Seth Coaches Sean on His Traffic Stop Demeanor

Summary

Payne & Pendergast – “Seth Coaches Sean on His Traffic Stop Demeanor”

Date: June 30, 2026
Podcast: Payne & Pendergast (Audacy)
Theme: Seth shares his proven strategies for handling traffic stops, coaching Sean on the art of getting out of tickets—with plenty of banter, humility, and classic sports talk asides.

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Overview

This episode of Payne & Pendergast focuses on Seth Payne’s impressively successful approach to traffic stops and how he “coaches” co-host Sean Pendergast on improving his own demeanor with police. What starts as a playful debate about Sean’s likelihood of getting tickets turns into a practical (and humorous) guide on how to maximize your chances of a warning instead of a citation. Along the way, Seth mixes in stories from his playing days, car tales, and life advice—with their trademark mix of insight, self-deprecation, and camaraderie.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Traffic Stop Odds & Sean’s Demeanor

• Jumping In ([01:30]): Sean reads a listener text suggesting he’ll rack up tickets; Seth shares the statistic that 44% of traffic stops end with just a warning.
• Sean, surprised: He thinks that number feels low, based on his experience.
• Seth’s angle: Frames Sean’s issue as needing “work on your demeanor.”

2. Seth’s Rules for Handling Traffic Stops

Seth details a tactical, step-by-step guide:

• Get to the shoulder:
  • “You get as far as humanly possible to the right side of the road… to make it safe for the cop.” ([03:01])
• Ease police nerves:
  • “Every cop, when they walk up to a car, they don’t know what the hell’s gonna happen… So you want to ease their stress as much as possible.” ([03:12])
• Windows & hands:
  • “Roll your windows down, have your lights on, hands on the steering wheel.” ([03:22])
• Honesty > Evasion:
  • “Never, ever, ever act like you didn’t know you were speeding. Never act like you didn’t realize you rolled that [stop sign].” ([03:32])
• Admit and own it:
  • “Tell them exactly why. No excuses. It’s not a huge deal... But it’s also like, ‘Yeah, I was speeding. I go seven miles an hour over the speed limit.’” ([03:49])
• License and registration etiquette:
  • “Do not keep looking at the cop as you start reaching into the glove compartment, because that’s what people do when they have a weapon... some people do that because they’re just like nervous…” ([04:04])
• Conversational finesse:
  • “It’s just by making casual conversation as much as possible.” ([04:39])
  • “Try to just make it as just a casual, comfortable conversation. Not make excuses.” ([04:47])

3. The Importance of Attitude and Personality

• Politeness has a ceiling: Seth warns that being overly polite can make the interaction too transactional and can backfire:
  • “Being polite, extremely polite, makes it a really easy transaction for the cop. He’s like, okay, I’m going to write this out. No conversation. Here you go. Boom.” ([02:00])
• Gregariousness helps: Sean jokes about needing to “work on my demeanor” with Seth, playing up their dynamic.

4. Has Seth’s NFL Fame Ever Helped Him?

• “Oh, and I’ve never once dropped that I’m an NFL player.” ([05:56])
• Seth takes pride in getting out of tickets before he was a professional athlete—back when he drove a “beat up two door Pontiac,” not a “muscle car version of Le Mans” ([06:38]).

5. Seth’s Infamous Pontiac Story

• Retells the tale of his car seat breaking right after getting drafted—“Of all the days that this could have happened, this was the best possible for sure. I know I’m going to be able to buy a new vehicle.” ([07:45])
• His first post-draft purchase? “A used Tahoe. Good financial advice from my stepfather...with less than 20,000 miles.” ([07:58])

6. The Myth of the Signing Bonus

• Seth breaks down the real value of his $219,000 NFL signing bonus:
  • “What was once income for life for $219,000 has now turned into a paltry $110,000.” ([08:31])

7. Teased Rockets Segment

• Sean, finishing the bit, teases upcoming Rockets-related audio aimed at stoking fan “pettiness”—an invitation to stick around for sports talk in the next segment. ([08:55])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Seth’s Coaching, with tongue in cheek:
  • “You need to make friends with the cop asap… try to make it as casual, comfortable conversation. Not make excuses.” ([02:00], [04:47])
• Sean’s banter:
  • “I gotta work on my demeanor. You’re gonna make me have to work on my demeanor with you right now.” ([01:56])
• Seth on pre-NFL days:
  • “The ones I take the most pride in are the ones before I was an NFL player. Because I promise you this: being a Cornell football player didn’t get me out of a damn thing.” ([06:15])
• On the myth of sports-wealth:
  • “You got to know I barely survive.” ([08:31])
• Sean’s challenge:
  • “I’m gonna go speeding around town. Almost trolling an officer to pull me over to put the Seth Payne five point plan to work.” ([05:00])

