Stupid cops!

[mustangman65_79]

U ppl NEED to read. I was the one who got pulled over to the exuast, quit rubbing me name in the mud!

Look below, this is what u all posted. Then look at the very first post on here.

Next time, get your damn info straight, and yes I'm a little pist!

Originally posted by Unit 5302


LOL!!

Man, you really need to learn to R E A D. As I've said 2X now. Blwn93 doesn't have any damn TINT. Never did. mustangman had the fricken tint. Cripes. Blwn93 got pulled over for EXHAUST. Yet he had catalytic converters AND mufflers.

You're not making police look real good in the intellegence area right now, LOL.

My apologies Blwn93 I had you mixed up with mustang man.

Okay,

My post was not in reference to mustangman everyone can see that he was wrong. He did not deny he was wrong.

My post was in response to Blwn93 and his actions to avoid his ticket.

When you tamper with evidence, remove the illegal tint from your car prior to court, you have done something wrong. The act of removing the tint is more egregious than the original violation.

If he Blwn93 made any statement to the court indicating his tint was legal, he perjured himself. That is also wrong.

If he made no statement but led the court to believe that his tint was legal. That is also wrong.

He broke the law again. You must understand that his actions, removing the tint misleading the court, were wrong. *hit they were criminal. So, your argument that he did nothing wrong has a few holes in it.

If you want to say that his actions were justifiable given the trivial nature of his original offense, then say that. Saying that he did "nothing wrong" is just not accurate.

This has been fun, let's try it again sometime.

Elliot

elliotness Recent examples point to poor reading and comprehension skills for police officers. Blwn93 did nothing wrong. He was the guy down the thread a ways who was pulled over because the officer thought his exhaust was too loud, even though the mufflers and cats were on the car. I never began to say mustangman didn't do anything wrong.

[Mr 5 0]

Originally posted by Jeb_Bush_2000

Anyone can die in an accident, cops included.

My point is that many jobs carry a real risk of death including pilots, truckers, construction workers, etc. however, no one disputes the danger of police work, just the contention that the danger is an overiding factor that obscures all other negative aspects of police activity.

The actual numbers are these:

740,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the U.S. 130 police deaths in 1999 (latest figures available) and the majority were by firearms, used by convicted criminals. Average age of slain police officers is 38, average length of service is eight years.

This makes police deaths tragic but also rare, a tiny fraction of all active law enforcement officers are killed in the line of duty in any given year. This doesn't minimize the fact that they are in a dangerous job but it should put into perspective this knee-jerk police defense that says 'They could be killed' as if nothing else mattered and all conversation should cease once this statement has been made.

It's obvious that I'm in the minority here, and I hesitate to call the nice folks here "hypocrites", but...c'mon. What do you guys do for a living?

This got my attention.

Hypocrites? What does that mean?

If we aren't a cop we can't have opinions on police attitudes and actions? Are you serious? I'm not a teacher but I have strong opinions how the sad state of public schools and the union mentality that has helped ruin them. I'm not a politician but I have strong opinions on what politicians do. I'm not a politician either so does that make me a 'hypocrite'?

Check the dictonary definition of the word, as you've misused it here.

These groups, including police officers, have one thing in common. They derive their income from taxpayer money and that, alone, entitles anyone who pays taxes (not to mention exercises his constitutional right of free speech) to examine and offer a critical analysis of these taxpayer-supported officials.

They are not above this kind of honest examination and while most of us support our police, we also frown on the petty uses of power they sometimes exhibit and as Jacsracing pointed out, the sometimes blatant use of police power to generate income from otherwise law-abiding citizens for petty 'violations' that pose no traffic threat but guarantee town or city income.

That's undemocratic and corrosive to the community support any police organization must have to operate in a compentent manner. Not to be taken lightly.

Your support of police in general is not a minority view but casting aspersions on those who simply point out flaws and problems in the police organizations is not admirable. Stick to facts and avoid attempting to kill the messengers that hold an opinion that differs from yours. It makes a better exchange that way.

[Unit 5302]

mustangman, I was talking about blwn93 being pulled over for exhuast. A few posts down from your first one he was pulled over for that reason, but there was nothing slighly illegal about his pipes. I never addressed you being pulled over at all that I know of.

