Do you trust the police?
As a white guy in suburbia, I really have *thank goodness* no reason to not trust the police, and am generally respectful / appropriately fearful of their presence. Heck, I don't even smoke <Redacted> on my front porch because I figure it's just a way to irk an officer who'd rather not be bothered. I'm typically polite, and throw out more Sirs than a bad "Wii Tennis" player whenever I get pulled over (which has happened...once).
At the same time, I understand not everyone is me. So if you're someone who has had bad run-ins with the 5-0, feel free to share.
Food for thought: The Rampart Division in LA is an absolutely NUTS story if you never heard about it. Essentially this group of rogue cops managed to make money for themselves hand-over-foot, AND keep crime in LA in check at the same time,
Food for thought 2: Tucker Max of all people wrote this pretty good piece on how to deal with 'The Fuzz' it's pretty insightful
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Blog Otter Award: for a joke I didn't quite get until this morning.
1. Does anyone else think CAPS_LOCK_MAN looks like this guy?
2. Did uh...did one of you go through every single one of my comments yesterday and down vote them? Cause every single one of my comments has a single down vote. I appreciate the effort!
3. I've been playing Card Hunter. It's an online Table-top RPG / CCG kind of thing. It's totally free and a real blast if you like Final Fantasy Tactics / Warhammer
As a white guy in suburbia, I really have *thank goodness* no reason to not trust the police, and am generally respectful / appropriately fearful of their presence. Heck, I don't even smoke <Redacted> on my front porch because I figure it's just a way to irk an officer who'd rather not be bothered. I'm typically polite, and throw out more Sirs than a bad "Wii Tennis" player whenever I get pulled over (which has happened...once).
At the same time, I understand not everyone is me. So if you're someone who has had bad run-ins with the 5-0, feel free to share.
Food for thought: The Rampart Division in LA is an absolutely NUTS story if you never heard about it. Essentially this group of rogue cops managed to make money for themselves hand-over-foot, AND keep crime in LA in check at the same time,
Food for thought 2: Tucker Max of all people wrote this pretty good piece on how to deal with 'The Fuzz' it's pretty insightful
------------------------------------------------
Blog Otter Award: for a joke I didn't quite get until this morning.
1. Does anyone else think CAPS_LOCK_MAN looks like this guy?
2. Did uh...did one of you go through every single one of my comments yesterday and down vote them? Cause every single one of my comments has a single down vote. I appreciate the effort!
3. I've been playing Card Hunter. It's an online Table-top RPG / CCG kind of thing. It's totally free and a real blast if you like Final Fantasy Tactics / Warhammer
I'm also a white guy in suburbia and I don't trust them at all. I've had two major dealings with them so far.
ReplyDeleteOnce was a case of mistaken identity where a gang of Asians beat me up as my car was similar to that of a known racist. Police did nothing to find my attackers and I later heard through friends of friends that the police thought I was 'racist scum and got what I deserved.' The officers responsible were later sacked for something unrelated.
Second, I used to work the nightshift many years ago. Without fail every morning at 5am, I would get pulled over and questioned on the way home. Four times a week for months. And months. Again the officer responsible was later sacked for something unrelated.
So no, I don't trust the police one bit.
...Are you Clint Eastwood?
ReplyDeleteNot the last time I checked.
ReplyDeleteI should also add that I've worked with a couple of ex coppers, and I got on alright with both of them, but I wouldn't trust them with my valuables.
Sorry that was a reference to Gran Torino where Clint Eastwood went up against a gang of Asian Street Toughs after the cops wouldn't help out.
ReplyDelete'I've been playing Card Hunter'
ReplyDeleteas opposed to Hard Cunter
we've all had our brushes with the law
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-VcJiEN9dw
Simpsons Thread Tomorrow, person who I think may actually be someone I went to college with...
ReplyDeleteI don't have much fear of the police but I'm a white male so duh. I did run and swim away from a couple of cops when I was 17. When the cops caught us though they were pretty cool. I was polite and scared while my friend Steve was cursing them out. They called our parents to come get us at this park at 2 AM. My mom was PISSED when she got there, throwing a towel right at my face. The cops saw her and how pissed she was and started talking me up, saying "he really was the most polite of the group".
