# Cop in a handicapped parking space!?



## BatteryCharger (Jul 17, 2010)

I just stopped at the grocery store on my way home, about 12:30 AM. I was quite annoyed to find a police car parked in one of the marked disabled parking spaces. I saw the cop in the store, he wasn't on any "official business", he was getting a snack, and appeared to be "on duty" given the uniform he was wearing.

I assume this sort of behavior is NOT allowed? I *HATE* cops that think they can have privledges the rest of us cannot! It was late and there was plenty of other, non disabled front row parking. Personally I have arthritis and could get a disabled parking permit if I wanted one, but I DON'T, because I don't REALLY need it. I leave the spot empty for somebody that does need it.

I took a bunch of pics with my cell phone, showing the liscense plates, car number, and clearly where it was parked.

I'm not going to lie, I'm pissed. If I would have saw the cop in the parking lot, I would have yelled at him. I think he deserves to be punished. I nearly called another cop out. What should I do with my photographs? Should I take them down to the local PD and have a little chat about the incident, or maybe I should skip right over them and send 'em to the local news stations? This kind of nonsense isn't allowed is it? If the man is legally handicapped, then he can't possibly be a cop...

There was a local news story several months ago about a cop parked in an emergency space while he was on a donut break - a lawyer caught him, gave the cop a ticket, and took the entire police department to court. The lawyer won. :ironic:

:shakehead :shakehead


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## LumenHound (Jul 17, 2010)

I'd give copies of the photos to the local media.
The two competing newspapers in my area would really go to town with photos like that.

Was the officer wearing a small name tag attached to the top of the breast pocket or were there any visible badge #'s on his uniform's shirt?


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

I hope this thread is short lived and CPF doesn't become CBF(Cop Bashing Forum) . Lighten up....


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## JohnR66 (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> I hope this thread is short lived and CPF doesn't become CBF(Cop Bashing Forum) . Lighten up....



I don't. Bad people, no matter what their profession, need to be called out.


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## jellydonut (Jul 17, 2010)

JohnR66 said:


> I don't. Bad people, no matter what their profession, need to be called out.


In my opinion someone entrusted with law enforcement/public safety should be *especially* open to scrutiny by the people they claim to enforce the law over.


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

While you guys are sitting home, with your families, at the table casually enjoying dinner, this guy is grabbing a snack,which may be his dinner, that he will eat while sitting in his cruiser. Additionally, if he gets an emmergency call, his snack goes out the window. He will probably repeat this scenario on most of the holidays.(Christmas, Thanksgiving, kids birthdays).. It's a tough tough job, alot of sacrifices that you guys don't even realize......


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## lightfooted (Jul 17, 2010)

I work in the service industry...in fact I wear a blue uniform and am frequently mistaken for a police officer when I stop at the store on my way to or from work. I am very aware of the scrutiny I am under even when I'm off duty but still in uniform, for this officer to park a "company car" in a disabled parking space for a personal shopping trip demonstrates his attitude toward the public he serves. Maybe he truly did not think anything of it since it was late at night but that is no more an excuse than he would have allowed anyone else had he caught them speeding or parking right where he was.

It's too bad you didn't go up to him and point out his parking error immediately as then you would have a better idea whether or not he was parking there because he was in a hurry or because he was wearing a badge. 

I would say take it to the Police Department first, one of the upper command or even the Chief if it applies....but there is a chance it will get swept under the rug and never see the light of day even if the officer is disciplined.

Taking it to the Newspapers first is more likely to make the front page and local evening tv news, but is also likely to get you some undesired attention and possibly from the PD.

I wish you luck with your descision, I do believe that something should be done to make the officer aware that what he did was not only wrong morally but was in fact illegal, so that it doesn't happen again.


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## emac (Jul 17, 2010)

I have great respect for the police force however as a tax paying citizen I have a certain expectation of the officers to respect the law that they are entrusted to enforce. Be it a simple thing as parking in a handicapped spot or speeding on a residential street when there is no emergency and they do not have their emergency lights and sirens on. It just creates a better relationshipt between the law abiding citizens and the police. 

I don't think you should go as far as the local media just call up his captain and RESPECTFULLY discuss your concerns and mention that it upset you as a citizen to see the local police so blatantly disrespect the law.


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## LumenHound (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> While you guys are sitting home, with your families, at the table casually enjoying dinner, this guy is grabbing a snack,which may be his dinner, that he will eat while sitting in his cruiser. Additionally, if he gets an emmergency call, his snack goes out the window. He will probably repeat this scenario on most of the holidays.(Christmas, Thanksgiving, kids birthdays).. It's a tough tough job, alot of sacrifices that you guys don't even realize......



We understand where you are coming from but it's still wrong for a city employee, be it the mayor, fire chief, or dog catcher, to park in a handicapped space at half past midnight in a uncrowded parking lot.
This guy could have just as easily parked in the regular space beside the handicapped parking zone.


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## lightfooted (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> While you guys are sitting home, with your families, at the table casually enjoying dinner, this guy is grabbing a snack,which may be his dinner, that he will eat while sitting in his cruiser. Additionally, if he gets an emmergency call, his snack goes out the window. He will probably repeat this scenario on most of the holidays.(Christmas, Thanksgiving, kids birthdays).. It's a tough tough job, alot of sacrifices that you guys don't even realize......



First...he gets vacation time, a decent salary and most of all...it's a job he _chose_...he doesn't get to pick and choose which laws to break just because he is the one wearing the badge. If he can't handle being under scrutiny while on the job then he needs to find another job.


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## funkymonkey1111 (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> While you guys are sitting home, with your families, at the table casually enjoying dinner, this guy is grabbing a snack,which may be his dinner, that he will eat while sitting in his cruiser. Additionally, if he gets an emmergency call, his snack goes out the window. He will probably repeat this scenario on most of the holidays.(Christmas, Thanksgiving, kids birthdays).. It's a tough tough job, alot of sacrifices that you guys don't even realize......



So?


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## Alaric Darconville (Jul 17, 2010)

lightfooted said:


> ry and most of all...it's a job he *chose*...he doesn't get to pick and choose which laws to break just because he is the one wearing the badge. If he can't handle being under scrutiny while on the job then he needs to find another job.



This.


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## PhotonWrangler (Jul 17, 2010)

Send the pictures to the local police chief, not the media. This way the officer involved will receive direct and appropriate remedial training and/or discipline, and the rest of the force will be spared any undue embarrassment.


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## OCD (Jul 17, 2010)

If he didn't want to walk, he could of easily parked right in front of the store in the fire lane, if there was one. That way he would be taking up a fire truck parking spot (which most likely won't be needed) instead of a disabled spot. I don't think anyone would have questioned him parking there instead.


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## StarHalo (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> I hope this thread is short lived and CPF doesn't become CBF(Cop Bashing Forum) . Lighten up....



We hope you and your ten posts are around long enough to find out what CPF is about. We have many law enforcement officers who are prominent members of the forum, and you won't find much in the way of bashing of any kind anywhere here..



lightfooted said:


> It's too bad you didn't go up to him and point out his parking error immediately



Oh you can go ahead and do that  You'd be amazed how many minor, ticketable infractions an officer can find on your vehicle in a very short amount of time when angered..

And a +1 to everyone noting that he could have parked anywhere; in the fire line, up on the sidewalk, in the grass, etc. If you can park even in places that aren't for parking, then why would you ever even consider the handicapped space..


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

It always amuses me when people get so indignant and militant about stuff like this... as if they have never, ever done anything illegal in their life. Such paragons of virtue... I am honored to be associated.


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## dudemar (Jul 17, 2010)

We all like to believe it when the constitution says "all men are created equal".



When I talk about cops I like to use this quote from a film: "Who watches the Watchmen?" Well, who watches the cops?

When you put someone in a position of authority, eventually that authority will be taken advantage of and abused. Just like cops love to point out "show me one innocent civilian who has never broken the law", well, show me one innocent cop who hasn't broken the law.

You can't.

It's human nature to abuse authority, but there's also something called common sense.:shakehead In other words what the OP witnessed was a lack of discipline, the root of all police misconduct.

