Dissapointed

[Vellos]

I was driving home from a friend's house last night when I saw a sportbike knocked over from the wind next to the curb. I stopped and asked the neighboring house if they knew the owner, but they didn't. So I called non-emergency and asked them if they could notify the owner if I gave them their license plate; I was told no because it wasn't an obstruction in the road. Seriously? I've seen police show up to deal with really petty shit before, but apparently only if it means someone gets a ticket so they make revenue. Highly disappointed that - the police - couldn't help someone out.

I picked the bike up, rotated it for a better angle, and removed the cover that was 'parachuting' from the wind. I didn't want to do any of that stuff without permission since I didn't want to be liable for anything, but I sure as hell wasn't going to just walk away with a bike laying on its side. I left a note with my info and everything is good, but it still bothers me that they refused to call the guy.

[Ghost]

No ticket, no profit, no obstruction, no reason to get involved.

[stubbicatt]

The cops are an avenue of last resort IME.

[madvlad]

Cops are worthless... one almost took me out a block away from my house on the R1 couple nights ago. Kudos for trying your best though Vellos, people are just selfish and careless these days.

[Cornfed]

Seems to be alot of cop bashing on here. Well, they have earned it. Why dont they just call themselves what they are. CRS City Revenue Service.

And good on you Vellos. :up:

[biikChiQ]

What about the nice cops? Do they get donuts?

[spdu4ia]

I think is GREAT that you helped out and picked it up. To the others that are cop bashing i think that is a little unnecesary. I think its nice that you called to report it to see if they needed to do anything but I can honestly see why they didn't do anything, its not really there deal is it? I'd rather them concentrate on safety.

I'm not saying they are all good but they arn't all bad either.

[biikChiQ]

I'm not saying they are all good but they arn't all bad either.

I know.



... it's only once in a blue moon that I run into good cops.

[madvlad]

I bash because I have yet to have a good experience with a cop... every cop I've bumped into is a monumental prick. Till then my view on police will remain.

[RajunCajun]

Risky, Vellos! Someone could have come out of the house with a gun, thinking you were stealing it. It sucks but I'm not sure if I would've risked it. That's some good samaritan shit right there, thoughJ

[modette99]

I would of left it on its side, better if they knew wind blew it over then think that someone bumped it and picked it back up. Plus being on its side already will not hurt it, and in fact due to the high wind the last few days might mean it will not blow over again thus no more damage is caused.

Good for you, but your opening yourself up to liability.

As for Cop or Dispatch yeah they could of said "if we get a few free minutes we will call the guy/gal". Not like they get people trying to be a good Samaritan all the time to clog the lines and cop resources.

[Sleev]

I used to live in Douglas county. One morning I found a pretty nice kids bmx bike in my front yard. I left it thinking the owner would eventually pick it up, however it sat there for a couple days. I called the police thinking they would put in lost and found until it was retrieved or sold. When an officer came and got it he gave me a a bunch of crap like I was being a pain in the ass. All could think of was the poor kid who lost his bike (and how if it had been me, my dad would've smacked the shit out of me).

I've worked with a few cops and they were cool, but every time I've met one "in the field" they've been dicks.

[Bashed]

Doing the right thing sometimes means one has to stick thier neck out.
Everything worthwhile in this world requires effort, but the rewards are far greater.
Of course it's safer to do nothing, and that is what life will give you back, nothing.

Good on you Vellos!

[Grand]

I know.



... it's only once in a blue moon that I run into good cops.

I've personally never had a bad experience with a cop, even traffic ones, which are the worst. Although I've only had about 4-5 interactions with them, so not much to build an opinion from.

The last time I got pulled over the first thing the guy told me was that he wasn't going to ticket me. The last thing he told me was directions on how to get where I was going.

[Mother Goose]

Glad you helped out and left a note. If it was my bike and I saw it was moved w/ damage and no note, I'd be pissed. :up:

[Spooph]

Good on ya Vellos, especially with the note. I would've appreciated it were it my bike...

on cops - my last interaction with an officer of the law was fantastic! He pulled me over for going too fast (forgot how much too fast), was very polite, smiled, and wasn't trying to hide anything. He was simply doing his job. I could see the dollar signs floating behind his aviators. I guess I could critique him for not stating outright something to the effect of "thanks for your money - we'll go Robin Hood with it and distribute it to the poor" or some such government nonsense, but we each understood the other. A simple business transaction. Short and sweet. No bullshit lies about safety or going too fast, or running any risks.... I wish all my encounters with cops could be this way. At least then I know we're both being honest. I guess I'll settle for an honest rapist.