ReplyDeleteI had a pretty bad experience with an NSA agent at an airport a few years ago in Boston which just made me hate Boston all the more. There was this little shit agent who I think thought he was a tough guy. As I was in line he was just letting everybody go through fine, he patted one guy down quick and had another go in that scanner thing. I got up there, took my shoes off and my hoodie, put all my stuff on the conveyer belt. At the time I was using my cane and I dunno, that might have been what set him off. I had put my cane on the belt too and was using things around me for support as I was about to walk through the metal detector.
The guy stopped me and his tone was real dickish, not just stern but snotty. He said he needed to pat me down which I was fine with. I used a chair to lean on but he was getting kinda rough, really shoving me around in the pat down. At one point my leg started giving way. I didn't fall but kinda took a knee but I got back to a standing position. The look on this assholes face was glee when this happened, he was fucking smiling! Then he said "sir may I continue?" but in a snotty way. I nodded yes and after a few more jostles he told me I needed to go into the scanner.
I went in but I didn't have my cane and nothing for support. So I put my hand on the side of the machine just to steady myself. He then said in a pretty angry tone "sir, do not touch the machine!" I tried telling him I needed something to steady myself but he just rolled his eyes. The scan finished and he said "you can go through now sir" but agin in that fucking tone. I went and gathered my things, as I sat on a chair to put my shoes on I saw this piece of shit talking to another agent and chuckling.
He made me feel like total shit. I tried calling the airport and a couple of other places to see if anything could be done but I got a run around. Friends told me to call a lawyer or the press but I just wanted to put it behind me and just forget about it.
Boston NSA people have a chip on their shoulder because we're the guys who kinda let that 9/11 plane slip out.
ReplyDelete1) I like city police (spoiler alert: I'm a white dude) because I've never had any bad experiences with them, they've generally helped me out, and when I was in Philadelphia about a half-dozen died in a few months in the line of duty which was very sad. But the cops in my suburb of Richmond are the worst.
ReplyDelete2) Tucker Max deserves to be fired out of a cannon into the sun. His writing is awful, he's a terrible person, and he's the kind of dumb misogynistic asshole that I loathe.
3) The Shield is loosely based on the CRASH division of Rampart (which is what you're referring to). And I don't think you really got the story right as they basically operated as an organized crime faction.
2) I agree with Tucker Max the writer, he was good at the time, but is kind of meh in the long-run, but that cop article is pretty insightful considering all the trouble he got into.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovwxBrIBj1w
ReplyDeleteFirst off, my bad but I meant TSA agent. The thing is this guy was being fine with everybody that was before me. But when it came to me he was just a real dick. I still don't get why I was so special. But this guy was on a power trip of some kind. I can still see that smile clearly when thinking about it. He was having fun. I've had plenty of flights since (a few through Boston) and I haven't been treated like that since.
ReplyDeleteBoston also let the marathon bombing happen. Such an awful place.
ReplyDeleteYou bastard you're trying to win that award again aren't you?
ReplyDeleteI don't trust/respect/care for any government agents. Fuck em all. Glad my hard earned money is taxed to pay for a war fought against citizens in America.
ReplyDeleteI never blamed Boston for this one POS, like I said below I've been through that airport since and it's been fine. I do blame Boston for allowing the Red Sox to exist though. I wasn't a happy camper watching the Rays lose to them.
ReplyDeletenah, i'm older than you
ReplyDeleteI just hate the sort of worldview and actions that he glorifies. He's a sociopath.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I find funny, I don't know if this happens anywhere else but it happens a lot in FL. When I'm driving and a cop is in traffic almost everybody slows down. It's not they were speeding though. The speed limit will be 55 and people will start going under 50. It's really annoying, I just stay the speed limit, not start driving all scared.
ReplyDeleteI've been driving long distance before and was going about 80 in a 65, totally zoned out. I check my rear-view, two State cops on my rear, no lights.