Yes, there are a _few_ good cops, but I'm not going to sugar coat it. I'm just sick and tired of police corruption.


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## dudemar (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> It always amuses me when people get so indignant and militant about stuff like this... as if they have never, ever done anything illegal in their life. Such paragons of virtue... I am honored to be associated.



I think in this particular situation the key difference is we civvies *will* (as in guaranteed) get a $50+ ticket and a tow truck, and the cop, well... 'nuff said.


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## Lynx_Arc (Jul 17, 2010)

I saw an article awhile back about a sheriff that after coming out of a restaraunt discovered he had accidentally parked in a handicapped space. He gave himself a $300 ticket and paid it. He essentially apologized for doing wrong (even though it was a mistake) and accepted the consequences. I would suggest you send the pictures to a local news station that has something like problem solving for difficult situations. They should be able to handle it. I would suggest though that you tell them you have no desire to make the issue into a big parade unless of course the authorities refuse to do what is right about it, the power of the media to make a police department look bad will hold them more accountable than a single person trying to handle a situation that is not prepared for a possible fight or be ignored and scoffed at.


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## ctcfirearms (Jul 17, 2010)

Speaking as a retired Lieutenant, I would recommend that you go to the station and speak with his immediate supervisor. You may assume that he wasn't initially there on "official business", but only his superiors and duty logs would be able to rule that out first. I'm not attempting to make an excuse, I wasn't there either. You just want to be sure before any possible wrongful accusations. 

If they confirm your suspicions, I can almost assure you that they will address it appropriately with their subordinate. Everyone can use a little positive reinforcement now and then towards their assigned duties and work ethic to keep them on the right path. 

The system of "checks and balances" is there to work in the best interest of all of us. Give it a chance, you might be surprised.

P.S. If he were my Officer and had indeed erred in judgment, I would appreciate the concerned citizen bringing it to my direct attention. I can assure you that it would be seriously addressed. 

I hope this helps some and good luck with your decision!


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## lunchboxtheman (Jul 17, 2010)

Wait a day or two before doing anything about it. Just put it out of your mind and come back to it tomorrow or the next day. I've handled situations poorly in the past because I was too pissed off. The officers will be much more receptive to you if you can talk to them calmly. You'll also be able to communicate better. I know I tend to get stubborn and repeat myself over and over again when I'm mad.

That being said, there is not much that makes me angrier than abuse of authority. Granted, it was 12:30 AM and the chances of someone needing the spot were slim, but as others have said that's not an excuse. If your complaints fall on deaf ears at the station, then take it to the local news. Make sure to protect your identity when doing so though.


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## TORCH_BOY (Jul 17, 2010)

Shocking, the cop should set a good example for everyone else,


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## mrartillery (Jul 17, 2010)

There are some cocky officers who think they can do as they please, but on the other hand there are also some good ones. I have several friends who are cops and they dont think they are above the law, just common people such us. I agree though, if it wasnt an emergency then he should have not been parked there, rules (and laws) should apply to every citizen, no matter of your profession or position. That being said though, I wouldn't let it bother me, especially since you said it was 12:30am, not a lot of handicapped folks out at that time of night, so as long as they're not in an up roar over it I wouldn't be either.


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## red02 (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> It always amuses me when people get so indignant and militant about stuff like this... as if they have never, ever done anything illegal in their life. Such paragons of virtue... I am honored to be associated.



So because some people do illegal things, its ok for others to do illegal things?


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

We hope you and your ten posts are around long enough to find out what CPF is about. We have many law enforcement officers who are prominent members of the forum, and you won't find much in the way of bashing of any kind anywhere here..

Me and my ten(10) posts! OUCH

Let's hear from the law enforcement officer, members. Law Enforcement Officers, not security guards. Let them speak... Also, lets try and keep perspective. Does any rational member believe that he or she would be issued a VIOLATION(this is not a crime, it,s a violation) under these circumstances. Really.....


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## KC2IXE (Jul 17, 2010)

dudemar said:


> ...snip...
> When I talk about cops I like to use this quote from a film: "Who watches the Watchmen?" Well, who watches the cops?
> ...snip....



That film really dumbed down what was the original quote

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

From the Roman poet Juvenal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quis_custodiet_ipsos_custodes?


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

red02 said:


> So because some people do illegal things, its ok for others to do illegal things?


 
Did I say that? No, I most definately did not. Here... let me repost what I wrote and put emphasis on one word...

It always amuses me when people get *so* indignant and militant about stuff like this... as if they have never, ever done anything illegal in their life. Such paragons of virtue... I am honored to be associated. 

FWIW... I agree that the OP should give it a day or two so he can gather his composure and settle himself down seeing as how he is "pissed". And then he should go to the station as a rational, concerned citizen rather than one who is... well... such a paragon of virtue...:ironic:


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## Illum (Jul 17, 2010)

BatteryCharger said:


> I *HATE* cops that think they can have privledges the rest of us cannot!



I hear ya, having a property with tree cover we have had one or two times seeing a squad car pulled under one of our trees and idling with its engine on, burning a rectangle patch of grass to a tan color. 
I understand if its public property, like a filled drainage field...but if its private property at minimum you could at least consult the owner:shakehead
The grass took some time to grow back, but the speeding motorists and midnight drag racing left here for good...whats a little grass for a good nights sleep?


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

Illum said:


> ... but the speeding motorists and midnight drag racing left here for good...


 
... and no doubt the officer was there to begin with because of complaints from some of the people who own that private property...


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## BatteryCharger (Jul 17, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Let's just be clear, this is a small town, the cop had nothing better to do than go to the store. He was killing time. (and yeah, I listen to the police scanner and read the police logs) It was only a half hour before closing so I think me, the cop, and the employees were the only ones there. There were easily 5-10 empty non handicapped spots no more than 5 feet farther from the store entrance.



dudemar said:


> I think in this particular situation the key difference is we civvies *will* (as in guaranteed) get a $50+ ticket and a tow truck, and the cop, well... 'nuff said.


Ha! A $50 ticket? Try $450. That's BEFORE you get your car out of impound.



Lynx_Arc said:


> I saw an article awhile back about a sheriff that after coming out of a restaraunt discovered he had accidentally parked in a handicapped space. He gave himself a $300 ticket and paid it. He essentially apologized for doing wrong (even though it was a mistake) and accepted the consequences.


I remember hearing about that too. I wish more officers would set examples like that instead...



mrartillery said:


> That being said though, I wouldn't let it bother me, especially since you said it was 12:30am, not a lot of handicapped folks out at that time of night, so as long as they're not in an up roar over it I wouldn't be either.


Well, I'm one of those handicapped folks in an up roar. I could literally get in my car right now, go to the DMV, give them some papers and say "I want a handicapped parking permit", and they will hand one over, free of charge. I choose not to, because I don't think I'm crippled enough that I need special parking - but the state says I am. (as a side note, I can't be a cop because of that) So I parked in the non handicapped space on the other side of the cop and probably had more pain from my arthritis while walking around the store than the cop did....



Greta said:


> It always amuses me when people get so indignant and militant about stuff like this... as if they have never, ever done anything illegal in their life. Such paragons of virtue... I am honored to be associated.


So you park in handicapped spaces without a permit? I can honestly say I've never done that in my life. Never even crossed my mind...

Think of it like this. You are the cop here. You come here one day screaming and yelling and posting every obscenity and four letter word you can think of. Probably would **** off alot of the forum members, huh? Wouldn't anybody else get banned if they even tried that? Cops are held to higher standards than the rest of us, if they EVER break a law while on duty or even in uniform they should be fired immediately.

Yeah, I've broken minor laws in my life. I'm not a cop! And I don't consider abusing handicapped parking to be minor. If I was a cop then I would be expected to set an example for everyone else, no matter what, no matter how hard my day has been, no matter what time it is, no matter how important I think I am. We're not talking about driving 60mph in a 55mph zone. This is a bigger deal than that. If I was doing the same thing he couldn't get out his ticket pad fast enough.



parker2520 said:


> Let's hear from the law enforcement officer, members. Law Enforcement Officers, not security guards.


