rude cops? share stories....

[lonesoldier84]

anyone ever had any interaction with a cop where the cop was being very rude or having a power trip?

will be interesting to read the stories. ive been pretty lucky in that way havent had any run-ins with A-hole cops that i can think of.

 

[CanadianFZ6]

Not exactly rude, but a true story nevertheless... I was pulled over by a cop once, just as I entered the parking lot of a local bike shop. He said I was changing lanes too frequently (safety reasons).... I wasn't issued a ticket but only a verbal warning. The warning was "because oriental drivers lack peripheral vision (he sited their eyes not being round, like blacks or caucasians) to be careful about lane changes in this neighbourhood (high asian population)". His words..... I didn't even know what to say... so I said thanks officer and went into the shop... I kid you not, true story...

 

[wrightme43]

LOL poor guy probably believed it too.

 

[wrightme43]

I have never had a personal interaction with a police officer that I would classify as anything near rude. I have had two state troopers yell at me to sit down, thinking (wrongly because of crazy female) I had a gun. I have had one follow me into the grocery store and offer to fill his ticket book up with me if I did any burnouts in his town, Stopped and told to slow down many times. But never with out at least the common decency you would expect from another human being.

Then again when stopped on bike or in car, I put on the flashers, pull way over so they can safely approach, remove the key and hold it up so they can see it, and wait. I dont want a nervous guy with a gun around me.

 

[SovietRobot]

My experiences with cops in my adult life have been pleasant.

Once pulled over for doing 76 in a 55, CHP officer went easy on me.

Then pulled over by a sheriff because my drunken friend almost started a fight with a guy at a grocery store at 2am. He had nothing else to pull me over for so when he came up to my window I told him the truth and he ran our ID's and we were on our way.
Had he decided to breathalize me I probably would've spent the night in jail.(I was 20 so anything over 0.00 is a DUI)

It's pretty simple what you do. Be respectful, speak only when spoken to, and don't lie. That doesn't mean you have to spill your guts, it just means if you do say something, it better not be a lie. In my car I roll down all of my windows and if it's at night I turn the interior lights on.

If a cop is going to be a dick even if you're the nicest person in the world, the cop is just a dick, and there's nothing you can do at that moment, why? You're going to lose.
If you have an issue, report him or take it up in court. You have no chance of winning by arguing on the side of a road.

 

[Red Wazp]

I got a speeding ticket on my wedding night!
He gave me that "I don't want to find you and your bride in a wreck" routine. Geez I figured that was one ticket I could get out of. Actually it must have been a sign as that marriage didn't last very long.

Most LEO's are ok if you figure in all the crap they have to put up with. Might as well be polite as they are holding all the cards when they pull you over.
What's really tough is when you realize this young cop wasn't even alive when you got your license, ouch.

 

[Tremulant]

I have actually had pretty good luck with cops...

I was out riding on Antelope Island out here in Utah and I was riding pretty hard. It's got a great little road with lots of smooth curves and hills, but the bugs will sure mess up your visor Anyways, I was riding pretty recklessly and I guess I blew right past a cop and didn't notice. I was so focused that I guess the cop was chasing me for miles before I even saw her following me. I pulled to side of the road, turned off my bike and pulled my helmet off. I was pretty sure I was going to lose my license for this one. I was dong 75 in a 25 zone and passing in corners like crazy (pretty dumb, I know). All that on top of the fact that she was chasing me for a few miles and was about to call for back-up, I figured I deserved whatever she gave me. Turns out she was pretty cool. I didn't make any excuses and just told her I was being an idiot, and she let me go with an $80 ticket for illegal passing.

 

[steveindenmark]

Putting the shoe on the other foot...I was a police officer for 8 years and I can say in all honestly that I have been rude to a few members of the public. police officers deal with all sorts of people every day of their working lives and make an effort to be professional with everyone all the time, or at least I did. It actually makes the job easier.

However there is a very small number of the population who can honestly be described as neandathol...sorry if the spellng is wrong. No matter how nice or persuasive you try to be the penny does just not drop, so you have to take yourself down to their level and say thing like "Just shut the F¤¤k up and listen to me. If you carry on like this you will be in the cells".

The excuse me sir but do you mind being quiet for a moment sometimes does not work. Especially with neandathols, druggies, drunks and at domestic disputes.

I must admit I always tried the polite way first but after a while you know immediatley that it will not work, but you try anyway.

Steve

 

[lonesoldier84]

Putting the shoe on the other foot...I was a police officer for 8 years and I can say in all honestly that I have been rude to a few members of the public. police officers deal with all sorts of people every day of their working lives and make an effort to be professional with everyone all the time, or at least I did. It actually makes the job easier.

However there is a very small number of the population who can honestly be described as neandathol...sorry if the spellng is wrong. No matter how nice or persuasive you try to be the penny does just not drop, so you have to take yourself down to their level and say thing like "Just shut the F¤¤k up and listen to me. If you carry on like this you will be in the cells".

The excuse me sir but do you mind being quiet for a moment sometimes does not work. Especially with neandathols, druggies, drunks and at domestic disputes.

I must admit I always tried the polite way first but after a while you know immediatley that it will not work, but you try anyway.

Steve

that is more than understandable and nobody would in their right mind would describe that as "rude" only "effective" and "necessary".

i think the only times people run into problems with cops being on power trips on a regular basis would be with the new recruits who have something to prove. so much so it would cloud their judgement.

 

[jmerch44]

I figure once you break the law you should keep your mouth shut and take what you got coming! if you cant handle that, stay home.

