Just got screamed at by a police officer

[Abbey Marie]

So, I was in our daughter's college town today, which was fairly empty as it is break time. I turned onto a one-way street (the right way, btw) and then made a quick u-turn to park at a meter which was on the other side of the one way street. To park there in the "right" direction for the one-way street, one would have to be facing the wrong way as I had learned about om-street parking. That seemed wrong to me, but oh man, was I the wrong one.

Anyway, a police woman (I won't mention her race, so as not to offend anyone, but I'll bet you can guess), comes storming up to my window, practically running, and starts yelling at me in a VERY loud voice. How did I get there facing the wrong direction?! What is wrong with me?! How can they get us to stop doing this?! Etc. It went on for several minutes. My daughter heard it from quite a distance away across the street.

She was pretty out of control, so I just kept apologizing and apologizing, as contritely ad possible. I'm sure Ilooke dlaittle scred, too. She was fuming, but I was thrilled to see her finally put away her little ticket book. So, I innocently asked her how she would like me to leave the street (as I surely didn't want to tick her off anymore). She said, and I quote, "Make a u-turn!". Lol! That is what I had done to get her so mad in the first place.

Needless to say, I just rolled up the window and did as I was told. As I left, I saw her ticketing a car (for an expired meter, I guess), and yelling away. Even though the car was empty and there was no one else around.

Happy New Year!


Anyway, I realize I was technically wrong, but I can't help but wonder what would make this woman go apes### over it.

[NightTrain]

I've seen cops behave like that, and I think they use that aggressive (almost out of control!) act to get less static from their latest customer. I've always thought it was the sign of a nervous cop.

[aboutime]

So, I was in our daughter's college town today, which was fairly empty as it is break time. I turned onto a one-way street (the right way, btw) and then made a quick u-turn to park at a meter which was on the other side of the one way street. To park there in the "right" direction for the one-way street, one would have to be facing the wrong way as I had learned about om-street parking. That seemed wrong to me, but oh man, was I the wrong one.

Anyway, a police woman (I won't mention her race, so as not to offend anyone, but I'll bet you can guess), comes storming up to my window, practically running, and starts yelling at me in a VERY loud voice. How did I get there facing the wrong direction?! What is wrong with me?! How can they get us to stop doing this?! Etc. It went on for several minutes. My daughter heard it from quite a distance away across the street.

She was pretty out of control, so I just kept apologizing and apologizing, as contritely ad possible. I'm sure Ilooke dlaittle scred, too. She was fuming, but I was thrilled to see her finally put away her little ticket book. So, I innocently asked her how she would like me to leave the street (as I surely didn't want to tick her off anymore). She said, and I quote, "Make a u-turn!". Lol! That is what I had done to get her so mad in the first place.

Needless to say, I just rolled up the window and did as I was told. As I left, I saw her ticketing a car (for an expired meter, I guess), and yelling away. Even though the car was empty and there was no one else around.

Happy New Year!


Anyway, I realize I was technically wrong, but I can't help but wonder what would make this woman go apes### over it.


Abbey. That's what happens when you give some people power. Sounds like a good candidate for the TSA. Good thing you weren't in an airport. THOSE CAVITY SEARCHES....with a TICKET can't feel good.
No need for anyone to be insulted. LIFE'S A BEACH....no matter how you try to say it.

[Gaffer]

Sounds like a rookie meter maid to me. She probably didn't have the authority to do more than write parking tickets and she hates it. She needs to be reported, she went way over the top.

[revelarts]

So, I was in our daughter's college town today, which was fairly empty as it is break time. I turned onto a one-way street (the right way, btw) and then made a quick u-turn to park at a meter which was on the other side of the one way street. To park there in the "right" direction for the one-way street, one would have to be facing the wrong way as I had learned about om-street parking. That seemed wrong to me, but oh man, was I the wrong one.

Anyway, a police woman (I won't mention her race, so as not to offend anyone, but I'll bet you can guess), comes storming up to my window, practically running, and starts yelling at me in a VERY loud voice. How did I get there facing the wrong direction?! What is wrong with me?! How can they get us to stop doing this?! Etc. It went on for several minutes. My daughter heard it from quite a distance away across the street.

She was pretty out of control, so I just kept apologizing and apologizing, as contritely ad possible. I'm sure Ilooke dlaittle scred, too. She was fuming, but I was thrilled to see her finally put away her little ticket book. So, I innocently asked her how she would like me to leave the street (as I surely didn't want to tick her off anymore). She said, and I quote, "Make a u-turn!". Lol! That is what I had done to get her so mad in the first place.

Needless to say, I just rolled up the window and did as I was told. As I left, I saw her ticketing a car (for an expired meter, I guess), and yelling away. Even though the car was empty and there was no one else around.

Happy New Year!


Anyway, I realize I was technically wrong, but I can't help but wonder what would make this woman go apes### over it.

she was over the top.

Not sure what her race has to do with it, most of the crazy cops i post are white guys. Did she attack your race or make assumptions about your driving as woman?

[Abbey Marie]

she was over the top.

Not sure what her race has to do with it, most of the crazy cops i post are white guys. Did she attack your race or make assumptions about your driving as woman?

No. I was referring to all the angry black women I see in stores, the street, etc. As a group, they tend to be pissed off. Since I was a child in the Bronx, I learned to just stay away from that kind of anger.

[aboutime]

she was over the top.

Not sure what her race has to do with it, most of the crazy cops i post are white guys. Did she attack your race or make assumptions about your driving as woman?


rev. So you'd prefer everyone just pretend there is no problem?

That is why so many people refuse to talk about race. It's like a THIRD RAIL where...anyone who dares to mention race, in any way. According to RACISTS...must be a racist? I know you didn't say that. But bringing it up, as you did. Insinuates such.

[Abbey Marie]

Sounds like a rookie meter maid to me. She probably didn't have the authority to do more than write parking tickets and she hates it. She needs to be reported, she went way over the top.

Her car said "Newark Police" on it, so I'm not sure. :dunno:

[SassyLady]

Maybe her sister died recently (I've been a little over-reactive and sensitive), or someone she knew was killed by a driver making a u-turn.

When I see that type of over-reactive behavior I try to think that there must be something else going on in this person's life and give them the benefit of the doubt.

I read this years ago and it help me create space when I run into someone who's not behaving "normal"


Boys Misbehaving On The Subway

To see life through a different paradigm; to see through the vaseline on the lens of life, through the social and moral veils that layer our perceptions of life – paradigms can be hard to understand, but Stephen Covey gave a great example in his book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”.

One day on the subway, while quietly reading a book, Stephen was interrupted by two wild children that got on with their father at a subway stop.

The children were out of control, jumping up and down, running loudly through the subway car.

The father seemed not to notice or care that his children were misbehaving and disturbing commuters…

Stephen approached the father and wanted to scold him for not controlling his children and teaching them respect for others…

The father agreed, and sighed sullenly, saying “yeah, I just don’t know what to do or say to them. We just came from the hospital where their mother died from a random assault….”

