4 ms·

Drama drama. It seems like 'police are bad' is such a popular prejudgement, and if a police officer pulls you over he definitely wants to throw you to jail for

by gedrap 12y ago

Drama drama. It seems like 'police are bad' is such a popular prejudgement, and if a police officer pulls you over he definitely wants to throw you to jail for no reason. Police officer pulled over. Anything wrong with that? Nope. Officer asked for the documents. Anything to get offended with? Nope. >>> “Seattle man arrested for taking Uber to the Denver airport.” Did officer mention anything about arresting, anything like that? Nope. That's the authors exaggeration. >>> I asked him one more time if what I was doing was illegal. He said he didn’t want to debate the law. And then the author tries to be a bit of a smart-ass. Officer made a mistake, do you really have to be a smart-ass? Would it help you, in any way? Nope. >>> the gun (which was clearly visible in his holster) Yeah, the officer was definitely going to shoot you for taking an Uber. Totally. I am not saying that the law enforcement officers are 100% correct all the time. But articles like that, they just portray the author as a bit childish primadonna. The officer was just doing his job, while the author was sweating that he will get arrested (if the officer doesn't shoot him dead before) for taking an Uber.

nathanb 12y ago
I take it you've never been in a similar situation? If you've ever dealt with an officer of the law in an adversarial situation where you believe you've done nothing wrong, it can be an unnerving or even terrifying experience. The power imbalance is immediately and palpably felt (what I think the author was trying to convey by mentioning the clearly-visible gun). If the officer had wanted to arrest the citizen (who, if he was doing something wrong, was doing it in good faith with the belief and understanding that his actions were not only legal but encouraged by the governor -- an unnaturally well-informed citizen for being a temporary visitor to the state), he would have been well within his rights to do so. Is this some rogue cop enacting some personal vendetta against alternative hirecar arrangements? Probably not. But did the officer act unprofessionally? Entirely. Not answering the questions, throwing the license back at the passenger, offering a free ride to the airport (which may very well be inciting breach of contract)...and what will happen to him? Possibly a slap on the wrist. The only way the police can justify the power they are given is by wielding it appropriately and heavily penalizing its abuses. I don't expect the former to happen 100% of the time -- we are fallible humans -- but when it doesn't, I do expect the latter. And I rarely see it.
- stefan_kendall3 12y ago
  +1 power imbalance. I had to listen to a cop tell me how shitty his day had been for 10 minutes once while pulled over for no reason. To be fair, he had had a really shitty day, and was 23 hours into a work shift, but there was nothing I could do to exit the situation without causing a serious problem aside from listen and wait. I listened and wait, comforted him, and then I was allowed to leave.
- gedrap 12y ago
  >>> Not answering the questions, throwing the license back at the passenger At the end of the day, cops are people. They get tired, frustrated, etc. I don't expect them to act like my personal servants. >>> I take it you've never been in a similar situation? I have, more than once. Actually, in a very similar situation. I took a bus for the first time in that country, got the ticket, and didn't know that I need to get a stamp on it. No one told me. The bus gets stopped, tickets check. I am told "get off the bus, I will teach you how to use public transportation". OK. "Get in this van" "why?" "do it". okay, a bit odd, but will do. Feeling nervous, but didn't act like a dick self taught lawyer. Explained the situation, stayed nice and cool, I was told that it's my first day here, got $10 fine and took the next bus. Other passengers were acting like dicks and no one was nice to them. Other situation. I got letter that I must come to police station, to explain some things. It was because I was writing a blog about poker and someone perceived it as illegal. I had to go to 'economic crimes division'. Again, nervous but staying cool. I told everything, I said that I'm just translating from Wikipedia, I am not getting anything back from it and I'm not promoting anything, stayed nice all the time, didn't question anything about law, etc. A month later I get a letter, that everything's dropped, I did nothing wrong. Would I have questioned the law and etc, probably wouldn't have been so easy. But people were just doing their jobs and I didn't obstruct them.
  - duaneb 12y ago
    Didn't the nuremberg trials teach people that 'just doing their jobs' does not exempt them from ethical decisions? So you have a shitty job. That doesn't mean you need to be a shitty person, prioritizing victimless crimes over actual crimes.
scep12 12y ago
I'm in agreement that the author's words are a bit dramatic, but I can sympathize with his disposition. Police often use their power as leverage to put citizens in a stressful, fearful state (as to draw out a confession). It's part of their training. Some use it judiciously; others, unnecessarily. In other words -- Better watch out, Colorado! The cops are out tonight, and they're giving you the shakedown to make sure your ride to the airport is 100% legal. >>> The officer was just doing his job Seems to me he was just trying to play detective.