[TinkerinWstuff]

damage was done. wasn't hurting anything further by laying there. By messing with it, you only created an opportunity for it to fall over again or otherwise.

If you stepped in to do something about keeping it from falling over in the first place or rescuing someone's cat from a tree then it would be different.

[Ninja2]

+1 what Tinkerin said. But at least it is "only" a bike.

Be aware if it is a human being, you have no obligation to help. But once you do, you are expected to use reasonable care. If you mess up during your rescue attempt, you can become liable from a civil perspective. In those cases, I recommend only touching the victim if you know what you're doing. And always call 911.

When it comes to my cat, please rescue :-)

[modette99]

Good on ya Vellos, especially with the note. I would've appreciated it were it my bike...

on cops - my last interaction with an officer of the law was fantastic! He pulled me over for going too fast (forgot how much too fast), was very polite, smiled, and wasn't trying to hide anything. He was simply doing his job. I could see the dollar signs floating behind his aviators. I guess I could critique him for not stating outright something to the effect of "thanks for your money - we'll go Robin Hood with it and distribute it to the poor" or some such government nonsense, but we each understood the other. A simple business transaction. Short and sweet. No bullshit lies about safety or going too fast, or running any risks.... I wish all my encounters with cops could be this way. At least then I know we're both being honest. I guess I'll settle for an honest rapist.

Yep, that is what bothers me...when they lecture. My best friend got pulled over in CA once on his motorcycle and the cop pulled out graphic pictures to show him...LOL Gave a huge ass lecture too. He was pulled for 10mph over. It was a joke between us maybe he should print pictures and keep them in his wallet if this guy ever pulled him over again be like "I remember you I have better photos then you do".

I had a cop once tell me "you should of saw yourself"...I was like huh!!! yeah you were going 10mph, its so unsafe, I said no I was going 5mph over but whatever. He gave a 20minute lecture....dude STFU was all I was thinking.

[modette99]

damage was done. wasn't hurting anything further by laying there. By messing with it, you only created an opportunity for it to fall over again or otherwise.

If you stepped in to do something about keeping it from falling over in the first place or rescuing someone's cat from a tree then it would be different.


I think I said that...but I agree

[TinkerinWstuff]

I think I said that...but I agree

maybe - but who reads your long-winded posts :gay:

[grim]

maybe - but who reads your long-winded posts :gay:

Yea just get to the damn point.

[TinkerinWstuff]

you see a tree branch laying across someone's car - it's not impeding the street and no one is standing there looking for help. Do you run over and start messing with it?

[Bueller]

I would not have touched it.

[modette99]

you see a tree branch laying across someone's car - it's not impeding the street and no one is standing there looking for help. Do you run over and start messing with it?

Yes, I have done that on Mt Herman (branch in roadway)...is that short enough post for you...LOL

[TinkerinWstuff]

I said, "not impeding the street"

http://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2011/04/11/1302553412-bouncing-cat.gif

[Ninja2]

I commuted between the Springs and Denver for over three years. I encountered all kind of crap on the road, from a recliner, busted truck tires, wood and more on I25 as well as people walking on the side of the road, drunk.

If I am outside city limits, I call CSP. You can reach them at *CSP. Within city limits, I call Colorado Springs Police dispatch (not 911). I have both numbers saved in my cell phone. They have always been willing to help with removing obstacles and anything that posts a danger on the road.

I believe the reason the police did not pick up the bike in Vellos' case is for the same reason most of us wouldn't pick it up. Unless it impairs traffic or poses a public danger, they probably have no reason and would open themselves up to complaints.

