Dam A-Hole Bike Cop

[milehighcj360t]

I got pulled over the other night in my Scion. Passed the cop doing 41 in a 40. Went by him, and saw his headlights flip on. Two seconds later the red and blues.

I stopped, turned my car off, had my license and registration out and ready before he got to my window.

Conversation went like this:

"Evening, sir."

"Good evening. License and registration please. Did you know that you have a brake light, uh... tail light..... uh, shit, Your tag light it out. Sorry man, it's been a long night."

"No worries, sir. I didn't know that. I got rear ended last week, probably broke the bulb."

"Yeah, most likely."

He then went back to his squad car for a few minutes to run my license/etc.

"Alright sir, when the shop repairs your car, make sure they fix that tail light too. Have a good night."

"Thank you, officer. Stay safe out there, and I hope the rest of your night goes smoothly."

"Hey, thanks man!"

Two cordial dudes. I wasn't mad that he pulled me over. I wasn't speeding. I wasn't doing anything illegal. I was out after midnight, and he used the tag light as an excuse to pull me over.

I learned my tag light was out, and got delayed for a couple of minutes.

He told a driver that a tag light was out, and made sure there wasn't another drunk driver on the streets.

I think it worked out just fine for both of us.

Cops are individuals just like you and me. Remember that.

I just wish this was more of the rule than the exception...can't speak for cops everywhere, Dallas cops were pretty cool actually...but cops in denver and the adjacent rockies, have not been too professional in their dealings i've experienced first hand.

It does seem like a mountain out of a molehill situation here being what initiated the post--but the concept is what is so aggravating. Its much easier to be kind than to be a dick, even if you are just doing your job.

 

[milehighcj360t]

Your right the power hungry cops are outta hand giving out stern warnings like that! whats next?

Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk 2

And once again, your intelligence comes shining through.

 

[Jacob Agaetis]

I was pulled over for speeding once. Officer asked "you have any idea how fast you were going?", I pointed at around the 85mph mark on the speedometer and said "somewhere in here". He told me I had balls saying something like that. I then offered him a Krispy Kreme doughnut which he politely declined, then wrote me a ticket.


True story.

 

[CresentSon]

I'll just quote my last post on this one:

I could be asinine and quote my last post too, but you would have still missed the point of both. The use of terms like "most" don't show a retraction in comment at all. By stating that traffic cops aren't stepping in front of bullets is another example of ignorance to the facts and talking out of artificial preconceived notions.

1. Most cops do both traffic and patrol functions. I answer as many calls with my motorcycle officers as with my four wheeled brothers.

2. A traffic stop is the MOST dangerous encounter an officer can face, and a traffic officer walks into that situation dozens of times a day.

3. Motor/traffic cops have more training due to the increased number of functions they preform. On average they have twice the number of years experience as the beat cop he responds with.

4. The thousands of examples you seem to have documented are offset by millions of positive encounters with hard working civic minded people on both sides of the badge.

5. The average revenue returned to the department (in Texas at least) on the standard speeding ticket is less than ten dollars after federal and state administrative fees. That leaves ten dollars to leverage against the pay of the officer, clerk, judge, records staff, and equipment maintenance. That is if you don't attempt to fight the 'man' in a second trip to court on the violation that you rightfully committed in the first place.

I would suggest that if your personal experience differs so much from the norm, then occam's razor would suggest that the issue lies with the common element in the singular events. That would be you. Since any traffic officer that pulls you over is already profiled as so stupid he couldn't do anything else, it seems that it is you bringing the bad attitude to the party.

On a side note, the last shooting in my city was a motorcycle officer and a desk lieutenant versus a suicidal teen who left a note stating he was going columbine on the high school, stole a dozen guns from his dad's house, and was intercepted by said stupid motor officer in route to the school.

...so why don't you support our troops. :

 

[VonYinzer]

I could be asinine and quote my last post too, but you would have still missed the point of both. The use of terms like "most" don't show a retraction in comment at all. By stating that traffic cops aren't stepping in front of bullets is another example of ignorance to the facts and talking out of artificial preconceived notions.

1. Most cops do both traffic and patrol functions. I answer as many calls with my motorcycle officers as with my four wheeled brothers.

2. A traffic stop is the MOST dangerous encounter an officer can face, and a traffic officer walks into that situation dozens of times a day.

3. Motor/traffic cops have more training due to the increased number of functions they preform. On average they have twice the number of years experience as the beat cop he responds with.

4. The thousands of examples you seem to have documented are offset by millions of positive encounters with hard working civic minded people on both sides of the badge.

