Shannon wrote:

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. (AP) — Happy holidays. Now pull over to the side of the road.

Motorists may be in for a surprise if they spot flashing red lights in their rearview mirrors in this Sacramento suburb during the holiday season.

Police are stopping law-abiding motorists and rewarding their good driving with $5 Starbucks gift cards.

A traffic officer came up with the idea to "promote the holiday spirit and enhance goodwill between the traffic unit and the motoring public," police Sgt. Tim Curran said.

Local businesses donated money to buy the gift cards.

"They raised a substantial amount of money," Curran said. "They'll be pulling over a lot of people."

I don't like this precedent. This sounds a lot like being pulled over for no reason.

The idea is good, the method is not. I think it is ok for the police to try to do something positive in society. But, being pulled over is always a negative thing and it will be freaking some people out. In the end, probably the best reward for being a good citizen should be being left alone by the people who do the police powers.

I too am curious to see if they are asking for ID/registration/insurance. Or, see how many tickets or arrests have resulted out of the initial "gift giving". This can become an excuse for pulling over people who are "driving too good".

RE: The Associated Press: Police Reward Good Drivers With Coffee