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• [01:30] Listener predicts Sean will get a “ton of tickets”—begin traffic stop debate
• [02:32 - 04:55] Seth lays out his “Five Point Plan” for handling police stops
• [05:00] Sean jokes about testing out Seth’s plan
• [06:15 - 06:53] Seth’s “broke college car” and pride in early success with cops
• [07:45] The broken-seat Pontiac story
• [07:58] Seth’s frugal vehicle-buying philosophy post-NFL draft
• [08:31] The reality of NFL signing bonuses
• [08:55] Segment tease for upcoming Rockets “pettiness” content

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Tone & Style

The episode blends practical life tips, playful ribbing, and relatable storytelling. Seth’s style is gently authoritative but self-deprecating—he’s honest about both his successes and failures, reveling in the humility of his “broke student” days as much as the perks (and misconceptions) of NFL life. Sean’s role is the quick-witted, ever-game conversationalist, keeping the tone light and the narrative brisk.

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Useful For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode delivers a real-world, surprisingly actionable “traffic stop playbook” for any driver, laced with humor and underdog spirit. The sports talk hosts’ chemistry makes the subject approachable even for non-sports fans, while the quick pivots to Rockets/bonus stories ensure it’s still classic Houston radio. Fans can expect to feel both entertained and a little wiser—and to laugh along at the hosts’ own human foibles.

Transcript

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[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Texter says that I'm going to be getting a ton of tickets today from Cops.

[Seth Payne]

Well, you and I, you know, you and I are going to have to work on your demeanor when you get pulled over because I told you during the break that I found one stat that 44% of traffic stops end with a verbal or written warning with no citation delivery. And you were kind of surprised by that? Where I thought it felt low based on my personal experience, yeah, you're a former professional.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

I gotta work on my demeanor. You're gonna make me have to work on my demeanor with you right now.

[Seth Payne]

I've gotten polite to Cops. I've gotten out of Trap. Plight's not necessarily a thing you need to go for. See, you should have a really big strength with it, which is you getting you need to make friends with the cop asap. And being polite is one thing, but being polite, extremely polite, makes it a really easy transaction for the copy he's like, okay, I'm going to write this out. No conversation. Here you go. Boom. And.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Oh, you think I'm a little too polite?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Not. Not that you don't, you know, remain polite, but maybe a little bit more gregarious. Educate me.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Educate me, Mr. 90%. What is it that you do to get out of all these?

[Seth Payne]

Well, the first, I've told you, first and foremost, because I got. Okay, yes, when I was a player, it helped. But before I was a player, when I was a teenager, the. I've got out a few. Since I've been done playing football, and all across America, I've gotten out of traffic tickets. I don't even like to think of it as gotten out of traffic tickets, Sean. It's just that my new friend didn't feel like giving me a ticket that.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

So how did you befriend them so quick?

[Seth Payne]

First and foremost. And people screw this up all the time. You get as far as humanly possible to the right side of the road without. With like, to make it safe for the cop.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

And because you just. Every cop, when they walk up to a car, they don't know what the hell's gonna happen and if they're gonna get hit by a tractor trailer on the road. So you wanna ease their stress as much as possible.

[Jimmy Uso]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

Get as far as possible to the right of the road. Roll your windows down, have your lights on, hands on the steering wheel.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

And these are all things that I do.

[Seth Payne]

Continue everything you can do to put a cop at ease.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And then when he asks you the first question, never, ever, ever act like you didn't know you were speeding. Never act like you didn't realize you rolled that.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

To be clear, the first question is, do you know why I pulled you over?

[Seth Payne]

Yes.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yes. Okay.

[Seth Payne]

Tell them exactly why. Okay. No excuses.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

And it's not a huge deal. It's not a. It's not like, oh, my gosh, oh, I'm such an awful person. But it's also like, yeah, I was speeding. I go seven miles an hour over the speed limit.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Seth Payne]

You just make it as nonchalant as possible. And then the other big thing, too, is to what? Not make excuses. Pull over as far as possible to the right when they ask you for your license and registration. This is a big one. And people botch this sometimes because they're nervous. By no means do not keep looking at the cop as you start reaching into the glove compartment, because that's what people do when they have a weapon in the glove compartment when you're trying to keep your eyes on the target. But some people do that.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Because they're just like nervous and they're staring at the cop and everything.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

And then the other big part, and I guess this is a little bit softer, is like, it's just by making casual conversation as much as possible.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yeah. I do that.

[Seth Payne]

You know. Yeah, yeah. That, that. You just try to just make it as just a casual, comfortable conversation. Not make excuses.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

You know, admit that you screwed up, but don't go over the top. You know what I'm going to do today?

