JoeSpareBedroom wrote:


My observation is that cops aren't smart enough to realize they're
acting EXACTLY like cops did in the Soviet Union, under a regime
which true Americans were supposed to abhor.

Yep. Cops the world over act (mostly) the same. In real life, they seldom
see the perpetrator, but always see the victim. A residence burglary, a car
that was stolen, an act of vandalism, a rape or armed robbery, and more are
often life-changing events for the person harmed. You help when you can -
often just by listening. You make the report.

I visited the police station in Jerusalem. It looked EXACTLY like police
stations the world over: faded linoleum tile, florescent lights (some not
working), a drunk handcuffed to a bench in the waiting room, and a desk
sergeant with about a hundred rubber stamps.

In large measure, a cop is a boy scout with a gun.


For instance, no matter what you're pulled over for, cops often ask
where you're coming from and/or where you're headed next. That's
really none of their friggin' business, which is why the absolute
best way to deal with a cop is absolute silence. Why not? The law
protects our right to do that.

Yes it is. They are giving you a chance to get out of a ticket. Not only do
exigent circumstances (wife in labor) provide a perfect defense, often a
pretty good circumstance is enough. Sometimes he can help ("The alarm
company said my business alarm is going off...")

I once asked a driver why he was going so fast and he told me that, beyond
all expectations, his bowling team was in the finals and he was rushing home
to retrieve his check-book to pay for the next round. I sent him on his way
with only the admonition to be careful.

Hint: Never say you didn't see the stop sign or didn't realize you were
going that fast. The drivers who are oblivious to their surroundings are
exactly the ones that law enforcement wants to target. Better to say, "Yes,
I saw the stop sign and I also saw that it was safe to proceed. Since I'm on
an urgent mission...."

As to your misunderstanding of the law, you do not have the right to remain
completely silent. In most jurisdictions, it is a crime to fail to identify
yourself. Should you insist on total silence, the officer may have no choice
but to take you somewhere where you CAN be identified.


Don't forget, a police officer is a microcosm of the criminal justice
system:
* He initiates the complaint,
* He investigates the situation,
* He weighs the facts and the evidence,
* If his verdict is against you, he meets out the penalty (citation or
arrest)

One more hint: If you have a problem with a cop, the street is NOT the place
to settle the disagreement. You will always lose - and sometimes die.
Righteous indignation is a powerful force but it does not stand a chance
against training, experience, firepower, and reinforcements. You can yell
and shove your boss, wife, or co-worker but if you do that to a cop, he'll
light you up like a Christmas tree. Then it gets bad.

In Texas, hitting a police officer is a felony of the first degree (five to
99 years or life and up to $10,000 fine).

No, the best thing you can do when stopped is to say: "Officer, am I glad to
see you! I've been pulling on my penis for several hours now and I think I
broke it. Can you take a look and tell me if it's all right?"