Man those cops were really starting to tick me off...

[Mindflayer]

Ok, this is what happened... I'm in the car with my sister doing some running around, were stopped at a red light and she wasn't paying attention so I bumped her seat by the headrest to scare her and make her jump... she did, i laughed... harmless sibling joke right? yeah...right...

We make the Uturn and all of a sudden, blue lights turn on... apparently there was a cop behind us when I did that and he thought I hit *HER*. First thing the guy does though is comes up SLAMS on the passenger side window and procedes to give me an additude.

(He's saying this with a very snooty attitude)
Cop: "What's going on!?"
Me: "What do you mean?"
Cop: "What do i mean? You're driving like an idiot..."

ok, now he's not only yelling at me, but he just insulted me...

Me: "huh? what do you mean?"
Cop: "Just give me your license and registration"


backup cop arrives now... they pull my sister out of the car and start talking to her, then come talk to me.

Cop: "Who is she to you?"
Me: "My sister"
Cop: "You guys having an arguement?"
Me: "uh, no"
Cop: "Did you hit her?"
Me: "No, I hit the seat."
Cop: "Why?"
Me: "To make her jump."
Cop: "Why would you do that to your sister?"
Me: "Cause it's funny, you don't have any siblings do you?"

They asked me like a total of 5 times during the whole thing if I hit her, I told them what happened, and they didnt beleive me, even though my sister was telling them the EXACT SAME THING about 5 times also...

then it was the standard questions

"you have any drugs in the vehicle?"
No
"Any guns?"
No
"Can I search your car"
Sure...

I step out, he searches, finds nothing but a couple of old honey buns.

They leave.

Also the whole time he's like "why are you on edge?"


Well...let's see first of all, you pulled me over, that's gonna make anyone be on guard. Second you come up and bang on the passenger side window, when I'm looking towards the ALREADY OPEN driver's side window. Then you yell at me, INSULT me, and make accusations towards me and won't believe me when I tell you the truth.

That tends to put someone on edge...

[Katya]

oh my goddess i can't stand cops. or hipos(highway patrol)

i'd call their station and complain. my mom has done that once.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Sounds to me like they were just doing their job, and looking out for your sister.

[Mindflayer]

Sounds to me like they were just doing their job, and looking out for your sister.
yeah, but they dont have to yell at and insult me over it...

They can do their jobs without acting like asshats.

[TornadoAli]

Sounds to me like they were just doing their job, and looking out for your sister.

They didn't need to be so mean about it though, sheesh.

[forbidden_vengence]

It did seem that the cop saw something that he thought was something bigger, than it was, but he could have acted a little more rational to calm his "Accusations" about what you were doing. I'd call them to and just tell them to next time act a little nicer towards the civilians.

[kissesree]

I know a few cops that are like that, but I have to make nice, my hubbie works at a police station, he's a com-spec.

[Tarbh Nathroch]

I’m no fan of the police, but you need to understand the shity world they live in. They could get shot over a stop sign. I knew the world changed when it became standard procurer for the state troopers to aim their gun at you through the roof of your car when asking for your license and registration. You folks in Mass next time you get pulled over on the highway and you can’t see the officer’s right hand that’s resting on your roof look at their holster, I bet it’s empty. I called an officer on that one time. While handing him my info I just said, “So your holster is empty, you pointing your gun at me? It’s a bit unsettling” After he had reached him comfort level with me and returned my info he told me that it was a new thing they were suggesting to the officers.

There are bad cops but the current state of the world and their job means that the good ones are now less likely to be civil, you will get business politeness from a cop who just a few years ago would have been relaxed and likely to just shoot the shit with you for a bit.

I think cops suck but their job sucks more, so I can’t help but respect them for doing it. And try to remember that it may be nothing but a traffic stop to you but to the cop who could have been kick by a wife as he arrested her husband that beat her, then went and arrested a drunk that puked in his car, and called the coroner to pick up a teen that just shot himself, you are just another person that might take the officers life. That may seem a bit over the top since 70% of the police are in small communities board outa their minds with only the local kids to disperse, but they could have a day like that.

