Have you ever been pulled over for DWH?
I can count about seven times in my life I can classify I was pulled over for DWB (driving while Black). The very 1st time was with my second car, a 1973 Dodge Challenger, yes it was nice, my brother and I were leaving the pool hall/arcade heading home and we passed a prowl car sitting in a nearby parking lot. Right after we passed the cop zipped out into the roadway. I told my brother that there was a cop tailing us, he did not believe me. I told him I bet we don’t make the intersection before we get pulled over, sure enough; the cop hits us with the “bubblegum lights” and pulls us over. I was not speeding as traffic was not allowing it. From the questions the cops was asking it was as if he was trying to determine if I stole the car or if it was indeed mine. That was just one of many times I was stopped not for any driving offence but from what I gather was being in the wrong neighborhood too late at night, too late in too nice of a car, too late in a beater, in broad daylight in the wrong car or place, etc. but hardly for speeding or some traffic infraction. If you are Hispanic, do you believe you were ever stopped simply because you are Hispanic (DWH)? If so, what make you believe so, or how did it happen?
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
9 Answers
I got pulled over by a trooper for DWW (white) in my Tahoe. Apparently the license plate reader could not read my plate as I drove by on the parkway. I wasn’t speeding (at that instant, anyway) since I saw the Trooper car waaay up the road.
Enough snow and ice had collected on my bumper to partially block the plate. Registration, Inspection, and Insurance were all good so I got a ticket for “windows too dark” Even though that was how I bought the car 6 years before and it passed inspection every year.
It must have been a slow day.
My white brothers got pulled over for DWLH (driving with long hair) because it was assumed they’d have drugs on them; and my white ex once got pulled over for DWW and told he looked like a suspect. But these didn’t occur as often as another ex of mine was pulled over for DWB. It was an eye-opening experience when I was in that interracial relationship.
I haven’t been in a long-term relationship with anyone Hispanic. I do have many Hispanic friends and don’t recall any of them complaining about being profiled. There is one Jelly who often complained about her husband get harassed for looking Hispanic. She hasn’t been active here or on Facebook in far too long, though.
I haven’t because even though I am half Mexican, I don’t look it. I do know some people that have. One is a University of Nebraska professor, he says he still gets hassled even though he is now in his fifties.
And I have friends who have been hassled in Arizona. It’s not necessarily DWH, sometimes it’s Walking while Hispanic.
I’ve been pulled over for DWC (cute) at least twice. But not recently. OK, not in 25 years!
I dated a black guy for about 10 years. He also relates instances of being pulled over for DWB. One time, he says, he and 3 friends got pulled over because 4 black guys had just robbed a liquor store in that area. It wasn’t him and his 3 friends, and they were let go, but he was still outraged. That kind of left me scratching my head.
I have no doubt he was discriminated against at times in his life (he grew up in Selma, Alabama in the 50’s and 60’s, so NO DOUBT!) but I also was with him when he saw certain things as discrimination when it wasn’t. Getting the wrong change back, for example. I told him I get the wrong change back sometimes, too. Shit happens. But he saw every thing like that as discrimination. Maybe he was right. IDK.
73 Dodge Challenger. Sigh.
Hey…just thought of something. Maybe the cop really liked your car and just wanted to get a closer look at it, Hippy Central…..?
@Dutchess_III Maybe the cop really liked your car and just wanted to get a closer look at it, Hippy Central…..?
If a cop wants to oogle and fondle my car he can at least bring donuts.
I dated a black guy for about 10 years.
Interesting, I would have never figured you “burned coal”, bully!
update As much as I believe there are some who may be pulled over for ”Driving While Hispanic”, if you are out of the American Southwest, it probably doesn’t happen as much, especially at night unless the guy is wearing a sombrero. However, if you are Black you can’t really ”blend” no matter the time of day, as this article seems to indicate. The passages,
”They used their discretion to search black drivers or their cars more than twice as often as white motorists” — “even though they found drugs and weapons significantly more often when the driver was white.”
”Officers were more likely to stop black drivers for no discernible reason. And they were more likely to use force if the driver was black, even when they did not encounter physical resistance.”
One can believe it doesn’t exist but put shoe polish on your face and a hoodie and go drive in the ”burbs” at 1am and see if you are not pulled over.
Answer this question 
Composing members:
0