Hearing this story immediately changed Stephen’s paradigm of the children and the situation. He went on to explore this and counsel the man who had lost his wife.

The above is an extract from Stephen Coveys world famous book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide”.


http://championsclubcommunity.com/covey/explore/stories/boys-misbehaving-on-the-subway/

[tailfins]

That kind of thing worked to my advantage once. I got clocked at 101/55 MPH zone. The cop started yelling at me, swearing and basically going nuts. He said I made him so sick that he couldn't stand to look at me anymore and drove off! And it was in his jurisdiction.

[revelarts]

rev. So you'd prefer everyone just pretend there is no problem?

That is why so many people refuse to talk about race. It's like a THIRD RAIL where...anyone who dares to mention race, in any way. According to RACISTS...must be a racist? I know you didn't say that. But bringing it up, as you did. Insinuates such.

talking about race isn't easy but if we all come at it walking in the mocosin of the the others we can probably get it done more often.

Abby made a comment about the cops/metermaids race, as if that was an important part of the situation.Just popped out to me as odd in context.
ok so should we make a comment on everyones race that does something wrong? As i mention most of the crazy cop stories i post are about white male cops, should we mention it every time? I usually don't check or care, bad and good cops come in all flavors in every nation. But you've got me thinking now, maybe part of the reason the cops i post are so violent and out of control is because they are mainly angry white guys? we all know how they are.
But... you know it probably has lil to nothing to do with being white. right?

That all I'm saying.

And About are saying that there's a problem with black parking cops?:poke:

[gabosaurus]

Not sure what happened in this case, but when I was at Cal, some campus policy were upset about working hours during breaks.
Perhaps the woman was having a bad day.

[tailfins]

Not sure what happened in this case, but when I was at Cal, some campus policy were upset about working hours during breaks.
Perhaps the woman was having a bad day.

Cops are trained and expected to behave at a professional standard. If they are unable to do that, they should take a sick day.

[glockmail]

No. I was referring to all the angry black women I see in stores, the street, etc. As a group, they tend to be pissed off. Since I was a child in the Bronx, I learned to just stay away from that kind of anger.

They are pissed off because their men can't keep from roaming.

[aboutime]

Cops are trained and expected to behave at a professional standard. If they are unable to do that, they should take a sick day.


Police officers can't have a bad day if they are on duty. Of course. Some exceptions exist. And they are the officers every COP hater uses for examples to label ALL COPS.

Just the same as RACISTS label RACISTS!

[Voted4Reagan]

Not sure what happened in this case, but when I was at Cal, some campus policy were upset about working hours during breaks.
Perhaps the woman was having a bad day.



You'll make an excuse for just about anything...... wont you?

but thats how you were brainwashed growing up....

[Abbey Marie]

talking about race isn't easy but if we all come at it walking in the mocosin of the the others we can probably get it done more often.

Abby made a comment about the cops/metermaids race, as if that was an important part of the situation.Just popped out to me as odd in context.
ok so should we make a comment on everyones race that does something wrong? As i mention most of the crazy cop stories i post are about white male cops, should we mention it every time? I usually don't check or care, bad and good cops come in all flavors in every nation. But you've got me thinking now, maybe part of the reason the cops i post are so violent and out of control is because they are mainly angry white guys? we all know how they are.
But... you know it probably has lil to nothing to do with being white. right?

That all I'm saying.

And About are saying that there's a problem with black parking cops?:poke:

It's based on personal observation, as I would hope your opinions are as well. The difference is, I am talking about behavior by people in just about any career, situation, etc. Not just cops.

[KitchenKitten99]

Her car said "Newark Police" on it, so I'm not sure. :dunno:
She could still be a community service officer or a rent-a-cop.

[KitchenKitten99]

Maybe her sister died recently (I've been a little over-reactive and sensitive), or someone she knew was killed by a driver making a u-turn.

When I see that type of over-reactive behavior I try to think that there must be something else going on in this person's life and give them the benefit of the doubt.

I read this years ago and it help me create space when I run into someone who's not behaving "normal"



http://championsclubcommunity.com/covey/explore/stories/boys-misbehaving-on-the-subway/
It's one thing to be a passenger on a subway it is quite another to behave in such a way as this woman cop/ CSO did.
This kind of behavior is unacceptable in the role she has.

While she may have something else going on and is over-sensitive, she needs to leave those problems at home.

[mundame]

I think it's a habit of bullying. They get into it because being police leads people to appease them, and the people who do that have weak minds.

I had that happen to me once many years ago, a white male cop. I wasn't doing anything in the least remarkable, but he was showing off to a new young partner and liked bullying a young woman, I guess. There's no excuse for it. People like that are no good, IMO.

[Marcus Aurelius]

So, I was in our daughter's college town today, which was fairly empty as it is break time. I turned onto a one-way street (the right way, btw) and then made a quick u-turn to park at a meter which was on the other side of the one way street. To park there in the "right" direction for the one-way street, one would have to be facing the wrong way as I had learned about om-street parking. That seemed wrong to me, but oh man, was I the wrong one.

Anyway, a police woman (I won't mention her race, so as not to offend anyone, but I'll bet you can guess), comes storming up to my window, practically running, and starts yelling at me in a VERY loud voice. How did I get there facing the wrong direction?! What is wrong with me?! How can they get us to stop doing this?! Etc. It went on for several minutes. My daughter heard it from quite a distance away across the street.

She was pretty out of control, so I just kept apologizing and apologizing, as contritely ad possible. I'm sure Ilooke dlaittle scred, too. She was fuming, but I was thrilled to see her finally put away her little ticket book. So, I innocently asked her how she would like me to leave the street (as I surely didn't want to tick her off anymore). She said, and I quote, "Make a u-turn!". Lol! That is what I had done to get her so mad in the first place.

Needless to say, I just rolled up the window and did as I was told. As I left, I saw her ticketing a car (for an expired meter, I guess), and yelling away. Even though the car was empty and there was no one else around.

Happy New Year!


Anyway, I realize I was technically wrong, but I can't help but wonder what would make this woman go apes### over it.

The ONLY reason we could/would possibly guess, is because YOU brought it up. NEEDLESSLY, I might add.

[mundame]

Re-reading my post, I meant to say the POLICE who try to get people to appease them by bullying have weak minds; they get into a habit of bullying. They particularly like to bully women, of course.

I don't think I wrote that clearly earlier.

[taft2012]

Not sure what happened in this case, but when I was at Cal, some campus policy were upset about working hours during breaks.
Perhaps the woman was having a bad day.

What an absurd notion. Cops are mindless automatons who are programmed to only have good days.

I've been hearing these discussions for years. "I saw a cop do this today" which they then extrapolate into "therefore this is what cops do."

If this was an accountant or a botanist or a car salesman, we wouldn't have a thread "A botanist screamed at me today" and draw all kinds of conclusions about the botany profession.

Police officers are merely ordinary men and women recruited from the general population. They are not raised on a secret farm somewhere. Some are better than others, some are worse than others, some are unfit for the job. It's not really any more complicated than that.

