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LOL If I was "perfect" I wouldn't ever get pulled over in the first place. All I am saying is that when I do get pulled over (which probably happens about once a year since I drive a lot), I don't get belligerent with the police officer. In other words, I don't act like Sandra Bland did. That doesn't mean I'm not irritated, or that I'm enjoying the conversation - it just means that I use COMMON SENSE AND COURTESY. After all, I can't control what other people do but I certainly can control my own actions.
Don't fight and argue with police officers, judges, etc. is the principle I learned while growing up, and one that's worked for me so far. Like I said, I've been pulled over and questioned by police or state troopers often. I've been ticketed or given warnings, but I've never been arrested - even though in one case (when someone had swapped my tags out), there was actually a warrant out for "my" arrest (the warrant was actually for whoever the tags belonged to - for years of unpaid parking tickets - LOL). Anyway, I managed to get that one straightened out (still had to pay a hefty fine for not having my own tags on my own car - what the heck! Someone stole my tags!) but my point is that during even this stop, when I realized that I had been a victim of a crime myself but was in danger of being arrested - I maintained my composure and was cooperative with the officer.
It just wasn't all that difficult.
Well, you didn't really explain why you keep repeating what you do when you get pulled over has to do with this situation, because this isn't really one size fits all here...
Sure, everyone should treat everybody else kindly and respectfully, and I've acknowledged this several times already. It is a good thing to do all of the time to everyone. But that doesn't always happen. So, when a police officer comes upon someone who has done something minor, and they treat him or her with hostility, does that mean that the officer should:
A) Deescalate the situation by following their training, and their department rules and regulations
or
B) Escalate the situation, not follow their training, not follow the rules of their department, then lie and obfuscate about what happened on their report, even though their dash cam is recording the whole thing
It just isn't all that difficult for the police officer to do his job. Right? Why are you letting him off the hook? Why are you making excuses for his behavior? Both parties were wrong. Do you not see that he was more in the wrong because he is supposed to be a trained professional who knows how to deal with situations just like this without having them end up with a person going to jail? Sweet jesus, if every person who mouthed off to a cop went to jail, we'd need about 10 times the capacity that we currently have.
By the way, I manage to not get pulled over, haven't done so in over 5 years, and I drive over 75 miles a day. The last time I got pulled over was when a cop ran my plates and noticed that my husband's driver's license was expired, then he kept repeating to me that the owner of the car (my car, not my husband's) license was expired, even though I am listed as the primary owner of the car.
I believe the cop acted like an ass, and he probably should not have been at work that day. He probably shouldn't be a cop at all! But, I think it's important to be aware of how these situations can escalate, quickly...especially if you are part of a group that is often profiled. Why put yourself in a situation that will most definitely not end well for you?? Why verbally fight the ass hole cop?
From all of the recent stories of police brutality, you should KNOW that this will not end well for you. Is it worth it to mouth off to a cop and possibly end up dead? ...or is it better to get away from this situation alive, so that you can legally and safely fight this ass hole cop?
People need to think about self-preservation and stop being so damn reactive. I'm tired of hearing stories about black people getting killed in these situations.
I'm tired of the stories too. In fact, in our own community, a young white teenage girl was recently killed by cops and the whole story is tragic (she was mentally ill). https://news.vice.com/article/texas-...l-teenage-girl
Sandra Bland may have had mental illness issues as well. Though I believe her behavior during the initial contact with the police was ridiculous and inflammatory, and while I do think she committed suicide vs being killed by the police.
I think that the police would benefit greatly from more training on how to handle people who are mentally ill. Mental illness is real, and can greatly complicate stressful interactions with the police. I think that Sandra Bland's input sheet she filled out indicate she could be a risk for suicide, and someone should have caught that.
But her behavior initially during the traffic stop didn't necessarily point to mental illness, and besides that - people who are mentally ill still have a responsibility to control their own actions. People who aren't familiar with mental illness often forget that. I have a brother who is seriously mentally ill - but he's still responsible for taking his own meds and curtailing his behavior. If someone is so seriously mentally ill that they can't do this, then perhaps they need to be institutionalized.
Well, you didn't really explain why you keep repeating what you do when you get pulled over has to do with this situation, because this isn't really one size fits all here...
Sure, everyone should treat everybody else kindly and respectfully, and I've acknowledged this several times already. It is a good thing to do all of the time to everyone. But that doesn't always happen. So, when a police officer comes upon someone who has done something minor, and they treat him or her with hostility, does that mean that the officer should:
A) Deescalate the situation by following their training, and their department rules and regulations
or
B) Escalate the situation, not follow their training, not follow the rules of their department, then lie and obfuscate about what happened on their report, even though their dash cam is recording the whole thing
It just isn't all that difficult for the police officer to do his job. Right? Why are you letting him off the hook? Why are you making excuses for his behavior? Both parties were wrong. Do you not see that he was more in the wrong because he is supposed to be a trained professional who knows how to deal with situations just like this without having them end up with a person going to jail? Sweet jesus, if every person who mouthed off to a cop went to jail, we'd need about 10 times the capacity that we currently have.
By the way, I manage to not get pulled over, haven't done so in over 5 years, and I drive over 75 miles a day. The last time I got pulled over was when a cop ran my plates and noticed that my husband's driver's license was expired, then he kept repeating to me that the owner of the car (my car, not my husband's) license was expired, even though I am listed as the primary owner of the car.