But I do have to say that the one time I was extremely disappointed in law enforcement was when I sat at the intersection of University Blvd and the I25 off ramp heading towards Evans. I was on my Ninja 250 back then (fortunately), and had to wait at a red light. When my light turned green, the police officer decided to respond to a call, turning on his lights, but not his siren right away. Of course, I started to give it some gas and moved into the intersection just to almost get hit by the cop. My bike started falling over, but I was able to keep it upright. I think it was because it was a 250. What pissed me off was the fact that the cop did not stop to see if I was ok. He just proceeded to answer the call by hauling ass onto the interstate. If he did not see me, he is blind!
Unfortunately, I did not catch anything that would have identified him.

Ok, now I feel better after venting. Even if no one reads it since long winded.

[TinkerinWstuff]

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRxD72dmiyweryHycD_5khKzDSlxcKCz-kjcUTGQsKFP5cS0vadNKVJQYXZhQ

[Spooph]

I commuted between the Springs and Denver for over three years. I encountered all kind of crap on the road, from a recliner, busted truck tires, wood and more on I25 as well as people walking on the side of the road, drunk.

If I am outside city limits, I call CSP. You can reach them at *CSP. Within city limits, I call Colorado Springs Police dispatch (not 911). I have both numbers saved in my cell phone. They have always been willing to help with removing obstacles and anything that posts a danger on the road.

I believe the reason the police did not pick up the bike in Vellos' case is for the same reason most of us wouldn't pick it up. Unless it impairs traffic or poses a public danger, they probably have no reason and would open themselves up to complaints.

But I do have to say that the one time I was extremely disappointed in law enforcement was when I sat at the intersection of University Blvd and the I25 off ramp heading towards Evans. I was on my Ninja 250 back then (fortunately), and had to wait at a red light. When my light turned green, the police officer decided to respond to a call, turning on his lights, but not his siren right away. Of course, I started to give it some gas and moved into the intersection just to almost get hit by the cop. My bike started falling over, but I was able to keep it upright. I think it was because it was a 250. What pissed me off was the fact that the cop did not stop to see if I was ok. He just proceeded to answer the call by hauling ass onto the interstate. If he did not see me, he is blind!
Unfortunately, I did not catch anything that would have identified him.

Ok, now I feel better after venting. Even if no one reads it since long winded.

This story makes cop hate much too easy.... :applause:

[tecknojoe]

I bash because I have yet to have a good experience with a cop... every cop I've bumped into is a monumental prick. Till then my view on police will remain.


it could be the large corona logo on your back :lol:

[Ninja2]

This story makes cop hate much too easy.... :applause:

I want to clarify that this wasn't my intent. Overall, I have not had any horrible experiences with law enforcement other than this one. But I sure would have liked to have a talked with that guy. :devil2:
I also think police officers have to put up with a lot of idiots and shit. Ask for a ride along with a local police officer. You will see the craziest stuff.

But like any other profession, there are good ones and bad ones, and unfortunately, the bad ones usually stick out more because they make it into the paper or get complained about.

[grim]

I want to clarify that this wasn't my intent. Overall, I have not had any horrible experiences with law enforcement other than this one. But I sure would have liked to have a talked with that guy. :devil2:
I also think police officers have to put up with a lot of idiots and shit. Ask for a ride along with a local police officer. You will see the craziest stuff.

But like any other profession, there are good ones and bad ones, and unfortunately, the bad ones usually stick out more because they make it into the paper or get complained about.

I did a ride along a year ago in aurora and it is very easy to see why cops have developed a minor hatred for people. I did not see crazy shit i saw people trying to manipulate the system and lie out their ass's. Law enforcement in my eyes put up with a lot and i think everyone here needs to cool there brakes with the hatred towards them.

[Scatterbrain]

Good work man, i would have appreciated that as well.

[Ninja2]

I did a ride along a year ago in aurora and it is very easy to see why cops have developed a minor hatred for people. I did not see crazy shit i saw people trying to manipulate the system and lie out their ass's. Law enforcement in my eyes put up with a lot and i think everyone here needs to cool there brakes with the hatred towards them.

Good on you. I also did a ride along in the Springs, and ended up with the DUI law enforcement officer they call after doing roadsides.

Call #1: Approx. 30 mins into the ride along at about 8.30pm: Drunk guy on a GSXR 750. No one I know. Guy smelled like alc 3 miles agains the wind. They towed his motorcycle. Blood test. 1h at Memorial Hospital.