Funny thing is, people who would normally be repulsed at the notion of judging anyone based on their skin color have no qualms about broadbrushing a group of people based on the uniform they wear.

[Abbey Marie]

The ONLY reason we could/would possibly guess, is because YOU brought it up. NEEDLESSLY, I might add.

And who are you to decide whether I "NEEDLESSLY" brought it up? You can bring up what you want in your posts, and I will in mine. See how that works?

[Abbey Marie]

What an absurd notion. Cops are mindless automatons who are programmed to only have good days.

I've been hearing these discussions for years. "I saw a cop do this today" which they then extrapolate into "therefore this is what cops do."

If this was an accountant or a botanist or a car salesman, we wouldn't have a thread "A botanist screamed at me today" and draw all kinds of conclusions about the botany profession.

Police officers are merely ordinary men and women recruited from the general population. They are not raised on a secret farm somewhere. Some are better than others, some are worse than others, some are unfit for the job. It's not really any more complicated than that.

Funny thing is, people who would normally be repulsed at the notion of judging anyone based on their skin color have no qualms about broadbrushing a group of people based on the uniform they wear.

So, you accuse me of posting about this unsettling experience beacuse I hate cops? Really? Unbelievable.

[tailfins]

So, you accuse me of posting about this unsettling experience beacuse I hate cops? Really? Unbelievable.

Why is it unbelievable? It's a reasonable feeling to have. As much as our society has declined and since law enforcement pays sub-par salaries, it stands to reason that non-financial considerations come it to play for those accepting the job. One non-financial consideration would be the ability to control/bully people. It's OK to despise cops.

[NightTrain]

There's good cops and bad cops. It takes a certain personality and self control to be a good cop, that's why there's batteries of psychological tests given to applicants.

Still, some undesirable ones slip through, and it's up to the general public to complain to his or her bosses when one is identified in the hopes that they are either corrected or outright dismissed.

The Alaska State Troopers had one a while back that pepper sprayed a paraplegic man for no good reason, and despite public outrage they simply transferred him to another post. Anchorage Police had one that got caught raping women. Texas just had that woman trooper that gave full body cavity searches to two women on the side of a busy highway using the same glove for both of them.

They'd all still be doing what they do except civilians spoke up and raised hell about it - no police department wants a loose cannon running around with their badge, and they want to hear about it.

Like someone pointed out, they are recruited from the general population, so of course some that are unfit for such a position get hired... Abbey's example is one that should not be interacting with the general public.

[taft2012]

So, you accuse me of posting about this unsettling experience beacuse I hate cops? Really? Unbelievable.

No, what I said is that there is a time-worn discussion template that goes like this: "I saw a cop do X today."

After which a discussion follows: "X is what cops do!"

Reduced to its barest structure, such discussions are no different than:

"I saw a black guy do X today."

"X is what black people do!"

Police officers are generally plugged into this template. Doctors and lawyers too. I think any profession glorified by television dramas can be plugged into the template for public consumption.

However, just as the television-viewing public is generally ignorant of the realities of police work, they are equally ignorant of how unrealistic the television portrayals are (I imagine it is a similar quandary for doctors and lawyers). The resulting discussions, premised falsely and based on the flimsy logic described above, are equally "fails".

[Kathianne]

There's good cops and bad cops. It takes a certain personality and self control to be a good cop, that's why there's batteries of psychological tests given to applicants.

Still, some undesirable ones slip through, and it's up to the general public to complain to his or her bosses when one is identified in the hopes that they are either corrected or outright dismissed.

The Alaska State Troopers had one a while back that pepper sprayed a paraplegic man for no good reason, and despite public outrage they simply transferred him to another post. Anchorage Police had one that got caught raping women. Texas just had that woman trooper that gave full body cavity searches to two women on the side of a busy highway using the same glove for both of them.

They'd all still be doing what they do except civilians spoke up and raised hell about it - no police department wants a loose cannon running around with their badge, and they want to hear about it.

Like someone pointed out, they are recruited from the general population, so of course some that are unfit for such a position get hired... Abbey's example is one that should not be interacting with the general public.

Most in 'general population' wouldn't make police force around here, not for the past 40 years. Must be either college grad in police science or vet with MP experience. Many have their MS. They are by and large, very professional. With that said, just like with the clergy or teaching, there are some that go into the profession, 'off'.

[taft2012]

Like someone pointed out, they are recruited from the general population, so of course some that are unfit for such a position get hired... Abbey's example is one that should not be interacting with the general public.

That's one possible explanation, and if this was the case the officer would more than likely have a record of previous such incidents. Another possible explanation is that the complainant (in this case, Abbey) omitted some rather key information from the complaint. In investigating these episodes I find that is very often the case.

The original complaint:


So, I was in our daughter's college town today, which was fairly empty as it is break time. I turned onto a one-way street (the right way, btw) and then made a quick u-turn to park at a meter which was on the other side of the one way street. To park there in the "right" direction for the one-way street, one would have to be facing the wrong way as I had learned about om-street parking. That seemed wrong to me, but oh man, was I the wrong one.

First of all, making a u-turn on a one way street is never right. Who doesn't know that? In fact, Abbey was just likely eager to grab an open spot driven passed and wanted to grab it at any cost. This whole pattern of behavior indicates to me someone who thinks they're entitled to do as they please on the road, the hell with everyone else.

Possible omitted facts: nearly hit a pedestrian doing illegal u-turn, nearly caused an accident, caused traffic to back up incoveniencing other motorists, etc. Abbey, you were wrong.

Police officers generally have an unwritten rule; you either chew someone out or give them a ticket, not both. If this officer had chewed you out *AND* given you a summons, I would conclude she'd violated our unwritten code. She actually did you a favor and you're just too self-centered to realize it.

[revelarts]

What an absurd notion. Cops are mindless automatons who are programmed to only have good days.
I've been hearing these discussions for years. "I saw a cop do this today" which they then extrapolate into "therefore this is what cops do."
If this was an accountant or a botanist or a car salesman, we wouldn't have a thread "A botanist screamed at me today" and draw all kinds of conclusions about the botany profession.
Police officers are merely ordinary men and women recruited from the general population. They are not raised on a secret farm somewhere. Some are better than others, some are worse than others, some are unfit for the job. It's not really any more complicated than that.
Funny thing is, people who would normally be repulsed at the notion of judging anyone based on their skin color have no qualms about broadbrushing a group of people based on the uniform they wear.
Taft you make a great point here.
One that should always be remembered, Cops are human beings, no more no less.

The difference most people make when a Police Officer Yells at you compared to when a Botanist Yells at you is that the when a botanist yells at you he's not wearing a gun, a night stick, and the volume doesn't carry the potential threat of unearned time in handcuffs, Court, Jail or Prison.

the stakes are HIGH and the police Always have the upper hand. it's an unfair/uneven confrontation.

