop might ask for it, I'd probably begin logging into my account to get my insurance information. That said, I haven't been pulled over for probably close to 10 years at this point.

I don't keep anything important on my phone, and I sometimes find that it's been off because of a low battery for several days. For me a phone is just a phone. It's not a lifestyle or a fashion accessory, it's just a fragile tool that's very handy.

 

[pete6032]

I don't keep anything important on my phone, and I sometimes find that it's been off because of a low battery for several days. For me a phone is just a phone. It's not a lifestyle or a fashion accessory, it's just a fragile tool that's very handy.

Yes, but could you believe that others have a different perspective?

 

[KLin]

OP doesn't like smart phones.

 

[Greenman]

Yes, but could you believe that others have a different perspective?

I think that was clearly implied by the "for me" qualifier. I'm well aware that a phone is a prized possession and or an important status symbol for some people.

 

[nakedfrog]

 

[KLin]

I miss his rants

 

[KLin]

 

[iRONic]

Read every post by Mr. Greenjeans as if it would sound exactly like Andy Rooney was speaking.

 

[purbeast0]

I watch A LOT of police videos and body cam stuff, and I know what you mean.

The one common occurance that is in nearly every single one of them, is that when people KNOW they have been busted for something and are in trouble, all they want to do at that point is be in control. They will ALWAYS do/say something just so they can get their way and feel they've gotten a small victory and are in control.

I think this phone behavior is just part of that. They want to think they are in control of the situation and being able to still be in control of what they are doing with their phone is just part of it.

 

[iRONic]

My middle daughter is white. Her SO is black. Their three year-old daughter is obviously mixed. She has a 16 year-old son with a Puerto Rican father, which makes my grandson as Brown as the day is long.

We knowingly live in deeply red Bullitt County Kentucky. Every driver in that car is instructed as follows if they are pulled over by LEO:

Driver: hands at 10 and 2, do not speak unless you're spoken to.

Every other passenger: phones out and start recording. Do not engage in conversation with the officer unless you are spoken to.

Driver: follow all commands given by the officer.