Scared of Cops
 

Is anyone else paranoid when it comes to cops? I have never seriously broken any laws, but whenever I see a cop in my rearview mirror I get scared.

Anyone else?

nop my sister is one , as well as my brother inlaw.
Only people who have things to hide get worried

Nope - they're just like you and me but have a better chance of getting away with speeding and most of us don't have moustaches.

I've known too many cops for too many years to be scared of them.

Also, the best I can say is that a cop was my alibi when my father-in-law was murdered (long, sad story).

I am a generally law abiding citizen and a conservativ driver compared to others in this town of NASCAR fans. But I can not help getting really nervous when I see a police car in my rearview mirror.

i get scared when i see cops when i'm driving.

otherwise, i'm cool w/ them.

i think it's just a psychological tactic they use... people don't want to have to stop and deal with some jerk-off in a dark uniform telling them that they forgot their blinker five miles back... but because cops DO make random mostly meaningless stops, it's a fear people have... i'm all for cops pulling people over and giving them tickets when the ticket is well deserved (like the one i got a few months back), but it just seems like too many cops are bored and pull over for seemingly meaningless stuff.

2 tickets and I now drive like a saint. I like money, especially when I get to keep it.

I alson get really nervouse when I see them in my rearview even if I know that I am not speeding.

Cops make me nervous at all times. I'm probably just a bit paranoid (i have nothing to be paranoid about though, weird), but I am always uncomfortable around them.

I find that I buy into stereotypes of cops though: I've met more than less who are arrogant and holier-than-thou.

I've been stopped on a traffic violation once, and it was deserved. Allright... but I'm probably the most law abiding citizen out there, I don't drink, do drugs, never have, never will, I've never hurt anyone and I've never broken any laws, BUT... to date I've been arrested or taken into custody for tresspassing (I wasn't), assult and robbery (I didn't), and a drive by shooting (I don't own a gun nor would I shoot it out my car window if I did). So I would have to say that police make me paranoid. I have nothing to hide, but one of these times I'm not gonna be able to prove it.

Phred I agree. I'm scared that they'll pull me over and plant pot in my car or something.

Why would they do that? Do they have a vendetta against you?
Seriously, there are enough people driving around with dope that if they want to make an arrest for it they don't have to plant it.

Cops used to make me nervous, but back then there was good reason. I usually had something illegal on me, but now that I'm a straight arrow they don't make me nervous at all.

i reallydon't like cops, at least as general group... yes, there are a few good ones out there, but i'd just as soon not have to deal with any of them.. besides, i've seen far too many people arrested/prosecuted for shit they didn't do, or just generally screwed over, to ever trust a cop.

bah... like lawyers... cops are a necessary evil... in fact like lawyers some of my friends have chosen that as their profession. not that I hold it against them...there are good ones and there are bad ones.. .can't hold it against them all. either you're an asshole or you're not.

Cops scare because I have broken laws before. Not to mention I speed way too much whilst driving.

Well, I've been to traffic school 3 times in as many years ;) So, when I see a police officer on the road I do tend to get a bit nervous - especially after the time one pulled me over at 2 AM because my license light was out - freaked me out. So, if a police car is behind me it does make me nervous most of the time that maybe I'll do something wrong unintentionally. Otherwise I have nothing wrong with them, they're an important part of society.

I do nothing illegal so there's no need to be afraid.

The police in Victoria, which is the state I live in, have had a reputation for extreme corruption for the past hundred and fifty years. A few of my school friends are now cops, and, well, public opinion may have been right.
I don't dislike cops and I'm not afraid of cops, but we tend to regard them with scepticism here.

eh oh eh oh....... cops. wee. authority.

okay heres my deal:

like any proffesions, you have good guys and you have assholes. i'm not a big fan of most cops, but I have nothing against them in general. but, i dunno... their eyes, maybe? you can see on their face which ones are dangerous..

it's mainly an authority complex i have. i haven't done anything illegal, but i fucking loathe being questioned and then expected to act a certain way.
if someone asks me to do this or that and they have reason, it's all good. if someone just tells me to act a certain way when i've not bothered anyone, they can suck my dick. i'm not bending for anyone, man or pig.

on the other hand, i rarely have problems with authority. it's just when i do i feel _very_ small and very threatened. the only 'problems' i've had may seem really, really small on a normal persons scale, but it was an issue to me. it was with two security guards (aka, rent-a-cops who are pissed for lack of their real job) who would order me to slow down in the mall while i drive. i go slow if kids are around me and i drive carefully and i've hit people 2. once on purpose and once a person ran into me.

these two security always gave me shit
untill i asked a friend to mention it. he did. i haven't been bothered since.

the thing is... its annoying to be stopped for nothing... we can deal with it and it's okay if there is some logic or what not. but if you are singled out and bugged... that shits not right.

i bet if we could fine the authorities for b ugging us shitless they'd start doing much better and do their actual jobs.