I'm a hypocrite I guess. I pay a cops salary with tax money that comes out of my check. I'm no hooligan that runs around tearing it up, and people like me deter that kind of attitude in others around us. I work in fund performance that allows people to enjoy their retirement. You'll have to excuse me if I think cops could, in general, do a FAR better job of keeping people safe and secure than they currently do. Since I only have logical arguments to make, I'll leave this thread.

By the way, check out the number of convenience store clerks that were shot last year. 31,000. Perhaps all the high and mighty "cops can get shot" people in this thread would like to compare the statistics between what a convenience store clerk makes, how many of them get shot, and how many get shot when they are just minding their own business trying to pass another night of ringing people up at the register.

[Jeb_Bush_2000]

Two quick things:


Far more police officers are hit by cars during traffic stops than are shot, stabbed, poisoned, strangled, etc.


It's very easy to sit in front of your computer and say "It's not that dangerous a job.". Would you say the same thing if you were handed a badge, and a gun, and told to give a $300 ticket to the gangbangers in the Accord, with the mirror tint? Think hard about that.


I'm not out to get anybody here, or to make enemies. I'm really not.

[mustangman65_79]

hey Unit 5302, read this

Originally posted by Unit 5302


LOL!!

Man, you really need to learn to R E A D. As I've said 2X now. Blwn93 doesn't have any damn TINT. Never did. mustangman had the fricken tint. Cripes. Blwn93 got pulled over for EXHAUST. Yet he had catalytic converters AND mufflers.

You're not making police look real good in the intellegence area right now, LOL.

There is more if u reread all this, u and elliotness

[Unit 5302]

Originally posted by mustangman65_79
hey Unit 5302, read this





There is more if u reread all this, u and elliotness

What the hell is your point???? What am I reading about? I'm not seeing anything. I have elliotness and jeb thinking I'm talking about you when I was addressing blwn93's run in. It's not that hard to see. First you must read though. Read what's there, not what you think you thought you saw. I don't even know what you're trying to do or what your objective is. Might want to be a little more clear what your point is when you post. Or is this just another attempt at more free posts?

[mustangman65_79]

what I'm saying, is tht from what u wrote, it sounds like u were saying I was the one pulled over for the tint, and I was wrong. I guess elliotness and jeb thought the same. I was pulled over for my exaust.

[Mr 5 0]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jeb_Bush_2000


It's very easy to sit in front of your computer and say "It's not that dangerous a job.". Would you say the same thing if you were handed a badge, and a gun, and told to give a $300 ticket to the gangbangers in the Accord, with the mirror tint? Think hard about that.

Think hard about this.

I've stated over and over and over again that I respect the danger inherent in the police officers job and frankly, I'm getting tired of saying it when it's constantly ignored.

For the last time 'Jeb'; the cop waited on line to get that badge and gun and the opportunity to stop that Honda full of gangbangers, didn't he? He wants to be doing what he's doing. He likes it, in most cases. He's part of the 'fraternity' of police officers. He's 'somebody'. He didn't think he'd be arranging flowers when he became a cop, did he? I doubt it. He knew what he was getting into and wanted to do it.

The danger in being a cop is real but it doesn't excuse poor police behavior and petty applications of traffic laws to harrass people. Simple as that.

It's easy to sit at a computer and defend as well as rationalize poor policing actions when you don't have to think it through.

I'm waiting for your response to Unit 5302's statistic regarding dead convenience store clerks. Rationalize that.

No one here is your enemy, Jeb, just attempting to balance the knee-jerk response you're giving when confronted with negative aspects of how some police do their job. Think about it.

[elliotness]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mr 5 0

Originally posted by Jeb_Bush_2000

I'm waiting for your response to Unit 5302's statistic regarding dead convenience store clerks. Rationalize that.

Unit said shot, not dead.

[Mr 5 0]

Unit said shot, not dead.

O.K., lets go there.

On average, 23,000 law enforcement officers are injured annually. Fewer cops are shot in the line of duty each year then convenience store clerks making minimum wage and they didn't volunteer for the danger. Are they heroic, too? Sure, and the fact that the clerk didn't ask to be in the line of danger from some thug makes him a lot more sympathetic, in my opinion.

