Police - a little over the top?

[G.T]

The other day my mate was randomly approched by the police for... wait for it... shaking his head.

What happened was he saw a police car, without sirens on, do a quick U-Turn at a narrow T-Junction to a supermarket car park. All he did was shake his head because the police drove it more voilently than usual in a fair amount of traffic. The policecar drove away, and then turned around again to drive back and stop him!

The policemen (there were too of them) questioned him on whether he has a driving licence (he does), and whether he knew what a no U-Turn sign looked like. He said "Am I not allowed to shake my head" and the police said once again that there wasn't a no U-Turn sign there so the police wasn't in the wrong. They then went on to check whether he is wanted locally or nationally, and then let him go.

Surely this is a little over the top?!

 

[bergauk]

Thats a tad bit over the top. I'm sure I would have told the cop off for it in as nice a manner as possible. I've been stopped for 15 minutes for taking a turn off my street agressively on a bicycle. Really? The man wasted 15 minutes of my life to make sure I wasn't lying about where I lived. Sometimes cops are just stupid.

 

[mr_VOLCANO]

After reading this I was sure you was from US, didnt think this happend outside US.. lol.. Sound like police man had too much ego

 

[TB]

I have too much respect for them to cop-bash, as it were. Sure, there are some that abuse their power, but I'm certain that they are in the minority. The only reason it doesn't seem like it is because no one ever talks about the good that they do, only the bad.

On more than one occasion the police have come to my wife's rescue in the ER when an intoxicated individual is being unruly. Anyone who does that is good in my book.

Quick story - a rookie was spouting off to the nurses and his partner said "You'd better start being nice to them. One day you'll come in here with a gun shot wound and they'll save your ass." He's been nice ever since.

 

[Max Powers]

I have too much respect for them to cop-bash, as it were. Sure, there are some that abuse their power, but I'm certain that they are in the minority. The only reason it doesn't seem like it is because no one ever talks about the good that they do, only the bad.

On more than one occasion the police have come to my wife's rescue in the ER when an intoxicated individual is being unruly. Anyone who does that is good in my book.

Quick story - a rookie was spouting off to the nurses and his partner said "You'd better start being nice to them. One day you'll come in here with a gun shot wound and they'll save your ass." He's been nice ever since.

Agreed, I know a lot of police officers who come into my job daily, I´d say about 90 percent of them are great people, and the whole **** the police attitude gets old, especially when its from the rich, suburban teenagers where I live who have nothing to complain about.

A bit over the top, yeah, but they deal with pricks all day, and maybe the guy was just frustrated or having a bad day.

 

[Northstar]

People will always say f the police, until there is an intruder with a gun pointed at there head. I think they get a bad rep just because a few have let the power get to there head.

 

[TigJackson]

I have too much respect for them to cop-bash, as it were. Sure, there are some that abuse their power, but I'm certain that they are in the minority. The only reason it doesn't seem like it is because no one ever talks about the good that they do, only the bad.

I played softball and flag football for many years, and many of the players on my teams, and on opposing teams, were law enforcement types. I live in Texas, and all that I can say about my experience with these fellows, is that I only respect the Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers that I met during these times.

The police and deputy sheriff personnel that I had the misfortune to associate with were no more than criminals with a badge, who did not have the attributes to get any other kind of decent job. It may not be the same in all communities, but I would be surprised if it wasn't.

 

[Gil]

I used to have the upmost respect for police.
I still have a great deal of respect for them for the most part.
However, one of our local constabulary has taken it upon himself to "get the teens in town in-line".
He does this by harassing them, performing illegal searches, and in general being a bully with a uniform and badge.
The same officer has pulled over my youngest son once for "speeding" in a place I don't think it's possible for him to have amassed that kind of speed. Mainly because I can't repeat it, Even winding each gear till the engine SCREAMS. (Up a fairly steep hill, doing 50 in a 35 in a Geo Metro). He has also pulled him for having the rear license plate light out. It was. However, he approached my son from the front, hit his lights and made a U-turn, to stop him.

We didn't tell him off. Some of our best friends are lawyers. We filed a complaint with the police chief. And my wife, who is very active in city politics, mentioned it to a couple of this Goon's fellow officers who have a vested interest in bettering relations with the police and the city's youth.

I imagine that this jerk will soon be the filling in a **** sandwich!
I love kicking an asshat in the balls.
I love more getting his boss and peers to do it for me.

 

[ranhammerR34]

I used to have the upmost respect for police.
I still have a great deal of respect for them for the most part.
However, one of our local constabulary has taken it upon himself to "get the teens in town in-line".
He does this by harassing them, performing illegal searches, and in general being a bully with a uniform and badge.
The same officer has pulled over my youngest son once for "speeding" in a place I don't think it's possible for him to have amassed that kind of speed. Mainly because I can't repeat it, Even winding each gear till the engine SCREAMS. (Up a fairly steep hill, doing 50 in a 35 in a Geo Metro). He has also pulled him for having the rear license plate light out. It was. However, he approached my son from the front, hit his lights and made a U-turn, to stop him.

We didn't tell him off. Some of our best friends are lawyers. We filed a complaint with the police chief. And my wife, who is very active in city politics, mentioned it to a couple of this Goon's fellow officers who have a vested interest in bettering relations with the police and the city's youth.

