# How could a police officer be this wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759 "2012-06-30T00:54:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/181 "2012-07-27T05:10:15Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I got a question for you , **Ambivalid**. You say that what he said caught you off guard, but thinking it over don’t you think it has the ring of truth? Do you at this point have any actual confusion and bemusement? Are _you_ being a dick? Honestly, because why would you ask such a thing? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/182 "2012-07-27T17:50:51Z")
You’ve been kicked out of a few gyms, no? So I am asking: don’t you think the guy is likely right? If you keep acting the exact same way, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be kicked out of another. If you are so mad about illegal parkers, just key the car already and move on, enjoy your workout and join a wheelchair rugby league to fulfill your need for confrontation. You’ll be happier, trust me. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/183 "2012-07-27T17:58:05Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > You’ve been kicked out of a few gyms, no? So I am asking: don’t you think the guy is likely right? If you keep acting the exact same way, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be kicked out of another. > > If you are so mad about illegal parkers, just key the car already and move on, enjoy your workout and join a wheelchair rugby league to fulfill your need for confrontation. You’ll be happier, trust me. 😕😕 Acting the exact same way? Um, I wasn’t blocking in this car to go get security; I was simply _noticing it._ If I followed your suggestion and keyed the car, then I absolutely _would_ get kicked out. Rather, I just observed the infraction when on my way to my own car. I can’t believe I’m even responding to this drivel. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/184 "2012-07-27T18:02:08Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > Part of me wants to tell you to smash the windshield and steal the placard. Nope. Smash the windshield and flick the sunglasses to the floor, then call 911. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/185 "2012-07-27T18:07:15Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > 😕😕 > > Acting the exact same way? Um, I wasn’t blocking in this car to go get security; I was simply _noticing it._ If I followed your suggestion and keyed the car, then I absolutely _would_ get kicked out. Rather, I just observed the infraction when on my way to my own car. I can’t believe I’m even responding to this drivel. Simply noticing it, huh? How long did you hang out noticing it? “Oh, just curious- is this your car? Not that I want a big confrontation about it or nothing”. OK, so don’t key it. “Accidentally” scrape your wheelchair along it. Poetic justice. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/186 "2012-07-27T18:11:32Z")
The thing is, we all see people doing illegal things all the time: red light running, rolling stops, sampling grapes, riding bikes on the sidewalk, buying two beers and taking them in the car for the ride, smoking near entrance ways, not wearing a seat belt, not wearing a life jacket, speeding, parking in fire lanes, making unsafe lane changes, passing on a solid line, wearing white after labour day, and tearing the tags off their mattress. We don’t all go around and continually point it out and stir up trouble. Some of us are having a hard time understanding your need to continually do this. Yes, one day you may be inconvenienced by one of these dicks and have to park elsewhere. And we get that it’s a shitty thing to do; most of us here would never consider parking in a handicap space, but why can’t you shrug it off and leave them alone? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/187 "2012-07-27T18:25:29Z")
Because he’s on a _mission_, don’t you see? Just start leaving [these](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/Guinastasia/554338_269128396508783_184658378289119_635118_1381461603_n.jpg) on their windshields and go about your day. You’re going to worry yourself into an early grave (or piss someone else off enough to send you there!) if you keep pulling this shit. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/188 "2012-07-27T18:54:14Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Because he’s on a _mission_, don’t you see? > > Just start leaving [these](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/Guinastasia/554338_269128396508783_184658378289119_635118_1381461603_n.jpg) on their windshields and go about your day. You’re going to worry yourself into an early grave (or piss someone else off enough to send you there!) if you keep pulling this shit. SMH. Ok. Lesson learned. (Pulling _ **what** _ shit?!?!) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/189 "2012-07-27T18:57:19Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The thing is, we all see people doing illegal things all the time: red light running, rolling stops, sampling grapes, riding bikes on the sidewalk, buying two beers and taking them in the car for the ride, smoking near entrance ways, not wearing a seat belt, not wearing a life jacket, speeding, parking in fire lanes, making unsafe lane changes, passing on a solid line, wearing white after labour day, and tearing the tags off their mattress. > > We don’t all go around and continually point it out and stir up trouble. Some of us are having a hard time understanding your need to continually do this. Yes, one day you may be inconvenienced by one of these dicks and have to park elsewhere. And we get that it’s a shitty thing to do; most of us here would never consider parking in a handicap space, but why can’t you shrug it off and leave them alone? How in the WORLD was I “stirring up trouble”? I’d say the law-breaker was the one doing that. All I did, _again_, is notice an illegally parked car next to my own as I made my way to my car and ask an approaching man if it was his (and the only reason I asked this man is because he was staring at me and he looked as though he was possibly the owner). ETA: And most of those “infractions” that you’ve listed as examples _don’t_ have a direct impact on the lives of others in the way that parking illegally in handicap spots does on the lives of the disabled. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/190 "2012-07-27T19:06:48Z")