Again. Poor behavior, bad attitudes and harrassment of otherwise law-abiding motorists by police officers isn't excused by the fact that police work is inherently dangerous.

[elliotness]

Originally posted by Mr 5 0
Unit said shot, not dead.

O.K., lets go there.

On average, 23,000 law enforcement officers are injured annually. Fewer cops are shot in the line of duty each year then convenience store clerks making minimum wage and they didn't volunteer for the danger. Are they heroic, too? Sure, and the fact that the clerk didn't ask to be in the line of danger from some thug makes him a lot more sympathetic, in my opinion.

Again. Poor behavior, bad attitudes and harrassment of otherwise law-abiding motorists by police officers isn't excused by the fact that police work is inherently dangerous.

The rate of fatal workplace injuries to police officers and other law enforcement personnel averaged about 14 per 100,000 employed for the period 1992-97, compared to an average rate of 5 per 100,000 employed for all occupations.
(U.S. Department of Labor)

"More sympathetic," Why? Police Officers many times run toward danger so that we don't have to.

Police Officers are not all "professionals." Neither is the conveniance store clerk, neither is the teacher, etc.

Again Again, nothing justifies poor policing. Law abiding citizens should not be harrassed. However, when you break the law you should be aware of the possible consequences.

[PKRWUD]

Originally posted by Mr 5 0
I'm waiting for your response to Unit 5302's statistic regarding dead convenience store clerks. Rationalize that.

I've been trying to avoid replying further to this thread, but I had to take this bait.

When a cop is injured or killed on the job, it happened while he was trying to protect me, period. The only thing a convenience store clerk seems to do for me is give me the wrong change because he can't do simple math. Comparing the two lines of work is silly. Why not throw heroin addicts into the mix. Is someone going to suggest paying them $50k a year? All three die doing something they chose to do knowing the risks. So what? I feel alot safer in my world with the cops patrolling the streets than I do with some zit faced kid over-charging for a 6-pack of Coke.

Everyone else-

This whole thread seems to have gone to a severe extreme to make a point, which I myself am sometimes guilty of, but c'mon. Corruption anywhere sucks. Corrupt cops exist, but no one is going to convince me there is a problem with it that deserves anymore attention than corruption anywhere else.

Get over it.

Take care,
-Chris

[The Deuce]

So I got pulled over for not having a current sticker on my Datsun. It was in my glove compartment. I had to keep from laughing because I knew why I was getting pulled over, and that I wouldn't get a ticket. But what I did was wrong, and I could have gotten a ticket.

If you break the law, any law, you run a risk of getting in trouble. I am going to speed on the way to Vegas tonight, and if I get a ticket, I lose. If I make it all the way at 80, I win. It doesn't change the fact that I will break the law.

I have some friends that are cops, so I hear stories. Cops often give tickets that they don't want to. Yes its true. When you see a cop, you expect he is going to enforce the law, everyone does. So if you see a cop on the side of the road and someone goes by speeding, he will pull them over. Even if the cop has someplace else to go. It is merely because of the public expectation. Additionally, when the lights go on, their cameras start rolling. This is why people rarely get warnings anymore. Supervisors can replay the tapes any time and scrutinize them. I don't have anyone videotaping my day, I don't know if anyone here does.

About cops running twoard danger, I commend them for it. I'm not going to get in the middle of a gunfight, I don't carry a peice. I have been first on scene of accidents, and done what I could to help. As car enthusiasts there is knowledge we have about cars that can make the scene of an accident safer, even if you don't have first aid and cpr.

There are good cops and bad cops, as is the case with any service field. But it seems that people pay more attention to the bad ones, than anything else. It sucks, I agree.

It all goes back to Rousseau's Social Contract. Individuals give up some rights to be more free. Honestly whats the big deal in no front tint, and having a moderate exhaust?

[mustangman65_79]

Additionally, when the lights go on, their cameras start rolling. This is why people rarely get warnings anymore. Supervisors can replay the tapes any time and scrutinize them. I don't have anyone videotaping my day, I don't know if anyone here does.

