--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No cop was ever born who isn't a sucker…" description: "\"“No cop was ever born who isn't a sucker for a finely-executed hi-speed Controlled Drift all the way around one of those clover-leaf freeway interchang..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/hunter-s-thompson-278_red-light_no-cop-was-ever-born-who-isn-t-a-sucker_2726029.jpg" --- # No cop was ever born who isn't a sucker for a… ![“No cop was ever born who isn't a sucker for a finely-executed hi-speed Controlled Drift all the way around one of those clover-leaf freeway interchanges. Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop. Your normal speeder will panic and immediately pull over to the side…” quote by Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/hunter-s-thompson-278_red-light_no-cop-was-ever-born-who-isn-t-a-sucker_2726029.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/hunter-s-thompson-278_red-light_no-cop-was-ever-born-who-isn-t-a-sucker_2726029.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/hunter-s-thompson-278_red-light_no-cop-was-ever-born-who-isn-t-a-sucker_2726029.jpg) > ““No cop was ever born who isn't a sucker for a finely-executed hi-speed Controlled Drift all the way around one of those clover-leaf freeway interchanges. Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop. Your normal speeder will panic and immediately pull over to the side when he sees the big red light behind him... and then we will start apologizing begging for mercy. This is wrong. It arouses contempt in the cop-heart. The thing to dowhen you're running along about a hundred or so and you suddenly find a red-flashing CHP-tracker on your trail what you want to do then is accelerate.”” [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote glorifies reckless high‑speed driving as a way to provoke and dominate traffic police, celebrating contempt for authority and urging acceleration when pursued. **In simple terms:** Encourages dangerous driving to mock police. Key Takeaway Don’t provoke cops; drive safely. Themes rebellion authority risk adrenaline Mood defiant reckless provocative Type advice warning commentary When to use this quote - highway driving - law enforcement encounters - adrenaline‑seeking activities Key Concepts Gonzo journalism psychology of law enforcement risk‑taking behavior Questions to Reflect On - Do you think thrill‑seeking justifies breaking law? - How does contempt for authority affect personal safety? A Different Perspective Promotes illegal and unsafe behavior that can cause accidents and legal consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contempt Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt-cop-2918622/) [Cop Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cop-heart-247514/) [Flashing Chp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flashing-chp-247517/) [Red light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red-light/) [Speeder Panic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speeder-panic-2918621/) [Traffic Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traffic-cop-247513/) ## Related quotes > [“About five miles back I had a brush with the CHP. Not stopped or pulled over: nothing routine. I always drive properly. A bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/about-five-miles-back-i-had-a-brush-with-the-chp-not-stopped-or/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/few-people-understand-the-psychology-of-dealing-with-a-highway/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“I tried explaining to Blackjack that taking a flying horse to a donut shop would give every cop in there a heart attack, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/i-tried-explaining-to-blackjack-that-taking-a-flying-horse-to-a-donut/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Anybody who thinks talk is cheap has never argued with a traffic cop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henny-youngman/anybody-who-thinks-talk-is-cheap-has-never-argued-with-a-traffic-cop/) [Henny Youngman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henny-youngman/) > [“The role of the professor now is part party host, part traffic cop, full-time enabler.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/the-role-of-the-professor-now-is-part-party-host-part-traffic-cop/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [ Let's face it.., our current \[immigration control\] system is like a busy intersection without a traffic cop: sure there are laws on the books,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/let-s-face-it-our-current-immigration-control-system-is-like-a-busy/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I've been called a point guard, I've been called a traffic cop, I've been called a ringmaster, a lion tamer, whatever. And I guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-johnson-jr/i-ve-been-called-a-point-guard-i-ve-been-called-a-traffic-cop-i-ve/) [Ernie Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-johnson-jr/) > [Had I not been a choreographer, I would have become nothing more than a traffic cop or peon in an office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prabhu-deva/had-i-not-been-a-choreographer-i-would-have-become-nothing-more-than/) [Prabhu Deva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prabhu-deva/) > [I never in my life saw myself as a game show host. I don't want to be a traffic cop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/i-never-in-my-life-saw-myself-as-a-game-show-host-i-don-t-want-to-be/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [If you haven't seen your wife smile at a traffic cop, you haven't