They may be just regular people but with the uniform and the badge it's not a regular confrontation. Police have to be held to a higher standard. that's just another one of the burdens that comes with the job and the authority granted.

i don't think Abby is anti police at all.
Now i , on the other hand, have been accuse of being anti police, But i'm just extremely anti-BADpolice. I pray for and praise good and great cops, we need more of them.
But IMO as NT's stories point out Bad cops to often get a pass. Like pedophile priest, and corrupt politicians. All are just regular joe's -human beings- but it's especially offensive and damaging when authority figures misbehave.

[NightTrain]

That's one possible explanation, and if this was the case the officer would more than likely have a record of previous such incidents. Another possible explanation is that the complainant (in this case, Abbey) omitted some rather key information from the complaint. In investigating these episodes I find that is very often the case.

The original complaint:



First of all, making a u-turn on a one way street is never right. Who doesn't know that? In fact, Abbey was just likely eager to grab an open spot driven passed and wanted to grab it at any cost. This whole pattern of behavior indicates to me someone who thinks they're entitled to do as they please on the read, the hell with everyone else.

Possible omitted facts: nearly hit a pedestrian doing illegal u-turn, nearly caused an accident, caused traffic to back up incoveniencing other motorists, etc. Abbey, you were wrong.

Police officers generally have an unwritten rule; you either chew someone out or give them a ticket. If this officer had chewed you out *AND* given you a summons, I would conclude she'd violated our unwritten code. She actually did you a favor and you're just too self-centered to realize it.

Clearly Abbey was wrong in making a U-turn on a one-way street, and she acknowledged her mistake.

But having a police officer charge up and loudly berate her for several minutes is unprofessional and conduct unbecoming of an Officer, don't you think? I'm pretty sure that if there had been danger to pedestrians, she wouldn't have gotten off with an ass-chewing.

No one likes to be yelled at, and it is unprofessional conduct.

[taft2012]

The difference most people make when a Police Officer Yells at you compared to when a Botanist Yells at you is that the when a botanist yells at you he's not wearing a gun, a night stick, and the volume doesn't carry the potential threat of unearned time in handcuffs, Court, Jail or Prison.

the stakes are HIGH and the police Always have the upper hand. it's an unfair/uneven confrontation.

That is not an unreasonable point to make.

I remember a story from about 10 years ago about Mike Wallace getting arrested in NYC for interfering with Taxi & Limousine Commission Police issuing a summons to his double-parked car. The story became all about unreasonable cops arresting an 80+ year old man. The fact that Wallace felt he had a right to inconvenience other motorists by double-parking disappeared from the story, when that was what precipitated the events that followed.

I like to start stories at the beginning.

This story starts with Abbey doing something we all know to be illegal, apparently right in front of a uniformed police officer, on what is presumably the officer's beat. The resulting thread is then about the police officer being wrong, ignoring that Abbey precipitated the events that followed with an illegal act. And further disregarding the fact that the officer cut Abbey a break.

Most reasonable people would say "I did something stupid and was lucky the cop just chewed me out."

Self-important people, like Mike Wallace, like to gloss over their own behavior, fast forward to the police reaction, and play upon negative police sentiments to achieve a victim status.

[taft2012]

Clearly Abbey was wrong in making a U-turn on a one-way street, and she acknowledged her mistake.

But having a police officer charge up and loudly berate her for several minutes is unprofessional and conduct unbecoming of an Officer, don't you think? I'm pretty sure that if there had been danger to pedestrians, she wouldn't have gotten off with an ass-chewing.

No one likes to be yelled at, and it is unprofessional conduct.

To be perfectly fair, Abbey describes it as "yelling." Maybe it was, maybe is wasn't.

But either way, there's a very simple solution; The next time you're pulled over and the officer begins chewing you out for doing something dumb like making a u-turn on a one way street just interrupt; "Listen, I'm not in the mood for a lecture today, thank you. Either give me a summons or let me go."

People have actually said that to me and were given summonses and sent on their way. Most people, however, prefer the lecture. Here in NYC we have a radio finalization for such car stops: "Warned and admonished," as opposed to summons issued.

If anyone prefers a summons to admonishment, the officer will be happy to oblige.

[Gaffer]

I can only speculate based on experience and what Abbey said about the incident. Just like everyone else. But I speculate that this as an affirmative action cop. She was unsure what to cite Abbey with as she had not seen the event take place, so she just went off on her. Citing Abbey would have required going back and looking up the specific codes to charge her with. This takes time and effort and requires a lot more paper work. Simpler just to yell at the offender and send her on her way.

[Abbey Marie]

To be perfectly fair, Abbey describes it as "yelling." Maybe it was, maybe is wasn't.

But either way, there's a very simple solution; The next time you're pulled over and the officer begins chewing you out for doing something dumb like making a u-turn on a one way street just interrupt; "Listen, I'm not in the mood for a lecture today, thank you. Either give me a summons or let me go."

People have actually said that to me and were given summonses and sent on their way. Most people, however, prefer the lecture. Here in NYC we have a radio finalization for such car stops: "Warned and admonished," as opposed to summons issued.

If anyone prefers a summons to admonishment, the officer will be happy to oblige.

So now based on one thread, I'm both anti-cop, and a liar. I now have lots of reasons to question YOUR credibility.

[Abbey Marie]

I can only speculate based on experience and what Abbey said about the incident. Just like everyone else. But I speculate that this as an affirmative action cop. She was unsure what to cite Abbey with as she had not seen the event take place, so she just went off on her. Citing Abbey would have required going back and looking up the specific codes to charge her with. This takes time and effort and requires a lot more paper work. Simpler just to yell at the offender and send her on her way.

That's right, Gaffer. As I think I said in the post, the cop asked me how I ended up facing the wrong way. She did not see me do it.

What frankly amazes me after all these years on the board, is that a thread like this where I recited what I thought was an interesting experience for us to discuss, could turn into so many personal insults and accusations. I think this is a good example of what Jim was talking about in the Announcements section. Sad current state of affairs.

[aboutime]

That's right, Gaffer. As I think I said in the post, the cop asked me how I ended up facing the wrong way. She did not see me do it.

What frankly amazes me after all these years on the board, is that a thread like this where I recited what I thought was an interesting experience for us to discuss, could turn into so many personal insults and accusations. I think this is a good example of what Jim was talking about in the Announcements section. Sad current state of affairs.


Abbey. Totally agree with you. Not claiming I didn't have my share of playing the games here. BUT LATELY. As you have personally seen, and become the target of such.

It almost seems as if there MUST ALWAYS BE A REASON for arguing over the DUMBEST, STUPIDEST things anymore, on all threads, and all posts.
And Jim has tried his darndest to bring it under control, as have most of the rest of us.
But...it still happens, and doesn't seem like Jim's requests are taken seriously.
I have found. No matter what, or how I attempt to remain civil, quiet, courteous. I still get slammed, accused, and told I am picking on someone...just because.
Arguing accomplishes nothing, but does incite more argument when attempts are made to expose whoever feels that need to argue.