You must have missed this post:


ctcfirearms said:


> Speaking as a retired Lieutenant, I would recommend that you go to the station and speak with his immediate supervisor. You may assume that he wasn't initially there on "official business", but only his superiors and duty logs would be able to rule that out first. I'm not attempting to make an excuse, I wasn't there either. You just want to be sure before any possible wrongful accusations.
> 
> If they confirm your suspicions, I can almost assure you that they will address it appropriately with their subordinate. Everyone can use a little positive reinforcement now and then towards their assigned duties and work ethic to keep them on the right path.
> 
> ...





parker2520 said:


> Does any rational member believe that he or she would be issued a VIOLATION(this is not a crime, it,s a violation) under these circumstances. Really.....


Absolutely. It was a crime, end of story. Not a "violation". If I do it or you do it, they give you a $450 ticket AND tow your car. That's a big deal. Last I checked, police officers aren't allowed to break the law. The more I think about it, the more I wish I would have called out another officer to give him a ticket then and there.


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

I don't miss much, and I didn't miss the Lt's post.(thanks Lew for posting) Once again A VIOLATION, NOT A CRIME.No, No, NOT A CRIME, No.....


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## Illum (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> ... and no doubt the officer was there to begin with because of complaints from some of the people who own that private property...



Well, I made the complaint to the officer when I found him while mowing our lawn Whether he was summoned to monitor the intersection by my neighbor I will never know, we certainly have not called them.


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## BatteryCharger (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> I don't miss much, and I didn't miss the Lt's post.(thanks Lew for posting) Once again A VIOLATION, NOT A CRIME.No, No, NOT A CRIME, No.....


Semantics. Anything you do that is unlawful, that is, the opposite of what the law says to do, is a crime. Feel free to look up the definition. I guess you could call murder a "violation" too if you really wanted to.

You weren't by chance parked in a handicapped spot around 12:30 this morning were you?

Additionally, as someone else posted, a cop car is a "company car" that represents the police department. If I had a non LEO employee driving a company car representing my business doing crap like that, you can bet they wouldn't keep that car long. Nobody likes bad publicity.

I'm not here to bash the police/police department. I am here to bash one particular officer who did wrong. Overall the police in this town are nice, helpful, law abiding, and respectful of the badge. I think some of the other officers would be upset to see the department represented in such a way. Once I was talking to one of the officers and he was cussing like a 5 year old that just learned a new bad word - I told him I didn't think that was very professional and he apologized profusely.

I'll probably wait until Monday, but I will go down to the police station with the photos, find out what cop was driving that car at that time, and what they plan on doing about it. If the answer is "nothing", then onto the "we stick our heads up your butt" news stations.

I wish I could post the pics here because I think many of you would be very angered as well, but I don't want to make them public just yet...


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## BatteryCharger (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> While you guys are sitting home, with your families, at the table casually enjoying dinner, this guy is grabbing a snack,which may be his dinner, that he will eat while sitting in his cruiser. Additionally, if he gets an emmergency call, his snack goes out the window. He will probably repeat this scenario on most of the holidays.(Christmas, Thanksgiving, kids birthdays).. It's a tough tough job, alot of sacrifices that you guys don't even realize......


One more note about this:

My job is more dangerous than a police officer. Cry me a river. Every year they make a list of the 10 deadliest jobs, cops never make the list. FOUR different things that I do; however, make the list. Yet, if I get hurt or die at work it will never be a news story...

And we aren't talking Detroit 'hood police here. Small town USA. Their job is actually quite safe here. I have been on ride alongs. They are well compensated too. The officer who lives around the corner lives in a much nicer house than I do. He's also got a lot nicer Hummer, RV, and speedboat than I do...(and his wife doesn't work)


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

BatteryCharger said:


> So you park in handicapped spaces without a permit? I can honestly say I've never done that in my life. Never even crossed my mind...


 
Really?!?! That's your pithy comeback? WOW! ... *** U ME...



> Yeah, I've broken minor laws in my life..


 
Yeah... pretty much figured that.

What gets me is that you are so angry about this. I honestly wish that *my* life was so uncluttered and boring that I had the time and energy to waste getting so indignant and militant over a cop parking in a handicapped spot at 12:30 in the morning. 

Let me take a moment and tell a story about one of my neighbors who, like you, was so indignant and militant... and the consequence of his actions. The people living in the house right next door to us were selling meth out of the house. We knew it... so did everyone else in the neighborhood. There had been several SWAT raids over the years to remove certain people who were living in the house. They were sent off to prison. The owner of the house continued with her "business". The neighbor on the other side of her kept calling the police department to complain about the activity there. He was thanked for the information he provided and assured that it was not being ignored. (BTW... how do I know exactly what he was told? 'Cuz my husband is the one who told him.) Anyway, it seems that our indignant and militant neighbor had nothing better to do with his time but to come down to our yard and look over the 5 foot wall into our yard and then call the police chief and complain that we had weeds in our yard and that my husband was in cahoots with the meth selling neighbor because he doesn't do anything about the activity going on there. (BTW, the neighbor had no idea that the detective that he had previously spoken with on the phone was my husband). Unfortunately, because our indignant and militant neighbor also threatened the police chief that he would go to the media with his tale of police corruption, the drug ****s were forced to act sooner than they had wanted. They kicked the door and hauled off our meth-selling neighbor the next day. 

Now... let me fill you all in a couple of things about this story. The drug ****s were very much aware of what was going on over there. And some of *them* were actually part of "the activity" that was going on over there. This was not information that could have been passed on to our "helpful" neighbor. These guys needed one more buy from this chick and they could have pressed federal charges against her. She'd have never seen the light of day again. But our neighbor just couldn't leave it be and trust that it was being handled... as he was told by my husband. The house sat empty of people for over two years... except for the rats and roaches that infested the left behind filth and literal junk yard that former "customers" squatted in almost constantly. Our lovely neighbor is already out of prison and back on our streets. I wonder if she ever thanked our neighbor for getting her off so easy.

BTW... my husband prevented me from filing charges against our neighbor for trespassing and slander. I'm glad he did. After all... I really did have better things to do with my time.


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

Aaaaaah Jealosy. Now I see


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## BatteryCharger (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta, that story has *absolutely nothing* to do with this post and I would appreciate it if you would stop the name calling. In your position here, YOU should know better...

Now you're saying if we know a meth dealer, we shouldn't report it? I've done that as well, guy was dealing meth nearby, and because of my help with the police he's now getting a free hotel room from the state.


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## unit311 (Jul 17, 2010)

I think if someone was dealing drugs in my neighborhood I would be pretty "militant" about it too.


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

BatteryCharger said:


> Greta, that story has *absolutely nothing* to do with this post and I would appreciate it if you would stop the name calling. In your position here, YOU should know better...
> 
> Now you're saying if we know a meth dealer, we shouldn't report it?


It doesn't? Huh. I coulda swore it was very similar in so many ways. Oh well. My bad. Carry on.... :ironic:


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

unit311 said:


> I think if someone was dealing drugs in my neighborhood I would be pretty "militant" about it too.


 
As were all of us in the neighborhood! But when you report it to the police and they assure you that it is being handled and ask you to please just continue to observe and report and be patient, it's a pretty fair assumption that they aren't just blowing sunshine up your butt. Going to the police chief with your indignation and militant attitude and threatening to go to the media is just plain dumb. Had our neighbor been just a little more patient and trusting and A LOT less indignant, interfering and militant, the situation would have played out WAY more beneficial to us all.


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## BatteryCharger (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> I coulda swore it was very similar in so many ways.


Well, 
It's not about parking...
It's not about a cop doing something against the law...
My post is not about somebody interfering with a federal drug investigation...or drugs at all...

So how is it similar, exactly? Because your neighbor got mad that another neighbor was dealing drugs and called the cops? *I'D DO THAT TOO, WITHOUT HESITATION!* I would hope my neighbors would as well.


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

What happened here? The poor cop wasn't dealing, he was get a cup of coffee.


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

BatteryCharger said:


> Well,
> It's not about parking...
> It's not about a cop doing something against the law...
> My post is not about somebody interfering with a federal drug investigation...
> ...


