frenik

The only time I'm nervous around police is when I'm driving. Even then, it's only if they're definitely specifically following me or if they pulled out after I passed and I'm the only one on the road. Not a good feeling, even though I rarely speed. The anticipation of a ticket is what gives you that queasy feeling in your stomach.

I don't dislike police, in fact quite the opposite. When I'm around one in person, or see one patrolling the streets, I generally feel safe. Although I've never personally thanked a police(wo)man for what they do, I feel that that comes across because I treat them with the respect they deserve. Always "Sir" and "Ma'am", even if it's just in the supermarket, because if they are in uniform, that means they're working to protect us and should always be respected. These people put their lives on the line on a daily basis, and are most definitely not getting rich for it, to protect us.

__________________
I don't know what's worse, that I dreamed about putting my ex-girlfriend in a woodchipper, or that I woke up with an erection. - jim norton

fhqwhgads

Ever wonder why one generalization about a population of people is condemned, but others are generally accepted?

Treat a man differently because of his color and you'll be labeled a racist.

Treat a man differently because of his career decision, and no one seems to care.

Just like racism is bred from ignorance, ignorance of police work breeds comments like "pigs" or "jerk-off in a dark uniform".

raeanna74

I haven't gotten a ticket in my life - Got one warning and that's it. I still get a shot of adrenaline when I see one pull out behind me. I start wondering "What did I do? Anything?" Dunno that I've done anything that would warrent getting pulled over. At least not much more the normal forgetfullness that everyone has now and then. I do other things that aren't law related that sure would raise a scandel in this small town but that's a different story. I get scared - but I think it's because I just don't want to get in trouble or the hassle of explaining what I did or didn't do.

__________________
"Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama
My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

hrdwareguy

Scared of em....only when I'm speeding

__________________
Gun Control is hitting what you aim at

Aim for the TFP, Donate Today

Peetster

As long as they leave me alone, we're fine.

Keep in mind that I once got pulled over for doing 55

miles over the speed limit. 110 in a 55. So much for that fake ID. :-)

Serpent

When i know i'm speeding i get scared, but other then that nope, i don't do anything that warrents it (well other then speeding).

SaltPork

Not scared at all. Half my family are cops and cops are just normal people, nothing scary about that.

__________________
It was like that when I got here....I swear.

Go_AVS

I used to get a little scared when I was younger but now I figure why worry. If I did something wrong he/she will pull me over, if not I'm not going to drive bad just because they are there.

__________________
MIA...

splck

Other than speeding, I have no reason to fear cops. I have met some nice cops and some total idiots too...just like non-cops.

__________________
nice line eh?

snowace56

Whenever Im driving im always looking out for them. even when im not speeding i always hit my brakes. cops are just such pricks.

warrrreagl

I saw an interview with Hitchcock where he said that one of the greatest fears of modern man is to be hand-cuffed by a police officer. You are utterly helpless and vulnerable at that point.

__________________
Living is easy with eyes closed.

Mad_Gecko

Nah, used to be freaked out, but when I was younger I was usually doing something wrong.

I have also been wrongfully arrested, and rightfully arrested.

Experience has taught me the following.

If your drunk - shut your fuckin cakehole, or hope a friend does it for you - OR YOU WILL GET NICKED (most of the time)
If you do get arrested and you ain't doing nuttin' wrong - shut your mouth except for three words - Get my Lawyer.
If you do get arrested and your doing something wrong - shut your mouth except for three words - Get my Lawyer.
If its a traffic violation and your guilty, be polite and nice, depending on the person and the severity who knows you might get off.

So in a survey, 3 out of 4 times the poll answered be quiet.

PS: I personally like the cops (Its a dirty job and someones got to do it) - We have had several confrontational demonstrations outside my work, and they usually see me right.

__________________
[color=bright blue]W[/color]e Stick To Glass

"If three of us travel together, I shall find two teachers."
Confucious

Stilts

I get nervous about seeing a cop around me when I'm driving. It's too easy to get pulled over for too many things. Speeding, tail light out, the person in front of you swerves towards you, so you swerve over and the cop only sees you, etc, etc, etc. It's just too damned easy to get pulled over and get a ticket while driving. So I usually try to at least get the cop in front of me so I can watch him instead of him watching me.

If I'm not driving, it's a whole different story. They don't bother me at all then. I don't really feel any safer with them around than without them around, but I don't feel any animosity towards them either. Most of them anyhow, there's always going to be the jerks, but I dislike them on a personal level, it has nothing to do with their profession.

The one thing that I don't get is the gratitude that everyone thinks that they should get. I am grateful to them for doing their job, but I'm also grateful to the person that delivers my mail, the person that fixes the roads, and the person that fixes my food at a restaurant. Being a cop is a job, just like any other, they get paid to do it, there's benefits to the job and drawbacks, but being a police officer does not raise someone's stading in my eyes at all.

davidc209

Like many others here, the only time I get nervous of cops is when I'm driving. I could care less about seeing them in public while on foot.