SOrry, had to say something here. I get video taped everyday at work. We have cameras on the flightline, and yes they can be used aginst us. Sorry, again, just had to add.

This whole thread seems to have gone to a severe extreme to make a point, which I myself am sometimes guilty of, but c'mon. Corruption anywhere sucks. Corrupt cops exist, but no one is going to convince me there is a problem with it that deserves anymore attention than corruption anywhere else.

Hehe, this thread went from a stupid ticket, to extreme cop hate.

[Mr 5 0]

PKRWUD:

Glad you decided to 'take the bait'. How's it taste?


Get over it? That sum up your argument? O.K.

Personally, I have no trouble with the police and haven't received a ticket in 11 years. I have nothing to 'get over'.

I consider cops to be very necessary, as I've stated numerous times here, but I also consider them to be dangerous as they have immense power to make your life very unpleasant should they wish to do so, regardless of your 'guilt'. I accept that risk as part of the social contract 'The Duece' alluded to. The police protect me - to a point - and I accept the slight risk of being the victim of police abuse on occasion (it hasn't happened yet). Keeps me honest.

The whole convenience store clerk vs cop argument came into play as a simple comparison to make the point that the cops who are injured 'in the line of duty' are fewer in number than convenience store clerks who are injured in their line of duty (giving you the wrong change).

Chris, surely you (and elliotness) realized that the clerk's job wasn't being directly compared to the cop's job. I only used the comparative statistics to help illuminate the fact that a lot of people are killed or injured doing their job. Cops are not immune or somehow unique in this regard, they simply are better recognized.

I do not accept the premise that since police work is dangerous (granted, many times) cops get a pass on any stupid thing they do to harrass motorists. Nope, not by me they don't. They are accountable, at least in theory, and the constant assertions that cops are somehow superior beings that deserve more leeway than others due to the danger of the job they volunteer to do doesn't work for me. It's irrevelant to the issue of police officers acting - as the thread topic stated - stupidly.

Many cops are downright heroic at times but some small-town cops would be working an assembly line or bagging groceries somewhere if they didn't get on the force. They are not all noble. Some are corrupt as hell and some are actively working with criminals in the drug trade. Scandals erupt in cities and towns across the nation every month regarding police malfeasence. It's a fact that can't be denied.

That's changing, I admit, but the Barney Fifes are still out there and there are many locations where traffic police patrols serve mostly to generate income from traffic tickets they give out for minor or trivial violations. That stinks and it's the fault of both the politicians that encourage it and the cops that willingly engage in the corrupt practice.

Saying 'it's the law' misses the point that it's a misuse of the law to stop people for tinted glass or exhaust noise that endangers no one and bothers no one but the cop, then to issue possibly expensive citations for these minor violations. That's a waste of time, annoying to the motorist that otherwise respects authority and undermines public respect for police work.

That same cop may save a life tomorrow but the motorist he harassed over a muffler today, will always see him as a jerk. That perception is his reality and it spreads with each misuse of the law but the over-zealous cop using poor judgement.

The Duce thinks breaking traffic laws is a game and he accepts the consequences if he 'loses'. Fair enough. Most of us share that attitude. However, a cop combing over your car and nit-picking for a crooked license plate or other harmless 'violation' is bogus and foolish, as it undermines law-abiding citizen's confidence in the police authority to be fair and impartial. Dumb. To the average citizen, the fact that the cop 'could be killed in the line of duty' doesn't impress much and elliotness admits as much in his last post, I'm pleased to note. (Thanks).

On the videotaping issue; it's a great idea as it keeps the police officer honest and protects him, too, should he be accused of brutality or other bogus charge.

Many workplaces are installing videotaping equipment, including factories and offices across the nation. It's legal and used to spot theft and general goofing off as well as possible sexual harrassment. Soon, most of us will be on tape every day, like it or not. Again, the police aren't unique in this area, either.

mustang_man:

This is in no way a 'hate cops' thread. You need to re-read the posts. We may disagree about policing methods and police immunity to criticism but no one actually 'hates' cops. Well, maybe Unit 5302 does, but I doubt it. Don't confuse disagreement, criticism or dissent with 'hate'. Huge difference and you want to use that word carefully.

