“#1 rule. Treat the police with respect and answer all their questions.”
The name of the officer is “Ma’am,” or “Sir.” Form of address is “No Sir/Yes Sir” “No Ma’am/Yes Ma’am.” Make the job as easy as possible for the officer. If you go to the police, they will be in a better mood than if they have to go to you.
You’re correct. If I get stopped, I pull over safely with signals. Shut down the car. Roll down the windows and place both of my hands on the steering wheel. When he asks for ID, I ask permission to reach for it in my back pocket. I gotten out of a lot of tickets using that simple procedure and even when I get one, the officer is always cool and relaxed.
Treat them like a dick and suddenly that speeding ticket goes to having no front plate, you didn’t use turn signals and plus, they’ll make you sweat while they run your name through every database they have access to.
Just common sense. But I'm afraid that too many leftist professors have underdeveloped common sense. Especially when their line of work is to preserve and cultivate a money making chip on the shoulder. The world as a whole would be a better place if everybody behaved with an air of mutual respect and a presumption of common civility, letting the other guy make the first decent into pettiness.