It sounds like overkill, but I think it's S.O.P for many police to operate within a buddy system.

I got stopped last week for pulling past the white line at a stoplight....(granted this was at 1AM with no one on the road except me and the cop that came up behind me). About 1 minute after I pulled over into a gas station, a second cop car pulled up.

I just ended up getting a warning and was on my way, but the cops were treating the situation as if I could have been some kind of threat. I think in that line of work, it pays not to take chances. I respect that and do not mind the small personal hassle as long as they keep going after the bad guys.

It's a general security issue.... you have to accept some level of personal inconvenience as a non-criminal so that law enforcement can effectively go after the real criminals.

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Congratulations President-Elect Obama