I imagine that this jerk will soon be the filling in a **** sandwich!
I love kicking an asshat in the balls.
I love more getting his boss and peers to do it for me.

+1:tup:

 

[Philly]

Cops around here are generally ok. There are the ones who fly up the carpool lanes at 85 alone in the car or who flip their lights on so they don't have to wait for a light at night, but they're pretty rare. Getting followed is pretty rare. Although there is a town around here where the cops will pull you over for speeding on a bike.

 

[bergauk]

Cops around here are generally ok. There are the ones who fly up the carpool lanes at 85 alone in the car or who flip their lights on so they don't have to wait for a light at night, but they're pretty rare. Getting followed is pretty rare. Although there is a town around here where the cops will pull you over for speeding on a bike.

Oh man don't get me started on cops that stop bikes. I'm such an easy target. I can't get away. My top speed is 25. Where in the world would that be considered speeding? I'm glad I'm 18 now, I no longer can get in trouble for not wearing a helmet.

 

[Barracuda]

A cop actually stopped me for J-walking once

The thing I don't get is that he said he would give me a ticket if I had a record, but if I didn't he wouldn't. I don't have a record so there was no problem, but why would it matter if I had a record? You'd think that he must have been trying to fill his quota if he's going to stop me for something as stupid as J-walking, so why be generous and waste all that time for nothing?

 

[BayConRong]

Cops around here are generally ok. There are the ones who fly up the carpool lanes at 85 alone in the car or who flip their lights on so they don't have to wait for a light at night, but they're pretty rare. Getting followed is pretty rare. Although there is a town around here where the cops will pull you over for speeding on a bike.

my grandmother absolutely hates those guys so she pulls up behind them matches thier speed and calls the local police to report the cop, you do that by figuring out the car number and dispatch matches it to the cop.

She says that they can't actually press charges on her because as she says, "you can't break the law to enforce the law." by that she means that if she was matching the speed of the police officer in front she can't get ticketed because it is legally "entrapment", at least that's how it is in Washington.

 

[Mrs. Famine]

Having worked with police in the past (I worked in A&E for a year), I respect them mainly because they have to deal with the same pathetic mound of paperwork we do. Anything which ocurrs needs to have a form filled out and an entry made in some notes, sometimes more than once. Sometimes eleventy times.

I understand that some (mainly plod) abuse their power but traffic are usually decent people. The traffic copper which brought a massive carrier bag full of muffins and cookies which were going to be thrown out at the local supermarket was everyone's favourite person that night

I have seen several which deal with nasty crashes etc and will then pop in later if they're passing to see how the person they came in with is doing. They don't have to do that. I think it's the same in any job, there are good 'uns and bad 'uns. I personally know four coppers and they're all lovely. Except one of them who would ticket his own mother

 

[ExigeEvan]

In fairness, the cop was probably expecting some lame letter to the locl newspaper stating how an officer performed some sort of outrageous and dangerous manouvere almost killing a young child and running over a buttercup. I've seen several in my local paper.

While the police do need to maintain relationships with people on teh street, they also need to maintain respect and that includes from people that think they no better. But yes, this was heavy handed.

The criminal check however, was just a matter of course.

 

[I-ROC]

The cops where I live are easy. When I was 10, I was speeding down a huge hill, without a helmet, and he just waved to me.

 

[Philly]

Oh man don't get me started on cops that stop bikes. I'm such an easy target. I can't get away. My top speed is 25. Where in the world would that be considered speeding? I'm glad I'm 18 now, I no longer can get in trouble for not wearing a helmet.

That town has a 25 mph speed limit that is strictly enforced. And some 15 mph roads. And then factor in some big hills...

But how can they press charges? You don't have to have a license to ride a bike. So can't you just plead that you don't know the rules because you don't have to know them to ride a bike?

my grandmother absolutely hates those guys so she pulls up behind them matches thier speed and calls the local police to report the cop, you do that by figuring out the car number and dispatch matches it to the cop.

She says that they can't actually press charges on her because as she says, "you can't break the law to enforce the law." by that she means that if she was matching the speed of the police officer in front she can't get ticketed because it is legally "entrapment", at least that's how it is in Washington.

I'll have to try that sometime. And can I follow the cops that are doing this then? I doubt they'd get punished though. Cops are all buddies and pulling another one over would make you "that guy" that everybody is going to hate.

 

[bergauk]

*snip*

But how can they press charges? You don't have to have a license to ride a bike. So can't you just plead that you don't know the rules because you don't have to know them to ride a bike?



*snip*

They can press charges on me if I tell them 18 or happen to be carrying my ID with me. But generally I don't ride with a wallet on me for that reason exactly. They can give you a ticket if you have some form of ID with you. Even school. I generally claim to not know rules when riding because it keeps me from getting in trouble. But I do in fact know that I am entitled to my space on the road and I make sure that I get it. I've shouted down two different people on two different occasions for honking at me while riding the speed limit on a two lane road before. The lady honked at me and pulled up next to me at the stop light and started yelling at me and asking what I was doing in the middle of the road. I looked at her and told her I am a motor vehicle and have every right to the road as her and if she didn't like it she could buzz off. Then the light turned green and I flipped the bird and rode away.
The man on the other hand was much more amusing to watch. He tried to shout at me, and I just went off on him. I shouted way louder than him and just started yelling and making a scene. Then he rolled up his windows and put his fingers in his ears. How childish!