Call#2 at approx midnight: Dude on I25 got caught driving drunk and smoking marijuana. He thought the mobile unit set up downtown was cool, and actually enjoyed getting blood drawn. Good news, thus far, no one was hurt.

We then have some time and we drive by that club downtown COS that shut down because there was a shoot out with cops a few nights prior. Yeah, it was a while back. Call comes in about domestic violence case. We were gonna go check it out but then get more information that the suspect is holding his gf or wife hostage and has a gun. Because there were plenty of officers who already responded, we decided against going since I wanted to live a bit longer.

Call #3: At approx. 2am, we were on our way back towards south COS, when he received another call. Accident occurred on the north end of COS. Drunk woman rammed into all kind of stuff, came to a stop in the middle of the intersection after ramming a light pole. She had no clue what happened or where she was. He couldn't drop me off because he had to make sure the blood test was done within 2h. We were called snitches and given gang symbols by her drunk bro. Brother had to be restrained and taken away.

Of course, there were other calls in between. Finally made it home close to 5am, when his shift ended.

[Aaron]

Way too much hatred in here to even try to argue with facts from someone who knows.

So, I'll throw out an open invitation to anyone who does not have warrants, and has a valid license. Shoot me a PM, and I'll take you for a ride-along. I guarantee you that every opinion you ever had about law enforcement will be changed completely and forever.

Ohh, you also must brush your teeth, wear deodorant, and not breathe loudly. I discriminate against unsanitary people riding in the front seat.

[Clovis]

Ohh pick me! Pick me! (seriously)

I've done a few ride alongs. Two with CSPD and two with CSP.

The first one with CSPD was boring, we got 2 incredibly long and boring calls (first one took 3 hours, second was like 8 hours).

The second one was with this feisty blonde officer (Detective now last I heard). We spent the night running from bar fight to bar fight. She was a cool chick.

I did two with the state with a friend of mine. He's a pilot for the patrol now (ie speed monitored by aircraft... no shit) so the last one a few years ago was a "fly along" - definitely the best one so far.

If you've never done a ride along, I highly recommend it. It's incredibly interesting and not just traffic tickets (all though that was the case with the state, but they do 95% traffic).

[aerofaze]

I enjoyed my ride-along when I was staying with a dispatch friend in Golden a few years ago. Like Clovis, I do recommend it. You get to see how the general population lives and behaves.

Ride Along info those in or planning to visit Colo Spgs:
http://www.springsgov.com/Page.aspx?NavID=786 (http://www.springsgov.com/Page.aspx?NavID=786)

Also, my dad was the City Hall facilities manager for 31 years in Michigan, and he interacted with the city cops all the time. Some of my favorite childhood memories were the days he'd bring me along to work where I got to see and meet a bunch of officers, judges, dispatchers, etc. They'd give me old/retired sew-on patches, buy me snacks, let me sit at an empty bench and pound the gavel, etc. Those early experiences shaped my perceptions of those who work with the law: they're just like everybody else. There'll be douchebags, but the majority are normal people just doing their jobs.

(sorry another thread of yours has fallen off-track, Vellos!)

[Frankie675]

I was military police and am contracted again for international police work. I can honestly say that I HATE Civilian Cops. 99.9% of them are a complete waste of space. They are also the most shadiest people I've ever met. They tend to break the law more than anyone I know, then turn around and bust people for similiar thing. We just had to fire another Civilian Cop for drinking on the job. This is the second Civilian Cop we've fired this month for being above and beyond unprofessional.

[grim]

Way too much hatred in here to even try to argue with facts from someone who knows.

So, I'll throw out an open invitation to anyone who does not have warrants, and has a valid license. Shoot me a PM, and I'll take you for a ride-along. I guarantee you that every opinion you ever had about law enforcement will be changed completely and forever.

Ohh, you also must brush your teeth, wear deodorant, and not breathe loudly. I discriminate against unsanitary people riding in the front seat.

I dunno frankie just said you are a complete waste of space....

[modette99]

I was military police and am contracted again for international police work. I can honestly say that I HATE Civilian Cops. 99.9% of them are a complete waste of space. They are also the most shadiest people I've ever met. They tend to break the law more than anyone I know, then turn around and bust people for similiar thing. We just had to fire another Civilian Cop for drinking on the job. This is the second Civilian Cop we've fired this month for being above and beyond unprofessional.