ReplyDeleteI pull over to the next lane, they pass, and I give a little thankful wave thing.
The only 5-0 I like is my 5-0 record in the Fantasy Football League of DOOM
ReplyDeleteI have had run-ins with police, but only because my step-son is a fucking schizophrenic prick, who can't seem to comprehend that he's fucking schizophrenic and needs to stay on his fucking meds. I have no issues with the po-po and I believe they do a good job, and I trust them. I recently got pulled over because I was driving at night with a headlight that shorted out. He let me off with a warning. Then it turns out he needed to keep me longer because my fucking car was reported fucking stolen. My fucking step-son stole the fucking car from under my nose around New Year's last year, and almost made it to fucking Mexico before a check point stopped him, had the car impounded, and sent him the fuck home on a bus. I had to make a 9 hour drive to damn near El Paso to collect the fucking thing. I swear to GodAllahBuddha, that I am going to have another run in with the police, but this time.....it will be for fucking murder. Fuck.
ReplyDeleteLove cops. They see the very worst of humanity every single day, give them a wide berth and generally they will be very nice. It helps to a) be white b) commit zero crimes in your life and c) have a CCW and military background. Especially that third one, it's always been my experience that people with a CCW will always be treated more politely because by default the police know you're a decent citizen with no criminal background.
ReplyDeletePeople that have issues with police can almost always look to themselves as the reason why.
Jesus Christ! there needs to be an option between upvote and downvote for "I feel ya, bro"
ReplyDeleteI had cops search my car for an hour because they were *super sure* my friends and I had drugs in the car. We did not. The whole time they badmouthed us while claiming they "already had enough" to put us in jail. They did not. At one point an officer pointed at a random spot in the car and said, "that's a marijuana leaf right there!" It was not.
ReplyDeleteThere is no job which makes me automatically respect each individual who does it. And I've not been giving any compelling evidence that most cops are the moral pillars of their community, rather than guys who just like power and, ya know, have to do something for a living.
Also, fuck that. Smoke on your porch. You shouldn't live in such subservience to the powers that be that you bypass a legal activity you enjoy, just to save someone the trouble of haranguing you.
So yeah, no, I don't much care for the police. There are individual moral police out there, but I believe the institution as a whole is corrupt.
Other than a couple of minor scrapes as a teenager, and a few traffic stops, I've never had any major run ins. But no, I don't trust cops in any sort of blanket way. They're not one iota different than any other cross section of society and I wouldn't say that I trust any particular segment of society in a blanket way.
ReplyDeleteGenerally I consider them a necessary evil. It's good that they exist, but I don't generally want them anywhere near me.
Tucker Max is a piece of fucking garbage, and he's not even funny.
ReplyDeleteI was arrested before, once in undergrad and once when I lived in Vegas, (underage and a small possession charge; fine and communiry service before people ask.) Both times I thought I was treated fairly, so no I ddontreally distrust them.
ReplyDeleteCops annoy me in these instances...I live in a gated community, the cops recently got permission to sit inside the gate to try and catch people breaking the 15 mph speed limit. Really? This is what ny twx dollars are paying for? In FL, DUIs and speeding tix subsidize so much shit, cops are around everywhere.
Yeah, no.
ReplyDeleteI was raised to not trust the cops, because my parents are hippies. A healthy distrust for all institutions, really.
ReplyDeleteMy own experiences only add more weight to my distrust. Living in a podunk town allows for cop behaviour that would blow your mind.
And yeah, I always hear Loud Howard when read CAPS stuff.
Good news! You don't get to tell me what my personal experience has been. Of all the people that get no respect from authority in their real lives, you are the least surprising.
ReplyDeleteTo Marv's credit, he did say *almost* in that last sentence. Like, maybe there's a *chance* people need some introspection on their mistrust.
ReplyDeleteI should have been more clear, there are obviously huge racial bias issues and things like that, I just meant a more general: Don't be a dick and typically people won't be a dick back, kind of a thing.
ReplyDeleteYea, I drive highway 19 everyday and that is so fucking annoying.