 

[VDITRAINING]

that is more than understandable and nobody would in their right mind would describe that as "rude" only "effective" and "necessary".

i think the only times people run into problems with cops being on power trips on a regular basis would be with the new recruits who have something to prove. so much so it would cloud their judgement.

never met a new recruit with anything to prove simply because around here they are partnered up with a veteran for some time before they are let loose on their own. they learn by example and every veteran cop around here has some maturity associated with their position

 

[Fz6Sa]

I for one would much rather read some POSITIVE stories about police encounters!!

I believe in "Do The Crime, - Do The Time", - so if I speed, make illegal turns, run a yellow light, or do anything else that is against the law, - I stand up to my doing, and take the garbage any cop would throw at me, - after all it's my own doing that got me into this situation!

I have yet to meet a cop that does not respect my attitude on this, - and lets me off without hassle, simply be course I admit that I did what I did, - and don't try to come up with lame excuses for my actions.

I have no respect what so ever for people bashing the police in general, - or looking upon the great people of law enforcement as a enemy! ,- these people are here to uphold the laws we all decided on, - and in doing so supporting us in living in a safe world!!

Starting a thread like this is similar to asking people to name all the bad things they have ever heard about Americans,- it's borderline ignorance, and simply NEWER called for!

Just had to get my 2 cents of my chest.

EDIT: sportrider/Steph : Sorry if I'm overstepping the borders of this forum with this post, - re-reading, perhaps it should not have been posted here, but in the "Underground Politics" section.

 

[mstewar1]

As has been mentioned, if I'm having to talk to a leo, I've probably done something that I shouldn't oughta done. I find that if I address them directly, without any attitude, that they're just folks who're having to do a very unpopular, often unpleasant job. I don't bust their chops, they do their duty.

 

[Smittyboy]

As a person pursuing a career in law enforcement I'm loving the overwhelming positive response this thread has received! That being said, I have had TERRIBLE luck with police interaction regarding motorized transportation of any kind. In my crappy beater olds' I was supposedly able to start from a stop at the bottom of a hill and hit 45-50 around a corner, but since their radar wasn't on I got unreasonable speed even though I was doing 30 in a 25. 5 OVER= ticket? let's be serious. This last weekend during break (before becoming a hood ornament on a minivan) I got a speeding ticket for 61 in a 45. If I was speeding 15 over I would expect a ticket. I was doing roughly 50, I would buy 55, but not 60. I hadn't left second gear, and I wasn't ringing it's neck. My friend passes me going roughly 10mph faster and flashing lights show up behind us... He issued us both tickets because I was going faster than him and he radar'd me at 61, so he gave us both tickets for 61... WHAT!?! He said I was going faster than my guy, so he was cutting him a break. I'm no physics major, but how am I going faster but he passed me? (In a straight line for those who'd be a smarta$$) If he wanted to pop a boner and write me up for roughly 8 over that's fine... but don't tell me I'm over 60. That's ridiculous. I was waiting for an opportunity to vent about it, and this opened up a venue. Other than those two occurences I've had nothing but positive encounters (numerous) with LEO's... BTW, I wasn't giving attitude during the bike ticket, but the guy I was with was. SUCKS!!!

 

[ozzieboy]

I was brought up to show respect for our LEO's.

I'm not a slow learner. Didn't take me long to figure out there are good and bad cops and that they all wear the same uniform, so I can't tell them apart.

If a cop is polite, he gets polite back.

If a cop treats me like a POS.....I'm supposed to respect it...lol. Not very likely.

In South Aus, a heap of cops were found with pirated movies on their hard drives (work computers). I know for a fact (have a price list and know people with movies) that police have been using police equipment to burn movies and record video tapes ( obviously been happening a long time ) on government funded media. I can put my hands on a movie, that when it finishes up comes a scene of the interrogation room. It is proven that they are breaking the law and there has been and will be no punishment. If that were me?

They were doing this "in house" at Christies beach police station for video, as there was equipment available for defeating the copyright protection. If they're doing it in house then they all know about it making them ALL crooked in my book.:spank::spank::spank: Video piracy IS theft.

Don't take my word for it.

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/australia-dvd-piracy,news-951.html

I understand it's a tough job. So's going to war for your country, but you wouldn't have seen me smuggling contraband into the country by taking advantage of my position.

One word.....integrity.

Rant complete.

Cheers
Mike

 

[paulinus]

My experiences with law enforcement has been good save one I can recall. Several have been humorous and entertaining. One stands out as being a-holeish. It was May I think and low to mid 90s as I pull up to a roadblock on my way home from college for the weekend. I don't know if the THP guy was ill about working in the heat, or he just didn't like my stickers. But...I found out you could be ticketed for obscene bumperstickers. LOL Who knew? I ended up removing the stickers and mailing in before and after photos to avoid a court appearance.

With that being said, the local police caught me at a roadblock maybe 3 blocks from my house without my license. They ran me via my social, checked me out, and let me ride home. It was well within their rights to take me to jail. I am thankful. There is some irony to this tale. Before I came up on the roadblock, I was thinking...If I can make it home in 10 minutes, I can catch the start of COPS. Gotta love that show.

I have found like many others have said, politeness and owning up to your actions usually handles everything. Sometimes you get the guy who will give you your first ticket in 8 years instead of a warning. But, that happens. Also, if all you've had is two beers, do NOT say "To be honest with you, I have had two." It got me a polite but sarcastic "To be honest with you, pull over there and wait for your breathalizer." Lesson learned!