5. The average revenue returned to the department (in Texas at least) on the standard speeding ticket is less than ten dollars after federal and state administrative fees. That leaves ten dollars to leverage against the pay of the officer, clerk, judge, records staff, and equipment maintenance. That is if you don't attempt to fight the 'man' in a second trip to court on the violation that you rightfully committed in the first place.

I would suggest that if your personal experience differs so much from the norm, then occam's razor would suggest that the issue lies with the common element in the singular events. That would be you. Since any traffic officer that pulls you over is already profiled as so stupid he couldn't do anything else, it seems that it is you bringing the bad attitude to the party.

On a side note, the last shooting in my city was a motorcycle officer and a desk lieutenant versus a suicidal teen who left a note stating he was going columbine on the high school, stove a dozen guns from his dad's house, and was intercepted by said stupid motor officer in route to the school.

...so why don't you support our troops. :

Though very well said, and written as is the norm from you, I fear you're pissing in the wind. Some people will believe what they believe no matter the reality.

And seeing as your a police officer yourself, well I'm amazed you have the mental aptitude to turn the PC on, not to mention type all of that. Are you sure you didn't have someone else write that for you? Probobly at gunpoint. All while jerking off and staring in the mirror?

 

[CresentSon]

My computer is no where near a mirror, that would just be weird.

 

[RoadRash]

Here in Pittsburgh, I've experienced both good and bad. Once got a break from a cop when he clocked me doing 95 in my Camaro. Doh! But Ive also experienced cops beong total fuckin' dicks. Also, I happen to be friends with the a Pittsburgh cop, and while he tends to behave like a boyscout, he IS quite "Good ol' Boy", and bigotted. In fact, most cops Ive met are just that, whether they were dickish to me or not. Most definitely seem to be on power trips, and half seem to think the laws are for everyone else. Again, not necessarily a dick to me, but still the above, just the same.

 

[Finnigan]

Though very well said, and written as is the norm from you, I fear you're pissing in the wind. Some people will believe what they believe no matter the reality.

And seeing as your a police officer yourself, well I'm amazed you have the mental aptitude to turn the PC on, not to mention type all of that. Are you sure you didn't have someone else write that for you? Probobly at gunpoint. All while jerking off and staring in the mirror?

HAHA! I LIKE IT!

 

[milehighcj360t]

I could be asinine and quote my last post too, but you would have still missed the point of both. The use of terms like "most" don't show a retraction in comment at all. By stating that traffic cops aren't stepping in front of bullets is another example of ignorance to the facts and talking out of artificial preconceived notions.

1. Most cops do both traffic and patrol functions. I answer as many calls with my motorcycle officers as with my four wheeled brothers.

2. A traffic stop is the MOST dangerous encounter an officer can face, and a traffic officer walks into that situation dozens of times a day.

3. Motor/traffic cops have more training due to the increased number of functions they preform. On average they have twice the number of years experience as the beat cop he responds with.

4. The thousands of examples you seem to have documented are offset by millions of positive encounters with hard working civic minded people on both sides of the badge.

5. The average revenue returned to the department (in Texas at least) on the standard speeding ticket is less than ten dollars after federal and state administrative fees. That leaves ten dollars to leverage against the pay of the officer, clerk, judge, records staff, and equipment maintenance. That is if you don't attempt to fight the 'man' in a second trip to court on the violation that you rightfully committed in the first place.

I would suggest that if your personal experience differs so much from the norm, then occam's razor would suggest that the issue lies with the common element in the singular events. That would be you. Since any traffic officer that pulls you over is already profiled as so stupid he couldn't do anything else, it seems that it is you bringing the bad attitude to the party.

On a side note, the last shooting in my city was a motorcycle officer and a desk lieutenant versus a suicidal teen who left a note stating he was going columbine on the high school, stole a dozen guns from his dad's house, and was intercepted by said stupid motor officer in route to the school.

...so why don't you support our troops. :

I appreciate you taking the time to provide some very compelling positive notions about your profession. I certainly mean no personal offense. That being said, I am not lacking in intelligence nor experience on the matter. I also have police officers as friends, and i realized my assessment of 99.9% being...was shortsighted.

