Police Officers.

[MusclesAreSexy]

Ok, so, I'm a well behaved citizen. I have never done anything illegal other than supplement use. I don't use rec drugs, I have never sped or gone through red lights, never drive like a dickhead, and I have no tickets to show for this. My record is spotless. I am always respectful to the police as I occasionally come across an apparently nice one and I'd hate to be rude to a nice police officer - that'd upset me.
I was pulled over in my truck yesterday. And yes, it's big, it's covered in blood and mud, but it's pretty spot-on as far as legalities go.
The only legal issues I can see are:
- one of the mud guards was ripped off last weekend when I was pig hunting and I haven't had a chance to repair it.
- I have 'Fuck Fitness First' printed on my windscreen.
This police officer who pulled me over came straight up to my window and didn't say hello or say g'day, or even ask how I was.
He said straight off the bat "I'm going to take your car off the road today".
Keep in mind my truck is full of my weekly shopping, has three dogs in the back and I have two lasses in the car with me.
He was on a mission to FUCK me. He spent about an hour going over my car. Asking for engineers certificates for the modifications, which I have, and provided him. Saying I didn't have good vision...
Yeah, nice one dickhead, you are 5'8" and I'm 6'5". Our fields of vision are completely different. But that made no sense to him. He then proceed to tell me I couldn't have aerials and I had too many lights. I told him he was wrong and showed him the ADR book which I have printed out and proved him wrong. He didn't like that but I didn't like him pulling me over for an hour on a Saturday, completely unwarranted when he should have been doing something productive with his time that I, as a tax-payer, pay for.

At the end of the day I received a defect notice and I have to prove my truck's roadworthiness within 5 days. With what fucking time can I do this? I study full time and work full time. I need my truck to get from A-B.

This rant could go on forever but really what I'm trying to ask is, are all police officers arseholes? I am as friendly as an innocent puppy to every copper, but I seem to get fucked in the arse, every opportunity they get.

I know there are a few police officers in here. Well, I know one. And I'd love to hear your opinion on this. I understand you have to deal with wankers and junkies all day but why treat nice, friendly, law-abiding citizens like dirt? You know, the ones who say hi, and smile and ask how your day was?
Why fuck them over too?

[ch3v3ll3]

You're in Oz, right?

[breck]

There are asshole bankers, bodybuilders, priests, and cops...every profession has em, unfortunately for you, you met one. One does not represent all though.

[MusclesAreSexy]

Yes, I'm in Aus.

And I understand there are wankers in every profession (haha that's a laugh) but I am making a point of almost every police officer I meet is like this.

[thsfootball]

I've never had a positive encounter with a police officer. When I was 17, first police officer I ever met cited me for failure to yield at a stop sign, failure to stop at the same stop sign, and not wearing my seatbelt (I really was). This happened in the middle of the desert, and because of ONE ticket, I had my license suspended for a year, and basically single handedly ruined my junior year of high school.

Sure they're not all bad, but the ratio of cops that make positive impacts on people on a daily basis compared to the day-wreckers are a lot to one.

Reading your story really gets me worked up. Hope it gets taken care of.

[Wolfpack]

I've never had a positive encounter with a police officer. When I was 17, first police officer I ever met cited me for failure to yield at a stop sign, failure to stop at the same stop sign, and not wearing my seatbelt (I really was). This happened in the middle of the desert, and because of ONE ticket, I had my license suspended for a year, and basically single handedly ruined my junior year of high school.

Sure they're not all bad, but the ratio of cops that make positive impacts on people on a daily basis compared to the day-wreckers are a lot to one.

Reading your story really gets me worked up. Hope it gets taken care of.

If there weren't police, your life would be a lot worse. They make a positive impact on peoples' lives in an indirect way.

[MusclesAreSexy]

I've never had a positive encounter with a police officer. When I was 17, first police officer I ever met cited me for failure to yield at a stop sign, failure to stop at the same stop sign, and not wearing my seatbelt (I really was). This happened in the middle of the desert, and because of ONE ticket, I had my license suspended for a year, and basically single handedly ruined my junior year of high school.

Sure they're not all bad, but the ratio of cops that make positive impacts on people on a daily basis compared to the day-wreckers are a lot to one.

Reading your story really gets me worked up. Hope it gets taken care of.

That sucks man, I hear this sort of thing a lot. But often it's just blokes saying they were in the right, when they may not have been. I once had the crap beaten out of me by a female police officer when I was driving my uncle's car. My cousins had seen it drive by but didn't recognise me so they reported it stolen. I also had the crap beaten out of me for kicking the crap out of a guy I had found raping a close friend of mine.
Since he was disfigured, and I wasn't, he got the lovely ambulance ride with his mummy and I got thrown in a cell for 8 hours. Scared shitless at the age of 16.
I destroyed him in court, though. This is the only time I have been violent (recieved a diversion and have no record of such) and if you have seen someone being raped, you wouldn't exactly have a tea party and listen to jazz.