A cop in Flint, MI would respond to his radio "in route" then sit and BS with us for another 10-15 minutes. We once asked "are you going to respond to that", his answer "nah I know the bitch I'll give the husband another 10 minutes". Another time he said he was on his way, and sat again for 10 minutes BS'ing when it was an accident.

I realize not all cops are like this, but there are plenty of them that are.

[Aaron]

I dunno frankie just said you are a complete waste of space....
It's like the old quote goes, "I disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

If someone thinks that I am a law-breaking power-abusing asshole that writes traffic tickets all day long, like I said above, back up the smack talking and come ride-along. I'm going to do my job the same way I always do.

[Frankie675]

Hey now I did say 99.9%. There are a few good ones out there. There was this one cop named Carl Winslow and I always looked up to him.

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

I did it once because a guys kickstand sunk into the soft dirt and it fell over. He actually happened to be walking to it and saw me moving it but didn't see that I had picked it up for him. He started to get all hostile until he saw that we knew each other, and then was like "WTF are you doing to my bike?". I told him to calm the fuck down, and explained that I'd picked it up and was moving it to more solid ground, and showed him the big hole from the kickstand and the dirt and mild scratches on the bike. He apologized, thanked me profusely.....then we had a beer.

I'd do it again, sure.

[Sleev]

If someone thinks that I am a law-breaking power-abusing asshole that writes traffic tickets all day long, like I said above, back up the smack talking and come ride-along. I'm going to do my job the same way I always do.

don't you think and officer might act differently while doing a ride-along? :dunno:

[bornwildnfree]

This story makes cop hate much too easy.... :applause:
Spooph and I have gone over and over and over this whole cop hatred thing of his. I still don't get it. There are good and bad people in every job, but the cops put up with a lot of shit from a lot of people and still manage to show up when we plow our bikes into the ground. If they have to enforce stupid laws, then it's not their fault. If they have to give out so many tickets in a month, it's because it's tied to their overtime or their promotions as much as the politicians say it's not. No one should hate anyone for the job they chose to do. If you want to effect change, sign up for ABATE and go after the people who make the rules, not the ones who enforce them.

Yes, there are bad cops out there. Cops are not perfect, they are people, with the same wants and needs working in a high pressure crappy job where most of the time you see the shit side of people. In my wild younger days, I knew a lot of dirty cops. I still don't judge them. When I get caught speeding, well, statistically, it's probably time. I mean think about it. If you speed 4xs a day, that's 1460 times a year. Even if you get pulled over 6 times a year, that's still only .4% of the time.

You have the right to say what you want, but remember, you don't always know the people you are riding with. You can judge a group for it's behavior, but please do not judge the person.

[Aaron]

I don't have to enforce stupid laws, the nice thing about traffic enforcement is that the Officer has discretion with pretty much any traffic offense. The only things we don't have discretion on is DUI and DUR.

Even if there is an accident, I don't have to cite the at-fault driver. Now I will in 95% of cases, but I don't have to.

Single bike goes down? You won't get a ticket from me. Single car accident? You probably won't get a ticket from me. Hit a deer? You will not get a ticket from me (And yes, you are at fault if a bambi runs in front of your car).

That, and this should be mentioned because it is a common misconception. Patrol Officers do not have quotas in any form. I have never seen a department who imposes any form of citation quota on their front-line Patrol Officers. Traffic Officers are a different story, but even then it's all about fitting the average, not a set amount. I'm in front-line Patrol. My Supervisor doesn't know or care how many tickets I do or don't write, no one does. I have absolutely no pressure to stop cars or write tickets. I could write 1 ticket a year, or 1 ticket an hour and no one would ever know or care about the difference.

[stubbicatt]

I have extensive experience in law enforcement.

It is my standing policy not to talk to police. Ever. What you say goes down on an FIR card, taken back to the "hive," where the Borg pore over every word, and after analysis, spit out some intel on you that puts you in a suspicious light. The police department is the largest, most organized, legitimized gang of thugs in the city.

