# Creepy Cop **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 27, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135 "2009-06-27T02:35:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/1 "2009-06-27T02:35:15Z")
We live across from a public pool. I was waiting in the car out front of the house this afternoon and noticed a cop car driving slowly along the cross street at the end of the block. He seemed to be following two kids on bikes. At the corner the kids seemed to be continuing along the street, but since they were on the sidewalk they were just heading for the sidewalk on my street. Cop was following too closely so he had to back up to turn down my street. He continued to drive parallel with them at kids-on-bikes speed. As they got closer I saw they were pretty 7th-graders in their swimsuits. I half got out of my car and asked them why the cop was following them. They said that they hadn’t done anything wrong. I said, “It seems really creepy,” loud enough for the cop to hear. The little parade continued to the end of the (long) block. I want to report him, but our cops have always gotten off on harrassing people and, by my speaking up, I caused him to notice and remember me. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bruce\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/2 "2009-06-27T04:00:09Z")
The cop may have been following the kids(I’m assuming they were girls), but not for the reasons you might think. Maybe he was using them as bait for a local pervert thats been hanging around unbeknowst to you. Lets hope I’m right. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/3 "2009-06-27T04:09:19Z")
How about he was just looking out for their safety? Crazy idea, I know. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/4 "2009-06-27T04:26:22Z")
Then cops would follow ALL cute girls in bathing suits. This could be a valid point, but he was creeping them out, too. He could’ve told them, or he could’ve stood off a few hundred feet, haiting for Mr Predator to strike. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/5 "2009-06-27T04:48:06Z")
I bet you think the huge scurity detail that follow the obama girls around is just some rolling pervert convention, huh? It _is_ possible for cops to actually be doing their jobs, ya know. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/6 "2009-06-27T05:15:43Z")
(snort of derision I avoid using in GD) What sort of fucking moron are you, RR? How the fuck does following a couple cuties count more as “protecting them” than “ogling them while PRETENDING to protect them?” Would you come to the same conclusion if it were some guy in an old Chevy following them? You have, as long as you have been here, led with your stupidity. Here, I think, you aren’t stupid but are actually looking for a fight. But you have long-ago demonstrated your obvious trollish tendencies, and you can go to fucking Hell before I will argue with you. You are shit. You have ALWAYS been shit. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/7 "2009-06-27T05:21:31Z")
He could have had a valid reason for following them, but there is also nothing fantastic or incredible about the hypothesis that he was perving on them. We don’t have the data to know for sure, but it sounds like he at least made them _feel_ uncomfortable, even if that was not his intention. I also suspect that girls even at that age have a pretty good intuition about when they’re being perved on. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/8 "2009-06-27T05:23:34Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > They said that they hadn’t done anything wrong. And it’s not possible they were lying to you. Nor is it possible that something happened involving suspects that fit the description of these 2 kids, and the officer was following them until more information came over the dispatch. Nor is it possible that rather than bitch here and make accusations that might not be true that you get off your ass a talk to the local authorities and either get the ball rolling against something wrong, or find out there wasn’t anything sinister going on and put your mind at ease. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![emcee2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/9 "2009-06-27T05:30:33Z")
Why didn’t you just ask the cop why he was following them? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/10 "2009-06-27T06:01:47Z")
To save myself from the generally-obvious results of questioning why the police do anything. I will say you do not live where the cops cannot be trusted. In my town, we once had the entire department fired for corruption. And then most were hired back. We have had a couple Chiefs jailed. The assumption that a police officer is “just doing his job” does not fall naturally on our tongues. Thus, if a cop is acting like a predator, one assumes he is a predator. OTOH, it can be assumed he is also crooked, like much of the rest of the force, and will fuck you up BAD if you complain. And really, can any of you come up with a Non-Pervy reason ANYBODY would follow two preteens in bikinis for several blocks, especially if he had cause to arrest them? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Quack\_s\_Echo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f0a364/32.png) [@Duck\_Quack\_s\_Echo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Quack_s_Echo)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/11 "2009-06-27T07:20:59Z")
How can anyone describe twelve-year-old girls as ‘cuties’? They’re too bloody young to be ‘cuties’ and are just paedophile bait. So either you or, to a lesser extent, the police ring alarm bells for me. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/12 "2009-06-27T07:51:13Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > (snort of derision I avoid using in GD) What sort of fucking moron are you, RR? How the fuck does following a couple cuties count more as “protecting them” than “ogling them while PRETENDING to protect them?” Would you come to the same conclusion if it were some guy in an old Chevy following them? You have, as long as you have been here, led with your stupidity. Here, I think, you aren’t stupid but are actually looking for a fight. But you have long-ago demonstrated your obvious trollish tendencies, and you can go to fucking Hell before I will argue with you. You are shit. You have ALWAYS been shit. Yes, it’s plain that you’re not the sort to overreact. It would be unreasonable not to accept your interpretation of the cop’s actions. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/13 "2009-06-27T08:29:37Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > And really, can any of you come up with a Non-Pervy reason ANYBODY would follow two preteens in bikinis for several blocks, especially if he had cause to arrest them? Of course I can, in about two seconds flat. Cop sees perv following girls (girls are unaware of the perv), cop can’t arrest the guy (he’s committed no offence as yet) so the cop drives slowly past him and gives him a long look. The perv, alarmed, turns away. Cop continues following the girls surreptitiously for a while just to make sure the perv doesn’t come back. The girls, having missed all this, suddenly become aware of the cop following them. It creeps them out. Is this guy a perv or something? **Dropzone** , having also missed the preamble to this, jumps to the same erroneous conclusion. The cop, finally satisfied that the girls are safe, drives away. Moral of this version: no good deed goes unpunished. No, I don’t know if that’s what happened but it’s perfectly feasible that it did. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/14 "2009-06-27T14:17:25Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > (snort of derision I avoid using in GD) What sort of fucking moron are you, RR? The extremely intelligent sort. > [@](#): > > How the fuck does following a couple cuties count more as “protecting them” than “ogling them while PRETENDING to protect them?” Well, how the fuck does it count more as ogling than it does as protecting? You have exactly as much evidence of either and have drawn a firm conclusion. Why? Is it because you are an idiot with a hard-on for cops? Sure looks like it. > [@](#): > > Would you come to the same conclusion if it were some guy in an old Chevy following them? My comment was specific to cops. > [@](#): > > You have, as long as you have been here, led with your stupidity. Here, I think, you aren’t stupid but are actually looking for a fight. But you have long-ago demonstrated your obvious trollish tendencies, and you can go to fucking Hell before I will argue with you. You are shit. You have ALWAYS been shit. That’s right. When argument fails, resort to insults, and not even creative ones at that. So sad. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/15 "2009-06-27T14:19:10Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > And it’s not possible they were lying to you. > > Nor is it possible that something happened involving suspects that fit the description of these 2 kids, and the officer was following them until more information came over the dispatch. > > Nor is it possible that rather than bitch here and make accusations that might not be true that you get off your ass a talk to the local authorities and either get the ball rolling against something wrong, or find out there wasn’t anything sinister going on and put your mind at ease. > > :rolleyes: And it’s also not possible that there had been reports of guys in black vans with “FREE CANDY” painted on the side in the neighborhood, so the cop was making sure everyone knew that the cops were aware of the problem and would protect the kids. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/16 "2009-06-27T14:28:29Z")
Cops are human, so there are going to be jerks in cop cars too. A few years ago I was walking with my then-girlfriend (so two 20-something women) with my arm around her waist, and a cop car pulled up with two male cops in the front. Passenger Cop leaned out the window with a leer and a wink: “Hey, laaaaaadies. Wanna ride in my car?” My girlfriend at the time was from out of town and was suddenly worried that we were in a neighbourhood where gay bashing was likely to occur. “Is it not safe here?” So there are assholes with badges too. While there may very well be a legitimate reason why the cop was following the adolescents in swimsuits, I would not totally discount the OP’s gut feeling either. ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/17 "2009-06-27T15:45:15Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > To save myself from the generally-obvious results of questioning why the police do anything. I will say you do not live where the cops cannot be trusted. In my town, we once had the entire department fired for corruption. And then most were hired back. We have had a couple Chiefs jailed. The assumption that a police officer is “just doing his job” does not fall naturally on our tongues. > > Thus, if a cop is acting like a predator, one assumes he is a predator. OTOH, it can be assumed he is also crooked, like much of the rest of the force, and will fuck you up BAD if you complain. > > And really, can any of you come up with a Non-Pervy reason ANYBODY would follow two preteens in bikinis for several blocks, especially if he had cause to arrest them? Bullshit ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/18 "2009-06-27T16:16:01Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > (snort of derision I avoid using in GD) What sort of fucking moron are you, RR? How the fuck does following a couple cuties count more as “protecting them” than “ogling them while PRETENDING to protect them?” Would you come to the same conclusion if it were some guy in an old Chevy following them? You have, as long as you have been here, led with your stupidity. Here, I think, you aren’t stupid but… …and it was at this point that I stopped reading this as someone doing the “fake bashing because the person is so obviously correct”, and realized that it was the OP doing the bashing on someone who disagreed with him. My God, I’m _agreeing with_ **Rand Rover** and _going against_ **dropzone**. Apparently, I’ve discovered a portal to BizzarroWorld. I’ll try to even things out by saying that this… > [@buttonjockey308](#): > > Bullshit …is kinda ludicrous, unless you happen to live in the same neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/19 "2009-06-27T18:32:19Z")
Okay, you guys have a point. I jumped to a conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135/20 "2009-06-27T19:04:30Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > My God, I’m _agreeing with_ **Rand Rover** and _going against_ **dropzone**. Apparently, I’ve discovered a portal to BizzarroWorld. Fuckin’ A, man. How do we get home? :eek: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creepy-cop/501135.md?page=2)