People, keep chiming in, please. I am determined to hear a good account of police action (it surely has to exist).

I'm talking about state police, not federal police or what ever they are called where you guys are. I know a few AFP (Australian Federal Police) and they are brilliantly well trained, and focus on important things, and I have a lot of respect for these guys.

We could say a lot of bad things but lets try to keep it civil!

I'm currently on public transport, late for a lecture, all thanks to my buddy Mr Plod for taking my truck off the road.

[MusclesAreSexy]

If there weren't police, your life would be a lot worse. They make a positive impact on peoples' lives in an indirect way.

When rapists and junkies are taken off the streets (my mate had some of his teeth removed by meth heads saturday night when he was at work by repeat offendors) and people stop getting killed by hoons on the road who have been given 6 warnings and still have their licence (one of my best mates (a kind hearted, intelligent bodybuilder) was killed by a hoon driver last year at the age of 21), then I might consider what you have said.
But as far as I can see, the only good cops are lost amidst corruption and uselessness.
And, yeah, those cops deserve respect, recognition and probably a pay rise, but finding one is about as easy as shaving a conscious polar bear.

[Wolfpack]

When rapists and junkies are taken off the streets (my mate had some of his teeth removed by meth heads saturday night when he was at work by repeat offendors) and people stop getting killed by hoons on the road who have been given 6 warnings and still have their licence (one of my best mates (a kind hearted, intelligent bodybuilder) was killed by a hoon driver last year at the age of 21), then I might consider what you have said.
But as far as I can see, the only good cops are lost amidst corruption and uselessness.
And, yeah, those cops deserve respect, recognition and probably a pay rise, but finding one is about as easy as shaving a conscious polar bear.

Talking to someone from Australia about something like this is pretty useless. If you need to show the police "engineer certificates" for modifications for your vehicle, I can tell you it's not the same here.

[daneoz]

I've had 2 really nice female police officers. She let me off for going through a yellow/red turning arrow and not having P plates up, was really chatty and was making jokes.

The other one stopped me for a breath test on the way home from work at 3am. I was driving after hours and told her my reason, she was understanding and left it at that.

Had a male officer pull me over for a breath test while taking my girlfriend home, was pretty rude.

I'm always nice to them and don't try to be a smartass, seems to work but you'll always get one who is just out to get you no matter how approachable you are.

[Sammich]

Even when I've been pulled over I've never had a police officer been anything but professional with me. I've also worked with them in the past. I think being polite and respectful for the job they're doing goes a long way.

[MusclesAreSexy]

Even when I've been pulled over I've never had a police officer been anything but professional with me. I've also worked with them in the past. I think being polite and respectful for the job they're doing goes a long way.

Not in Auatralia evidently. I am always nice... Still get arseholed.

[Demonwolf]

I have worked with many myself. IMO 90% are petty, mal-adjusted and power hungry.
Working with them I have observed these attitudes countless times and have also been on the receiving end a handful of times. I too am a pretty clean person, not into drugs, rare that I ever drink, don't fight, don't drive a dickhead vehicle, have a clean record,etc.
Pisses me off to no end; PUBLIC SERVANTS, they work for us; we're supposed to have the power to dictate the parameters of their authority. Ya, riiiight.

[ch3v3ll3]

Even when I've been pulled over I've never had a police officer been anything but professional with me. I've also worked with them in the past. I think being polite and respectful for the job they're doing goes a long way.

x2. I've been pulled over doing waaaayyyy above the speed limit and as long as I'm polite and respectful everything goes pretty good, usually. Can't say that I've had a bad experience.

[Adam2433]

There are asshole bankers, bodybuilders, priests, and cops...every profession has em, unfortunately for you, you met one. One does not represent all though.

There are definitely no asshole firefighters. Just you cops

I will say that in my experience on dealing with police when pulled over etc, all but one time were they respectful and professional and more than once cut me slack when they saw I was an Iraq vet. The one time, yeah, he was a dick. But refer to what Breck said.

As to my dealings with them professionally... It is a wonder they are disgruntled and frustrated. They deal with not just idiots and scumbags but people who HATE their very existence and not only wish death on them but try to make it happen. I can liken their job everyday in big cities with going on patrol in Iraq. They have to watch their backs constantly, violence can occur at any call and everyone hates them. I'd be pissed off all the time too...