A cop who is not suspicious probably ought to find another line of work, but that doesn't change my SOP to avoid interaction with them as much as humanly possible. When I do talk to them I do not volunteer information. The art of the lie is taught to them in the police academy, where it is taught that to "lie to a scumbag is not wrong." On more than one occasion "embellishment" or outright fabrication in their reports, upon which prosecutorial, and later, judicial, decisions are made, have led to penal sanctions against individuals who did nothing wrong. Once on paper, they are compelled to testify in accordance with their reports, under oath, which is rarely discovered.

I do not like nosy, or suspicious people, they lack what in the vernacular is called "good faith." Most normal people tend to see the good in others, but cops look for the bad. It is a terrible mindset, I don't know how they can live with themselves.

Domestic spying by police agencies is, under the law, greatly restricted. Yet the cops do it all the time. Not too long ago, early in the last decade, Denver was audited and found that information in their "spy files," much of which is shared with other agencies, was gathered, retained, and disseminated illegally. Nobody went to prison for that. Hell, just in the last couple weeks NYPD was revealed to be spying on people of certain religion, no apology nor acknowledgement of wrongdoing comes from them. They continue, even beyond their jurisdiction in New Jersey. Wholly and entirely illegal, but as with all tyranny, it comes first in the form of an offer of protection, or is justified by some great, overriding, "need."

The cops accepting bribes is illegal, but they have a different view of things when the 7-11 gives them baksheesh in the form of a donut or a slurpie, they take it without reservation. They have a very high rate of domestic abuse, which the brass attribute to the nature of the work they do... I know that the thug in each of them is what leads to that conduct, not the work.

Routinely they cover up for each other, it is not acceptable.

It is the institutional authority accepted by the people which is another issue. The police department is one of the first Marxist institutions in western civilization, and since the law no longer belongs to the people, but rather to the Police, it has lost a great deal of its legitimacy, IMO. The Feds are worse than the locals. Don't even get me started on FBI Agent Horiuchi, responsible for the deaths of many civilians, yet never goes to prison.

Do not, never, ever, trust a cop. You will be happy you didn't. Recognize the uniform and that badge to be earmarks of danger, like the alternating black and yellow stripes on the abdomen of a flying insect, or the rattle at the end of the tail of a snake, it is telling you to STFU, and don't make eye contact, and get the hell out of there.

[rforsythe]

Hell, just in the last couple weeks NYPD was revealed to be spying on people of certain religion, no apology nor acknowledgement of wrongdoing comes from them. They continue, even beyond their jurisdiction in New Jersey. Wholly and entirely illegal, but as with all tyranny, it comes first in the form of an offer of protection, or is justified by some great, overriding, "need.

That's been known for longer than a couple weeks, but glad it's still making the news, it needs to. They have been doing this for years - not just spying, but infiltrating groups of people because of their religious affiliations, etc. They've been doing it with the assistance of the CIA and approval of the government, and have become such an efficient little spy machine that they're working for other areas like you said, and offering information from their massive database to other departments. Of course the TSA is now performing roving stops *within US borders* now too, but that's a whole other topic.

Go watch the video series on why not to talk to cops. It'll take you an hour but it's worth it. I know several cops and don't shit talk to or about them, but I agree - if you're being questioned about anything, don't talk about it even if it seems innocuous.

[cbrjohnny]

there was a bike sinking in the hot pavement in my g.f. parking area so i had a small chunk of 1/4" ply in my car and stuck it under his kick stand. it would have fallen if i had not done that. i would have been happy to see someone saved my bike for me...

[TinkerinWstuff]

there was a bike sinking in the hot pavement in my g.f. parking area so i had a small chunk of 1/4" ply in my car and stuck it under his kick stand. it would have fallen if i had not done that. i would have been happy to see someone saved my bike for me...

:headbang: that's huge applause for you.

[modette99]

there was a bike sinking in the hot pavement in my g.f. parking area so i had a small chunk of 1/4" ply in my car and stuck it under his kick stand. it would have fallen if i had not done that. i would have been happy to see someone saved my bike for me...

That is different then picking it back up and possibly being liable in court if the person is sue happy and tries to claim you knocked it over. If the bike is already over I'm still sticking with just leaving it there...any damage is already done.

Like you did with the wood, not a big deal. I had my kickstand sink into a fresh coated parking lot, lucky the nub on the FZ1 stand would not let it sink in more...but I popped out a huge chunk of asphalt...LOL It's why I ALWAYS used a can lid, best thing to carry.

