By and David Iberkleid (Editor) |
Have you ever wondered if your last name could influence how you're treated at a routine traffic stop? For most people, the idea of being treated differently based on something as simple as a name seems far-fetched. But for one member of Relaid, the roadblock and checkpoint alert service, her experience reveals a reality that's both frustrating and deeply personal.
In a recent interview, she shared her story about how her previous marriage created years of challenging interactions with law enforcement—interactions that, by her account, had nothing to do with her actions and everything to do with an association she could hardly shake.
Traffic stops are common, often mundane encounters for most drivers. But as anyone who's been through one can attest, they're not always straightforward. Many drivers carry a mix of concern, frustration, and sometimes fear when interacting with officers on the road. Most people hope for fair treatment, a quick check, and to be on their way.
However, for some, personal history—or even an association with someone else's history—can heavily impact these interactions. That's the case for this Relaid member, who shared her experience of enduring repeated vehicle searches and added scrutiny, not because of her own actions but due to a past connection that lingered long after her life had moved on.
During the interview, this Relaid member began by acknowledging that under typical circumstances, she faced no issues in traffic stops. "When I'm driving legal, it's no problem," she explained, referring to keeping her tags up to date and making sure all her paperwork was in order. "Most of the time, [they] just wanna look at my driver's license and send me on my way." Her words painted a picture of an average driver who, like most of us, expects a straightforward interaction as long as she's following the rules.
But her experience took a sharp turn when discussing the impact of her ex-husband's criminal record on her interactions with law enforcement. "When I was married to my ex-husband… he got caught with 500 pounds of marijuana," she shared. Despite the end of their marriage, that relationship cast a long shadow over her life, as officers frequently requested to search her vehicle based solely on her last name.
Every time I ran into the law, they wanted to check my vehicle. But now that I'm actually married and have a different last name, I don't have no prob
"It wasn't good," she continued, her voice conveying a sense of residual frustration. "Every time I ran into the law, they wanted to check my vehicle." She explained that even though she had moved on and had no involvement in her ex-husband's actions, officers seemed to fixate on her association with him, questioning her integrity simply because of their former connection.
In a powerful moment during the interview, she revealed a sense of newfound relief now that she's remarried and her last name has changed. "But now that I'm actually married and have a different last name, I don't have no prob," she shared with an audible sigh of relief. Despite the unfairness of her past experience, she could finally drive without the constant concern of being stopped and scrutinized for something she had no control over.
This relief wasn't only due to a change of last name; it was a shift in her sense of security. Finally, she could focus on her drive without the weight of past associations influencing how she was treated.
Her story sheds light on a larger issue that affects many drivers—how bias, whether implicit or explicit, can influence law enforcement practices. While traffic stops are primarily about ensuring road safety, studies suggest that personal identifiers, like names or past associations, may impact the likelihood of additional questioning or searches. According to research on traffic stops and law enforcement behavior, factors unrelated to a driver's immediate actions can sometimes unfairly influence officers' decisions.
For this Jane, her treatment seemed to hinge entirely on her association with her former spouse—a connection that had faded in every way but one: her last name. While changing her last name eventually allowed her to move past this treatment, many drivers still face scrutiny based on associations that are, ultimately, irrelevant to their actions on the road ∎
