So you got pulled over by a police officer and it’s just not going well. Maybe you think the officer seems rude, or maybe just nosey, but they are getting you worked up. Can you request they swap out for a different officer before you continue the interaction? You absolutely can ask. But that doesn’t mean they’ll say yes.

When a Quora user put this question to the online forum of experts a retired police officer named Bill Parker responded: “Sure you can ask. But you will usually get turned down.”

Why? The truth may simply be logistics. Most departments will have multiple officers covering traffic at any given time, but they’ll be spread out throughout the jurisdiction. So it’s not likely a supervisor or dispatcher will order two officers waste driving time, just to switch. But there is an exception.

Officer Parker admitted, “Some agencies may have a policy of sending someone if you request it.” Often, this policy is around a civilian asking an officer “Can I speak with your supervisor?” during a traffic stop. Why? Often because the civilian feels the officer is performing their job poorly. But again, the outcome will often come down to whether a higher ranking officer or shift supervisor is nearby and able to respond.

The honest truth is that you don’t have any special rights to pick and choose the police officer you deal with. Officer Parker concluded, “There is no requirement in law for officers to call a supervisor to the scene or stuff like that. They can if they want to.”

There is another risk to requesting an officer switch. You may anger the police officer you’re dealing with. It might be easier to fess up that you got off to a rocky start, take some of the responsibility, and ask their input on how the two of you can proceed. They are, after all, a professional who is just trying to keep your roads safe.