I stopped a guy for speeding yesterday, and he tried to negotiate with me.
He pointed to his shirt with the logo of one of our local grocery stores (we'll call it Stucky's for simplicity's sake), and said "I work at Stucky's here in Smithville. Can't you cut me a break, since I serve the public here in the city too?"
Well, let me just get my shredder out and destroy this ticket. Or not.
I asked him "Does your store give free items to people who live or work in Smithville?"
He said "No".
I asked him "Does your store give 50% discounts for people who live and work in the city?"
He, of course, replied "Well, no".
"Well, then I guess I can't return the favor." I said, "Sign here".
I didn't say "Press hard, there are four copies", but I thought it quite loudly.
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Please help pass on my t-shirt idea!
I stopped this guy once who had stickers on his back window from about every single one of those fake "police support" organizations that call you on the phone and ask for money. When I returned to his car with his ticket, he pointed at the stickers and said "Don't I get some kind of a break? Look at all of the police groups that I support!"
I told him that I saw them, and I noticed that there was nothing from my department on there. Sign here please.
Little fella got all butthurt and called in a complaint.
Very true post, even here in Ol' Blighty. The next stage for most people, having tried the old 'I'm such a decent citizen' approach, would be something along the lines of, 'Haven't you got anything better to do officer?'
If this veiled antagonism doesn't work (which it really, really doesn't), people then move onto the 'I can't believe you are wasting all that taxpayers money on giving me a pointless ticket for speeding!'
Once this tack fails, and the ticket is almost completed, they simply turn nasty. 'Shouldn't you be out catching murderers and rapists?!'
No, sir. I've had my fill of murderers and rapists for one day. Now I'm just out to catch child killers in 2 tonnes of speeding metal, otherwise known as SPEEDING MOTORISTS. SIGN HERE NOW.'
Usually shuts them up.
Such smugness from representatives of the revenue-farming class!
Surely, none of you would ever so much as think of giving such breaks to others who wear the same state-issued costumes, their buttons straining to contain the tax-fattened girth of their occupants.
Nah. This sort of thing never happens.
Oh, whoops -- yes, it does:
http://www.motorists.org/blog/the-privileged-many-professional-courtesy-exposed/
You really should get honest work.
Bill, you should crawl back under your rock.
Looking at your blogs, it looks like you'd fit right in at Rev. Wright's (and O'Bama's) church.
Its no wonder you hate cops.
First of all, it's "Will," not "Bill," to my friends.
You may call me "Mr. Grigg."
Secondly, I gather from your comments that you, like a large and growing percentage of costumed tax-feeders and their camp-followers, make untutored and unwarranted snap judgments about people based on melanin content. There's a badly overused word that begins with "r" that describes that inclination perfectly.
Thanks for confirming the validity of another unfortunate stereotype.
Third, save me the sniffles about people who "hate" cops. I despise bullies and hypocrites of all kinds, whether or not they live at public expense.
Surely even you, assuming that so much as a particle of honesty resides within you, must concede that the "professional courtesy" described in the article I referred to can only be considered a form of corrupt, bullying hypocrisy.
Thanks for posting William. Obviously you are not my friend, so I will not offend you by calling you Will.
You speak of bullies and hypocrites. I'm curious as to where you believe you have seen any form of bullying or hypocrisy in my professional or personal life.
Oh, wait. You haven't. Because you haven't the slightest inkling who I am.
For you to make blanket statements about police being bullies and hypocrites simply shows the world your narrow mindedness.
As I have said many times in this blog, as you might have noticed had you taken the care to read some of the back posts, if I am ever pulled over, which I don't expect to be because my driving is impeccable, I will not expect or ask for "a break". I will not refuse one, just as you would not, but I won't insist upon one either.
Professional courtesy exists in many professions, not just law enforcement. I know dentists who work on other dentists teeth for a discount, or for free. That is only one example.
I do not, by any means, cite every driver I stop. I do give breaks when I feel it is appropriate, NOT when the driver feels it is appropriate.
I can not apologize for the officers who were responsible for the negative police contacts you have apparently had. I can, however, assure you that if I ever stop you there will be no bullying, no intimidation, and no unprofessional conduct.
If you come across as an asshole, however, I am not likely to be terribly nice to you. Contrary to popular belief, professional does not always equal nice.
Aww....my discount would have been the full amount he was speeding since he was so adamant he got a break. hehe!!
Officer Smith Very well written to Mr. Griggs.
Mr. Griggs - When we're pulled over we actually don't try and talk our way out of the ticket! I infact asked for mine! I admited I was wrong and asked for the ticket! It made me a better and smarter driver!! I now willingly hand over the wheel to my loving Officer to drive as he is such a better driver then I am!!
From my experience in law enforcement - Most officers are! They know what speeding causes!
-Dispatcher
Grigg,
My remarks had nothing to do with the color of your skin, but rather, the color of your words. To me, the tone of your websites have nothing to do with the color of your skin, but rather the content of your heart.
But people like you (the kind that can't defend their words and thoughts) always have to resort to the "race card", because you can't rely on facts, because the facts are against you.
The "race card" is a crutch for weak people like you. You sound like a good little Socialist.
"The knowledge that they fear, is a tool to be used against them."
Ofc. Smith covered the professional courtesy issue quite well.
Add me to the list of officers who has never and probably will never ticket another officer.
You see, I know that if things go bad and I'm tussling with some dirtbag on the side of the road, any one of them is probably going to stop and help me out while all of the Grigges of the world just drive on by, probably without even calling 911 to let someone know.
Yeah, we're a brotherhood for a reason. And if you want the same courtesy, then jump through the same hoops that we all did, pass all the same tests, and get out there and do the work. Its really just that easy.
Probably not as easy as typing trash via the internet in between episodes of American Idol, but still...
Also, please feel free to join the long list of idiots who like to tell me how they pay my salary any time. That always impresses me.
I was wondering when you'd give the "press hard" story. They always give me a laugh. Just can't get over how people act to you guys when they get pulled over. As I said before whenever I've been pulled over the officers were always nice and never were bullies. If you do wrong....take the punishment dumbasses.
My favorite was the day a realtor INSISTED J couldn't give her a ticket because she was a realtor.
...
He looked at her with a blank face, trying to discern why that necessarily meant she shouldn't get a citation.
She got one, of course.
My favorite of all time is "You can't give me a ticket! I drive a Mercedes!"
We once had an issue of a city council member jumping out of his car and yelling at the officers, "do you know who I am?" Needless to say after the officer, who genuinely had no clue of who the man was, dropped him on the ground, he was supprised to learn our council member was trying to use his position to avoid a ticket. And then there is always the "quota" issue coming up. I like to explain that our department doesn't have a quota system, and they let me write as many tickes as I want. -- Officer
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