ReplyDeleteI had two cops pull me over once because I was driving my wife's van and I guess a man driving a car registered in a woman's name is just bizarre or something.
ReplyDeleteOne guy walking around the car with his flashlight checking everything out (the back was pretty messy) and the other one insisting, INSISTING that I'd been drinking and giving me chances to admit it, you know because if I did it would be easier. I had NOT been drinking, not a drop, and kept telling him so.
He's like "what if I told you that I can see a wine bottle in the back of your van?" I said "honestly, it's possible. We've transported wine in the back before and as you can see it's a pretty big mess and there might be one kicking around. If there is a wine bottle then I assure you that it's sealed, and that I've not been drinking.
He still kept giving me chances to come clean until I finally said straight to him - "look, I've told you that I'm sober. If you don't believe me then please get your breathalyzer, but you are wasting everybody's time."
Two minutes later I was free, no breathalyzer.
Luckily, that was probably the most real harassment that I've had to deal with.
Oh yeah, the guy repeatedly said that, "Look, if you have anything, weed or whatever, go ahead and tell us and we can 'work with ya.'" Yeah dude, I really want you guys to "work with me."
ReplyDeleteI agree. As soon as a badge walks up to a house party, that has gotten out of control and is infringing on the rights of the neighbors to relax in peace, the badge is the bad guy for telling everyone to keep it down. I don't know how cops keep their cool, because if some punk kid started to chew me out, I would want to wrap him around a tree.
ReplyDeleteSpot in with your second paragraph. I bet some cops are juat regular guys who want to do good and need a career, but fuck man, Ive met some that just loved that sense of empowerment and authoriry. They were like the kid who always got shit on in school who wants to exact revenge on everyone.
ReplyDeleteAs a whole, law enforcement is good and they cant pick and choose what laws to enforce, but Id feel like SUCH a douche if I had to give someone a small speeding tix or arrest them for having pot, etc.
Fuck no I don't trust the police. From the Tonawanda cops harrassing me just because of my last name to seeing constant corruption and bullshit from the other local cops, I can honestly say I hate police.
ReplyDeleteBut that racial bias thing is kind of a big deal. If a guy is polite to me but then goes and harasses black people for being black, I don't like that guy just for being polite to me.
ReplyDeleteWhich is totally fair obviously, but I wouldn't necessarily know that. For all I know every cop I've ever come across was a raging racist, but they were nice to *me* so my opinion can only be based on that.
ReplyDeleteJudging every one of them as assholes because of the bad apples is exactly what we're mad at them for doing right?
I don't judge every one of them automatically as assholes, but I see no compelling evidence to give more automatic respect to a policeman than a lawyer. Like if I posted, "Man, I love lawyers!!" a bunch of people would probably say, "Uhhh why dude?" And they'd be right. But that doesn't mean there aren't great guys out there who become lawyers.
ReplyDeleteCouldnt agree more. Theres always one old dude driving 45 on it.
ReplyDeleteFunny story, one of tge first news stories I heard when I moved to Florida was that this old guy hit a guy on his bike and the guy was ON HIS HOOD for about half a mile until he got to a toll booth. He was so old he didnt realuze he was driving with a guy holding in to his hood for half a mile. Yea, this guy should have a license.
I have neither committed nor do I condone murder. Please do not misconstrue my comments as that of a pissed off murderous step-father. I do, however, condone flying legdrops off a couch onto an unconscious prone individual.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of this is covered in that Tucker Max thing I posted. It's not trying to be funny, just some insight from a guy who gets into with cops all the time / was a law student.
ReplyDeleteIf there are no quotas, then that's even more damning for those that give out nit-picky tickets.
ReplyDeleteSo, I know several cops, and in general it's best to work with them when it's just a minor traffic stop and you legit aren't doing anything illegal. Treat them like a normal person and most of them will treat you fine, in my experience. That being said, the second they start pushing past any normal exchange and do the whole "It'll be easier if you cooperate..." or "Just tell us so we can let you go..." schtick I'm going to clam up even if I'm 100% innocent. Hasn't happened yet, and I don't anticipate it happening, but you never know.