[TinkerinWstuff]

^^yep

r we done with the cop hate in this thread?

[bornwildnfree]

I guess here is my take on cops here in Colorado, and to a certain extent, American cops (the only other cops I've come into contact with were in Chicago and most of them were ok even if they were under a corrupt government). If you want to live in a place that doesn't give a shit about what you do on your sportbike, what you do on a daily basis, or even your life, move to a 3rd world country. I grew up in Kingston Jamaica, one of the most violent cities in this hemisphere. The cops were there to protect those who could afford their fees. The rest of the population could fuck off. You could die for the food or things you had in your house or the shoes you had on your feet. Life means nothing there. It is the first and only place I've ever lived where we had to have bars on the windows, bars on our doors and locks to keep thieves out. I watched a man accused of stealing chased up Red Hill by a mob. He never came back down. I lived across the gully from a shanty town. Those people had less than nothing, not even hope.
The cops did not care how fast my dad rode his sportbike, he never once got pulled over. The cops also didn't care if we got killed in our sleep. There was no 911. You paid for what protection you could afford. We are safe here, and I think we forget what that means. We are rich enough to afford the sanctity of life. If we call for help, someone will respond. That does not happen in most of the world. Safety is not even something most people dream of there. We had to have a military escort to protect the relief supplies we were moving from the warehouse at the airport to our plane because a mob of people was trying to stop our car and take the grain out of it to sell.

If you want to be truly free, you have to have nothing to lose, and I'll bet every single one of you has something to lose. Yes, our police here can seem like tax collectors. It costs money to provide the kind of protection we see as our right. Frankly I will be happy to pay a few speeding tickets if it means I don't have to bar my windows at night and know for certain that if I need help, it will show up.

[Cars-R-Coffins]

Enlightening perspective, thanks for sharing.

[Spooph]

Ninja2, didn't think you were cop hating, simply using the story towards my own end....


Single bike goes down? You won't get a ticket from me. Single car accident? You probably won't get a ticket from me. Hit a deer? You will not get a ticket from me (And yes, you are at fault if a bambi runs in front of your car).

I trust what you're saying is true, but I have heard many times, from LEO's of varying departments, that if there is damage to any property, the vehicle, property, fences, etc, that it is required to write a ticket, simply for documentation reasons, so insurance has somewhere to go other than the insurance holder's word... Thus, when a ticket is written, an adequate reason is needed, and so the private citizen has to pay. Each. and. every. time. This constantly changing/different story between different officers is what causes my distrust in the law. If they can't even decide on what's the law/what the citizens should do, how are we supposed to follow the law? It's not secret I despise cops, but if you'll have me, I will take you up on your offer of a ride-along. I will be clean, quiet and stay out of your way. Although I have my view points, I also despise close-minded people, and am always open to having my mind changed. :eyebrows:



I do not like nosy, or suspicious people, they lack what in the vernacular is called "good faith." Most normal people tend to see the good in others, but cops look for the bad. It is a terrible mindset, I don't know how they can live with themselves.

Do not, never, ever, trust a cop. You will be happy you didn't. Recognize the uniform and that badge to be earmarks of danger, like the alternating black and yellow stripes on the abdomen of a flying insect, or the rattle at the end of the tail of a snake, it is telling you to STFU, and don't make eye contact, and get the hell out of there.

I agree with everything else you said as well, but especially looking towards the "cops looking for the bad in people".... There are 2 cops in the front range which I have dealt with, both of which I would LOVE to call my friends - Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle, I forgot the name of the other guy, but will always remember his face, and he used to be based out of the Niwot Sheriff's office. I have been pulled over by these 2 cops multiple times, each time provided with a warning to slow down.... why?
1.) I was speeding - but I wasn't putting anybody else in danger (you can argue this way and that I was putting myself in danger, BUT, people can die at a 45mph speed limit as well, and I was WELL within my skill limit)

2.) They identified my reasons/need to speed and recognized me as being a reasonable person just trying to make a success of my life and let me off with a warning. They lived out the "serve and protect" slogan. They were good people, and good cops.

