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2.28.2007
I should have mentioned
that last weekend after viewing Children of Men, I was pulled over for no reason I could discern. The officer shined his flashlight around inside the car (and perhaps caught sight of my back seat law library), then ran a check for whatever exactly it is officers check for, and let us go. (I should, for the sake of full disclosure, mention that I had forgotten my wallet and therefore my license. This did not turn out to be a problem (thank goodness I got the car's title and registration taken care of earlier). It also does not overcome my main issue with the event: that I could discern no reason for pulling me over.)
Perhaps I would have less of a problem with this if I believed that traffic cops (and really any beat cops at all) actually served to protect people rather than raise money, put drug users in jail (thank goodness also that I've never been inclined toward illegal drugs), and inconvenience (in approximate order of likelihood) young minority males, young white males, adult minority males, adult white males, adult minority females, adult white females, young minority females, and young white females. See, e.g., Bill Dedman, Race, sex, and age drive ticketing, Boston Globe, July 20, 2003.
Perhaps I would have less of a problem with this if I believed that traffic cops (and really any beat cops at all) actually served to protect people rather than raise money, put drug users in jail (thank goodness also that I've never been inclined toward illegal drugs), and inconvenience (in approximate order of likelihood) young minority males, young white males, adult minority males, adult white males, adult minority females, adult white females, young minority females, and young white females. See, e.g., Bill Dedman, Race, sex, and age drive ticketing, Boston Globe, July 20, 2003.
posted by Max Greene at 11:20 AM
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1 Comments:
I am curious, why didn't you ask him why he stopped you? Did he seem hostile? I think he owed you an explanation.
Now, I would like to disagree with you about how helpful police officers can be. Just off the top of my head I can attest to being rescued at least three times by a policeman/woman in a patrol car. Once, as a teenager, leaving a concert at the Robin Hood Dell, in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. Yes, I used to be brave and drive to places like that. My car died at 11 p.m. on East River Drive...would that ever be scary these days! I was not blocking traffice because I felt it coming. The next time was about 12 years ago in a not very nice section of West Palm Beach. Four of us were on foot in a neighborhood where we were suddenly aware that we really didn't want to be. We were crossing the street to seek a pay phone when a patrol car swooped up and scooped us into the back seat and took us back where we came from. The officer was very nice...I called him one of the 3 "angels" who rescued us that ICW trip. The third time we were coming home on Foulk Road and the blue wagon (your old car) died. A woman officer came up behind us and helped us push our car off the road and drove us home. So, I know there are other stories but these are my three of the moment. Please don't paint with such a broad brush because, like any profession, there are bad apples in all of them - dare I say ambulance chasers? teachers who are cruel (do you remember Kate's story from 4th grade)and I worked with a nurse who was beyond belief in terrorizing folks - when she wanted to do so. Enough, I have taken up too much space. xo n
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