ReplyDeleteRelevant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc
tl;dr: Nobody has ever talked their way out of an arrest. Plenty of people have talked themselves into convictions.
You and me both, buddy. Bring it on!
ReplyDeleteI fucking hate that. Happens all the time on the Mass Pike. People are cruising along at 80 and see a cop on the shoulder and pump the brakes to slow to 60. Guess what - by the time you've noticed them, reacted, and finally slowed down it's too late.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a mixed bag. I hate when cops roar up behind you and tailgate like crazy so they can pass, but I'm thankful they're not dinging me for 76 in a 65. There was one time at night when a car pulled up behind me at high speeds (must have been less than 3 ft. off bumper) and rode my tail to the point that it felt safer to accelerate to 85-90 mph and get in front of a couple semis in order to move out of the fast lane ASAP. Turned out to be a statie who must have been doing 90+ when he did finally pass me. I would have been beyond pissed if they tried to ticket me after nearly rear-ending me.
ReplyDeleteMy gf hates it but, based on the driving of the car in front of me, I say "That person is either texting or some really old person." Hard to argue when I'm almost always right though. Both classes are terrifying. If you watch, you'll also notice that people who are leaning forwad and hunched over the wheel are also TERRIBLE drivers.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing his stories are generally as real as reality TV. Yeah, there's an element of truth to them in that he once was at that place and did indeed talk to those people...but everything else is turned up to 11 relative to the actual occurrences.
ReplyDeleteBruins fans are actually far far worse.
ReplyDeleteMy problem with the police (beyond the racism and all that goes with it, planting evidence, beating people, lying) is the Thin Blue Line.
ReplyDeleteReport what your asshole coworker is doing dude, and maybe we won't think you're fucking corrupt.
Which director did you quote?
ReplyDeleteF.W. Murnau I hope.
Let's ask CM Punk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRATWTLnkRE
ReplyDeleteArguing something no one ever said didn't work out, so let's go for the typo troll! Holy shit you're obvious.
ReplyDeleteThis is great.
ReplyDeleteI never see that so much as people lining up behind a police cruiser that is obviously going *under* the speed limit. If the cop is going 55 and it's a 70 zone, nut up and blow past him.
ReplyDeleteHa. This is good stuff
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of when I was younger and my mom is driving to Elmira doing about 110 on the 390. I spot a cop and tell her, and she slams on the brakes and drives by him doing about 25. Real smooth, ma...
ReplyDeleteWell, well, well, how the turntables...
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't even make any sense.
ReplyDeleteSo, to recap: Start with arguing a non-statement, move to typo, end with gibberish.
Pretty typical troll stuff. You've got a long way to go to catch up to Evy or Dougie or even Chin, but I'm confident you can do it buddy. Just keep working at it.
I don't know what that means but I'm dying of laughter
ReplyDeleteNow that I'm not at work and using a proper keyboard, I'll expand on my post below: The town of Tonawanda (just outside Buffalo) cops harass me CONSTANTLY, just because my father was a total fuckup. I have absolutely no criminal record at all with things that don't involve driving cars, yet they stop me all the time when I'm walking to work or the store just to fuck with me. I know they don't have shit on me and I'll walk away, but it's such a fucking hassle, to the point where I had to change my appearance a bit (growing my hair out and such) to try and shake them. It's kind of worked, but they still know where I live...
ReplyDeleteMore on suburban cops: for the most part, fuck them. They only give a shit when they can hand out tickets (be it appearance or traffic) or do something else to generate revenue. Do you have a serious domestic problem or something like that? Tough shit, they don't care, because there's no money to be made from that. The city (of Buffalo) cops are kind of the opposite, they have a sort of "arrest everyone and let the judge sort it out" (though if you give up the weed 99% of the time they will cut you loose, as long as it's not packaged for sale or you have a pound on you) mentality, which is even more fucked up when you consider that the Erie County Holding Center has been under federal investigation for about 5 years due to abhorrent living conditions and the fact that someone commits suicide there about once every 6 weeks. And before anyone says "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time", please, just shut the fuck up. It's a holding center, not a prison, no one there has been convicted of anything.