I can say this, as a law abiding citizen I am alarmed at so many and more frequent instances of police brutality or abuse of power. I understand that it is still the exception and not the rule, but you yourself must see the forest for the trees on this one. Rodney king received international media attention for police brutality--and by stark comparison, when this is now becoming a more and more frequent occurrence (or maybe there are just more cameras) it receives very minimal media attention. While there are millions of examples of life saving, crime stopping cops out there--sadly, i would argue that the exception is casting a dark shadow over whole of law enforcement. Before you go jumping down my throat, let me explain that by harboring the behavior that is blatantly brutal or abusive it is just as bad as engaging in the same. I think law enforcement is failing itself by allowing such an abundance of documented infractions to go unpunished or punished with paid suspensions...its a joke. If the exception can be ignored and cast aside as such, the corruption will only continue to grow. Police brutality aside, the same applies to minor infractions such as traffic violations, where officers are frequently condescending and negative in their approach regardless of the person being pulled over. I guess what i'm saying is until there is some consequences for police "mistakes" there is an enormous opportunity for abuse. Sorry that i've got such a harsh perspective of the police, but having personally experienced more than one example of cops abusing their power, its an understandable position to take. I certainly wish it weren't the case.

 

[CresentSon]

So me calling you out on a gross distortion of fact is harboring police brutality? In regards to the original post, that cop was acting in a less than responsible manner. Was the op deserving of it, I'm not one to judge. Was the cop a douche, sounds like it.

Are there situations where cops throw a beat down that's unneeded? Yup. Is it as tolerated as you seem to know in your vast experience? Obviously, because you saw it on cable news. Unfortunately it isn't that simple. Statistically, police abuse of power is on a decline.

The problem of perception stems from the fact that media shows up on the average scene after a police shooting and gets a lens full of angry neighbors stating that the police shot an unarmed man, in the back, in hand cuffs, execution style. Meanwhile the police aren't offering any statement at this time due to an ongoing investigation. So what do we see at home, another cop shoots someone in cold blood. As we are privy to inside information as officers, we know that the guy had a gun, committed an unspeakable atrocity, fired on officers, was hit in the chest by a lucky shot from 60 yards away, and the handcuffs were put on afterward as it is policy to cuff any fatally injured suspect until he has been declared dead by a medical official. The only 'witness' is another criminal conspirator who saw the body laying face down, cuffed, and bleeding from an exit wound in his back.

Six months later the officer is acquitted for a clean shoot, which causes an outrage. The details still can't be released on the pending case.

Two years later when the case is released from unreasonable litigation because the family wrongfully sued the department, this side can be told. Does it make it to the nightly news. Nope. The public will never hear that story.

Brother, there is no need to worry about offending me. I have been pissed on, thrown up on, and called things I'm sure I don't want to know the meaning of. That doesn't change the fact that I will go to work every shift and do my best to leave my district a little safer than I found it. If I have the off bad day and come across poorly, just remember the last time you had reason to realize you were fallible, and shake it off. Chances are I have had a rough time of it that day too, and I'm trying to do the same.

 

[Drewski]

I think the truth is, there are bad cops, bad salesmen, bad doctors, bad politicians, bad parents, bad coffee shop workers, bad drivers, bad riders, bad mechanics... There are bad people in EVERY profession, every walk of life. The other side of that coin is, of course, that there are also good ones.

IMO, our police forces are simply a reflection of our society. I believe the majority are good and trying hard to do a good job.

I've had a few encounters with the police over the years. The only "difficult" ones were when I was a teen when confronted by an older cop. The fault? I'd blame the cop, but...

Only 2 things are certain. We're not going to solve this debate here today and we're not going to change each others minds.

 

[rays650cafe]

I feel most cops around here anyway are horribly flawed humans. Like the rest of us. I have a friend who's ex-husband is a cop. The the one with the badge is usually the one pulling the stupid little abuse of power shit. You know,trying to have their family pet labeled as a potential threat, ect. The same guy, has been nothing but nice to me. Most of the older Officers town, county, and state. Have been really cool towards me for the last 10-12 years or so. What's weird is I was in county lock-up for a decent chunk of my 20's. Longest stretch being 6 months. Who knows? Maybe I got used to them. When a person is is exposed to a particular set of situations or people you see them for what they really are. Just people doin a job. All in all, I've only met one actual asshole cop. And he was an asshole of epic proportion, eventually got his ass fired.Somtimes i see him in town for some reason,and I flip him off just like old times...

 

[milehighcj360t]

So me calling you out on a gross distortion of fact is harboring police brutality? In regards to the original post, that cop was acting in a less than responsible manner. Was the op deserving of it, I'm not one to judge. Was the cop a douche, sounds like it.

Are there situations where cops throw a beat down that's unneeded? Yup. Is it as tolerated as you seem to know in your vast experience? Obviously, because you saw it on cable news. Unfortunately it isn't that simple. Statistically, police abuse of power is on a decline.

