To ensure folks are following the law and other safety provisions, cops will stop drivers for a whole manner of reasons. However, stopping a driver over a stick of beef jerky is definitely a new one.
According to a 2021 study, over 50% of drivers have eaten behind the wheel before. While this isn’t as drastic as, say, watching football while driving, it’s definitely a grey area.
Still, TikToker Hannah Strauss (@hannahgstrauss) never expected to be pulled over for eating a beef stick.
Woman Pulled Over For Eating Beef Stick
In the TikTok, Strauss explained how she was eating and driving before noticing a cop car turning its lights on and coming down the middle of the road. Once this happens, Strauss assumes that they want to stop another car. However, she soon discovers that it’s actually her they want to stop.
When she stops, two cops come out of the car and tell her, “You know what you were doing.”
When Strauss then explained that she didn’t know, the police accused her of holding her phone up to her face to talk. In response, Strauss tells them that she was actually just eating a beef stick. As she recounted, she demonstrated to the viewer how she angled the food towards her face so she could drive at the same time.
While it takes time for Strauss to be believed, the cops ultimately let her go. They tell her to eat beef sticks more straightforwardly so that it couldn’t be mistaken for a phone.
The video garnered 4.7 million views.
In a follow-up video, Strauss answered a few viewer questions. She clarified that, in Tennessee, eating and driving alone isn’t enough to get ticketed.
She also said she offered to let them smell her breath, and agreed with another commenter who said that the police can mistake it for a blunt.
However, she points out that when she was showing car insurance on the phone, it was clear it wasn’t used as there were unread texts and notifications. Ultimately, she didn’t get a ticket, and they all had a good laugh about the situation.
BroBible reached out to Strauss via email.
How Did Commenters React?
Commenters were unimpressed with the police officers’ attitude and the police in general. “It bothers me that they argued with you,” one wrote. “They can control how we eat now?” a second asked. “Got it.”
While a third advised, “Never answer when a cop asks why you think you were pulled over. They are required to tell you, not you tell them.”
Others shared their own similar experiences. “Try getting pulled over for not having both hands on the wheel and I drive a manual transmission car,” a fourth added. While a fifth said, “I got a ticket, eating a sausage McMuffin. Mind you he was waiting beside McDonald’s when I pulled out.”
Is It Legal To Eat Behind The Wheel?
There is no explicit statute preventing someone from eating while driving in Tennessee. However, it can be dangerous if it ends up distracting the person behind the wheel.
According to the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, there are three types of distracted driving: cognitive, visual, and manual. Cognitive distracted driving happens when the person is thinking of something other than driving. Visual distracted driving occurs when the driver isn’t keeping their eyes on the road. Meanwhile, manual distraction occurs when a person takes their hand or hands off the wheel.
Even so, it would appear that Strauss still didn’t meet the criteria for distracted driving. She told viewers in the second TikTok that she kept both hands on the steering wheel while eating her beef stick.
@hannahgstrauss He said it was going down as the funniest reason he pulled someone over. (Also apologies for all the “likes” I was still kind of in shock 😅) #tennessee #storytimes #funnystorytime #policestorytime #nashvilletn
Woman Gets Pulled Over For Wilder Reason
This isn’t the first time a cop pulled over a driver for an unusual reason.
In another viral TikTok, a woman was pulled over for purportedly using a device in her right hand while driving. But there was one problem—she didn’t actually have a right hand.
“Turns out you can still get a ticket for driving with a device in your right hand, even if you don’t have a right hand,” user Katie (@slightlyoff.balance) quipped in the TikTok.