I will take back the part about hating cops though, just about every time I've needed them they've been really helpful and compassionate. I just try to avoid them. Think about it, has any time you've ever talked to a cop been a good experience? You're either talking to them because you were the victim of a crime (or a witness to one), or they're accusing you of one. Or you were in a car accident. I sure as shit could do without any of those options, if possible.
Not much to say that hasn't already been said in this thread. On one hand if my home was being invaded or I was the victim of a violent criminal I'm glad I can call 911 on my cell phone and expect an officer. On the other hand the amount of ridiculous traffic and drug laws that cops happily enforce is just sad. The Industrial prison complex in this country is disturbing. I also feel that many very disturbed power hungry individuals become officers so they can swings their dicks around. Peace and justice in completely lost, it's only protection (depending where you live) that we can rely on. I guess that is the exchange.
ReplyDeleteI would rather my sons flip burgers than become police officers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAJi-W9o7uU
You can't be a decent citizen if you can't recognize that reference.
ReplyDelete"The Industrial prison complex in this country is disturbing."
ReplyDeleteYes, yes it is. And that's the real problem here, the cops themselves, for the most part, are just cogs in a much larger machine. We have 5% of the world's population, yet about a third of people incarcerated worldwide are doing time in the U.S. That's just disgusting.
What do you think can unclog the system?
ReplyDeleteYou can trust the police to try and protect you bu you can't necessarily count on them, if that makes sense -- They aren't equipped to deal with any type of real physical threat so they do the best they can...
ReplyDeleteDo you have sons?
ReplyDeleteA good friend of the family (hell, he was a part of our family) died in a freak accident while his brother drove him to school (the kid was 13) -- I went to the funeral and shed tears (couldn't help it, I have two young boys of my own) and had to drive my granpda home from the funeral because he was sick to his stomach (he'd lost his oldest daughter, my mother, at 47, and his youngest son, my Uncle Matt, at 13) so you can forgive him for his weakness) but afterward, I had to fly home by myself -- And here is where the cops come in -- My wife picked me up at the airport in Sacramento and immediately started being amorous (use your imagination) so we eventually found a place to pull over and have sex and about the time we finished (approximately 43 seconds later) cops drove by, and then put their lights on and turned around -- Being the calm, well-composed, person my wife is, she jumped off of me and into the front seat while I literally had to pull my pants up and figure my next move -- Cool, Calm Nate (I tend to slow down in high stress moments, one of my few strengths) took over at his point -- I zipped my pants up, got out of the back seat and put my hands up -- The cops told me to put my hands on the bed of my truck so I did -- They asked me what I was doing, so I told them, having fun with my wife -- They were two young dudes, probably in their mid-20's or so, and they seemed incredulous -- Having fun with your wife? Yes, I told them and proceeded to give them the whole spiel (they thought Carrie was a whore or something and were surprised to find out she was actually my wife) They quickly lost interest after checking my ID (Carrie almost fucked that up but that's a different story) -- They asked me what I was really doing out in the country so I did the best thing possible, I leveled with them -- The dudes were cool -- They were Sheriffs that were making sure nobody was stealing from our farmers and had better things to do so they told us not to park on private property again and to get on our way -- So we did...
ReplyDeletePoint being, cops can be OK -- Gotta' consider the source...
ReplyDeleteI don't typically trust or distrust any group as a whole. I've met some cops who truly are in it to help people and keep things safe and orderly, and I've met some that are just in it for the pension and to get their rocks off on ruining someone's day.
ReplyDeleteBut, that doesn't really answer the question. Do I trust the Columbus PD? No. Because they're lazy pieces of shit. Not malicious, just lazy. They'll pull you over for not coming to a complete stop, but make you file a report online for a break in and theft at your business. Then, never actually take a statement. Fuck them.
The best way to put it is that I typically trust them once they're there...but don't trust them to actually get there.
I have found that when the police are involved, be polite and honest if you have nothing (or something minor) to hide. 9 times out of 10, cops are cool as fuck - but they expect you to be a dickhead.