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Originally Posted by Seaver
I know this, however at the time it was 3am and I had just spent a good 9 hours straight studying for tests and writing a report. I was stressed, tired, hungry, and this guy for no reason was preventing me from alleviating any of those problems.
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Chances are the cops might have been 8 hours into a 12 hour shift, and "stressed, tired, and hungry" as well... people tend to forget they are real people doing a real shitty job.
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Originally Posted by Seaver
The incident before two cops were trying to enter a house in which a young 12 year old child was clearly the only occupant, and then attempted intimidation as a means.
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How do they clearly know you were the only occupant? I'll give you the benfit of the doubt though... they were probably idiots.
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Originally Posted by Seaver
Then the final incident it was clearly generated by nothing more than racism.
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I always love this one. The race card. Maybe it's just me, but typically, when I was younger and out on the street at 2 AM, they cops probably would have had a good reason to check me out. And even if I wasn't up to mischief, knowing they were there, and had checked my ID would cetainly make me think twice about DOING any mischief. Policing is as much about prevention as it is about responding to calls and assisting the public.
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Originally Posted by Seaver
While I fully admit I was a dick in all three situations, I fully believe I was justified in all three. In any of these situations if the cops had shown less hostility it definately would have produced more positive results. I have had numerous neutral experiences (not positive, but not negative) with cops who treated me respectfully and I recipricated in return.
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I love how it's OK for you to have been a dick, but the cops were wrong to show any type of hostility. You rail against the cops when you have a negative experience... but the time when you were treated with respect, it was only a "neutral" experience. What would a positive experience be? They buy you ice cream after stopping you to tell you you were a model citizen by obeying the speed limit and making their job easier?
You get what you give. If you posture up, it puts the cops in defensive mode immediately. When you start mouthing off, it gets worth.
Bottom line, like in any situation - if you show respect, normally you will get respect. I know that's not a hard and fast rule, but it holds true most of the time.