I'm not really paranoid of cops whenever I see them. However I do like to push the speed limit whenever I can and so whenever I spot a police car my foot goes over the brake. It is just an automatic reaction. I haven't driven long and so far I haven't gotten a speeding ticket. I know my day is coming though ;)

They're just people doing a job. There's no reason to freak out or be scared of them as a general rule unless your doing something that will make you one of their 'customers'. There are always going to be a few a--holes who are able to weasel their way past the psychological tests and get a badge. There are plenty of other professions out there that have the same problem - jerks for employees.

i gots one thing to say:

Fuck the police, fuck, fuck, Fuck the police

I was going to say,"Police are like every other profession - you've got good ones and you've got bad ones." But - I think quite a few police officers get off on the whole "power" thing. I've known a few cops - most of them are great people, but some of them are assholes - assholes with a badge and a gun, that is.
So I think the police have more than their fair share of "bad apples."

As far as being paranoid, though - no reason to be. Personally, I drive the same whether there's a cop in my rear view mirror or not. Any time in the past that I was pulled over, it was justified.

I get nervous sometimes, I have had them follow me a few times before..I have also had them stop me for no reason, I wasn't breaking the law or nothing. That pisses me off, If I am not doing anything wrong...They should Fuck Off.

Same here. I've never been arrested, and I've only been pulled over once. Tail light was out and he just told me to get it fixed. :)

Cops don't bother me at all, they used to when i was a teen, but not anymore. I used to get all nervous for some reason. But now it's just like any other person.

not really.
if i see a cop car on the road, i hesitate and always check my speed.
but besides that, no.

Actually, when I see a police person, I feel protected and more secure.

When I see one on foot, I make a point of telling him or her they are doing a great job and I appreciate the job that they do.

Cops are just people, in all their good things and bad things.

Trust me.

Due to some of the actions of cops in my town a friend of mine made a joke the other day:

I was two of my friends, both Hispanic, the other day and there was a cop behind us and I was speeding. I said "Ahh, shit, now I'll probably get pulled over." My friend said, "If he does pull you if, it's just to make sure you're okay. He probably thinks we kidnapped you."

I'm usually not too scared of cops, I liked the way the cops were in Amsterdam over the way american cops are. They were easy to see and didn't really care when you were goofy they just were there to prevent people from hurting others. I guess they need to be that way with so many outsiders.

Heh. Cops are scared of me. Not the other way around.

I get scared when I see unmarked cop cars behind me.

I don't like the hostility towards police being displayed in some responses here. I think it comes from fear of the unknown, or stupidity.

Phred, I just lost a ton of respect for you. You have little chance of getting it back.
I hope you never have to call "some jerk-off in a dark uniform" to save your ass.

I have incredible respect for the men and women who spend thier lives helping people, and getting shit on from every side while doing so.
Whose life did YOU save today? Save any kids from abusive parents lately?

STFU and thank a cop today.



**edit**
Yeah, you're right. I got overly emotional. I am proud of the police officers in my family. That's not an excuse for being a jerk, just where I'm coming from.

Sorry Phred, everybody.

hey now.. Bill none of that SFTU stuff.. okay?
You know better..

I personally am afraid of cops.. It's a fear that has been beaten into my head since i was a child. Im a minority, and where i grew up the police were very upfront qabout who they wanted in certain areas and whatnot. I wish it was just me being paranoid, but it's not. Also my town's police force had to be replaced at least once while i was there because of corruption and payoffs. Fire department too. Heck even the mayor got in trouble for taking bribes. So..when i try to steer clear of cops..I feel that it's justified. Hopefully the longer I live.. the more this feeling will change for the better.

When driving I will sometimes temporarily freak out when I see one in my rearview, as I have a habit of speeding...

Once while driving a State cop started tearing ass behind me, to the extent that one second my rearview mirror was empty, and the next there was a State cop on me. He didn't have his lights on, and I slowed down, at which point he just passed me. It kinda jolted me though, as I had been speeding and the road is often watched by cops.

Other than driving though I don't really react too much to cops. They haven't been a part of my life, and I haven't been a part of theirs.

When I need them it is nice to think they will be there, and until they aren't I will assume they will be.

I have negative feelings towards cops that pull me over for speeding, but I think that is the case with most people.

Cops look at me funny when I'm going within 10 mph of the sped limit, like I'm trying to hide something. I once panicked when I realized that the guy I was about to flip off for tailgating me goin 85 was acutally a State Trooper (since when do they have SUV's?)

The only time I've been pulled over was when a guy going 50 in a 25 had to swerve to avoid hitting me as I pulled out of a parking lot. He called the cops, and told them that I nearly ran him off the road. Two oficers pulled me over 10 minutes later, and after I explained what really happened, the one who was talking (he looked to be about 5 years older than me) told me that my registration was expired and that I should get it renewed to avoid getting a ticket if I were to be in an accident. No warning, no ticket, just reasonable, level headed cops who remember what it was like to be in college three years ago.

My town has a good police force, a few old guys who don't like kids (every town has them,) and a bunch who have gotten out of college or post-hghschool military service within the past few years.

What really scared me was seeing the unmarked black car behind me at a traffic light light up with blue and red ligths to reveal a guy in an FBI jacket at the wheel. I didn't do anything wrong, so I just floored it through a gap in traffic and go the hell out of his way.

Nope. Don't frighten me at all. Unless he's in my rearview and I know I've been speeding. Then the pucker factor goes way up.

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.

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".

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.

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

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. :-)

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).

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!!!!!)

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.;)

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

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.

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

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.

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

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