[Regulus]

If you were trying to get a criminal to admit to wrong doing which would you do, put him on edge or try to be nice and calm them down?

[charmedkisses1]

Sounds to me like they were just doing their job, and looking out for your sister.
yeah, me too, but they shouldn't have been rude if he was

[BlessedByTheGoddess]

CAll and complain. I've got a case against the fuzz here.

[EJ1096]

I went through police training. we where told that if you go to the passanger side of the car it does a few important things.
1) gets the officer out of the risk of being hit by traffic
2) gives the officer a good view of the car and the inside as they walk up
3) most people expect a cop to come to the drivers side, a passanger side approch give the element of suprise and buys the cop time to check things out better with out the person knowing.

As far as the attitude. Some are just like that even in the accademy. I knew a few. and didn't get along with them.

and just for the record I'm not a cop I work at an airport. But I was a Resreve officer.

[semi]

Did they confiscate the honey buns?


I've been handcuffed then beaten up by cops. I've had cops buy me dinner and drinks. Everybody is different regardless of what subset of society they belong to. Some cops are cool, some aren't, just like everybody else. But it's sort of a part of their job to suspect the worst, to be paranoid. That way they're prepared if something bad does happen. If they approach you as a suspect rather than a law abiding citizen then they're ready to take you down if you are a suspect. It helps keep them alive and it helps keep law abiding citizens alive. It sucks, though, to be on the receiving end of the paranoia.

Once when I was pulled over and the 2 cops were discussing me by their cars, I got out of the car to bring them the insurance paperwork that I couldn't find before. Their hands dropped to their guns and they screamed at me to get back in the car. I said that I found it, they said I was threatening them. I argued that I didn't believe I was threatening them by standing there waving a piece of paper considering that they had guns. They were not amused. I got back in the car. The end result was a verbal warning about my loud muffler. It was pretty silly.

[Djiril]

Once when I was pulled over and the 2 cops were discussing me by their cars, I got out of the car to bring them the insurance paperwork that I couldn't find before. Their hands dropped to their guns and they screamed at me to get back in the car. I said that I found it, they said I was threatening them. I argued that I didn't believe I was threatening them by standing there waving a piece of paper considering that they had guns. They were not amused. I got back in the car. The end result was a verbal warning about my loud muffler. It was pretty silly.
Back when I was in High School we had a cop come to one of the classes every week to explain our rights when dealing with cops, and he showed us a video that is shown to rookies about all the horrible things a person could really be doing when it looks like they're only reaching for their wallet. Most of them ended in the grisley death of the cop in question.

After seeing that, it's really not suprising that many of the actions that seem to be "no big deal" to most people can inspire violent reactions in cops. They are probably playing images in their heads of being gutted by a switchblade credit card!

[Yvonne Belisle]

After they had spoken to your sister they should have realized it was an innocent mistake and left you guys alone. If they were as rude to your sister as they were to you had she just been assaulted they would have caused more trauma.

[Jenne]

Abuse of power, no matter how tough their job is, is just that. Abuse. Bullying the citizenry because someone MIGHT hurt them is not right, nor is it excusable. Sure they have reason to suspect people, but in this country, we are still INNOCENT, regardless of the very subjective "probable cause," which tends to stem instead from "probable paranoia" on the part of the cop. If we shouted and banged at people we met on the street in everyday America because we were "afraid" that evil would befall us (and we are even more so unprotected b/c we don't have guns and billyclubs), we would be arrested and put in jail.

I think we should rotate cops--not keep them on the force for longer than 5 years at a time. Make them get back into the general melee and congregate with the great unwashed between "cycles" of police work employment. It might re-humanize them a bit, especially the ones with chips on their shoulders from the get-go. The psychological trauma that happens to them desensitizes them and makes them very difficult to deal with in MOST cases. This kind of job often takes otherwise very decent, trusting individuals and makes them into the very aggressors we need them to to protect us from. It's sad--I know some cops personally, and they're very nice people. Judgmental and jaded, but after what they've seen, I can hardly blame them now can I?