Of the two people in the situation, who do you have control over?
Do what you need to do get proof of this cops behavior (record it on your phone), and follow his orders to get the hell out of that situation...alive. This'll serve society and you better.
Well, you didn't really explain why you keep repeating what you do when you get pulled over has to do with this situation, because this isn't really one size fits all here...
Sure, everyone should treat everybody else kindly and respectfully, and I've acknowledged this several times already. It is a good thing to do all of the time to everyone. But that doesn't always happen. So, when a police officer comes upon someone who has done something minor, and they treat him or her with hostility, does that mean that the officer should:
A) Deescalate the situation by following their training, and their department rules and regulations
or
B) Escalate the situation, not follow their training, not follow the rules of their department, then lie and obfuscate about what happened on their report, even though their dash cam is recording the whole thing
It just isn't all that difficult for the police officer to do his job. Right? Why are you letting him off the hook? Why are you making excuses for his behavior? Both parties were wrong. Do you not see that he was more in the wrong because he is supposed to be a trained professional who knows how to deal with situations just like this without having them end up with a person going to jail? Sweet jesus, if every person who mouthed off to a cop went to jail, we'd need about 10 times the capacity that we currently have.
By the way, I manage to not get pulled over, haven't done so in over 5 years, and I drive over 75 miles a day. The last time I got pulled over was when a cop ran my plates and noticed that my husband's driver's license was expired, then he kept repeating to me that the owner of the car (my car, not my husband's) license was expired, even though I am listed as the primary owner of the car.
Can you please show me where I've made any excuses for the behavior of the police officer?
I've watched the videos. Was his behavior perfect? Meh. In my opinion, he was a bit of a hardass, but he wasn't off the chain. Sandra Bland, however, was consistently uncooperative and belligerent. If I was a police officer, I would have become more and more suspicious of her based on her behavior.
As for my pullovers - yeah, I have a lead foot. I freely admit it. Every few years I have to sit through a defensive driving class in order to keep my record clean. It's a hassle and I always kick myself for consistently driving too fast, but I do take full responsibility for my actions.
Of the two people in the situation, who do you have control over?
Do what you need to do get proof of this cops behavior (record it on your phone), and follow his orders to get the hell out of that situation...alive. This'll serve society and you better.
So the police officer gets no blame here? It's all ok, because she didn't follow his idea of showing respect to him?
Can you please show me where I've made any excuses for the behavior of the police officer?
I've watched the videos. Was his behavior perfect? Meh. In my opinion, he was a bit of a hardass, but he wasn't off the chain. Sandra Bland, however, was consistently uncooperative and belligerent. If I was a police officer, I would have become more and more suspicious of her based on her behavior.
As for my pullovers - yeah, I have a lead foot. I freely admit it. Every few years I have to sit through a defensive driving class in order to keep my record clean. It's a hassle and I always kick myself for consistently driving too fast, but I do take full responsibility for my actions.
He was more than a bit of a hard-ass, and right there, you are letting him off. Not to mention, you're repeatedly telling the heroic stories of your own encounters with police-- this is how a person is supposed to act because this is how I act, and if you don't act that way, then he has every right to be an ass. His own department, and other police agencies, have acknowledged that he acted improperly, that he purposely escalated the situation. This is the kicker, Kathryn- he issupposed to be fully in control of the situation, and of his own emotions, and was not. But, hey, you are polite in your encounters with the police, so she deserved what she got, because she was a B I T C H.
Of the two people in the situation, who do you have control over?
Do what you need to do get proof of this cops behavior (record it on your phone), and follow his orders to get the hell out of that situation...alive. This'll serve society and you better.
BINGO.
When I was dating, I had a little mantra that I'd share often with my girlfriends - "I don't date coaches, cowboys or cops - they don't like me and I don't like them."
I think that many cops are on a bit of a macho power kick - and personally I don't care for that mentality and it's a definite personality conflict with mine since I don't like being bossed around or treated like I'm less than competent.
Right or wrong, whenever I am pulled over, I assume that the person I'm about to deal with is going to be a hardass. I'm usually right in fact. But like you, I don't want to escalate the interaction, and I choose NOT to assert myself in this particular situation. I can rein it in during a traffic stop (though not in a long term relationship - LOL!).
Of the two people in the situation, who do you have control over?
Do what you need to do get proof of this cops behavior (record it on your phone), and follow his orders to get the hell out of that situation...alive. This'll serve society and you better.
This is not a sentiment that should need voicing in the United States Of America.
The fact that it needs saying should scare the crap out of everyone. It sounds like advice you give when dealing with living under an oppressive dictatorship, not for a how to handle a traffic offense in Texas.
No law abiding citizen should have to worry about getting out of a traffic stop "alive". That's lunacy.
(You're not a lunatic Cali, the situation, just to clarify).
This is not a sentiment that should need voicing in the United States Of America.
The fact that it needs saying should scare the crap out of everyone. It sounds like advice you give when dealing with living under an oppressive dictatorship, not for a how to handle a traffic offense in Texas.
No law abiding citizen should have to worry about getting out of a traffic stop "alive". That's lunacy.
(You're not a lunatic Cali, the situation, just to clarify).
I agree 100%, but that's where we are. People need to be smarter about this and stop dying for the cause. It's dumb as hell!
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