[taft2012]

So now based on one thread, I'm both anti-cop, and a liar. I now have lots of reasons to question YOUR credibility.

Ummm, no.

I never said you were anti-cop nor a liar.

I was following up on Rev's insight about the difference of an armed law enforcement officer being a different type of encounter than one with a botanist. And indeed, such stressful encounters can easily amplify and/or distort a person's perception about how it actually occurred. People often genuinely believe their own perceptions about what happened, some invent them, and in some cases it's a combination of the two.

Your distorted perceptions here to what I write to you.... well they merely enforce my belief that you distort the reality of interactions that do not proceed the way you want them to, whether consciously or unconsciously, I don't know.

Maybe it did happen exactly as you said.

If that is the case, would you have been happier to have gotten a ticket without the tongue-lashing? Or do you believe a ticket would have also been out of line?

[jimnyc]

Maybe it did happen exactly as you said.

If that is the case, would you have been happier to have gotten a ticket without the tongue-lashing? Or do you believe a ticket would have also been out of line?

Knowing Abbey for as long as I have, I've got no doubt it happened as she stated it did.

And speaking for myself, knowing it's a parking citation likely, and a minor wrong way ticket at worst, I would rather receive the ticket than be screamed at or belittled by a police officer. Most I know are good people and polite, but just like every other profession, there are bad eggs.

[Abbey Marie]

Ummm, no.

I never said you were anti-cop nor a liar.

I was following up on Rev's insight about the difference of an armed law enforcement officer being a different type of encounter than one with a botanist. And indeed, such stressful encounters can easily amplify and/or distort a person's perception about how it actually occurred. People often genuinely believe their own perceptions about what happened, some invent them, and in some cases it's a combination of the two.

Your distorted perceptions here to what I write to you.... well they merely enforce my belief that you distort the reality of interactions that do not proceed the way you want them to, whether consciously or unconsciously, I don't know.

Maybe it did happen exactly as you said.

If that is the case, would you have been happier to have gotten a ticket without the tongue-lashing? Or do you believe a ticket would have also been out of line?

That's the second time you've called me liar. I don't know you, or why you have issues like this with people you don't know, but that's a commentary on you, not me. You are behaving like a jerk.

[taft2012]

That's the second time you've called me liar. I don't know you, or why you have issues like this with people you don't know, but that's a commentary on you, not me. You are behaving like a jerk.

... and that's the third time you distorted what I said. I'm increasingly beginning to suspect this police officer was a model of professionalism.

[revelarts]

... and that's the third time you distorted what I said. I'm increasingly beginning to suspect this police officer was a model of professionalism.

:rolleyes:

you have any evidence?
were you there?

you've had at least 3 people vouch for Abby's character on this topic. But you still assume that the police officer was in the right and push back against her account using ever soft point in her story and ever possible pcyh dodge to give the officer the benny of the doubt
Not only dobut but she's now "a model of professionalism." in you mind.

wow.

I wonder if other botanist would defend there fellow botanist as fervently?

[Marcus Aurelius]

http://www.debatepolicy.com/images/debate_policy/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Marcus Aurelius http://www.debatepolicy.com/images/debate_policy/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.debatepolicy.com/showthread.php?p=604434#post604434)

The ONLY reason we could/would possibly guess, is because YOU brought it up. NEEDLESSLY, I might add.


And who are you to decide whether I "NEEDLESSLY" brought it up? You can bring up what you want in your posts, and I will in mine. See how that works?

You can bring up anything you want, and post anything you want... 1st amendment.

I, also, can call it needless to bring up someone's race if I want... 1st amendment.

See how THAT works?

BTW... the way you brought race into the discussion is a strong indicator you have race issues.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Knowing Abbey for as long as I have, I've got no doubt it happened as she stated it did.

And speaking for myself, knowing it's a parking citation likely, and a minor wrong way ticket at worst, I would rather receive the ticket than be screamed at or belittled by a police officer. Most I know are good people and polite, but just like every other profession, there are bad eggs.

I noticed YOU left race out of it. TY.

[mundame]

What frankly amazes me after all these years on the board, is that a thread like this where I recited what I thought was an interesting experience for us to discuss, could turn into so many personal insults and accusations. I think this is a good example of what Jim was talking about in the Announcements section. Sad current state of affairs.


I was thinking about this thread last night. There is a pernicious new left-wing custom of trying to disallow any talk about any really important topics, such as race, taboo and illicit. Left-wingers enforce this taboo by strong verbal bullying. So do rightists when their hot buttons are pushed, like guns or police! That is going on in this thread and it needs to stop in forums. I've seen it worse in one forum, to the point that basically all the major problems of our society are simply undiscussable. That makes no sense!

Stop the bullying. Discuss everything. All opinions welcome. Nobody gets condemned for their opinions. All opinions equal. How about that?

[mundame]

Knowing Abbey for as long as I have, I've got no doubt it happened as she stated it did.

And speaking for myself, knowing it's a parking citation likely, and a minor wrong way ticket at worst, I would rather receive the ticket than be screamed at or belittled by a police officer. Most I know are good people and polite, but just like every other profession, there are bad eggs.


Well said. That's how I feel, too. If they can't be professional, they are just head cases on some kind of domination trip. That's no good and I wouldn't put up with it if I could stop it.

That said, I haven't had much contact with police but whatever I have had has been generally professional, except for that one crazy guy decades ago. There was something wrong with him, but the rest have been all right and helpful.

[taft2012]

:rolleyes:

you have any evidence?
were you there?

you've had at least 3 people vouch for Abby's character on this topic. But you still assume that the police officer was in the right and push back against her account using ever soft point in her story and ever possible pcyh dodge to give the officer the benny of the doubt
Not only dobut but she's now "a model of professionalism." in you mind.


You're not paying attention at all to what I'm saying here. I said repeatedly no one knows exactly what happened in this incident based on a one-sided account. I said perceptions get skewed during law enforcement encounters and Abbey's repeated skewing (and now yours) of what I say reinforces that point.

It works in the other direction too. I've been in life-or-death situations, with adrenaline pumping like mad, where the sounds around you die out completely and things seem to go into slow motion. Afterwards, when talking to other officers who were there as well, we all saw things unfold in completely different ways, and each of us was convinced we were right.

If Abbey went to the precinct and complained to the officer's sergeant about the encounter, if the sergeant said "I can vouch for this officer's character regarding her behavior on patrol" ... would that satisfy you that the complaint had been handled properly?

Suppose the sergeant got another sergeant and a lieutenant who also vouched for the officer's character. Would that satisfy you?

Suppose the sergeant then checked the officer's personnel jacket and told you this particular officer has written an average of 20 summonses per day for the past 15 years and has never received a complaint. Would that satisfy you?

Suppose the sergeant went out to the store where the parking space was and spoke to the store owner, who saw the entire incident and said "Yeah, I remember that. No, the cop wasn't rude at all, in fact, it was the motorist who got kind of snippy with the cop."

Suppose the sergeant also spoke to the guy with the hot dog stand on the block, who saw the same exact thing as the store owner. Would that satisfy you?