[Faeawyn]

Abuse of power, no matter how tough their job is, is just that. Abuse. Bullying the citizenry because someone MIGHT hurt them is not right, nor is it excusable. Sure they have reason to suspect people, but in this country, we are still INNOCENT, regardless of the very subjective "probable cause," which tends to stem instead from "probable paranoia" on the part of the cop. If we shouted and banged at people we met on the street in everyday America because we were "afraid" that evil would befall us (and we are even more so unprotected b/c we don't have guns and billyclubs), we would be arrested and put in jail.

I think we should rotate cops--not keep them on the force for longer than 5 years at a time. Make them get back into the general melee and congregate with the great unwashed between "cycles" of police work employment. It might re-humanize them a bit, especially the ones with chips on their shoulders from the get-go. The psychological trauma that happens to them desensitizes them and makes them very difficult to deal with in MOST cases. This kind of job often takes otherwise very decent, trusting individuals and makes them into the very aggressors we need them to to protect us from. It's sad--I know some cops personally, and they're very nice people. Judgmental and jaded, but after what they've seen, I can hardly blame them now can I?Very very well said. _handclapp

[Ahautenites]

The problem with cycling police officers is one of psychological makeup. Not everyone who applies for the job is able to do it, mentality-wise. The very qualities you all hate -- the paranoia, the judgmental attitude, the attitude of always being right no matter what might actually be right, the ability to take charge of any situation, the tendency to bully -- are the exact qualities that are necessary for them to DO that job. Not everyone has those characteristics in the right proportions to be a police officer.

[samiaminsane]

The best time was on our way to a Rob Zombie concert in Columbus.... Niki's doing macrame, Carl's playing a video game and I'm doing a cross stitch.... They pull us over, make all four of us sit in their cruiser while they search the car! Needless to say, they didn't find anything. I just try to remember that they have to do that sort of crap and it's their job.

[Jenne]

The problem with cycling police officers is one of psychological makeup. Not everyone who applies for the job is able to do it, mentality-wise. The very qualities you all hate -- the paranoia, the judgmental attitude, the attitude of always being right no matter what might actually be right, the ability to take charge of any situation, the tendency to bully -- are the exact qualities that are necessary for them to DO that job. Not everyone has those characteristics in the right proportions to be a police officer.
Meh, not sure I believe that. And I'm not sure that that would necessarily make much of a difference if they were given a hiatus from their duties in order to get their mental health back.

It's a serious problem with our society, that we allow such inherent abuse of power in the name of "protection." We do it with our troops and their treatment of POW's, and we do it in our jail system as well. Because a person is considered a criminal, i.e. did a wrong to society by violating society's laws, they are subject to indecencies and inhumane behaviors done to them.

I'm not saying every cop is like this and that all cops are bad. But I don't agree that giving them time off to get their head straight would make them less able to do their jobs either. Rather, giving them a better perspective on the public they are "serving" would round out their view in how to treat them.

And those who are in "riskier" areas of employment need better/more training in dealing with high-stress situations and less emphasis on "taking them down." Cops are notorious for hating psychological work-ups and vigilance on their behalf. And I don't blame them. It's a lot of mental invasion. But then in order to accept this sort of thing they would have to realize that a lot of their job TAKES mental strength, not just physical.

[TWILIGHTSKY]

You now, if he thought he saw a volitile situation, the worst thing for him to do was try to aggravate you "further". I'm not saying he had to walk up and be as sweet as buttercups; it just irks me when cops try to provoke a violent reaction so that they can feel justified in using more force.

I have NO respect for the police. If a person is drinking or doing drugs, they're right on the ball, but if you need help from them, unless you're related to someone special they won't lift a powdered sugar covered finger to help.

I feel no pity for them- they CHOOSE to work as policemen. Some few because they really want to help their community, but far more because they have a grudge against society, and they want to get off on the powertrip they get with people's freedom in their hands.

I have seen very few times where people went off unprovoked at the cops, but I have seen many times where they poked until they got the reaction they wanted. I'm just disgusted with the PO-LEECE 'round here, and I keep my nose clean- but I do have eyes.

I'm not surprised one bit about the way they treated you and your sister.