Weird Encounter

Hello this weird Wednesday. My regular pharmacy couldn't fill a new rx. They were good enough to find another pharmacy in a different small town that could. I went to pick up and met one of that town's LEOs on the way back. I was heading southbound in the late afternoon. As I'm struggling to find license and registration, he walked up to my car, stood a bit behind my left shoulder and began to speak, startling me a bit. I tried a stretch neck exercise but still could only see from below his left shoulder to just below his belt, and one arm. It was a big guy. He was still talking when I asked him to move forward so I could see him. "I'm standing where I'm supposed to be standing. You don't need to see me"... umm, what? "Yes, I really do" as I unclicked my seat belt and shifted my entire body to at least see (against the sun) he had a head and face, and badge. (I don't remember if he was wearing a mask. Mine was around my lower chin and neck. But his face was at least 4feet behind and 3feet above mine, so there is that, LOL) 

In a sedan, my shifting position would not have worked to improve my view. The stance of the officer would have felt intimidating, I think. From the cop's perspective, maybe it's a matter of safety? From his vantage point (and my top down car), he could see my lap and hands full of wallet and opened purse, and hubby's hands full of the paperwork, rx bag, insurance and credit cards, and whatnot from the drive thru pharmacy... but that would not have worked in a sedan either. Is it somehow "safer" for an officer to stand in that position (hubby said something about possible gun in the car -- I don't see how that position is any "safer" from a gun)? Is this a deliberate intimidation technique? My car was kinda new to that town in that I rarely go there but so what? Is it just a speed trap as is 295 or 195 or whatever it is around some town in Virginia where they've soaked me a few times on their I-95 "by-pass"? 

When officer returned to my car from his, he returned my insurance card and asked several "Who are you and Why are you here" questions. "Needed rx" gesturing; regular pharmacy referred me to your pharmacy. "Who is regular pharmacy"; I told him. "You still at [my address]"? "yes". "When was your last traffic violation?" "several years, IDK exactly"; "Will be right back" -- surprised me because I thought it was done at that point; I fully expected a speeding ticket (not justified of course, LOL). "Weird" me to hubby.. "WTF was that?" Officer returned in a bit with my "papers" (now standing more to my left than behind me), told me that since it's been over [many] years since my most recent violation and since I'm "from the area" here's this warning instead of 20+ mph over (! -- no way!) ticket. He gave me a "watch your speed, drive carefully" blurb, and handed me a thermal paper printed "Warning",  I automatically said "thank you"; he went back to his car (an unmarked big, black SUV thing several feet behind and to my left of my bumper). I had to pull forward many feet to be able to see oncoming traffic in my side-view mirror to safely pull back onto the road. 

So, really, WTF WAS THAT? What if I wasn't "from the area"? What if I didn't have "my papers" (yes, this has happened a couple times)? What if I did have a 'recent' violation? What's up with that hulking stance? What if either of us (especially me) were not white? What if I hadn't yet done the "Real ID" crap on my DL? Did I face simply small town fund raising? Or small town (big man) bluster? Or a deliberate attempt at police intimidation of some sort? Is this SOP for the police nowadays? I have no bumper stickers. My car is a (dirty) 2004 model year Chrysler with 'Save The Bay' tags. IDK what socio-economic group I seemed to be that day. I appear moderately old I guess. None of this seems to make me a "target" for intimidation -- is there some activist or subversive group of grannies I don't know about? WTH *was* THAT (besides weird)? 

These are facts. IDK why this event occurred as it did. IDK how this method is "safer" for the officer or the people in the car. But I see no "end goal" in trying to intimate me either -- I'm not of an often maligned, marginalized "underclass" of people who might be intimidated this way. If it's "just the way things are now", then there is something seriously wrong with the way "protect and serve" has been interpreted and implemented. This just happened a day or two ago, but is unlike any previous experience I've had on the road. Can anyone enlighten me on any of this?

Just to clarify for the directionally challenged, in Maryland we pull to the right off the road surface when stopped. I know some areas pull to the center, or to the left. Hahaha, just realized, *that* sounds like a political statement... ah lordy!