Would that satisfy you, or would you still respond; "Gasp! Swoon! Are you saying I'm a liar?"

I've been investigating these complaints for years. I've found witnesses who totally discredit what on paper look liked totally legitimate complaints, and I've found witnesses who completely substantiated what looked like on paper totally absurd complaints. This happens to be my line of work and something I deal with daily, so sorry if my professional reality conflicts with your personal on-line perceptions.

Some times these incidents come down to he said/she said scenarios, with no witnesses, like this one. Can a supervisor fairly discipline an officer based solely on a complaint like this, with no independent witnesses? What if the officer, when interviewed about the incident by the sergeant says "I admonished the motorist in a professional manner but she wasn't satisfied and said 'You'll see, I'm going to get you' as she drove away". What would you do then? Just believe the complainant and discipline the officer?

A practice like that would lead to everyone who gets a ticket making a complaint against officers, and officers ceasing to write tickets or take any police action at all.

Virtually all sizable police departments have safeguards in place and monitor the number of complaints an officer receives. And that absolutely plays an important role in investigating these complaints.

I've received complaints about officers that just read "The officer gave me a ticket for driving through a red light." I call the person up and ask about it. They say "The light wasn't red, it was yellow." I say "That's it?" They say, "Yeah, that's it." I remind them that I can not do anything about the ticket, that is what traffic court is for. A traffic court judge will rule on the ticket. And they basically say yes, they know that, they just wanted to make a retaliatory complaint against the officer because they disagreed with the ticket.

And that complaint remains on the officer's record forever. Obviously BS complaints do not get expunged, because there is a belief that even BS complaints are indicators of officers not interacting properly with the public.

Experience tells me perceptions in these law enforcement encounter can be broken down into categories like Big Foot sightings.

1. The person is completely lying
2. The person is a kook and honestly believes he/she saw Big Foot
3. The person saw something that may have been Big Foot

And yeah, a florist (I meant to say "florist" not "botanist") will defend another florist if he has some professional insight that sheds light on a complaint. If you order flower A to be delivered the night before an event, and by the morning the flowers were wilting and you felt your florist gave you lousy flowers ....

Another florist may inform you, "Flower A has a shelf life of about 5 hours. You should have had it delivered that morning or used a different flower if it had to be delivered the night before. Did you tell the florist that the Flower A's were for use the following morning?"

"No."

"Well if you had told him that he would have told you to chose a different flower."

"Thanks for that professional insight. I will remember that."

And for all on DP.com, you are welcome for my professional insight. :rolleyes:
You may now resume your knee-jerk misrepresentations of everything I just said.

[mundame]

That was a most interesting post by Taft and I found it highly educational.

[jimnyc]

Taft, are you a police officer I assume, or former police officer? Looked like you wrote "we" several times when referencing police. I think it would further explain your stance previously on police issues.

Fwiw - I think almost everyone here respects and admires police officers and the duties they have. It's just that most people won't come online to praise them for simply doing their jobs, but will do so when they have a bad experience with one. I've been known to drop a few bombs here and there about my personal experiences with cops, but I love all of the others just the same, just like I do all of our military and veterans. I'm pretty confident that Abbey is similar, and has the same respect, but was merely venting about one solo experience.

As a friend of mine once said, his name was Rodney - "Can't we all just get along?" :laugh:

[aboutime]

I have to agree with taft's take, and explanation on this.

We all know, and are seeing almost daily. How almost everyone out there, behind a wheel, driving blindly, or paying attention; seems to find ways to either skirt the laws, or ignore them...because they know...nobody is watching, or there are no cops around to see them doing what THEY KNOW IS WRONG.

Consequently. Most of society...being human beings. Has this propensity for believing THEY AREN'T BREAKING THE LAW...if nobody see's them BREAKING THE LAW, or, there's nobody around to catch them.

Whenever anyone is pulled over by a police officer for breaking a traffic law. Normally, due to being pre-occupied with topics other than driving. The drivers generally have no idea what they have done in their nearly sub-conscious state of LOUD RADIO, CELL-PHONE, SHOPPING LIST, ARGUMENT, or just plain STUPIDITY.

And others. Who know they have broken a law ALMOST ALWAYS SAY "WHAT DID IT DO?....or I DIDN'T DO THAT!"

Problem is. We are Human's. And some of us have Brains, while many others have VACUUM'S between our ears.

[taft2012]

A lot of times people don't like to admit they were wrong either, and as a sort of psychological defense mechanism their mind distorts everything the officer says or does into some sort of maniacal tantrum to make the officer the issue, and not their own transgression.

The Mike Wallace anecdote I gave is a perfect example of this.

[revelarts]

You're not paying attention at all to what I'm saying here. I said repeatedly no one knows exactly what happened in this incident based on a one-sided account. I said perceptions get skewed during law enforcement encounters and Abbey's repeated skewing (and now yours) of what I say reinforces that point.

It works in the other direction too. I've been in life-or-death situations, with adrenaline pumping like mad, where the sounds around you die out completely and things seem to go into slow motion. Afterwards, when talking to other officers who were there as well, we all saw things unfold in completely different ways, and each of us was convinced we were right.

If Abbey went to the precinct and complained to the officer's sergeant about the encounter, if the sergeant said "I can vouch for this officer's character regarding her behavior on patrol" ... would that satisfy you that the complaint had been handled properly?

Suppose the sergeant got another sergeant and a lieutenant who also vouched for the officer's character. Would that satisfy you?

Suppose the sergeant then checked the officer's personnel jacket and told you this particular officer has written an average of 20 summonses per day for the past 15 years and has never received a complaint. Would that satisfy you?

Suppose the sergeant went out to the store where the parking space was and spoke to the store owner, who saw the entire incident and said "Yeah, I remember that. No, the cop wasn't rude at all, in fact, it was the motorist who got kind of snippy with the cop."

Suppose the sergeant also spoke to the guy with the hot dog stand on the block, who saw the same exact thing as the store owner. Would that satisfy you?

Would that satisfy you, or would you still respond; "Gasp! Swoon! Are you saying I'm a liar?"

I've been investigating these complaints for years. I've found witnesses who totally discredit what on paper look liked totally legitimate complaints, and I've found witnesses who completely substantiated what looked like on paper totally absurd complaints. This happens to be my line of work and something I deal with daily, so sorry if my professional reality conflicts with your personal on-line perceptions.

Some times these incidents come down to he said/she said scenarios, with no witnesses, like this one. Can a supervisor fairly discipline an officer based solely on a complaint like this, with no independent witnesses? What if the officer, when interviewed about the incident by the sergeant says "I admonished the motorist in a professional manner but she wasn't satisfied and said 'You'll see, I'm going to get you' as she drove away". What would you do then? Just believe the complainant and discipline the officer?

A practice like that would lead to everyone who gets a ticket making a complaint against officers, and officers ceasing to write tickets or take any police action at all.

Virtually all sizable police departments have safeguards in place and monitor the number of complaints an officer receives. And that absolutely plays an important role in investigating these complaints.

