"The Danger of Bored Cops with a Quota to Meet"

[RockSP]

or

"Driving While Black…on the Passenger’s Side????!!!!"

My buddy Reggie calls me at 11-something last night.

Him: Hey man, help me move this big ass tv from my mom’s house to my apartment.

Me: Alright.

He comes over and picks me up, we grab the tv then we stop by the parking lot of this shopping center to wait for some dude to bring a tv stand that Reggie has bought off him from Craig’s List. They exchange cash for goods and then we take the tv to his place and he starts driving me home. This story should end with him dropping my ass off and me in bed watching Adult Swim.

Nope.

We are literally seconds from the entrance to my neighborhood when…FLASHING LIGHTS ©Kanye West.

Reggie: I know this mother#@$% ain’t gonna try to say I was speeding.

Cop: License, registration, blah blah, broken taillight, blah blah

Reggie gives him the stuff. Then the cop shines his flashlight in my face.

Cop: Sir, do you have any I.d. on you?

Me: No. (I’d left my wallet at the house. )

Cop: What’s your name?

I tell him.

Cop: Let me see your hands.

I do.

He goes back to his car and we wait. And wait. And wait. He finally comes back and I’m expecting Reggie will get a ticket and we can go on our merry way and I can get home and watch some Robot Chicken.

Nope.

Cop: Sir, what did you say your name was?

Me: (*pause* thinking…WTF???)I tell him again.

Now, with the last name “Boney” you can believe I’ve endured my fair share of jokes over the years…especially when I was young and skinny. So if he would’ve busted out with some one-liners it would have surprised me less than…

Cop: Spell your name.

Me: (*pause* thinking…WTF???!!!!!) I start spelling

Cop: Look, don’t get hemmmed up over this okay? If you got something on you tell me blah blah blah

Me: I don’t know what you’re talking about. You pull HIM over but I get…

Cop: Well if somebody asks me to spell my name I can do it. Is this your real name? What’s your birthday? How old are you? Ever had a ticket before?

He takes that info and goes back to his car again. Where we wait, and wait and wait. Again.

Now Cop #2 comes up to my side of the car.

Cop 2: Could we get you to step out of the car.

Me: ( thinking W…T…F??????!!!!!!!!!!!)

They pat us down and ask us a bunch of stupid questions seperately. This idiot actually asks if I have any missiles or grenades on me. Later Reggie tells me the cop was questioning him…about me. What’s my real name, am I hiding weed, etc. When Reggie informs him I don’t drink or smoke that must have really made them determined to find SOMETHING.

They are REEEEEAAAAAAALLY hung up on the fact that I have no i.d. (even after I’ve explained the whole “forgot it at the house, just helping him move stuff” thing) and supposedly can’t find me in the system…though I don’t know how since I got a speeding ticket late last year and have had plenty over the years.

After another ridiculously long wait and a bull@#$% explanation (“you hesitated to spell your name”, etc.) they finally let us go. And Reggie’s silly ass doesn’t even get a ticket.

Soon as we pull into my neighborhood…FLASHING LIGHTS (REMIX).

I figure we’re going to go through the same routine again except this time with a female cop, but Cop 1 and Cop 2 pull up and say something to her and she lets us go and finally I can watch some cartoons.

Moral to the story: Don’t help mother%$#@s move jack $#@%.

 

[Symbiotic]

This idiot actually asks if I have any missiles or grenades on me.

Wow man. What was this cop thinking?

 

[Drakon]

Damn. Makes me wish he coulda searched you, and found a pic of his wife on you, ala "The Mask"

 

[Master Chief]

LOL love it yo, they're so mean.

 

[Immortalfire]

Missiles or grenades? What the hell

 

[Majic Walrus]

Asking about missles or grenades or thermonuclear devices? That's totally common practice. Cops often ask that to see for a response. The proper response is laughter or a smirk. You get stone cold "no" and that can indicate that the person is nervous and hiding something.

Frankly I think this cop pretty much followed normal procedure. Also, if you are over the age of 18 you are REQUIRED by law to carry a state issued ID of some sort and present it to cops during traffic stops even if you're not the person who was driving.

Also, cops are prone to asking questions like that when they suspect drug usage. You answer the cops questions and it's no big deal. If you start to get frustrated with the cop they're liable to take that as a sign of nervousness and continue questions and if possible ask to search your car. (They would have to ask the driver or possesor though)

Cops will always question two people seperately if possible to check for conflicting stories. Cops will also always pat you down if they remove you from your vehicle... That's just for their protection.

Your full name + Birthdate should score a hit with the DMV and they should be able to find your driver's license that way, which is what they were trying to do. Hell, you might've matched the description of an escaped convict or a serial rapist or something.

I don't think the cop was "giving you a hard time" because you're black. I think the cop was giving you a hard time because he was trying to figure out if you were hiding something, that's part of his job.

 

[SoulManX]

"Papers let me see your papers."

 

[RockSP]

I don't think the cop was "giving you a hard time" because you're black. I think the cop was giving you a hard time because he was trying to figure out if you were hiding something, that's part of his job.

Heh heh. I knew somebody would come with the "cops are always right" b.s.

 

[Drakon]

He does have a point, Rock. I mean, we weren't there, so we don't know the tone of how things were approached other than what you're saying. Don't mean that he didn't go overboard.

 

[Majic Walrus]

Heh heh. I knew somebody would come with the "cops are always right" b.s.

Cops aren't always right but very rarely do people have ANY sympathy for cops whatsoever.

There are plenty of people who jump on "Cops are pigs" and "Cops are jerks" quickly enough and I don't see you complaining about those people.