Good cops, bad cops, smart cops, dumb cops, honest cops, corrupt cops, nasty cops, friendly cops. I'm tired of discussing cops.

Outta here.

[Jeb_Bush_2000]

It's easy to sit at a computer and defend as well as rationalize poor policing actions when you don't have to think it through.

Fun, too!


I had a point somewhere, but I couldn't convey it as effectively as Mr 5 0. If you and I were lawyers, sir, my client would be in jail.

I lose this round. Have a nice weekend, bud.

[mustangman65_79]

This is in no way a 'hate cops' thread. You need to re-read the posts. We may disagree about policing methods and police immunity to criticism but no one actually 'hates' cops. Well, maybe Unit 5302 does, but I doubt it. Don't confuse disagreement, criticism or dissent with 'hate'. Huge difference and you want to use that word carefully.

Ok, so maybe "hate" was a bad word to use, but there was a lot of bashing going on here. If u think of it, the word cop, has always been a sore subjuect with motorists. A lot of ppl think that all cops are out to get us. But those are the guilty few. I too get anyoed when I see a cop pull right up behind me just to read my plates, thinking, "Oh great, what does he want now." But there have been times where I did something wrong, and I get scared when a cop pulls up behind me.

My first ticket I ever got was from a corupt officer. I had my cruise comtrol set at 55 right after passing some slow cars, which I passed at 55, (they were going 45). This was at night when my blinkers wern't working. I was about to change lanes, so I checked all my mirrors, blind spots, everything, no one was around me. So I changed. About 30 sec after I changed lanes, I saw bright lights on behind me, and it scared me because just a moment ago, no one was there.

He pulles me over and says that he was following me the whole was and I was going 70mph in a 50. Well, that wasn't true, but I got the ticket anyway. I was going to fight it, but didn't because of the Air Force, and I couldn't miss work.

SO now I have a ticket for something I didn't even do, and it haunts me.

My final words are, some cops are dicks, and they give everyone else a bad name.

[PKRWUD]

Originally posted by Mr 5 0
PKRWUD:

Glad you decided to 'take the bait'. How's it taste?

Like chicken.

Get over it? That sum up your argument? O.K.

No, it doesn't, but I'll give it now. Get comfy.

Personally, I have no trouble with the police and haven't received a ticket in 11 years. I have nothing to 'get over'.

That was specifically not aimed at you, Jim, which is why it followed the paragraph addressed to Everyone else.

I consider cops to be very necessary, as I've stated numerous times here, but I also consider them to be dangerous as they have immense power to make your life very unpleasant should they wish to do so, regardless of your 'guilt'. I accept that risk as part of the social contract 'The Duece' alluded to. The police protect me - to a point - and I accept the slight risk of being the victim of police abuse on occasion (it hasn't happened yet). Keeps me honest.

While I agree that it happens, I don't agree that it happens to the degree that others have eluded to. I think the actual number of "dangerous" cops is miniscule per capita in law enforcement. I would be shocked if the real number was more than 1%. That's why I don't see this as a big deal, and the bashing that has taken place in this thread, by others, is for the most part uncalled for. I don't begin to pretend to understand everyones situation, or circumstances that may have occured in their lives that affect their perception, but I do grow tired of seeing what I believe to be an honorable, difficult profession being trashed because of someones childhood trauma. Again, this is not directed at anything you said. You should know me well enough to know that when I disagree with you specifically, I don't waste any time letting you know, and make it perfectly clear what it is you said that I have issues with. The bait you left for me was in regard to someone elses point, and it was to that point that I replied.

The whole convenience store clerk vs cop argument came into play as a simple comparison to make the point that the cops who are injured 'in the line of duty' are fewer in number than convenience store clerks who are injured in their line of duty (giving you the wrong change).

Chris, surely you (and elliotness) realized that the clerk's job wasn't being directly compared to the cop's job. I only used the comparative statistics to help illuminate the fact that a lot of people are killed or injured doing their job. Cops are not immune or somehow unique in this regard, they simply are better recognized.

I never felt that you were making that kind of comparison, but that was the subject of the bait.

