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Joan from Port Arthur asks: I was traveling down Gulfway Drive and came close to a truck where there were approximately five males in the back of the moving pickup truck and they were dancing. I will admit, they were quite entertaining but dancing in the bed of a moving truck was NOT safe. I was wondering if you had caught them, how many tickets would you have given the dancers?

 

Answer: The Transportation Code states NO ONE under the age of 18 can legally ride in the rear/bed of a truck on the roads of Texas. So if the individuals appear 18 and over, they were legally riding in the rear of the truck. Now, the issue of dancing in the bed of the truck while the vehicle is moving must be visited. There is no law stating the occupants must be seated or still while the truck is in use. With that said, it sounds like the males were within the law of Texas.

 

Dallas from Fannett: I own two vehicles, but I loaned my extra vehicle to my cousin to help him get up on his feet and find a job. I want it back, and he won’t give it to me. Should I report it stolen, or what do I have to do? Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

Answer: Unfortunately, sometimes people take our kindness for weakness. That seems like what you are dealing with now with your cousin. I’ve answered countless of calls for service where the vehicle owner was faced with the exact same issue you are facing. At this point, you CANNOT call law enforcement and report your vehicle STOLEN. Why you may ask? You voluntarily gave them your keys and permission to drive your vehicle. Even if they didn’t return your vehicle when they promised. So filing the charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle with a law enforcement agency will not fit this case. You will need to send a certified letter to your cousin demanding the return of your vehicle in seven days. After you complete this necessary step, law enforcement will assist you in filing an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle charge against your cousin. If you haven’t done this step yet, your cousin is able to continue to drive your vehicle, even though you want your vehicle back.

 

Dwight from Port Arthur asks: My friend and I were discussing a speeding ticket he received a couple of years ago, and he’s determined to believe the officer mixed him up with someone else. His belief is he was traveling in the opposite direction where the officer was sitting in his patrol car. He has since paid that speeding ticket and hasn’t been stopped since, and he has become untrusting of police because he believes the officer falsely charged him with speeding. Can radars catch the speed of vehicles going in the opposite direction while the police car is standing still?

 

Answer: Your friend is like so many who operate motor vehicles. They are aware of their speedometers but have no clue how the police radars work. Police radar can record the speed of vehicles going the same direction and well as the opposite direction at the same time. There are antennas in the rear and front of police units equipped with radars that are able to check the speeds of vehicles. I always advise citizens: If you do not believe you were the proper person charged when cited, go to the court and plead NOT GUILTY. Our judicial system is not perfect, but it allows you to have your day in court. The state; along with the police officer, MUST prove YOU violated a law. I’ve heard too many times if you get a citation you might as well pay it because the court judge won’t believe you anyway. Tell your friend the officer could have checked his speed going the opposite direction even though he was standing still facing his vehicle.

 

Join Me, Officer Rickey Antoine and CREW Stephen “Buzzard Boots” Mosley, Lelo “mouth of Hwy 69/73” Washington and Tejas “Lil Man” Morning Star for Ask A Cop live on KSAP 96.9 FM The Breeze every Tuesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tune in via internet at ksapthebreeze.org. Call in questions live at 409-982-0247. You can make a comment or Ask a Question via text 409-748-6106. Email questions to rickey.antoine@portarthurtx.gov, call 409-983-8673 for voicemail question or mail them to: Ofc. Rickey Antoine, 645 4th Street, Port Arthur, Texas, 77640. If you happen to see me in public, you can always “Ask A Cop!”