by gedrap 12y ago

nathanb 12y ago

I take it you've never been in a similar situation? If you've ever dealt with an officer of the law in an adversarial situation where you believe you've done nothing wrong, it can be an unnerving or even terrifying experience. The power imbalance is immediately and palpably felt (what I think the author was trying to convey by mentioning the clearly-visible gun). If the officer had wanted to arrest the citizen (who, if he was doing something wrong, was doing it in good faith with the belief and understanding that his actions were not only legal but encouraged by the governor -- an unnaturally well-informed citizen for being a temporary visitor to the state), he would have been well within his rights to do so. Is this some rogue cop enacting some personal vendetta against alternative hirecar arrangements? Probably not. But did the officer act unprofessionally? Entirely. Not answering the questions, throwing the license back at the passenger, offering a free ride to the airport (which may very well be inciting breach of contract)...and what will happen to him? Possibly a slap on the wrist. The only way the police can justify the power they are given is by wielding it appropriately and heavily penalizing its abuses. I don't expect the former to happen 100% of the time -- we are fallible humans -- but when it doesn't, I do expect the latter. And I rarely see it.

stefan_kendall3 12y ago
+1 power imbalance. I had to listen to a cop tell me how shitty his day had been for 10 minutes once while pulled over for no reason. To be fair, he had had a really shitty day, and was 23 hours into a work shift, but there was nothing I could do to exit the situation without causing a serious problem aside from listen and wait. I listened and wait, comforted him, and then I was allowed to leave.
gedrap 12y ago
>>> Not answering the questions, throwing the license back at the passenger At the end of the day, cops are people. They get tired, frustrated, etc. I don't expect them to act like my personal servants. >>> I take it you've never been in a similar situation? I have, more than once. Actually, in a very similar situation. I took a bus for the first time in that country, got the ticket, and didn't know that I need to get a stamp on it. No one told me. The bus gets stopped, tickets check. I am told "get off the bus, I will teach you how to use public transportation". OK. "Get in this van" "why?" "do it". okay, a bit odd, but will do. Feeling nervous, but didn't act like a dick self taught lawyer. Explained the situation, stayed nice and cool, I was told that it's my first day here, got $10 fine and took the next bus. Other passengers were acting like dicks and no one was nice to them. Other situation. I got letter that I must come to police station, to explain some things. It was because I was writing a blog about poker and someone perceived it as illegal. I had to go to 'economic crimes division'. Again, nervous but staying cool. I told everything, I said that I'm just translating from Wikipedia, I am not getting anything back from it and I'm not promoting anything, stayed nice all the time, didn't question anything about law, etc. A month later I get a letter, that everything's dropped, I did nothing wrong. Would I have questioned the law and etc, probably wouldn't have been so easy. But people were just doing their jobs and I didn't obstruct them.
- duaneb 12y ago
  Didn't the nuremberg trials teach people that 'just doing their jobs' does not exempt them from ethical decisions? So you have a shitty job. That doesn't mean you need to be a shitty person, prioritizing victimless crimes over actual crimes.

scep12 12y ago

I'm in agreement that the author's words are a bit dramatic, but I can sympathize with his disposition. Police often use their power as leverage to put citizens in a stressful, fearful state (as to draw out a confession). It's part of their training. Some use it judiciously; others, unnecessarily. In other words -- Better watch out, Colorado! The cops are out tonight, and they're giving you the shakedown to make sure your ride to the airport is 100% legal. >>> The officer was just doing his job Seems to me he was just trying to play detective.