The problem of perception stems from the fact that media shows up on the average scene after a police shooting and gets a lens full of angry neighbors stating that the police shot an unarmed man, in the back, in hand cuffs, execution style. Meanwhile the police aren't offering any statement at this time due to an ongoing investigation. So what do we see at home, another cop shoots someone in cold blood. As we are privy to inside information as officers, we know that the guy had a gun, committed an unspeakable atrocity, fired on officers, was hit in the chest by a lucky shot from 60 yards away, and the handcuffs were put on afterward as it is policy to cuff any fatally injured suspect until he has been declared dead by a medical official. The only 'witness' is another criminal conspirator who saw the body laying face down, cuffed, and bleeding from an exit wound in his back.

Six months later the officer is acquitted for a clean shoot, which causes an outrage. The details still can't be released on the pending case.

Two years later when the case is released from unreasonable litigation because the family wrongfully sued the department, this side can be told. Does it make it to the nightly news. Nope. The public will never hear that story.

Brother, there is no need to worry about offending me. I have been pissed on, thrown up on, and called things I'm sure I don't want to know the meaning of. That doesn't change the fact that I will go to work every shift and do my best to leave my district a little safer than I found it. If I have the off bad day and come across poorly, just remember the last time you had reason to realize you were fallible, and shake it off. Chances are I have had a rough time of it that day too, and I'm trying to do the same.

There is no justification for any of this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcejXuLvJsc&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dif%2Byou%2Bsee%2Bsomething%2Bfilm%2Bit%26oq%3Dif%2Byou%2Bsee%2Bsomething%2Bfilm%2Bit%26gs_l%3Dyoutube.3..0.597154.600996.0.601275.28.13.0.13.13.0.215.1079.9j3j1.13.0...0.0...1ac.O_keU1ycipU) regardless of what kind of a day anyone is having.


And that's all i was trying to convey--not that you specifically are harboring shit cops, but that all departments are, and the consequences for the misbehavior and abuse should be more substantial so that bad cops are fired.

 

[bradj]

Milehigh what exactly would you like to happen here? If for some unknown reason anyone on dtt is uncertain about your stance on cops shame on them. If you feel the need to shoot down every opinion but yourown then this thread has lost its point.

The second thing i want to say to you is this never once have i gone aginst you in any way on any topic yet. when i try to add a different perspective to a conversation you go outta your way to insult me. so i know where we stand if i need something painted like a white zombie cover ill let ya know if ya need help building a unpredictable bike pm me ill see if i can fit ya in

 

[Kanticoy]

I'm going to comment on this matter, and put my $.02 because I have a lot of respect for Crescent, and because I want to make you think about things from a slightly different angle. Number one, I am not a cop. I am a paramedic and a public servant that works right along side these guys out on the street. This is 60 hours a week that I am on duty answering every 911 call that happens in a 50-60 square mile radius. I know the cops, work with the cops, am friends with many of the cops here. People who generally hate cops are the ones that got a ticket, got yelled at, etc. etc. because they were doing something wrong and thought that perhaps the cop was a little too harsh. Then their perception of cops dwindles and deteriorates and goes down hill because they start watching the media, and noticing all of the negative connotations that the news throws on a situation, thus deteriorating their perception even further. This is completely one sided, and I'm going to tell you why.

You have no idea what these guys are dealing with out there. It isn't donuts and coffee breaks and being a dick. It's domestic disputes, disorderly conduct due to intoxication or drugs, it's the theft, it's the neighborly disputes. It's death and destruction and wrong doing from everywhere possible within this modern society that we have created for ourselves. Trust me, their clientele is my clientele. There is absolutely no way in hell that you can say with sincerity that you understand what it is to be in public service (i.e. the other end of 911) until you have been there. It completely changed my perspective on the world.

Just remember how much you rely on your 911 system. Chances are, all of you on here would only use it when you had a real emergency. Other people do not do this. They generate the call due to their own gross mishandling of the situation at hand. And they rely on police, fire, and EMS to clean their messes up for them. People rely on 911 more than you know. Give your cops a break. They did not go out of their way to be an asshole to you. Chances are, you are the 20th person that they have dealt with that day, much less that month, and I can promise you that they are tired, stressed, overworked, and underpaid. They still get up, put on the uniform, and answer the calls every day though because there really is a need. Just remember that you don't see what goes on behind the scenes. You don't see the call that the cop responded to before you got a ticket from him. Cut them a little slack, it's a suck job with the hope of making a difference somewhere.

