I got pulled over by the police Friday Night ...

[Dark Knight]

That might be a bit harsh.
I only have a problem when the authority they are granted is abused. Cops that drive like they own the road pisses me off. If they got an emergency, turn on the lights and I'll get out of the way, cause someday they may be in a hurry to help me. That judge pissed me off worse then the cop. She didn't do a damn thing for 45 minutes. Then instead of being even the slightest bit helpful, scolds me like I had no business being in her court room. Since when do you need a law degree to present your side in a traffic ticket?

I'll make sure the next time a contractor asks for help in selecting a part, I tell him to call the undergraduate admissions department and ask about an engineering degree. Then I'll act pissed off cause he made me lose at minesweeper.

Yes it is. I did not mean to be a jerk with that comment. I thought it was going to be kind of funny. As a matter of fact I have a relative, a cousin, that is a police officer in my island.

As you, my friend, I also have problems with the abuse of authority and for good or bad I have seen a lot of that. A cop here stopped my wife for doing 23 on a 20 mph zone. Can you believe that? To make things worst he called for backups( while asking for the license, insurance and registration) and....booom....two patrol cars came with the siren and everything. I imagine that a mother leaving her son at school is a threatening situation. My wife called me crying and with a nervous breakdown after they left. Did they need to display that force?

When I made the post I was thinking in these idiots. I know that there are many good men and women serving as police officers and they do what they are supposed to do: Serve and Protect. In TN I was helped by a Chattanooga police officer when my car's battery died. He drove us to a Pep Boys and then back to our car.

For that police officer and for all the others like him I am sorry about my previous post.

 

[MA_PE]

While I feel for all the good people who get harsh words from law enforcement, when they really haven't been any real threat to society, I just have to stick up for the cops. These people place their personal safety at risk by the simple fact that they wear a uniform and carry a badge. There are people in the world who would shoot a police officer simply because he is a police officer. I don't see anything wrong with the cops being aggressive, it keeps them alive. If a few good people happen to get their feelings hurt, or their pride stepped on, so what. My opinion, grow the **** up and get the **** over it, at least you only have to deal with one ********, the police have to deal with every wannabe gangster thug that was able to grab a pistol and a 40, and sell a couple ounces of pot. No offense, but suck it up.

Sap to a certain extent i respectfully disagree. It depends what area you're talking about. Some ghetto/urban areas are like the lawless old West and the police, just like the Marshals of old, are the law. But many areas are not like this.

In my suburban area the chances of running into a "wannabe gansta thug" are as likely as finding an IED at the local Stop and Shop (possible but pretty damn unrealistic). So there is no reason for local law enforcement to treat everyone as guilty until proven innocent. It's an excuse for rude and abusive behavior towards upstanding tax paying citizens that should not have to "suck it up". The best police personnel are aware of these differences and deal appropriately with the situation at hand. Some others are just power hungry a$$holes that happen to get on the force.

 

[MetroRAFB]

Yeah, I guess I get a little bit testy these days. I am sorry if I offended anybody. Sometimes, though I get tired of people always downing the guys who are out trying to keep the peace. I know you guys are only talking about the knuckleheads who abuse their power, and I can agree with that.
I ask that you all excuse me, I am not as laid back these days as I would like to be, and I tend to resort to aggressive behavior first and calm down and talk about it later. I have noticed that most of my guys are doing that as well.

You should most definitely be shooting first and asking questions later. Andy and Barney here in the States have to be a little more tactful. Although they should keep their eyes open and their sidearms handy in case they run into a real badguy, the chance of that happening in most of America is relatively slim, statistically speaking. Stay safe Sap.

 

[McEngr]

Sapper,

Self-control my friend . You can show restraint, but in combat, I wouldn't blame you in any sort.

McEngr

 

[Road Guy]

See I dont equate a cops job to that of the military. A cop can quit whenever they want, you could walk off the job and the worse thing that could happen is that you would lose your job.

If your in the military and walk of the job your doing jail time and in most cases going to get a dishonrable discharge (which is basically a felony)

Thus they dont warrant the same amount of respect IMO.

But when I start seeing them making a complete stop at stop signs, red lights, and obeying the speed limit then most peoples views wont change, until then it is accepted that cops have a "do as I say" attitude. i.e they dont lead by example..

