OK, not true at all. I’m a good neighbour and I’ve traveled extensively in the U.S. But I’m curious about other folks who have never been to the States and are watching Cops. What might you think is status quo?
[QUOTE=Leaffan]
What might you think is status quo?
Anyone who has a malfunctioning tail light also has multiple warrants and is driving drunk without a license.
Folks with contraband in their cars regularly allow the police to search said car. :smack:
Up until I started travelling, everything I knew about the USA I learned from the Buffalo TV stations:
“A fire tonight in Tonawanda.”
“A shooting tonight in Tonawanda.”
“A fire tonight in Lackawanna”
“A shooting tonight in Lackawanna”
“A fire tonight in Cheektowaga.”
“A shooting tonight in Cheektowaga.”
It gave me the impression that Buffalo was a violent hole.
Eventually I visited the place, and guess what?
Were you held up by a pistol-packin’ punk?
American police officers are unfailingly polite and professional, never swear or use excessive force, and catch everyone who attempts to flee from them.
Except the tweekers. Bare chested maybe, beer guts - not so much
Been there. Don’t need to guess!
Come to Detroit and we’ll show what a violent hole really is!
Sheeet, Detroit is the minor leagues for Mobtown. Come to Baltimore for REAL mayhem. Buffalo? That’s single A ball.
Nobody wears a shirt to the convenience store. Or shoes. Just shorts and a gun.
All cops are very sensitive souls, and it really, really hurts their feelings when they find out you have lied to them about something. If you have heroin on you and had admitted it when the cop asked you, chances are he would have let you go for being honest, but when you lie you hurt his feelings and he has no choice but to arrest you.
The captain of the freighter upon which I was working would not let us off when we tied up in Detroit.
The U.S. is an incredibly friendly place. People frequently borrow cars from good friends they’ve just met, whose names they don’t know, but whom they know ‘from around’.
American men have notoriously bad eyesight, and often fail to notice that the 6-foot brunette-wigged hitchhiker with the Adam’s apple and the five 'o clock shadow, to whom they’ve generously offered to give a ride, is not quite female.
What they never seem to show on Cops is the county cop in Wisconsin who tossed me in the can for a day for being a passenger in a truck that was not speeding. Canadian plates equals a free lunch.
US Culture? You can learn about the how darned world from that show. Nice to know that no matter how undemocratic and oppressive the regime, any time the cops are on the streets its to protect and serve, protect and serve 
But they turn hostile the moment the officer finds said contraband, and start fighting despite having the victory odds of an earthworm attacking a tank.
Five cops will pile onto one drunken redneck, throw him face down into the gravel, kneel on his back, stand on his throat, and taunt him while the dog lunges on the leash. . . . .before the man is charged and while cameras are known to be rolling.
Subduing a violent suspect rarely uses featherdusters.
Criminals rarely respond to niceness with “I’m sorry officer. It’s true, I have crack cocaine. Here’s my pistol. I’ll just go sit in your car and think about what I’ve done.”
Cops know the prostitutes who work their area and are on a first-name basis with them. Cops are good friends to the hookers.
EVERYONE runs from the cops. Nobody gets away from them either.
EVERYONE that the cops pull over has drugs in their car. They often have guns and/or stolen property in their cars too. Many have warrants as well.
NOBODY knows who the drugs belong to, or that they have an active warrant.