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

I'm going to go speeding around town.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Almost trolling an officer to pull me over to put the Seth Payne five point plan to work.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

And see if it works for me.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

And if I get a speeding ticket, you're going to split it with me. Okay. Onto the Rockets. No, I'm just joking.

[Seth Payne]

I think I say, I mean, that's the hard part though too because you and I both kind of, you know, like, we kind of have a natural way with people.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And we're good conversationalists. So that's where I'm struggling to. That's why I'm trying. I should have better advice for how do you have a conversation with somebody who's in a great position of control over you?

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

I don't know.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

I guess you played for Tom Coughlin, by God.

[Seth Payne]

Well, some of that just comes natural to me where it's, it's going to be more difficult for other people.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just I, I don't know if mine's at 30 or 40. I mean, I've gotten out of tickets before, but boy, when you said 90%, I'm like, boy, that exceeds probably even like the, like a lot of, a lot of like, like super famous athletes.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, and I've never once dropped that I'm an NFL player.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

No, I, I get. No, I'm. And I'm not saying you have, but

[Seth Payne]

I mean, come up in a couple of times. When I was a player, I was just a huge. You're a gigantic person. Yeah, yeah. You know, a young big guy driving a nice car.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Not a lot of 320 pound hedge fund managers driving around.

[Seth Payne]

The ones I take the most pride in are the ones before I was an NFL player. Because I promise you this, being a Cornell football player didn't get me out of a damn thing. And then if any major I've been done playing where no talk of the NFL Came into it at all.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

If I know anything about cops in the town where there's a bunch of rich kids going to a. They don't like the students from that. I'm not saying you were a rich kid.

[Seth Payne]

No. But there I'm a guy driving a beat up two door Pontiac.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

That helps probably. Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Not the muscle car version of Le Mans. No, the broke down ver. Why the hell did Pontiac do that?

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

I don't know.

[Seth Payne]

They just have a Le Mans that was a badass car. And then all of a sudden they were like, here's the fuel efficiency.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah. No, my, my brother, my brother Kevin had the one you're talking about.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, he called it Lee. That's how your name Leman's the best time. The best time for your car to break down ever is the day after you get drafted in the NFL. I was driving my crappy two door Pontiac Le Mons and I was driving up to the Pyramid Mall in Ithaca and I was taking this corner pretty hard. Harder than I should have on the. I can't even remember the name of the road. Little miniature expressway. Yeah. And my seat broke off of the mounts. Like I just all of a sudden my seat in the car and. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I like, like while you're driving. So until I could get my signing bonus, you know, a few weeks later, I was driving my. My two door Pontiac Le Mans that didn't even have an attached front seat.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Oh my God.

[Seth Payne]

And then I was able to buy a nice used Tahoe.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

It's like a carnival ride.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Driving around, moving around like.

[Seth Payne]

But it was, it was like man, of all the days that this could have happened, this was the best possible for sure. I know I'm going to be able to buy a new vehicle. Yeah, absolutely.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

And so your first car that you bought after you got your NFL signing bonus was a used Tahoe.

[Seth Payne]

A used Tahoe.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Okay. How many miles?

[Seth Payne]

Good financial advice from my stepfather. About like just buying. Yeah. Like with less than 20,000 miles.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yeah. May as well be new. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good job. Good job, young Seth.

[Seth Payne]

Paint signing bonus is $219,000.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

I was going to go out and brand it. Buy a brand new Escalade or something.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Before or after taxes.

[Seth Payne]

A lot of things people don't tell you about. 219,000.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

That's what I want you. I'm trying to.

[Seth Payne]

$90,000. You're never gonna have to work again.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

I'm trying.

[Seth Payne]

Never gon work again. Ah, wait.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Exactly. Exactly what I was trying to do.

[Seth Payne]

What was once income for life for $219,000 has now turned into a paltry $110,000. You got to know I barely survive.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

Did you know they have taxes at the state level, too? Florida, we're going to take. We're the the audio that we teased into this segment before we started talking about me getting a slew of tickets from officers today.

[Seth Payne]

Sorry about that.

[Co-host/Guest with Seth Payne]

That's okay. It actually fits in the pen cast. So this audio, if you're a Rockets fan, I think is going to make you petty and maybe even want the Rockets to go get Jaylen Brown. We've got that. We've got several other petties that we will get to. We'll do that in the petty cast coming up next.

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[David Spade]

Hey, what's up, flies? This is David Spade. Dana Carvey. Okay, I know we never actually left, but I'll just say it. We are back with another season of Fly on the Wall. Every episode, including ones with guests, will now be on video. Every Thursday, you'll hear us and see us chatting with big name celebrities. And every Monday, you're stuck with just me and Dana. We react to news, what's trending, viral clips follow and listen to Fly on the Wall everywhere. You get your podcasts.