What if they tell you nothing?My Agency doesn't care if we issue cites or warnings.
Due to this fact I prefer to actually interact with the driver and I DO ask if the person is aware of the reason as to why I stopped them. There is a PERSON behind the wheel of that vehicle, not just a vehicle that somehow committed a traffic infraction on its own.
I gauge the individual, determine if they are aware of what they did and issue accordingly. People that begin to argue, fight, claim innocence and then make threats 50% of the time (I really dont like issuing citations) receive a citation. People that inform me "yes, I was aware that I did that" receive a warning. We have discretion for a reason and being able to exercise it instead of being a gruff to the point jackass without any kind of personality is one of the many reasons why people hate cops.
I'm not anyone's friend out there and im not looking to be friends, im looking to do my job and traffic enforcement is about education, not penalization. Its not personal on any level and i dont make it as such as i will not tolerate someone apologizing to ME. Im not interested in that. What im looking for is just a teeny smidge of personal accountability which we severely lack as a society.
In Florida where you can hire a ticket clinic and walk away with no points basically until the end of time means that serial offenders are always going to be serial offenders, they will never learn. The nursing student headed home from college through an area where she's never been will ideally, take away a pleasant interaction where she DIDN'T receive a citation and maybe remember to pay attention. Or not, I prefer to spend the extra thirty seconds showing the person that I'm not a jack boot thug. You CAN do this professionally contrary to the opinions of the old salt's who would rather break their own jaw than have to talk to someone at work...