Law Enforcement

[joxxer@xxxxxxxxxx]

Chris Prael wrote this:

    "[Concerning airplane speed enforcement] This is only one of a
number of unlawful practices engaged in now by the California Highway
Patrol.  They depend on your ignorance and laziness to get away with
it.  Don't let them."

It is my firm belief that all police departments engage in illegal
behavior and depend on the ignorance and laziness of the victims to get
away it. A prime example is what happened to my friend and I a few years
ago as we were coming back from the convenience store at the end of my
street. We got pulled over because my friend made a U turn at an
intersection that does not have, and has not ever had an illegal U-turn
sign. The policeman insisted that making a U turn was against the law.
He used his flashlight on my friend and I, and discovered that we did
not have our seat belts on (my friend's car had one of those automatic
harness strap deals that closes on you when you shut the door, and I
thought this was a seat belt. The copper disagreed). He asked me for my
driver's license, and I explained that I was scheduled to go in for the
driving test the next morning, and all I had was a learner's permit that
I handily left at home a few houses down the street. He told me that I
could not get it, because then it would get my family involved and he
didn't want to have to deal with screaming and crying people. He also
said that there was a new law passed a little while ago that made it
illegal to leave the house without a driver's license if eighteen or
older, and that I would have to step out of the car. He put me on the
hood of my car, at eleven at night, in front of all my neighbor's
houses, and patted me down. It should be noted that I was wearing a
nightgown and slippers (I sat in the car while my friend ran in to the
store and bought some cigarettes). He sat me in the back of his car. He
checked his computer for any information about me or my friend, and
found that I answered all the information correctly that was on his
computer (birth date, residence, etc.) He told me that he would be _real
nice on me this time_ if my friend could verify my birth date. He said
if my friend got it right, I would not have to be taken to the police
station. My friend and I managed to get off with no more than a traffic
violation ticket and a couple of seat belt tickets, but I believe my
friend should have gone in and fought the bastard in court. He wanted
to, but decided against it because he did not want to pay a lawyer. To
make a long story short: cops will screw you if you are not careful.


Sorry for the long post,


Gregory Scott

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