I've received complaints about officers that just read "The officer gave me a ticket for driving through a red light." I call the person up and ask about it. They say "The light wasn't red, it was yellow." I say "That's it?" They say, "Yeah, that's it." I remind them that I can not do anything about the ticket, that is what traffic court is for. A traffic court judge will rule on the ticket. And they basically say yes, they know that, they just wanted to make a retaliatory complaint against the officer because they disagreed with the ticket.

And that complaint remains on the officer's record forever. Obviously BS complaints do not get expunged, because there is a belief that even BS complaints are indicators of officers not interacting properly with the public.

Experience tells me perceptions in these law enforcement encounter can be broken down into categories like Big Foot sightings.

1. The person is completely lying
2. The person is a kook and honestly believes he/she saw Big Foot
3. The person saw something that may have been Big Foot

And yeah, a florist (I meant to say "florist" not "botanist") will defend another florist if he has some professional insight that sheds light on a complaint. If you order flower A to be delivered the night before an event, and by the morning the flowers were wilting and you felt your florist gave you lousy flowers ....

Another florist may inform you, "Flower A has a shelf life of about 5 hours. You should have had it delivered that morning or used a different flower if it had to be delivered the night before. Did you tell the florist that the Flower A's were for use the following morning?"

"No."

"Well if you had told him that he would have told you to chose a different flower."

"Thanks for that professional insight. I will remember that."

And for all on DP.com, you are welcome for my professional insight. :rolleyes:
You may now resume your knee-jerk misrepresentations of everything I just said.

What you said here and many other post in the thread are reasonable and informative.
but specifically what you said earlier was:
"I'm increasingly beginning to suspect this police officer was a model of professionalism."
That comment is what set my Knee to jerking. Should i have interpreted it as meaning all your posted above. Who could? And you've yet to retract that statement.

But you said you came to that conclusion because Abby took some offense at your persistent questioning and pokes at her credibility.

at her possible honesty in the account:
"to be perfectly fair, Abbey describes it as "yelling." Maybe it was, maybe is wasn't."
her interpretation of events:
"you distort the reality of interactions"
her attitude about the law and driving:
"This whole pattern of behavior indicates to me someone who thinks they're entitled to do as they please on the road, the hell with everyone else."

to pick 3 occasions (no this isnt ALL you said but you did say it)

I like to deal in hypotheticals and alternative realities a lot too but i don't assume i can poke at peoples personal stories and assume negatives about their personalities an true motives from a few comments online. you did, over and over how can you not expect some kick back.

Would your wife take it the way you say you meant it? Mine wouldn't.
"maybe you did, maybe you didn't" there's a "discussion" starter.

Just saying Taft.

[jimnyc]

A lot of times people don't like to admit they were wrong either, and as a sort of psychological defense mechanism their mind distorts everything the officer says or does into some sort of maniacal tantrum to make the officer the issue, and not their own transgression.

The Mike Wallace anecdote I gave is a perfect example of this.

I'll admit it... The majority of times I have been pissed at police, when receiving tickets and such, I've been guilty of what they were writing me up for. But there have been times where pulled over for no reason, asked a shitload of questions and searched an such - and when asking repeatedly why I was being detained and searched, I was either ignored or more or less told to shut up. But I guess back then, when I had very long hair, tattoos and beat up cars, you can expect to be a target, even if it shouldn't be that way.

Did you know Mike Wallace is a fantastic WR for the Steelers? :gs:

[Abbey Marie]

And Taft's psychological manipulations of what I stated, can be dismissed by one sentence that was in my original post:
"My daughter heard it from quite a distance away across the street."

Unless, of course, I am a lying cop-hater. And possibly my daughter is as well?

Taft your continued attempts to personally denigrate me and my story are a sign of some problem in your head. Not mine. And you should really stop denying that you have more than once tried to paint me as both. It's there for all to see, no matter how lengthy your backpedaling posts are.

[Robert A Whit]

Why is it unbelievable? It's a reasonable feeling to have. As much as our society has declined and since law enforcement pays sub-par salaries, it stands to reason that non-financial considerations come it to play for those accepting the job. One non-financial consideration would be the ability to control/bully people. It's OK to despise cops.

I can't speak for the income of that female loud mouth cop, but I can speak for many cops in California. They make a very large wage. They get a super sum of pension. They get a lot of time off.

My son in law was a cop. I have his income in my files. I have also had many cops as clients and also got their incomes when i worked with them. My son in law is on disability retirement and you ought to see his enormous checks. Then he also holds a job where his police sxperience came in handy. He works for E Trade.

[Abbey Marie]

Why is it unbelievable? It's a reasonable feeling to have. As much as our society has declined and since law enforcement pays sub-par salaries, it stands to reason that non-financial considerations come it to play for those accepting the job. One non-financial consideration would be the ability to control/bully people. It's OK to despise cops.

It is unreasonable because there is nothing on this board to suggest I hate cops. What other people/the public feel or don't feel has nothing whatsoever to do with me. Generally, children and simple-minded folks make such leaps in logic.

[SassyLady]

Abbey, does it seem that we have some folks around here who are pretty good at gaslighting?

[Robert A Whit]

There was no call for the cop to scream. Many have pointed out that cops must remain professional. Even though provoked, they must stay professional. It is a burden to the cop of course. But the quick way to settle things down is to not yell.

As to race, I dunno why some love to deny. Apparently they don't watch TV. They don't know how it is in classes of blacks. They don't watch programs on TV where blacks are catered too to see the women always screaming. I will say this, for the most part, the black men don't engage in mindless screaming at each other on TV. But lordy, the black women are a hoot.

Jerry Springer makes a living off them and so does Maury Povich.

[revelarts]

Experience tells me perceptions in these law enforcement encounter can be broken down into categories like Big Foot sightings.

1. The person is completely lying
2. The person is a kook and honestly believes he/she saw Big Foot
3. The person saw something that may have been Big Foot

And yeah, a florist (I meant to say "florist" not "botanist") will defend another florist if he has some professional insight that sheds light on a complaint. If you order flower A to be delivered the night before an event, and by the morning the flowers were wilting and you felt your florist gave you lousy flowers ....

Another florist may inform you, "Flower A has a shelf life of about 5 hours. You should have had it delivered that morning or used a different flower if it had to be delivered the night before. Did you tell the florist that the Flower A's were for use the following morning?"

"No."

"Well if you had told him that he would have told you to chose a different flower."

"Thanks for that professional insight. I will remember that."

And for all on DP.com, you are welcome for my professional insight. :rolleyes:
You may now resume your knee-jerk misrepresentations of everything I just said.

Sorry Taft, but one more thing. seriously sorry
but this keep coming back to my mind.

the idea that or the ASSUMPTION that ALL complaints about police are like bigfoot sightings.
doesn't that make the complainer guilty of lying/seeing things until they can prove with overwelming evidence their telling in the truth situation.
rather than a blank slate fair investigation mode.
BIGFOOT is A HUGE thing to prove Taft.