 

[roadwreck]

Cops give you attitude b/c if they make a simple mistake they have to put up w/ crap like this.

(Although I do find this to be highly amusing)

 

[MetroRAFB]

^^^The Red X of Death.

 

[roadwreck]

^^^The Red X of Death.

This version any better?

 

[benbo]

I've got to agree with Sapper. I just don't find typical cop behavior all that agregious. And I have gotten two tickets in the past 15 years - both for not having my seatbelt fastened. This means cops have driven by, looked inside my car, and pulled me over for this alone. And it just doesn't bug me that much, even though my insurance went up. And most people break the law (speeding, rolling stops) many times before they actually get a ticket. When I was a kid I got rousted a few times, including having guns drawn and assuming the position, spread eagled on the ground. Maybe if I were a minority it would be different, but I don't see getting stopped by the cops as a big deal.

 

[Dleg]

roadwreck, that was outstanding!

I too will have to agree with Road Guy and the others who draw a distinction between the military and the police. I fully support procedures that are designed to protect the police officers, and willingly accept a certain, necessary level of inconvenience in order to allow them to follow those procedures. However, I still don't think that needs to be done with the "attitude". I always like to think back to the westerns that I enjoyed so much as a kid (and as an adult), and think of the prototype lawman so often pictured in those. (the ones where the sheriff was the good guy, at least). That guy was always totally cool, and totally respectful to everyone, but at the same time was ready to outdraw and drop anyone who made a move against him. In other words, someone who displayed behavior and leadership qualities that were deserving of your respect. He didn't have to demand it.

However, and despite my rant above about the legal system, I do think that the US has done the best job in the world of balancing the safety of the public vs. the safety of the police officers. And I have no doubt that the procedures that are in place for pulling people over were written (or at least approved) by some lawyer, and tested through several lawsuits, and thus represent this compromise. And that is a far cry from the "police force" that people in Iraq and the rest of the world would have if people like Sapper were not there trying to keep the real bad guys at bay. I don't kid myself about that - there's a huge difference between having some 25 year old guy with a testosterone problem and a badge puff himself up and treat you like a "perp" for turning without a signal, versus having a say a dozen 25 year old religious extremists kick down your door and haul you off in front of your wife and kids to be tortured and possibly killed.

But hey, the US wouldn't have that beautiful compromise if people like us didn't speak up and bitch about things. Even the little things. That's what makes us America.

:thumbs:

 

[DVINNY]

It's those ******* MALL "RENT-A-COPS" that I can't stand. They still look for reasons to kick me out of the movies.

 

[MA_PE]

It's those ******* MALL "RENT-A-COPS" that I can't stand. They still look for reasons to kick me out of the movies.

Well "PeeWee" you should be doing that at home not in the theaters. j/k

 

[ktulu]

Speaking of, I know that a few Mall security persons here are police officers/Sheriff deputies making a few extra bucks.

 

[roadwreck]

I got hassled by a rent-a-cop over the weekend for riding my bike through a shopping center parking lot. I wasn't riding on the sidewalks, or peddling through at excessive speed like a madman, I was just riding along w/ the traffic (like a good little cyclist should) admiring the 'scenery' *wink* *wink*. Security guard waved me over and told me I wasn't allowed to ride my bike there b/c cars may back into me. What's the difference between them backing into me b/c they aren't looking and them backing into a car (or motorcycle) that is passing through. I'm going slow enough and paying attention to people backing up and am small enough to avoid them.

He told me I had to get off my bike and walk. I didn't argue with him b/c it's a shopping center and therefore private property and they can institute whatever rules they like. It's just annoying that I'm supposed to ride my bike as if I'm a vehicle (i.e. in the roadway) as per Georgia law, but if you do that you get run off the road by every single motorist and get hassled by cops for not being on the sidewalk. Then when you ride on the sidewalk (which sucks by the way b/c they aren't very smooth and even) you get hassled by the cops and pedestrians for not riding in the street like you are supposed to. You just can't win.

 

[Mike1144]

Anyone got stories of cops being nice? My wife got out of a speeding ticket cause she was pregnant. She struggled to lean over and get her insurance out of the glove box, and the cop felt sorry for her. Told her to drive safe.