 

And you would go blackmail the police chief? Figured that much too.

BTW... are you absolutely, without a doubt, *SURE* that your cop wasn't involved in a federal investigation while he was purchasing his snacks? You honestly do not know.


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## BatteryCharger (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> And you would go blackmail the police chief?


If I go to them with these pictures and they ignore me, then yes. The fact is, the news media is one of the checks and balances for the police.



Greta said:


> You honestly do not know.


That would be why I took detailed photographs showing the car number, with a time/date stamp, and why I'm taking a trip to the police department to discuss the matter with them. Maybe he does have a valid reason, but I doubt it. Even if he was doing an offical investigation of the bananas, that's still not an excuse to park where he did unless it was an emergency, and it clearly was not one.


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

BatteryCharger said:


> If I go to them with these pictures and they ignore me, then yes. The fact is, the news media is one of the checks and balances for the police.
> 
> 
> That would be why I took detailed photographs showing the car number, with a time/date stamp, and why I'm taking a trip to the police department to discuss the matter with them. Maybe he does have a valid reason, but I doubt it. Even if he was doing an offical investigation of the bananas, that's still not an excuse to park where he did unless it was an emergency, and it clearly was not one.


 
Ok.


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## BIGLOU (Jul 17, 2010)

Here in the City of Roses, CA there is an officer on leave and I dont think he is coming back because he used his business card to park his personal vehicle in a metered parking spot. Someone from the public caught on to this and he got in trouble. They said he was defrauding the city. Also no officers can park on red while on there Code 7 (break/lunch). If a black and white is parked on the handicap zone they most likely going to be hunkered down behind the unit and the store is going to be a PC 211 strong (Robbery) in progress. The Chief has layed it down so you can't even accept any discounts or gratuities too. The handicap ticket here in Cali. CVC 22507.8A is $344.50 and we cannot cite vehicles with exempt plates.


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## dudemar (Jul 17, 2010)

BatteryCharger said:


> Ha! A $50 ticket? Try $450. That's BEFORE you get your car out of impound.



As mentioned by the previous poster fines differ by city, county, school, state, etc. so I put $50*+* (plus meaning "and up") for good measure. Looks like you missed it.


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

Yea that parking " Felony " is right up there with " Food Felonies " , you know like putting mayanaise on a hotdog...


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> Yea that parking " Felony " is right up there with " Food Felonies " , you know like putting mayanaise on a hotdog...


Ew. Now that's wrong. A veritable crime of public morality. (Can you tell I'm taking a Criminal Law class right now? )


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta just a suggestion. When you get your Crim Justice Degree, go to law school. Your a natural....


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> Greta just a suggestion. When you get your Crim Justice Degree, go to law school. Your a natural....


Not unless I can go to Harvard... I want to live in Boston... 



P.S. I'm looking at Forensic Psychology


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## TooManyGizmos (Jul 17, 2010)

~

We have a couple of members that need to " sit on their hands for 30 minutes " .

~


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

Negative. New York City


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## BatteryCharger (Jul 17, 2010)

Just for the record I'd like to point out I lease a commercial building with handicapped parking, that nobody ever uses. It's not a public place and nobody who works there is handicapped. I pay for the asphalt, but I can't and don't park there even though I don't have much space. 

Why? 

'cause the cops say so.


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> Negative. New York City


Ick. Grew up in Upstate NY. Was too liberal for me then and has only gotten worse since. I want to keep my guns. I like the direction that MA is going right now. 'Bout time they came 'round...


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## ctcfirearms (Jul 17, 2010)

TooManyGizmos said:


> ~
> 
> We have a couple of members that need to " sit on their hands for 30 minutes " .
> 
> ~



I'll second that TooManyGizmos!

Time to De-escalate the situation

:thumbsup:


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## StarHalo (Jul 17, 2010)

Food felony 







(sorry LEOs, this pic just cracks me up though; and let's face it, there are a few rather "non-athletic" officers out there..)


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## ctcfirearms (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> Ick. Grew up in Upstate NY. Was too liberal for me then and has only gotten worse since. I want to keep my guns. I like the direction that MA is going right now. 'Bout time they came 'round...



Greta,

Move on in - we would love to have you!


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

Ick. Grew up in Upstate NY. Was too liberal for me then and has only gotten worse since. I want to keep my guns. I like the direction that MA is going right now. 'Bout time they came 'round...  

NYCPD. Your young enough and you get to keep your guns


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> Ick. Grew up in Upstate NY. Was too liberal for me then and has only gotten worse since. I want to keep my guns. I like the direction that MA is going right now. 'Bout time they came 'round...
> 
> NYCPD. Your young enough and you get to keep your guns


LOL! Glad YOU think I'm young enough! I don't think the NYCPD would agree with you. That ship sailed a few years ago... but thank you anyway for the compliment...


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

FWIW... BatteryCharger... 

Had you led off with these words and attitude:



BatteryCharger said:


> ... I'm taking a trip to the police department to discuss the matter with them.


 
... rather than this:



BatteryCharger said:


> ... If I would have saw the cop in the parking lot, I would have yelled at him. I think he deserves to be punished. I nearly called another cop out. What should I do with my photographs? Should I take them down to the local PD and have a little chat about the incident, or maybe I should skip right over them and send 'em to the local news stations?


 
I would not even have joined this thread. The truth is, I agree with you that the officer was wrong and the issue needs to be addressed. But, IMHO, not in the way you first posted. If it had been me who came across that officer, I would have put in an anonymous call to the non-emergency dispatch and simply said, _"Hey, you may want to get ahold of the officer who is on patrol right now in such-and-such area in car # whatever and let him know that a citizen saw him illegally parked in a handicapped spot at the Stop 'n Rob on whatever street. Have a lovely rest of the evening. Buh-bye"._ Then I would have gone home and slept like an innocent baby knowing that I had done my civic duty by reporting a crime. And I'd have gotten on with my life.

The point of my story regarding my neighbor, is that while *you* may not be responsible for interfering with a federal investigation in this instance, it is people like you with your righteous indignation and militant attitude who *do* interfere with federal investigations. And the rest of us end up paying for it one way or another. 

More bees with honey, Sir... more bees with honey. Not too mention, you'll live longer if you don't allow your blood pressure to get so out of hand. Might even find some relief from that arthritis of yours too if you're not so uptight all the time.


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## Nitroz (Jul 17, 2010)

I see police break the law every night on the way home, they usually do 10 to 20 over the speed limit, and one time I have seen one do this in a 35mph zone. How is it that their time to get home is more important than mine?

I've seen others turn on the blues go thru a red light and then shut them off shortly after, this has happend on more than one occasion. I've had a Chevy police truck fly up on my bumper, ride my bumper, and then finally fly around me with no blinkers.


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## fishhead (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> Might even find some relief from that arthritis of yours too if you're not so uptight all the time.



As someone who has suffered from chronic pain in the past (but not arthritis) I think this is a bit low and rather mean. Anyway, arthritis is not caused by being 'uptight'.


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## StarHalo (Jul 17, 2010)

Nitroz said:


> I see police break the law every night on the way home, they usually do 10 to 20 over the speed limit, and one time I have seen one do this in a 35mph zone.



The trick is to "wake ride"; get quite a few car lengths behind and then match his speed. If he takes the time to notice you, he'll slow down to the speed limit to see if you'll pass (and then as long as you're there, he won't be able to speed again). If he doesn't notice you, you'll get to cruise all the way across town at twice the speed limit..


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

fishhead said:


> As someone who has suffered from chronic pain in the past (but not arthritis) I think this is a bit low and rather mean. Anyway, arthritis is not caused by being 'uptight'.


Again the point is missed...


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## fishhead (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> Again the point is missed...



Oh, I see the point you are trying to make. I just think you are failing when you make it personal with remarks about physical ailments.


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## Greta (Jul 17, 2010)

fishhead said:


> Oh, I see the point you are trying to make. I just think you are failing when you make it personal with remarks about physical ailments.