seen her smile her prettiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/if-you-haven-t-seen-your-wife-smile-at-a-traffic-cop-you-haven-t-seen/) [Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/) > [“Just as with sound waves, light waves emitted by a moving source show the Doppler effect. What we observe instead of the sound pitch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-genz/just-as-with-sound-waves-light-waves-emitted-by-a-moving-source-show/) [Henning Genz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-genz/) > [“Colored lights blink on and off, racing across the green boughs. Their reflections dance across exquisite glass globes and splinter into shards against tinsel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/colored-lights-blink-on-and-off-racing-across-the-green-boughs-their/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [Suppose you were working at your job one day, and you made a little mistake. Then all of a sudden a red light went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-plante/suppose-you-were-working-at-your-job-one-day-and-you-made-a-little/) [Jacques Plante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-plante/) > [That awkward moment when you stop at a red light and look over to someone staring at you..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-awkward-moment-when-you-stop-at-a-red-light-and-look-over-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Behind my eyelids, I saw him dancing in spirals of coloured light, emerald, blue, and brilliant purple, enfolding him like the wings of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/behind-my-eyelids-i-saw-him-dancing-in-spirals-of-coloured-light/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) ## More by Hunter S. Thompson > [“There was also the fact that sending a penniless writer to get $135 worth of beer was — as Khrushchev said of Nixon —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-was-also-the-fact-that-sending-a-penniless-writer-to-get-135/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“Cases of champagne and scotch lay broken in the street, and everyone I saw had a bottle. They were screaming and dancing, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/cases-of-champagne-and-scotch-lay-broken-in-the-street-and-everyone-i/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No music + Bad TV = Bad mood & no pages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-music-bad-tv-bad-mood-no-pages/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [By disgracing and degrading the presidency of the United States, by fleeing the White House like a diseased cur, Richard Nixon broke the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/by-disgracing-and-degrading-the-presidency-of-the-united-states-by/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No one holds command over me. No man. No god. No Prince. What is a claim of age for ones who are immortal? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-one-holds-command-over-me-no-man-no-god-no-prince-what-is-a-claim/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“The person who doesn't scatter the morning dew will not comb grey hairs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-person-who-doesn-t-scatter-the-morning-dew-will-not-comb-grey/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Hope rises and dreams flicker and die. Love plans for tomorrow and loneliness thinks of yesterday. Life is beautiful and living is pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/hope-rises-and-dreams-flicker-and-die-love-plans-for-tomorrow-and/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [If we get chased out of Iraq with our tail between our legs, that will be the fifth consecutive Third-world country with no hint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-we-get-chased-out-of-iraq-with-our-tail-between-our-legs-that-will/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [At age 22 I set what I insist is an all-time record for distance hitchhiking in Bermuda shorts: 3,700 miles in three weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/at-age-22-i-set-what-i-insist-is-an-all-time-record-for-distance/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Paranoia is just another mask for ignorance. The truth, when you finally chase it down is almost always far worse than your darkest visions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/paranoia-is-just-another-mask-for-ignorance-the-truth-when-you/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“No doubt they all Got What Was Coming To Them. All those pathetically eager acid freaks who thought they could buy Peace and Understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-doubt-they-all-got-what-was-coming-to-them-all-those-pathetically/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“For several months they'd been drifting toward political involvement, but the picture was hazy and one of the most confusing elements was their geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/for-several-months-they-d-been-drifting-toward-political-involvement/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [He wandered into the Newsroom and asked for a job the same way he’d walk into a barbershop and ask for a haircut, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/he-wandered-into-the-newsroom-and-asked-for-a-job-the-same-way-he-d/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There's no point in getting into politics at all unless you plan to lash things around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-no-point-in-getting-into-politics-at-all-unless-you-plan-to/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There’s a lot of things wrong with this country, but one of the few things still right with it is that a man can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-a-lot-of-things-wrong-with-this-country-but-one-of-the-few/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) [Explore all 765 Hunter S. Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## More Red light quotes > [“Behind my eyelids, I saw him dancing in spirals of coloured light, emerald, blue, and brilliant purple, enfolding him like the wings of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/behind-my-eyelids-i-saw-him-dancing-in-spirals-of-coloured-light/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [That awkward moment when you stop at a red light and look over to someone staring at you..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-awkward-moment-when-you-stop-at-a-red-light-and-look-over-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Suppose you were working at your job one day, and you made a little mistake. Then all of a sudden a red light went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-plante/suppose-you-were-working-at-your-job-one-day-and-you-made-a-little/) [Jacques Plante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-plante/) > [“Colored lights blink on and off, racing across the green boughs. Their reflections dance across exquisite glass globes and splinter into shards against tinsel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/colored-lights-blink-on-and-off-racing-across-the-green-boughs-their/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [“Just as with sound waves, light waves emitted by a moving source show the Doppler effect. What we observe instead of the sound pitch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-genz/just-as-with-sound-waves-light-waves-emitted-by-a-moving-source-show/) [Henning Genz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-genz/) > [One song Glory One song Before I go Glory One song to leave behind Find one song One last refrain Glory From the pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rent/one-song-glory-one-song-before-i-go-glory-one-song-to-leave-behind/) [Rent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rent/) > [We’re all trying to get to the same island, whether you swim, fly, surf, or skydive in, it doesn’t matter. What matters is when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/we-re-all-trying-to-get-to-the-same-island-whether-you-swim-fly-surf/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [“Christmas always used to get me down. There was something oppressive about all those twinkling colored lights. "Are you happy?" "Do you fit in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chica-umino/christmas-always-used-to-get-me-down-there-was-something-oppressive/) [Chica Umino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chica-umino/) > [We're all trying to get to the same island — whether you swim, fly, surf, or skydive, it doesn't matter. What matters is when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/we-re-all-trying-to-get-to-the-same-island-whether-you-swim-fly-surf-2/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I've stopped racing to get to the red light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-chandler/i-ve-stopped-racing-to-get-to-the-red-light/) [Kyle Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-chandler/) > [I watched the early morning light pass over and through the windows of colored glass, leaving streaks of red and green and yellow on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-cushman/i-watched-the-early-morning-light-pass-over-and-through-the-windows/) [Karen Cushman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-cushman/) > [How many people came and stayed a certain time, Uttered light or dark speech that became part of you Like light behind windblown fog…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashbery/how-many-people-came-and-stayed-a-certain-time-uttered-light-or-dark/) [John Ashbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashbery/) > [September could see it. She did not know what is was she saw. That is the disadvantage of being a heroine, rather than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/september-could-see-it-she-did-not-know-what-is-was-she-saw-that-is/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“Desperately. Tally searched her brain for a prayer. Any prayer. Now I lay me down to sleep... No! Not that one. Hail Mary something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherry-adair/desperately-tally-searched-her-brain-for-a-prayer-any-prayer-now-i/) [Cherry Adair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherry-adair/) > [“I bought new strings of colored lights. This served as a profession of faith in the future. I take the opportunity for such professions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-bought-new-strings-of-colored-lights-this-served-as-a-profession-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) [Browse all 377 Red light quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red-light/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“No cop was ever born who isn't a sucker for a finely-executed hi-speed Controlled Drift all the way around one of those clover-leaf freeway interchanges. Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop. Your normal speeder will panic and immediately pull over to the side when he sees the big red light behind him... and then we will start apologizing begging for mercy. This is wrong. It arouses contempt in the cop-heart. 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