I do not accept the premise that since police work is dangerous (granted, many times) cops get a pass on any stupid thing they do to harrass motorists. Nope, not by me they don't. They are accountable, at least in theory, and the constant assertions that cops are somehow superior beings that deserve more leeway than others due to the danger of the job they volunteer to do doesn't work for me.

Okay, this is where I get lost. I don't recall ever reading that insinuation in anybodies reply. I read where others believe that it happens, but I didn't see where anybody justified it.

It's irrevelant to the issue of police officers acting - as the thread topic stated - stupidly.

Saying 'it's the law' misses the point that it's a misuse of the law to stop people for tinted glass or exhaust noise that endangers no one and bothers no one but the cop, then to issue possibly expensive citations for these minor violations. That's a waste of time, annoying to the motorist that otherwise respects authority and undermines public respect for police work.

That same cop may save a life tomorrow but the motorist he harassed over a muffler today, will always see him as a jerk. That perception is his reality and it spreads with each misuse of the law but the over-zealous cop using poor judgement.

This is up for very little debate, I'm afraid. As I tried to make clear in my first post, there are noise restictions on the books in California, and cops are encouraged to enforce them. Not just by the muffler shop chain that donates to money to the elected officials re-election campaign, but by the citizens. One thing people seem to really like to complain about is noise. We get threatened with losing our racetrack every year because some new guy who moved to town near the fairgrounds didn't realize there were Sprint car races there every weekend for 8 months out of the year, and complains to the city about the noise. There are at least a dozen such letters to the editor every season, too. The track averages 1500 paying fans every single Saturday night, but is it them that the City Council takes into consideration? No, it's the handful of whiners. This year we had to get new mufflers that reduced the noise to 96 decibles, in order to appease those in power that are listening to the few, rather than the many. They cost us $300 each. Oh well. The complaints will still come in, and we'll just have to deal with it.

Kaspar said he has Cherry Bombs on his Mustang, which are nothing more than painted glass-packs. I have no doubt at all that it's a loud car. I also doubt that it is legal. The law clearly states that motor vehicles used on public highways can not exceed 82 decibles while driving under 35 mph, or 90 decibles while driving over 35 mph. It's the first limit that get's most people busted because that's when most people hit WOT. Once their speed picks up, the throttle opening lessens, the rpm's drop, and the noise deminishes. Two kids at a traffic light that don't know any better are prime examples of those that break this law, and odds are that some grandmother is nearby enough to hear it, and she may complain about it.

Because of this, and because of all the annoyingly loud exhaust systems I heard while in Florida for Christmas, I don't see this issue as being nearly as trivial as you, and others, seem to. It goes alot deeper than just some cop with an attitude harassing people with "slightly modified" exhaust systems. There are alot of people that are driving around with no mufflers, or ones that have been gutted out, or those that are too cheap to replace the pipes that are nearly dragging on the ground. They do not emit the sounds of a well tuned muscle machine, they sound like a series of M-80s going off in a large dumpster. Not terribly appealing to anyone, other than the driver. These are, for the most part, the ones who get stopped. I haven't met one person yet who's exhaust was sensible, and without problems, that was pulled over here for noise. You'd be surprised at the details you'll find when you investigate the claims a little deeper.

The Duce thinks breaking traffic laws is a game and he accepts the consequences if he 'loses'. Fair enough. Most of us share that attitude. However, a cop combing over your car and nit-picking for a crooked license plate or other harmless 'violation' is bogus and foolish, as it undermines law-abiding citizen's confidence in the police authority to be fair and impartial. Dumb.