... and as you do not know anything about my own physical ailments, past and present, I'd say that you pretty much do not have the right to judge whether or not my remarks are valid.


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## Nitroz (Jul 17, 2010)

StarHalo said:


> The trick is to "wake ride"; get quite a few car lengths behind and then match his speed. If he takes the time to notice you, he'll slow down to the speed limit to see if you'll pass (and then as long as you're there, he won't be able to speed again). If he doesn't notice you, you'll get to cruise all the way across town at twice the speed limit..



If I did I would be picked off for sure. These two towns have a major police presence at night and pull people over constantly, except the off-duty guys.:shrug:


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## fishhead (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> ... and as you do not know anything about my own physical ailments, past and present, I'd say that you pretty much do not have the right to judge whether or not my remarks are valid.



I can and do judge by what I see.

However, as I personally would not yell at a police officer for parking in a handicapped spot out of fear of getting a dozen bogus tickets for various violations on my vehicle, I will now bow out of this little discussion.


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

fishhead said:


> I can and do judge by what I see.
> 
> However, as I personally would not yell at a police officer for parking in a handicapped spot out of fear of getting a dozen bogus tickets for various violations on my vehicle, I will now bow out of this little discussion.


 
You promise and swear to god


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## lunchboxtheman (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> FWIW... BatteryCharger...
> 
> Had you led off with these words and attitude:
> 
> ...



I agree with you 100%, but you could have made your point in a less inflammatory way. I'll refer you to the first page where I did just that. You've done nothing but start flames here.


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## parker2520 (Jul 17, 2010)

Bout half hour ago I called in a few neighbors to join me review some of these posts. They can't believe what they are reading. " Breaking the Law ", Commiting a Crime "' Violating the Constitution ", Abuse of Authority ". Ha ha we are having a good laugh. YOU PEOPLE ARE A RIOT......


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## Kid9P (Jul 17, 2010)

Can't believe this hasn't been locked yet


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## DimeRazorback (Jul 17, 2010)

Greta said:


> ... and as you do not know anything about my own physical ailments, past and present, I'd say that you pretty much do not have the right to judge whether or not my remarks are valid.



Do a persons own issues really create an excuse to take a low ball swipe at someone?

Maybe he has anxiety issues, hence why he is "uptight".

My mother suffers from arthritis, is that due to her being uptight after having a loaded shotgun held to her head 10 years ago in a bank robbery?

This is all speculation on my behalf, but that has been shown by other members in this thread already to a great extent.


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## StarHalo (Jul 17, 2010)




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## adamjh3 (Jul 17, 2010)

Nitroz said:


> I see police break the law every night on the way home, they usually do 10 to 20 over the speed limit, and one time I have seen one do this in a 35mph zone. How is it that their time to get home is more important than mine?
> 
> I've seen others turn on the blues go thru a red light and then shut them off shortly after, this has happend on more than one occasion. I've had a Chevy police truck fly up on my bumper, ride my bumper, and then finally fly around me with no blinkers.


 
For your first example, there are times when you need to make a silent approach when responding to a call. 

A story for your second example: The other day at work my partner (we're EMTs, not police officers) and I were on our way to grab some lunch when we got a call with a code 3 (lights and sirens) response. We were sitting at a red light when the call came through so on go the code lights and the siren, shortly after we cleared the intersection the call got cancelled and we ended up pulling into the establishment at which we planned to dine about 300 feet up the road from where we shut our lights off. I bet that looked like abuse of an authority from an outside perspective, but the point is, make sure you have ALL of the facts before rendering judgment. 

Your last example, there is no excuse for that. I have had it happen to me as well, it's a blatant disregard for the safety of others on the road.


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## mvyrmnd (Jul 17, 2010)

I'm not trying to get my butt kicked here, but my inner 12-year-old can't resist this one:



Kid9P said:


> Can't believe this hasn't been locked yet



While the people with the power to shut down the thread that are participating in the argument, the thread will continue. Certain parallels may be drawn to the original point of the thread, which is the misuse of power.

(This post is offered completely tongue-in-cheek, please don't hurt me!)


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## crossliner67 (Jul 17, 2010)

Kid9P said:


> Can't believe this hasn't been locked yet


My thoughts exactly. Maybe the administrators are having a breaktime too or are just opting to remain reticent due to "peer presence". I am w/ BatteryCharger on this one because here in the Philippines there are myriad abusive law enforcers. Some of them are even my friends but I don't smile nor get amused when they "brandish" their steel or badge unnecessarily. If they are really close w/ me I give them a bit of a verbal remonstrance.


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## StarHalo (Jul 17, 2010)

mvyrmnd said:


> (This post is offered completely tongue-in-cheek, please don't hurt me!)



How dare you talk about misusing the power of shutting down the thread while the people with the power to misuse the power to shut down the thread are using their power to participate in discussing not misusing power 

We're confiscating Bindi Irwin.


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## Boudreaux (Jul 17, 2010)

I have several friends and a neighbor (who is also a friend) who are LEO's. I understand the low pay, rough hours, missed holidays and the lack of respect by the public. I truly feel for these guys. 

The vast majority of people who go into law enforcement do so for the right reason, they want to be Law Enforcement Officers. However, there is that other 5% who join law enforcement because they are bullies.

This brings me to my pet peeve of LEO's who break the law. My special dislike is speeding. For some reason, many LEO's do not think the speed laws apply to them. I could site dozens of specific examples but that will do no good.

I have tried the calm approach and it hasn't worked for me. I'm usually told that the officer was most likely on an emergency call when he passed me in the 60 mph zone like I was standing still. The fact that he was not in uniform never seems to make a difference. I'm usually told that the complaint will be passed on to someone (often the supervisor or the special "public affairs officer") who will return my call. NONE of my 4 or 5 calls (over 20 or so years) have ever been returned. In the couple of cases where I risked retaliation by calling back, I have been told there is no record of my original call. 

When I have pulled to the side of the highway and called the offender's agency (on the non-emergency number) I have been told that I cannot be told if that particular unit is on duty or not....

All LEO's should understand two things:

1) THEY ARE THE ROLE MODELS!

2) THE QUESTION OF SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT! 

(ie., if the LEO breaks any law, does he also break the law dealing with murder?) 
The public does not know which laws are respected and enforced by the LEO when he personally breaks ANY law.
Selective enforcement also has major effects on any officers most needed virtue, CREDITABILITY.

About the 5% who are just plain ole bullies, most can easily be identified by very simple psychological testing. It is amazing how one bully can entice good officers to go along with his schemes. Bullies by nature are very vendictive. Also, bullies have psychological profiles that do not lend themselves to any level of respect for themselves, others, or the laws. A good law enforcement agency should weed these few out and remove them from law enforcement.

The vast majority of LEO's who, like most of us are, law-abiding citizens, you have my deepest regards and respect for the terrible, thankless job you do!


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## TooManyGizmos (Jul 17, 2010)

~

Can this thread get back on TOPIC

The (OP)BatteryCharger was annoyed when he saw basic civic principles being violated by a uniformed officer .

The officer was dis-respecting the codes he was sworn to enforce , and also the confidence of the general public ..... as if to say ":nana:" . It was a very inconsiderate and irresponsible thing for him to do .

BatteryCharger seems to have been infuriated by the act in a "How-Dare-You" ... kind of way . He was still annoyed when he posted ..... evident by his keyboard tone ..... but he was simply asking for advice on how best to submit the evidence and to what agency. He obviously didn't really know what to do ..... but he knew he wanted to do something .... rather than just "shrug" it off and ignore it.

BatteryCharger is NOT the bad guy here ! He should not be scolded so much and labeled for his choice of words in his OP while he was still baffled by what he saw.

I'm sure he did not intend this to become a "Cop bashing" thread - nor did he expect to be "Bashed" himself when he posted to share what he saw ... in dis-belief .

Please comment only on the post "content" and it's merits ..... Don't attack the poster .

~


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## DimeRazorback (Jul 17, 2010)

StarHalo said:


> We're confiscating Bindi Irwin.




Please do!