My biggest issue with cops: traffic tickets. Quotas, no quotas, doesn't matter. The jurisdictions who serve the most tickets, have the coolest/newest/advanced gear. New patrol cars, new ways of catching people making honest mistakes (and some not). A trend present for years on end? Surely, it's not JUST coincidence? :eyebrows:

If they need to make more money to keep protecting us (a concept I too am very familiar with, having grown up in South Africa with parents carrying guns on a daily basis, and living behind bars, alarms, and armed security services). Sure, there are a few things wrong with the American system, but it's LIGHTYEARS beyond anything I have experienced in the 4 continents I've been on.

So, I support the existence and execution of current law enforcement, however, I thoroughly despise the hypocrisy and abuse (much like I do concerning organized religion). Sure, they're just human like you and I, they should be allowed some lee-way, no? Erm, be as harsh on their pocket books as they are on ours, or give us the same immunity as they have, and my issues will go away.... I address these replys concerning me, since I was brought into question, NOT because I think my opinion counts for anything. If it did, things would be a bit different. :eyebrows:

[Clovis]

I just wanted to throw this out real quick. I did a ride along with Aaron last night.

He's a very cool cop. He didn't run around looking for traffic violators/speeders or otherwise giving people a hard time. He actually spent the night, you know, doing cop stuff and looking for bad guys. I had a blast, the best ride along yet.

Highly recommended! :)

[Aaron]

I trust what you're saying is true, but I have heard many times, from LEO's of varying departments, that if there is damage to any property, the vehicle, property, fences, etc, that it is required to write a ticket, simply for documentation reasons, so insurance has somewhere to go other than the insurance holder's word... Thus, when a ticket is written, an adequate reason is needed, and so the private citizen has to pay. Each. and. every. time. This constantly changing/different story between different officers is what causes my distrust in the law. If they can't even decide on what's the law/what the citizens should do, how are we supposed to follow the law? It's not secret I despise cops, but if you'll have me, I will take you up on your offer of a ride-along. I will be clean, quiet and stay out of your way. Although I have my view points, I also despise close-minded people, and am always open to having my mind changed. :eyebrows:
Anytime there is property damage, and it was not intentional, a Traffic Accident Report needs to be done. I will do this every time, and that is what the Insurance Company looks for, not a ticket. Now it is state protocol that the at-fault driver be cited for every traffic accident. However, with a Supervisor's Approval, we don't have to cite (And the Supervisor will always approve it if we can explain why we don't want to cite). I'll shoot ya a PM.



Thanks Clovis, you were a good rider. I'd like to throw this out there - I wrote one traffic ticket in my 10 hour shift with Clovis, and we were pretty slow, so I could have written plenty. The single ticket was for 6 charges. No headlights, no child seat for a 2 year old girl, no insurance, unregistered vehicle, displayed fictitious plates, and drove without a driver's license. The state will probably never see a dime from that charge, because she probably can't afford it. So she won't pay it, and they'll suspend her license.

Let's say she did pay it. Well she was written into County Court, and thus her fines go to the state, not to my Municipality. And the state does not fund us based upon how many tickets we write. So we will never get that money back.

Now, had I written her into Municipal Court, the funds would have stayed in the city. But of her 6 charges, only 3 could be written into Municipal Court, and we can't split courts. So she either got 3 charges, and the funds stayed in the city, or she got 6 and they go to the state. Honestly, it makes no difference to me, and the charges were fairly serious so I added them.

[modette99]

Now, had I written her into Municipal Court, the funds would have stayed in the city. But of her 6 charges, only 3 could be written into Municipal Court, and we can't split courts. So she either got 3 charges, and the funds stayed in the city, or she got 6 and they go to the state. Honestly, it makes no difference to me, and the charges were fairly serious so I added them.

On the flip side...not your job to decide...its the courts job. We all know they will drop half of them as a plea deal. So good on you...

What I would like to see from a State level is a way for people to end the vicious circle they are stuck in. Got to drive to make money to eat, cloth and pay for shelter....so I find it hard to blame her for driving (got to in our society).

[Clovis]

Actually, it is the cop's job to decide.

I have to maintain a drivers license and register my vehicles ($411 this month to renew the Rex) and so does everybody else.

If I just put somebody else's plates on my car because I didn't want to register it, then I'm going to run the risk of getting busted.

Driving around with a small child and no car seat is just plain irresponsible.