Yes, politeness is important, as is honesty, as is the maturity to concede that you have done something wrong.
The last ticket that I received, in 1995, was for a “rolling stop” at a stop sign.
Was I guilty of a “rolling stop”?
Yup!
Did I argue with the cop?
Nope!
The intersection in question was in a business district that was always deserted in the early morning hours, prior to the opening of the shops. As a result, I almost always did a “rolling stop” at that intersection each morning on my way to work. Because of very long sightlines at that “T” intersection, it was possible to see at least 3 blocks, and it was always totally devoid of traffic–hence my usual “rolling stop” in order to save a bit of time.
On the morning in question, I failed to see the police car parked in a vacant lot where a building had recently been torn down. When I was pulled over, there was no mystery about why I had been stopped, so I merely turned my documentation over to the officer and waited (impatiently) for at least 15 minutes while he checked my record and slowly wrote the ticket.
When I arrived at work a few minutes late, my supervisor inquired about my tardiness. I calmly stated that I had gotten a ticket, but that I had deserved it. She was incredulous and almost speechless because I did not begin complaining about an unfair cop, or ridiculous laws, or some other lame–off topic–excuse. I simply admitted that I had received a traffic citation, and that I deserved it.
Later in the day, she said to me, “You are the first person I ever encountered who did not believe himself to be the victim of an unfair ticket…you are an unusual man!”
I replied to her…When somebody cannot accept the reality that he did something wrong, and that there is a penalty for wrongdoing, that tells you something about his character. And, conversely, if someone readily concedes his guilt and is ready to accept the penalty like a man, that also tells you something about his character. “Which one would you rather have teaching your children?”, I asked her with a smile.
While I already had a decent relationship with that supervisor, I think that she gained new respect for me that day.