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## Mike Painter (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> While you guys are sitting home, with your families, at the table casually enjoying dinner, this guy is grabbing a snack,which may be his dinner, that he will eat while sitting in his cruiser. Additionally, if he gets an emmergency call, his snack goes out the window. He will probably repeat this scenario on most of the holidays.(Christmas, Thanksgiving, kids birthdays).. It's a tough tough job, alot of sacrifices that you guys don't even realize......



Been there, done that and it is NO EXCUSE for parking in a handicapped zone.
Yes, it may be a tough job but it was done by choice.
(And if he lives in Redwood City, CA among others he *starts* at about $8000.00 a month)


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## mvyrmnd (Jul 17, 2010)

StarHalo said:


> We're confiscating Bindi Irwin.



She's all yours!


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## StarHalo (Jul 17, 2010)

UPDATE: Bindi Irwin is needed for the operation of the Australia Zoo. So we're taking Miranda Kerr instead.


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## Empath (Jul 17, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> Bout half hour ago I called in a few neighbors to join me review some of these posts. They can't believe what they are reading. " Breaking the Law ", Commiting a Crime "' Violating the Constitution ", Abuse of Authority ". Ha ha we are having a good laugh. YOU PEOPLE ARE A RIOT......



Rants, regarding touchy topics are the ideal threads in which trolls can jump in and really stir up a fuss. To a certain extent, we're tolerant while we make certain that it's trolling and not just a tendency toward clumsy commentary.

When the troll brings in his neighbors and friends to admire his handiwork, it's a bit much. Perhaps you've got off to a bad start, and think flaming and trolling is acceptable. After you return in about three days, hopefully, you'll recognize we have limits. Your posting privileges are suspended for three days.

Regarding the closing of the thread; there is no need to close it as long as it's returned to it's original theme, and it doesn't continue down the road of anti-LEOism. It's not likely that BC's experience demonstrates a common occurrence.

_Edit: After reconsidering, I've lifted the suspension. Hopefully, an awareness that your activity is viewed in such a way is sufficient to bring about a reconsideration from you too, regarding the nature and styling of your posts._


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## mvyrmnd (Jul 17, 2010)

StarHalo said:


> UPDATE: Bindi Irwin is needed for the operation of the Australia Zoo. So we're taking Miranda Kerr instead.


NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! 



(final OT post, I promise!)


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## Patriot (Jul 18, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> I hope this thread is short lived and CPF doesn't become CBF(Cop Bashing Forum) . Lighten up....





Wowee parker2520, that's a classic overreact man. Two posts in and the 3rd post you've assigned the whole forum the title "Cop Bashing Forum." Who needs to "lighten up" or at the very minimum, gain some sense of perspective?

I think the CPF community for the most part loves and respects our men and women in uniform. I know that I do. They enforce the Mosaic based laws that this nation was established upon and I love that they legally force morality in a world where people can so quickly become immoral. 










To to original poster, I suspect that if you went back inside, politely introduced yourself to the officer and shared your thoughts with a kind attitude and a smile, he'd probably apologize, admit that you were right, and never do it again. 

Cops are just people and if you approach the matter with respect you'll often get respect. If you want to go "mad dog" on the policeman and department you'll likely rub them both wrong, in which case, don't expect any breaks or understanding from them in the future. This isn't to suggest that you're a regular law breaker, but mistakes on the road happen sometimes. In such situations I'd expect the same leniency that you've offered to them or lack thereof. 

I would let it go this one time and if you see it again just politely speak to the man. If by some chance he's not apologetic then bring it up with his supervisor and share your pictures. 

I respect your strong sense of right and wrong but there are areas in each of our lives were we lack discernment when applied to various matters. Sometimes we just need someone to alert us to things that we're otherwise oblivious to.


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## mossyoak (Jul 18, 2010)

When did this forum become so sensitive? i mean come on its the internet, relax.
BTW, i love the handicap parking spots at gas stations, they are always empty so i can just run in and grab a 6-pack and can of dip and leave my jeep running with the doors off and watch it through the door so that no one steals it. thats convenience


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## Robocop (Jul 18, 2010)

In 13 years of police work I have seen good- cops semi good cops- and simply bad cops. I have also slowly learned that some people do not like any cops for whatever reasons. I was shocked when I began my career to find that many people hold police under a magnifying glass waiting for any chance to spring into action. I have had people spit,curse, lie, and try to hurt me at times for nothing other than a chip on their shoulder.

I once saved a woman from a burning vehicle who had badly broken legs after she struck a semi truck from behind. I had to untangle her legs from the pedals and reach under her arms to pull her backwards from the car....all while surrounded by flames. I had minor burns to my arms and she had more serious injuries yet she survived to a full recovery. Imagine my suprise when she tried to place a lawsuit against me claiming I hurt her neck when I pulled her from the vehicle.

Imagine my further suprise when some members of the public jumped in with their own negative comments. Some people tried to find negatives and I heard many say things like "he was trying to be a hero and show off" "he just jumped in there and did not even think before he started pulling on that poor girl" and my favorite "why did he not just try to put out the fire first"

Point is that many saw the real situation and thanked me however many more simply would see nothing else other than negative....regardless of the facts.

Yes if this officer was simply shopping then he was wrong however never assume until you know the facts. I also do not know the regulations in your area however in my area we are allowed to do many things on duty. Yes we can speed, run lights, and park in no parking places if on business. Many times I have had alarm calls at local businesses and always park in the rear to avoid anyone see me approach. Often I will block loading zones or pedestrian traffic when first arriving simply as it is a tactical advantage for me and saves time. Often the alarms are false and after a brief conversation with staff I will leave.

Recently I had an alarm at a local credit union that was given to me as a robbery alarm. Of course I responded with caution thinking this may actually be a robbery in progress. When I arrived I parked 2 blocks away (so I could approach unseen) and simply left my car in traffic with the lights activated. I ran to the location and found it was a false alarm. I spoke to the manager inside for maybe 3 minutes and then cleared the call and went back to my car.

In that short time there were at least 3 people who called the station wishing to complain giving my car number. Each caller said I was blocking traffic and that they saw me inside the credit union waiting in line as if I were doing personal business.....they could not have been more wrong however maybe it did look that way to them. My point is what is so important with their day that they did feel the immediate urge to call and complain?.....why did these few people not figure it out like the others who assumed I was on an official call....why did these few people think different and simply assume I was in the wrong?......

To the poster I am not saying you are ignorant however I am saying you do not know the entire situation. Maybe he did originally have an emergency call there and after clearing the call grabbed a snack. If it is a private lot those parking places are usually determined by the owner rather than the city. Maybe the owner often asks the officer to visit and asks the officer to park directly in front just to be seen. Many of our local stores enjoy it when we visit and they will often ask us to park directly in front.....they feel if people get used to seeing the police there often they will have less trouble from criminals.

Maybe you should have simply asked the officer if he were on business. As I said before I do know some officers who are less than honorable however most of them are decent people. Maybe if you explained your concerns you could have made a difference and the officer would realize his mistake or maybe he could have explained the situation in a way to justify the situation.

I have to say I am a little biased here and freely admit to always taking the side of any officer until I know they are wrong. However I do not do so blindly but more so from many years of knowing things are not always as they may appear. I will promise you that the red lights you see us all go through are not what you think. To many it appears we just do not want to wait and we turn our lights on and then go through then turn the lights off again.

With todays new technology every time I turn my lights on it records audio and video. It is well known by officers that people will freeze up when they see a police car speeding through traffic so actually it is often faster to drive to a call without lights and sirens however we will go through the red lights with them on.....in reality those cars you see run the red lights are most likely on their way to a scene and as such can run red lights and pass other vehicles. Most policy states that emergency vehicles must use lights and sirens when going through red lights so we flick on the sirens and lights when going through then continue on normally without them......the whole time while the people behind us are cursing us as we all know they think we are just impatient.....again they are often wrong.

My entire day is recorded so believe me when I say every thing I do is downloaded nightly and as such if I do something I will always have a valid reason. Many depts. are now also recorded so if they drive fast or even park in the street it will be recorded on dash cam and veh/body mic. If you feel the need to investigate further please do so and visit the dept. to speak with the officer. I would maybe speak to the store owner first to make sure the officer was not on a call there or summoned by the owner for some official business first. 