 

[RockSP]

He does have a point, Rock.

I obviously don't agree.

 

[Drakon]

I obviously don't agree.

I know, and I don't entirely agree either, because I've seen some slapnut cops myself. All he's pointing out is that, physically, the cop covered all his bases. Again, we don't know the tone, since we weren't there, so the cop could have been a dilweed about it, and we wouldn't know, save for what you're telling us.

 

[RockSP]

Cops aren't always right but very rarely do people have ANY sympathy for cops whatsoever.

There are plenty of people who jump on "Cops are pigs" and "Cops are jerks" quickly enough and I don't see you complaining about those people.

What's that got to do with the story I just told? Nobody has said that in this thread. Hell, I didn't even say "all cops are blah blah blah"

 

[C. Lee]

I used to work the 3rd shift (11pm to 8 am) one night a week at the water plant in a small town. Around 4 am I would be getting sleepy, so I would shut it down and drive to the only store open all night to get some candy and cold soft drink to help refresh me. Almost every single time I would be pulled over by the cops and "Checked" for one thing or another before being sent on my way.

I guess I could have complained that they were harrassing me because I'm white....but I figured they were doing what cops do.

 

[Heretic]

I once got a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt...

In my driveway....as I was standing outside of my convertible cleaning out the backseat.

I'm white as Wonder bread too.

 

[Majic Walrus]

What's that got to do with the story I just told? Nobody has said that in this thread. Hell, I didn't even say "all cops are blah blah blah"

All I'm saying is that there are people that always assume cops are the badguys. I try to point out when cops are doing their jobs correctly as often as it's possible.

I think it's important for the people to trust their law enforcement agencies. Studies done on police agencies that do "community reinforcement" activities with the community like classes, Q&A sessions, and "walking beats" patrol show that the community generally feels safer and that crime rates go down.

It's unfair to let everyone assume that cops are purposely trying to jerks so I try and avoid that by being a counterbalance.

 

[BlackLantern]

I would never EVER leave my house without some form of ID....I don't care if its to the corner store that I can see from my apartment....I am a black man living in a predominantly white area and have yet to be pulled over or harassed in the almost 3 years Ive lived and worked in the area

 

[Heretic]

If the cops dont have reasonable cause, they have no right to ask your identity...and merely sitting in a car is not nearly what I would consider reasonable cause.

 

[RockSP]

I would never EVER leave my house without some form of ID....I don't care if its to the corner store that I can see from my apartment....I am a black man living in a predominantly white area and have yet to be pulled over or harassed in the almost 3 years Ive lived and worked in the area

Good for you.

Yeah I forgot my wallet...how dare I.

If the cops dont have reasonable cause, they have no right to ask your identity...and merely sitting in a car is not nearly what I would consider reasonable cause.

Pretty much. And when all questions get answered, but they still are determined to somehow make you a criminal...

 

[Wiseman]

You had to get harrassed by a cop to learn not to help people move their s***. I learned that years ago when I decided my friends aren't worth a hernia

 

[mrvlknight21]

Asking about missles or grenades or thermonuclear devices? That's totally common practice. Cops often ask that to see for a response. The proper response is laughter or a smirk. You get stone cold "no" and that can indicate that the person is nervous and hiding something.

Frankly I think this cop pretty much followed normal procedure. Also, if you are over the age of 18 you are REQUIRED by law to carry a state issued ID of some sort and present it to cops during traffic stops even if you're not the person who was driving.

Also, cops are prone to asking questions like that when they suspect drug usage. You answer the cops questions and it's no big deal. If you start to get frustrated with the cop they're liable to take that as a sign of nervousness and continue questions and if possible ask to search your car. (They would have to ask the driver or possesor though)

Cops will always question two people seperately if possible to check for conflicting stories. Cops will also always pat you down if they remove you from your vehicle... That's just for their protection.

Your full name + Birthdate should score a hit with the DMV and they should be able to find your driver's license that way, which is what they were trying to do. Hell, you might've matched the description of an escaped convict or a serial rapist or something.

I don't think the cop was "giving you a hard time" because you're black. I think the cop was giving you a hard time because he was trying to figure out if you were hiding something, that's part of his job.

^^ This is correct.
On a side note, Often they will ask if the person has any WMDs as well. Obviously, nobody has a nuclear warhead in their shorts, but it is said to get a response.

 

[BlackLantern]

Good for you.

Yeah I forgot my wallet...how dare I.

I'm not trying to be an ass....maybe it's just my strict upbringing...both my dad and my mom essentially beat it into my head that whenever you leave the house always make sure you have your keys and your wallet

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Should have gotten their name and badge numbers and reported them.

Do you live in the suburbs? Suburb cops are jokes. Their "duties" are nothing more than setting up speed traps in the afternoon. They rarely do anything productive.

 

[Wiseman]

Should have gotten their name and badge numbers and reported them.

Do you live in the suburbs? Suburb cops are jokes. Their "duties" are nothing more than setting up speed traps in the afternoon. They rarely do anything productive.

That's not true, they moniter the people doing community service. Wait, I guess you're right then, nevermind

 

[Majic Walrus]

If the cops dont have reasonable cause, they have no right to ask your identity...and merely sitting in a car is not nearly what I would consider reasonable cause.

This is wrong. A cop can stop you on the street where you are walking and ask for identification. They do not have to have a cause to ask for you identity.

To be fair though, it's HIGHLY doubtful a cop would actually do this. The reason for this beign a law is to verify witness identity out in the field where the witness obviously hasn't committed a crime but their identity does need to be verified so that it can be determined if they are credible.