You make it sound as if a bad police man -this regular joe you mentioned the other day- , is as rare as bigfoot. which is EXTREMELY rare to never.
Misbehaving "regular working Joes" are not that rare Taft.

why not say
it's like an upset -regular joe- sighting
Instead of Bigfoot.
you can't be regular working joes and a saints when the conversation or situation suits it seems to me.

Taft c'mon, a cop misbehaving is like a bigfoot sighting? Man I wish that were true.

And as far a florist Go. well plants do act pretty much the same way all the time, but -regular joes- are not plants that react the same way all the time in every situation. Sometimes they have bad days. Sometimes they make mistakes. Sometimes they misbehave.

[taft2012]

the idea that or the ASSUMPTION that ALL complaints about police are like bigfoot sightings.

That's not what I said.

I was describing peoples' perceptions about what happened and how they fit into categories, and I included an option that the incident did happen. In fact, I started out this thread by saying there certainly are inappropriately behaving officers, as there are in any profession.

These repeated misrepresentations of what I say... eg., that Abbey is lying, that Abbey hates cops, that ALL complaints about cops are like Bigfoot sightings...

... these are total distortions and misrepresentations of what I say...

.... and these distortions are of written words in what is only an *on-line* discussion with a cop....

... imagine how much of what is said, and how it is said, you could distort when actually pulled over by the police and nervous...???

[taft2012]

BTW: My garbageman yelled at me two weeks ago for putting an old VCR out for curbside pickup when it is supposed to be part of the electronic-recycling program. I could have gotten a ticket, but he just lectured me.

Should I start a thread...?

[revelarts]

Experience tells me perceptions in these law enforcement encounter can be broken down into categories like Big Foot sightings.

1. The person is completely lying
2. The person is a kook and honestly believes he/she saw Big Foot
3. The person saw something that may have been Big Foot

...
And for all on DP.com, you are welcome for my professional insight. :rolleyes:
You may now resume your knee-jerk misrepresentations of everything I just said.




http://www.debatepolicy.com/images/debate_policy/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by revelarts http://www.debatepolicy.com/images/debate_policy/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.debatepolicy.com/showthread.php?p=604849#post604849)

...the idea that or the ASSUMPTION that ALL complaints about police are like bigfoot sightings....



That's not what I said.

I was describing peoples' perceptions about what happened and how they fit into categories, and I included an option that the incident did happen. In fact, I started out this thread by saying there certainly are inappropriately behaving officers, as there are in any profession.

These repeated misrepresentations of what I say... eg.,... that ALL complaints about cops are like Bigfoot sightings...

... these are total distortions and misrepresentations of what I say...

.... and these distortions are of written words in what is only an *on-line* discussion with a cop....

... imagine how much of what is said, and how it is said, you could distort when actually pulled over by the police and nervous...???
Yes you did say several times that Abby might be telling a true story. I've never disputed that.
but you did say
"3 Categories like bigfoot sightings"
"1,2,3."
You gave the 3rd option of "MAY HAVE seen bigfoot."

I did not distort or misrepresent your words Taft.
Maybe your perceptions are off here. maybe you meant it in a different way.
But that is exactly what you said.

[Marcus Aurelius]

BTW: My garbageman yelled at me two weeks ago for putting an old VCR out for curbside pickup when it is supposed to be part of the electronic-recycling program. I could have gotten a ticket, but he just lectured me.

Should I start a thread...?

Sure. Exercise that 1st amendment right like Abbey and I did.

[taft2012]

I think what I was saying was quite clear. If you want to isolate a line out of the context of my running narrative and say it wasn't clear, then fine.

I once got a complaint.... here's what happened.

An agitated woman screamed at me; "You're an asshole!"

I replied; "You better calm down a bit ma'am, because that's exactly what you're acting like."

After which she filed a complaint against me that I had called her "an asshole".

:laugh:

Maybe she was lying, maybe she was crazy, or maybe that's what she really thinks she heard.

[jimnyc]

BTW: My garbageman yelled at me two weeks ago for putting an old VCR out for curbside pickup when it is supposed to be part of the electronic-recycling program. I could have gotten a ticket, but he just lectured me.

Should I start a thread...?

I probably would have. The garbageman certainly has no right to yell at me, whether I made a mistake or not. No different than a police officer. Rather than get in trouble, I might vent here a little, as Abbey did.

You never answered my earlier question, as to whether or not you were or are an officer of the law yourself? I don't think what Abbey wrote was worthy of this long thread, but I can see where an officer might take it differently, based on a careers worth of interaction.

[Abbey Marie]

I probably would have. The garbageman certainly has no right to yell at me, whether I made a mistake or not. No different than a police officer. Rather than get in trouble, I might vent here a little, as Abbey did.

You never answered my earlier question, as to whether or not you were or are an officer of the law yourself? I don't think what Abbey wrote was worthy of this long thread, but I can see where an officer might take it differently, based on a careers worth of interaction.

Yes, but a decent person, even one who apparently has an emotional response and a huge axe to grind on the issue, might do something along the lines of this:

"I'm sure this really happened to you, Abbey, as I have absolutely no reason to think you're a liar or a cop hater. But as a cop, let me tell you all there are some people out there who are both, and they lie about cop interactions".

Not even close to what was done here.

[Abbey Marie]

BTW: My garbageman yelled at me two weeks ago for putting an old VCR out for curbside pickup when it is supposed to be part of the electronic-recycling program. I could have gotten a ticket, but he just lectured me.

Should I start a thread...?

Why not, if the incident upset you, or was otherwise interesting?

You see, Taft, what seems to escape you is, we have been around for many years here, and several of us go back a long ways. We actually like each other and are interested in each other's lives. We don't see every post as an opportunity to denigrate people. We even cheer each other on through some tough times. And perhaps most importantly, the people I respect here take the time to get to know others before assuming anything.

But I know that not everyone comes here to keep up with current events, have friendly debate, or even maybe make some on line friendships. Some come here solely to fight. Some come here to brag. Some come here to make themselves feel better by putting others down. And on and on. There are all sorts of people with issues, and we've sure seen a wide array. Yet there is something naive in me that is still surprised when people seem so angry and negative for no apparent reason. But as my mom used to say, "It takes all kinds".

[mundame]

Some come here to make themselves feel better by putting others down.


That one is very popular.....

[Binky]

I've seen cops behave like that, and I think they use that aggressive (almost out of control!) act to get less static from their latest customer. I've always thought it was the sign of a nervous cop.


Could also be a sign of a loudmouthed control freak who likes seeing people shrivel in fright.

[tailfins]

BTW: My garbageman yelled at me two weeks ago for putting an old VCR out for curbside pickup when it is supposed to be part of the electronic-recycling program. I could have gotten a ticket, but he just lectured me.

Should I start a thread...?


What city do you live in so I don't ever live there. I'm SOOOOOOO thankful for private trash pickup. Worst case scenario, an item that would be rejected at the dumping site simply wouldn't get picked up.