To sum this all up let me say again it is not always as it seems and yes many people will bend over backwards to try and make police out to be the bad guy. I will also say yes some deserve it however very few and with todays standards these officers are usually quickly weeded out. Most any good officer will quickly point lesser officers in the right direction. I have done this many times and yes even twice I have recommended officers to not remain employed as an officer. (I am a field training officer) 

Good luck to you and again this is not as deep as some tend to believe. If it is such a burden on your mind I would again suggest speaking to the officer directly or his supervisor. If nothing else you may get a good explanation for his actions or some other type of satisfaction.


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## BatteryCharger (Jul 18, 2010)

I don't think I need to add much here other than what I saw in the store, the cop had a small hand basket and was in the produce area calmly looking at bananas. I don't know, maybe somebody was smuggling coke inside a banana and he was there to investigate, but if any valid excuse is made it would have to be a pretty surprising and unlikely one.

The car was parked nice and square in the spot, as if he took his time to park it, and, was not running. If it was an emergency it would have been much quicker for him to just stop in the entrance not paying attention to lines and leave the car running.

It's literally a several acre parking lot serving a large grocery store that had no more than 5 cars in the lot. So many other places for the cop to park, either right in front, or stealthily somewhere else. The disabled space isn't even really the "best" spot they have.

As for talking to the officer in person, confronting a police officer in the middle of the night while you're pissed off and telling him he's wrong generally is not a good idea. (especially one that may possibly be arrogant enough to think he should park there) Honestly I don't think a simple phone call is enough to convey the gravity of the matter or how exceptionally annoyed I was. Going the extra mile to bring photographs to the police department probably means his superior will go the extra mile in reminding him not to do that again...and if copies of those photos get forwarded to the officer, he's probably going to feel pretty stupid.


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## Robocop (Jul 18, 2010)

I agree that confronting an officer while you are angry is not a good idea however if he is a patrolman in your area you can address the issue calmly as you will likely see him again.

As an officer I see this many ways and one of the worst ways is that often a thread such as this will spin quickly out of control. It is perfectly fine to discuss the nature of the situation and even fine to offer various reasons for the behavior. What usually tends to happen is that many will turn this towards "cops are all wrong" thread and we will get nothing from that.

Sure if he was simply shopping then he was wrong however again this does not mean that all officers are power hungry people who thumb their noses at the law. Again until you actually speak with the store owner or even the officer no one knows the situation.

I work downtown Bham where parking is a nightmare and I have several hospitals on my beat. I know one elderly man who visits the VA hospital monthly and he will walk a few blocks to get there. He carries a walker and is considered handicapped yet he still gets around slowly.

I will always offer a ride when I see him and he always accepts. I pull my patrol car right up under the entrance and block the handicap lane while I help him inside. Yes I have had several complain as to the patrol car parked in the handicap lane yet again I am using it for transporting a handicapped citizen. Now to any who pass by I am sure if they looked inside and saw me chatting with this old man they would assume I was too lazy to park a few feet away and walk....yet again they would be wrong.

Someone posted earlier that most likely the officer would admit he was wrong and learn a lesson if he was simply ignoring the parking rules. Maybe you could approach with a smile and just speak with him normally first and bring it up in routine conversation. This thread is allowed to run for now simply because it has remained mostly civil. I will caution any who post that the first whisper of attempting to bash officers will have it quickly closed.

Good cops do not like arrogant cops and again they are usually quickly easy to spot and even easier to teach them how cops should act....both on duty and off. With todays video phones and cameras everywhere cops are usually always on their best behavior. If they are not again it is only a matter of time before they are discovered. 

If this is really an issue you wish to address I suggest going to the store owner first and ask them to nicely suggest to the officers not to park in the wrong location. You do not have to leave your name and make sure the owner is aware of the problem and follow up with the owner later to see that it was done. Good luck again ....


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## davidt1 (Jul 18, 2010)

BatteryCharger said:


> I just stopped at the grocery store on my way home, about 12:30 AM. I was quite annoyed to find a police car parked in one of the marked disabled parking spaces. I saw the cop in the store, he wasn't on any "official business", he was getting a snack, and appeared to be "on duty" given the uniform he was wearing.
> 
> I assume this sort of behavior is NOT allowed? I *HATE* cops that think they can have privledges the rest of us cannot! It was late and there was plenty of other, non disabled front row parking. Personally I have arthritis and could get a disabled parking permit if I wanted one, but I DON'T, because I don't REALLY need it. I leave the spot empty for somebody that does need it.
> 
> ...



Bring it to the attention of the media. Many times it's the only way to get things done. You can have your name withheld for fear of cop retaliation. I often wonder how so many insecure, unintelligent and undeserving people can get hired by police departments. One time I saw this cop walking slowly across the street against a red light and the dumbass got a kick out of watching people stop in the middle of the intersection for him.


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## parker2520 (Jul 18, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> I hope this thread is short lived and CPF doesn't become CBF(Cop Bashing Forum) . Lighten up....


 
That was post #3 in this thread. Anyone with even a moderate amount of intellegence can see that when an angry irritable person posts like this, no good can come from it. 99% of the contact that people have with police is negative. Arrest, traffic violation, even something as simple as please move your car, you are obstructing traffic, does not sit well with the public. Most people let it go but for some it haunts them and everytime they see a police officer, the anti authoritarianism in them arises. Firemen don't have this problem. They are seen on the front page of the paper runnung into a burning building and leaving giving mouth to mouth to a child. Cops usually get negative publicity. So to the moderator who was going to suspend my posting privileges for 3 days, may I suggest that you do a better job at monitoring the posts. This could have been avoided..


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## dano (Jul 18, 2010)

It's a parking space....or is it something bigger. That one little victory over "The Man."


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## Greta (Jul 18, 2010)

dano said:


> It's a parking space....or is it something bigger. That one little victory over "The Man."


dano... maybe, maybe not. Sadly though, many of us who are in some way associated with law enforcement see that mentality way too often. 

What really bothers me though, more than anything else, is that some people get so angry and upset over something so small. This is not to minimize the fact that it's entirely possible (and more likely than not probable) that this officer did something illegal. However, is there anyone here who has actually gotten ticketed for parking in a handicapped spot in an otherwise completely empty parking lot? My guess is no. And if the answer is yes, my guess is that they also got ticketed for something else just a tad bit more serious and they got belligerant and the officer just started writing. 

Now I realize that sometimes officers take the same mentality that breaking the law is breaking the law and there are no excuses or exceptions - plain and simple, you are wrong and should be punished. Several years ago, my daughter got popped for overturning an intersection. It was at like 1 or 2 in the morning and there were no other cars on the road except her and a cop. She really was quite annoyed with the whole situation and actually said to me (not the cop... she'd been raised better), "didn't he have anything better to do?" (Yes, I cringed.) Fact of the matter is though, she was wrong and she (and me too!) learned a very important lesson that night... she learned about a law that she didn't even know existed (neither did I!) Neither one of us has ever overturned an intersection since. 

Anyway... the anger issue. It can go either way. Either a person who gets this angry over such a small issue has no other much more important issues in their life to get angry over (kudos to them for having such a conflict-free life!! :twothumbs ) or when something much more important does come up, they are angry beyond control. *THAT* is the scarey scenario! And that is why you and Robo and my husband have job security. In Sociology, that is called the functionalist perspective - necessary evils.


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## Nitroz (Jul 18, 2010)

adamjh3 said:


> For your first example, there are times when you need to make a silent approach when responding to a call.
> 
> A story for your second example: The other day at work my partner (we're EMTs, not police officers) and I were on our way to grab some lunch when we got a call with a code 3 (lights and sirens) response. We were sitting at a red light when the call came through so on go the code lights and the siren, shortly after we cleared the intersection the call got cancelled and we ended up pulling into the establishment at which we planned to dine about 300 feet up the road from where we shut our lights off. I bet that looked like abuse of an authority from an outside perspective, but the point is, make sure you have ALL of the facts before rendering judgment.
> 
> Your last example, there is no excuse for that. I have had it happen to me as well, it's a blatant disregard for the safety of others on the road.



