alt Hacker NewsI've noticed this myself. Not being pulled over, but being followed.
When I just came to the US, I got my car and started exploring Utah a lot. Just picking a random spot on a map and going there. Beautiful countryside.
There were several occasions when a police vehicle showed up right after I parked, made a circle around me and disappeared.
One time their cruiser parked 30 feet away and they were watching me. I had a slice of pizza with me, so I rolled down a window and let them watch me eating. They drove away after a few minutes.
Also, driving 60 miles one way to a lake for a swim once or twice a week is suspicious, apparently. And I was doing it even when the water was in 40s. One time K9 parked right next to me. Idk if they searched my car or not, but their drone followed me on a trail back and forth for over 5 minutes. And when I came back, they were packing up and leaving.
Never saw them during moonless nights when I was stargazing in the middle of nowhere or sleeping in my car on the side of a road. Fun times.
Slightly related to your post. I forget the name of this book but it went over common tactics of American police. In it describes a tactic by police 'to flush out a hare'. When police have a slow day they will look for and get behind cars models that are in the top 10 most likely to be stolen. They will turn on their sirens and see if the car will speed up to get away or pull off to the side. If they sped up, they got a hare to catch as in they just found a criminal in their stolen vehicle.
I traveled with friends on a road trip and they drove such a car in the top 10. When I told them that they told me that explained why cops were always turning on and off their sirens behind them.
These top 10 cars were likely to be cheaper sedans.