This is the part that I really find amusing. I have been "victimized" by cops as often as anyone here, yet I'm the one who seems to be defending them. I have had cops comb over my car(s) with a fine tooth comb looking for BS violations. I received a ticket one time for having my stereo too loud. My 1969 Chevelle SS bone-stock 8-Track, un-externally-amplified stereo. The cop was 4 car lengths ahead of me on Van Nuys Blvd. on a cruise night, and he was purely doing it to hassle me, in the hopes that I would stay away on cruise nights. Another night cruising in the Chevelle, I was pulled over for failing to use a turn signal when changing lanes. The cop asked me to open my hood because he didn't believe it was stock. Back then, there was no such thing as "smog legal" hi-po parts. If it wasn't stock, it was illegal. He wrote me a ticket for having a chrome Moroso air cleaner. I was headed out to the street races one night, and was pulled over for the sole reason that I was obviously on my way there. When the cop asked me for my license, I asked him what I did wrong. His reply was that he hadn't decided yet, but he was sure he could find something. He did. He wrote me a ticket for having less than 2/32" tread on one spot, on one tire, and I had to roll the car back 2 feet before he found it. I recieved a ticket one time while parked at Balboa Park (very popular hang-out back then) in the S.F. Valley on a Saturday night because I had several Mickey's Beer labels across the very top of my windshield. I was stopped while cruising Main Street here in Ventura the first weekend after I moved up here because I had a USA-1 license plate on the front of my Chevelle. 6 months later, I received a ticket for having too loud of an exhaust because one of my collector bolts fell out, and I kept driving it anyway. All of these were while driving my red/black Super Sport. I received literally dozens of traffic tickets between 1982 and 1988, most of which were BS nit-picking tickets.

What I see now, however, that I didn't see then, was that even though I wasn't causing anybody any harm, I was usually in or around a situation that was a problem, and that the cops were trying to curtail, like street racing, drinking at a park, and cruising major blvds. This was at a time when there were problems associated with cruising, like crime in the stores along Van Nuys Blvd, and more. In fact, it got so bad that they eventually had to completely close down Van Nuys Blvd. from 6pm until 11pm every Wed., Fri., and Sat. night. This went on for months before the cruisers finally stopped coming, and the problems went away. We hated them for it, but only because we were unable to see the bigger picture. I have since met 2 cops who worked there then, and had to bust poeple who wouldn't leave for anything they could. They both said the same thing to me, which was that they hated having to do that, and in fact they both had grown up cruising Van Nuys Blvd. themselves.

There have still been a few times where I was unquestionably harassed for no justifiable reason, but I still say that kind of thing is no where near as commonplace as others would have you believe.

Okay, now I'm done.

Peace.

Take care,
-Chris

[Mr 5 0]

Kaspar:

Thanks for validating my point.

Yes, it's very scary and induces instant spincter-tightening to unexepctedly see those red and blue flashing lights in your rearview mirror. Who doesn't get a queasy feeling when that happens? That's part of the power of the police and they know it. Intimidation.

One can be a responsible citizen in every way, but drive down the highway and suddenly see those lights in your rear-view mirror and you feel about 5 years old and helpless, at least for a second or two. This is especially common for a new driver.

Then, have a cop with a 'tude (for no reason other than you're young or have a Mustang) start looking for petty 'violations' just to harrass you and abuse his authority, well, it pisses people off, big-time. Handing out bogus tickets just cements the animus and contempt for the police. For what? So Barney Fife can 'show you who's boss'? This is where negative attitudes toward police stem from. Stories like yours, Kasper.

This is also why these types are usually still doing traffic duty when they're 40 instead of moving up the ranks to a higher position or at least better duty.

Look, it's one thing to knowingly do 80 in a 55 zone, get caught and ticketed. You may not like it much but you know you 'played the game' and lost. You deserved the ticket, even if you didn't like receiving it. Lesson learned.

On the other hand, being unfairly ticketed (like you) or harrassed for trivial stuff that endangers no one is what rankles most people and justifiably so. Someone telling you that 'The cop has a dangerous job and could get killed' means little or nothing when your being legally screwed over by some cop with a desire to ruin your day just because he can.

Your experiences are typical of the negative attitude some have toward police, especially where traffic laws are concerned. We all try to stay 'clean', no one wants tickets, but when you're ticketed for petty stuff it generates a poor perception of police work and for most of us, our perception is our reality.

Good, smart cops know this and use good judgement and develop a reasonable attitude when dealing with ordinary citizens in a traffic stop. They're the good guys, I support them and I believe they're in the majority.

I would prefer to leave it at that.

[PKRWUD]

Jim-
I'm only adding this to bring it back to your attention because it appears to me as though we both replied at about the same time (see the reply just before your last one), and while you can type quickly, it was a labor for me. I'm interested in your feedback to what I had to say.

Take care,
-Chris