I do know that at times the police do get a call and then it is cancelled and I understand that. But on my first point this police was out of his jurisdiction and going away from it.

Don't get me wrong I appreciate what the police, firemen, and ambulance workers do and feel that they are underpaid. But you do have some that abuse power, but that is life and many people abuse their authority.


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## adamjh3 (Jul 18, 2010)

Nitroz said:


> I do know that at times the police do get a call and then it is cancelled and I understand that. But on my first point this police was out of his jurisdiction and going away from it.
> 
> Don't get me wrong I appreciate what the police, firemen, and ambulance workers do and feel that they are underpaid. But you do have some that abuse power, but that is life and many people abuse their authority.


 
Yes, we do have ones that abuse power, unfortunately, and it sways public perception against us because those are the ones that get the most press. 

Please, don't take my last post the wrong way, I was not trying to single you out, simply alluding to a bigger picture.


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## PapaGary (Jul 18, 2010)

Greta said:


> I honestly wish that *my* life was so uncluttered and boring that I had the time and energy to waste getting so indignant and militant over a cop parking in a handicapped spot at 12:30 in the morning.


Well said.


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## Nitroz (Jul 18, 2010)

adamjh3 said:


> Yes, we do have ones that abuse power, unfortunately, and it sways public perception against us because those are the ones that get the most press.
> 
> Please, don't take my last post the wrong way, I was not trying to single you out, simply alluding to a bigger picture.



Not at all. 

It does seem that bad press always stirs more interest than good. If you had two stories on the front page, one good one bad, I am sure most people would read the negative press first.

Now I will take a second to thank all of the military, police, firemen, and all search and rescue personnel for all of the hard work and sometimes the ultimate sacrifice.:thanks:


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## StarHalo (Jul 18, 2010)

parker2520 said:


> That was post #3 in this thread.



And you were wrong.

As I pointed out in Post 15, we don't do bashing here; this thread has thus far been members voicing their own opinions, trying to work out the problem, providing calm and reasonable solutions.

If you feel this has been inflammatory, try posting the exact same subject on another forum, then count the number of calls to violence, ad hominem attacks, racial slurs, etc.


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## LowBat (Jul 18, 2010)

I would agree with the OP that law enforcement should be setting an example. I would also take it for what it's worth. If you regularly see cop cars in the handicapped spaces then by all means take pictures and send them in. If this is the only instance I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

If I may go slightly off topic:

My favorite "wrongly parked" cop car was at a local mall some years ago. It was a weekend night and the lot was packed. While walking by I noticed a black and white parked in a stall under the sign "expectant mother parking only". Then I see a somewhat overweight sergeant coming from the mall and getting in the car. I wish I got a picture, but I did get a good laugh. No doubt the poor sergeant had a hot call and needed to park quickly.

My favorite "questionable" car in a handicapped space was an SUV with disabled plates. Attached to the rear were two bicycles on a rack and on the roof were two kayaks strapped down.

My favorite "almost missed placard" was many many years ago when I had a job writing parking tickets for a local city. I always checked carefully and if I even saw a plastic corner sticking out from a visor or between the seats I'd leave it alone. In this case I saw nothing so I began to write. From across the lot I could hear someone yelling "I'VE GOT A PLACARD, I'VE GOT A PLACARD" from a second story office window. Less than a minute later a man comes bolting out the front door, jumps the three steps in front of the building, and sprints across the parking lot towards me. He opens his car and takes out a temporary handicapped placard from the center console. I closed my cite book and told him he runs faster than I can.

There are legitimate handicaps and then there are those who qualify for them without really needing them. My brother and my father both have placards. My bother has one for a back injury of many years ago. While I recognize his limitations, I think he walks just fine. In my father's case he's very old and can only walk short distances before needing to rest. He needs the exercise too so he doesn't always use the handicapped parking. My late mother had a placard too but she couldn't pass the DMV test anymore so we drove her instead.

My pet peeve isn't so much who's parking in the handicapped stalls, it's those that think the fire lane is for their personal convenience, and they tend to get really nasty about it. I used to work under contract for HOA's enforcing their parking rules. I could tell you all sorts of stories, but fire lanes were the biggest headache. First off I was contractually liable so no way can I leave a car parked in a fire lane. Had someone had a fire or medical emergency I could find myself in civil court being asked why I allowed the fire lane to be blocked. When reasonably possible I tried to locate the owner and ask them to move it. Sometimes people appreciated it and sometimes they just got mad for being asked to move. Some people complained when I didn't try to find them before calling a tow truck, which could be at 3 in the morning and I didn't have a clue which doorbell to ring.

The worst fire lane abuse I encountered was at a complex where a large group of off duty firemen were having a BBQ. One fire truck and about thirty personal cars were in the fire lane. I found the home having the party and located the host. He told me they were all firemen and their families. I asked him to make an announcement and suggested the not so convenient visitor parking down the street. I was in uniform and others heard me too. The host assured me he'd take care of it. I left the complex and didn't return until my next patrol pass. When I came through again I saw the fire truck (only one legal) was gone but the fire lanes were still parked up with the same cars. This time I just called the tow service and waited. While I waited some of the off duty firemen came up to me and asked if they needed to move their cars. I said only if you don't want them towed. About five minutes later every car was gone. The next day I learned the wife of the host called the HOA to complain I ruined the party and that she wanted to be reimbursed for her expenses. The HOA members argued amongst themselves with some saying I should have exempted the party while others say they pay for the service to keep the fire lanes clear.


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## TooManyGizmos (Jul 18, 2010)

~

I still wonder though .........

What would have happened if the roles had been reversed ?

~


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## Ken_McE (Jul 18, 2010)

BatteryCharger said:


> What should I do with my photographs? Should I take them down to the local PD and have a little chat about the incident



It's worth trying, but I'll offer you three cautions:

1.) The worst that can happen to him is that someone will tell him to knock it off. That someone won't be you. You will never know if this actually happens or if they are blowing smoke so you'll just go away.

2.) It is hard for an outsider to know what might set them off. If you annoy the desk sergeant there is a distinct possibility that you will be questioned, threatened, or punished right on the spot, so be polite, and be careful.

3.) Have a copy of every picture stored elsewhere, preferably not in your house or car, in case it is a bigger deal than you think.




> LowBat





> My favorite "questionable" car in a handicapped space was an SUV with disabled plates. Attached to the rear were two bicycles on a rack and on the roof were two kayaks strapped down.


I'm going to guess the owner of the vehicle was handicapped and that they were going somewhere with non-handicapped people.


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## LowBat (Jul 18, 2010)

Ken_McE said:


> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/member.php?u=7676I'm going to guess the owner of the vehicle was handicapped and that they were going somewhere with non-handicapped people.


Had it been a hanging placard (transferable) it would be a more plausible explanation. It was a fixed disabled license plate on an SUV with racks for bicycles and kayaks. Your guess still might be correct, but it just looked like an odd combination of two extremes.


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## Search (Jul 18, 2010)

Your ignorance has disrupted my ability to speak english.

If he had to park his car across the entire parking lot what would happen if he got a serious call? Just in case that isn't clear hang on..

It would make much more sense to slide into a close, handicapped spot, run inside and get what he needed, and slide back out. This is covering your a** in case you get a call YOUR family is getting shot at. 

Who cares about that though.

Your probably the person complaining when you see a cop turn his lights on to go through an intersection then turn them off. You probably don't know that it was a code 1 call but warrants the lights in the intersection so your retarded self doesn't get into a wreck.

Instead of getting on the internet and complaining why didn't you nicely ask him. Cops aren't crocked, the public is just uneducated.


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## Greta (Jul 18, 2010)

Search said:


> Your ignorance has disrupted my ability to speak english.
> 
> If he had to park his car across the entire parking lot what would happen if he got a serious call? Just in case that isn't clear hang on..
> 
> ...


 
*ding, ding, ding!* ... and we have a winner folks! 
 
Search... take a week off.
 
... and... thread closed cuz someone just really couldn't control themself... :shakehead


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