It's too damn easy to get pulled over for something stupid while driving. I have gotten pulled over several times in the past few years. Most of the tickets I have received were deserved, but some were complete bullshit (ie. 49 in a 45?!??? GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!)

John_Gault

Cops are just like any other profession. 80% decent folk just doing a job and 20% complete shitheads whose life mission it is to be a pain in the ass. Just like doctors, lawyers, pumbers or ditch diggers. The difference is that shithead cops will come to you and everybody else requires an appointment.

__________________
The battle against abject stupidity cannot be fought with reason.

I am Head inquisitor in qpid's liberation army so we can take over the world before Microsoft does... Join the Revolution!

Sun Tzu

If I speed up to make that intersection turning red, I look around after Im through.

__________________
To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.- Stephen Hawking

Tirian

I have no fear of cops, and for the most part, a great deal of respect. But I do hold a certain paranoia about the system of policing.

I live in Canada, so may vary in other countries, but in Canada is seams rare that there is ever an investigation into police action by an external body. Most investigations for police brutality etc. are done by other cops. This makes me a bit nervous.

I know a person (very well) who was pulled over for a routine talelight type of stop, but he thought he'd pull a bit further off the road into a lot. This earned him a nice beating by the cops, once they dragged him outta the vehicle. This was all heard on the phone line by the person he'd been talking to on the cell as he got pulled over.

Not enough evidence was apperently there and nothing came of the complaint.

Then what happens, anyone who makes a complaint about police mis-treatment get all the cops in town on their ass all the time. Tailing them around, following their family etc.

This may not happen in your community, but in small town Canada, it has been known to.

This is my only fear of cops.

Something I hate about cops is the often noticed superiority complex that can be prevalent. I thinks it's because it's their job to "protect" us they get in their head that they are smarter, faster, stronger, etc. They tend to socialize within the police circles. They sometimes see citizens as childer which must be spoken down to and guided.

Also have to coment on police and the way they choose just who gets pulled over for routine traffic stops. I have been driving over 20 years, and have two speeding violations both deserved, but not really much over. Other than that I got pulled over when my alternator went out, and I was limping the last few blocks home without headlights. (for which I got a nice escort off the main road)

But the first summer I returned to motorcycle riding (since college days) I got pulled over 6 times in a couple of months to ensure that I had lic and reg. Note I have never gotten a violation on a bike. Is my '78 Honda 500 the choice of notorious biker gangs ??

Luckily my law abiding life style allows me to have very little contact with the police.

CBL65

A lot of great replies! Its good to see I'm not alone, and maybe even wrong in my view.

sgtcarrot

When I lived in Belgium, I was once almost in an accident while I was riding my motorcycle. A woman cut me off, clipping my front wheel. It scared the hell out of me, and I flipped her off. At the next light, I was just checking to make sure that the bike was ok when three cops came up from behind me. Two of them pinned my arms, and the third hit me around the shoulders and on my helmet with his stick.

What made it interesting was the fact that they were yelling about what a dirty morrocan I was. The fact is, I'm scottish, and virtually pale blue in complexion. But I had a helmet on, face shield down, gloves etc.

I think that certain groups have every right to fear the police. I have african american friends who can tell stories for hours. At the same time, I think the root of this is that the police are also scared. They do not know if the teen in the car upfront is dealing drugs, has a gun, killed his parent OR is just nervous. But today anything is possible, and the police need to be ready for it.

Its an imperfect system, populated by people just as flawed as you and I. The scary thing is that an imperfect you or I does not carry a gun and badge or have the freedom to act on their impulses.

Be scared of the police. Because the simple fact that we need them, in such numbers, with guns and body armor, is a reflection on our soceity as a whole. A soceity torn in fits of self destructiveness.

Oh, and by the way...
15 years of driving and never been stopped or ticketed (even parking tickets)
Never been arrested.

limited

I had the same problem, until I got to college. I've been stopped by cops many times here, walking around the streets at like 4am. You have to realize that they will be dicks, but their purpose is help us. If somebody else was doing something suspicious, I'd like the police to find out what they're doing. There's no reason to be nervous, unless you are blatantly speeding or have something wrong with your car. They are people too and part of their job is to be understanding, They're very good at it when they want to be

JumpinJesus

I've been on both ends of a badge. Well, I was a military cop, but hey, that should count, too.

Cops get a lot of grief from people. Sure, some deserve it, but most don't.

For those of you who didn't realize it, when a cop writes a ticket, there are 3 copies. One for you, one for the police, and one for the court. The one that goes to the judge has a little something extra on it: your attitude when pulled over. Believe it or not, this can play a big part in how you're treated in court. You might be surprised if you're real cool to them.

So keep a box of doughnuts on the passenger seat.

__________________
"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

rooster

i think they make most of us a bit nervous ,some more than other ,and u know you u are. LMFAO