 

[jwarriner]

I don't buy into the whole, "you don't know what it's like" excuse that somehow justifies bad cop behavior. I'm sure it's a shitty job. So is working at Walmart. The Walmart by me is like a demilitarized zone and those people walk around smiling like they're on Thorazine.

If your job is stressing you out to the point that you can't interact like a human being then perhaps a new line of work beckons. Asshole cops are not "making a difference."

 

[Drewski]

I don't buy into the whole, "you don't know what it's like" excuse that somehow justifies bad cop behavior. I'm sure it's a shitty job. So is working at Walmart. The Walmart by me is like a demilitarized zone and those people walk around smiling like they're on Thorazine.

If your job is stressing you out to the point that you can't interact like a human being then perhaps a new line of work beckons. Asshole cops are not "making a difference."

You wanna compare working at Walmart to policing? Really? REALLY??? Sorry. You can't.

 

[milehighcj360t]

Milehigh what exactly would you like to happen here? If for some unknown reason anyone on dtt is uncertain about your stance on cops shame on them. If you feel the need to shoot down every opinion but yourown then this thread has lost its point.

The second thing i want to say to you is this never once have i gone aginst you in any way on any topic yet. when i try to add a different perspective to a conversation you go outta your way to insult me. so i know where we stand if i need something painted like a white zombie cover ill let ya know if ya need help building a unpredictable bike pm me ill see if i can fit ya in

I apologize for insulting you bradj, your comments seemed like more of a wrench in the spokes rather than additional perspective. I guess my frustration came from the fact that its just so black and white and the second the thread started people were jumping down his throat for even considering his encounter with law enforcement out of line. I think that is one of the biggest problems with where we are in this huge debate--so many blindly side with the officer because he or she is a uniformed official. My intention was to play devil's advocate presenting the notion that this is a problem. Often times it is the exaggeration of that "i've had a bad day" attitude that really has no place in a public service position. We've all had bad days, so slack granted, but by the same token--a cop taking his bad day out on any civilian has significant and detrimental consequences for the civilian--and at times, it is unwarranted. I've considered the other side as well, as i said, i do have cop friends and i've had this very conversation with them in person--and instead of jumping down my throat about it, it was discussed with candor. They too saw it as a problem and agreed that the potential for abuse is abundant. Both sides came to the same conclusion, the consequences for abusive police force should be more severe--as it stands now they truly are above the law. They all conceded that they had been witness to instances where a fellow officer was abusive, and recognized it was out of line, yet didn't stop it--and that to me was just as bad. I guess in all, this has been an educational and insightful thread for me, and while i'm sure i'll be labelled as a cop hater, i think what was discussed is very relevant and needs to be addressed on a national level. I whole heartedly support any cop that does his job and truly aims to better the community, and for my misstatements and shortsightedness in previous comments where i chastise all law enforcement, i again apologize. Thanks for the thoughtful and relevant insight, just asking the the opposition be considered. Let me know about that tank you want painted...LOL.

 

[jwarriner]

You wanna compare working at Walmart to policing? Really? REALLY??? Sorry. You can't.

A job is a job. Lots of people have shitty jobs. That doesn't mean they get a free pass on being an asshole. That's my point.

I don't really buy into the idea that "the cop was a dick because he had a bad day." The same cop probably has a bad day every day because it's him that's the problem, not the job. It's an epidemic with these cops. If you want me to think it's noble for someone to suffer through a job that they hate to the point they can't act like a normal, stable human being, you can forget about it. Frankly, I'd prefer the jerk quit rather than continue to be a dickhead cop. Even if there was a shortage of cops. I don't feel safer because a bunch of guys with guns stick to a job they hate because they think they're "making a difference." Please quit.

 

[milehighcj360t]

You wanna compare working at Walmart to policing? Really? REALLY??? Sorry. You can't.

Comparison aside, if in any line of work, you are taking your bad day out on your clients--you should be fired. It is unprofessional and to the detriment of your profession. I'd get fired if i was pissy with my clients because of my bad days. Cops get pissy and the consequences are significant--so i'd have to agree, perhaps if you can't keep your whits about you and maintain the appropriate demeanor with your fellow man and show some respect, then you should get another job. Fact of the matter is, if a cop has a bad day, takes it out on countless civilians for whatever infractions or lack there of, they are protected by the cloak of law enforcement. I've taken my issues all the way to the captain of the department, to which i received more condescension and he only defended his fellow brother in blue regardless of what i had to say. Simply put, its imperative to consider that police officers do the wrong thing too at times--but too often receive no reprimand for doing so, and therein lies the problem.