 

[MA_PE]

Anyone got stories of cops being nice? My wife got out of a speeding ticket cause she was pregnant. She struggled to lean over and get her insurance out of the glove box, and the cop felt sorry for her. Told her to drive safe.

A couple of weeks after my first son was born my wife and I were taking him to the doctor's for his first check-up. I'm stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the highway with a state police car behind me. All of a sudden the lights go ona nd he pulls me over. He walks up and tells me that the registration is expired (my wife's car). She looks over and tells me that she remembers the seeing notice to renew come in the mail but being preoccupied with the end of her first pregnancy she "forgot" to do anything about it.

I'm pretty annoyed at her.

The officer asks where we're going. We explain that it's the baby's first check up and we're on the way to the doctor's office which is right off the next exit.

He proceeds to inform me that technically he supposed to write me a ticket, not let the unregistered car go anywhere and have it towed from that spot. I explain that I live just down the road and if it's OK I'll go right home and get the other car.

The officer says that that's not necessary, he instructs me to take the baby to the appointment, go right home afterward, not drive this car until I get a new registration, and have a nice day.

Sorry about the long post, but he really was a nice guy and he saved me a lot of grief. I'm grateful to this day and I always make sure the registration is up to date.

 

[MetroRAFB]

Way back when I was a punk ass college kid, I went to school 5-1/2 hours away from the wonderful woman who is now my wife. I went to visit her one weekend and had an encounter with a GA state trooper late one Sunday night while I was returning to my school.

I was about an hour away from getting back to my dorm, it was close to midnight and pouring rain like you don't often see outside the tropics. I was driving on I-75, which was under construction at the time (no workers present), and I was going every bit of 80 miles an hour in a 55. So, 80 in a 55 construction zone, in the pouring down rain, in the dark.

I think I'm quite astute at detecting law enforcement vehicles on the road, night or day, rain or shine thank you very much, but the first indication I had of this guy's presence was his flashing lights about 8 inches off of my back bumper. He simply appeared there, it was freaky. I immediately pulled over, got my license and registration out, and hear him yelling for me to exit the vehicle and join him in front of his cruiser. I complied, but I have to admit that I figured I was in some serious doo-doo at this point. Homey pulled me over in the dark, in the pouring rain, so now he's wet. No way was I getting out of this one.

He took my licence and registration, shining his MagLite in my face the whole time, and very politely asked me why I was in such a hurry. I said: "I'm tired, I'm trying to get back to my college and go to bed." He says: "Do you know how fast you were going?" To which I replied: "Yes sir, I was going at least 80, maybe faster."

He was looking at my license when I said that and his head snapped up so fast when I was done it hurt MY neck. I could tell that he was genuinely shocked that I had been honest with him and wasn't making excuses. He handed me my license back and just told me that driving that fast in the rain was dangerous and told me to slow down. I couldn't believe it! He got wet and everything and didn't even write me the ticket I deserved. Not even a warning!

 

[jeb6294]

When I was in college I had a buddy who let his registration go so long that he should have gone to jail.

The cop pulled him over at about 11:30 at night and ran his info. He came back and told him his tags were expired by X number of days and that at midnight they would be X+1 days which is the point where it would be jail time. The cop told him he wouldn't give him a ticket but he had 20 minutes left to get home or he was going to jail.

Fortunately we were only a few minutes from campus so we made it back fine...I'd hate to see what :blush: he had to deal with at the DMV though.

 

[Slugger926]

When I was in college I had a buddy who let his registration go so long that he should have gone to jail.
The cop pulled him over at about 11:30 at night and ran his info. He came back and told him his tags were expired by X number of days and that at midnight they would be X+1 days which is the point where it would be jail time. The cop told him he wouldn't give him a ticket but he had 20 minutes left to get home or he was going to jail.

Fortunately we were only a few minutes from campus so we made it back fine...I'd hate to see what :blush: he had to deal with at the DMV though.

In Oklahoma it would be 25 cents per day with a maximum of $25 on top of the $80 or so tag price.

 

[achristie]

It's best to stay away from the law enforcement.....Creepy people...