I’m not sure why you haven’t thought of this before, but why not shit your pants and then leave the soiled pants on the offending car’s windshield. All of your greatest hits rolled into one. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/191 "2012-07-27T19:32:28Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I’m not sure why you haven’t thought of this before, but why not shit your pants and then leave the soiled pants on the offending car’s windshield. All of your greatest hits rolled into one. Perfect!!! ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/192 "2012-07-27T19:33:33Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I’m not sure why you haven’t thought of this before, but why not shit your pants and then leave the soiled pants on the offending car’s windshield. All of your greatest hits rolled into one. nm ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/193 "2012-07-27T19:47:55Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > ETA: And most of those “infractions” that you’ve listed as examples _don’t_ have a direct impact on the lives of others in the way that parking illegally in handicap spots does on the lives of the disabled. Oh, bullshit. Lots of people get injured because of someone running a red or rolling through a stop. That’s a hell of a lot more impact than you having to wheel further through the parking lot or even skip going to a store because the last spot was taken by some jerk. And the reason you asked that guy was because if he WAS the owner, you wanted to give him a dressing down. We all know, OK? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/194 "2012-07-27T19:49:51Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Oh, bullshit. Lots of people get injured because of someone running a red or rolling through a stop. That’s a hell of a lot more impact than you having to wheel further through the parking lot or even skip going to a store because the last spot was taken by some jerk. I said _most_, not _all_. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/195 "2012-07-27T19:54:20Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > And the reason you asked that guy was because if he WAS the owner, you wanted to give him a dressing down. We all know, OK? And actually, you are _completely_ and _totally_ wrong here. Like I said in my OP, this man was an older man who I frequently said hello to in the gym. When I saw him approaching, I thought he could be the owner of the car and could be a _legitimate_ handicap parker; due to his old-age and somewhat debilitated state. It was more like a “Oh, is this _your_ car” type question. Not an accusatory one whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/196 "2012-07-27T19:56:32Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > (Pulling _ **what** _ shit?!?!) Perhaps you need to take a step back and look at it from the perspective of other people. Other people aren’t going to be privy to the exact details of every single situation you get involved in. What they are going to see are general patterns and form impressions from them. Taking the general outline of all the stories you have told us on these boards, starting with the “what’s wrong with airlines” issue, it is very easy for a casual observer to conclude that you are a busybody, a nuisance, a troublemaker. They are going to form the conclusion that life is going to be a lot less annoying if you’re not around. And that’s exactly what I think this guy was thinking when he said that to you. You’ve got a reputation, and it’s not the kind that is going to win you the benefit of the doubt. You should be aware of that now. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/197 "2012-07-27T19:59:13Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Perhaps you need to take a step back and look at it from the perspective of other people. Other people aren’t going to be privy to the exact details of every single situation you get involved in. What they are going to see are general patterns and form impressions from them. > > Taking the general outline of all the stories you have told us on these boards, starting with the “what’s wrong with airlines” issue, it is very easy for a casual observer to conclude that you are a busybody, a nuisance, a troublemaker. They are going to form the conclusion that life is going to be a lot less annoying if you’re not around. And that’s exactly what I think this guy was thinking when he said that to you. > > You’ve got a reputation, and it’s not the kind that is going to win you the benefit of the doubt. You should be aware of that now. Hey, all I ask is that you respond to what I post and not carry over past resentments. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/198 "2012-07-27T20:02:45Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > . That’s a hell of a lot more impact than you having to skip going to a store because the last spot was taken by some jerk. And “going to stores” isn’t the totality of transportation needs for someone in a wheelchair; those needs _can_ be a bit more pressing (such as doctor visits, court appointments, work schedules, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/199 "2012-07-27T20:05:35Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Hey, all I ask is that you respond to what I post. I’m not sure what you mean by this. Your question what something on the order of “why the hell did this guy act like a jerk to me?” My post was an attempt to examine what this guy might have been thinking. I was talking about your reputation in your real-life community, not here on the board. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/200 "2012-07-27T20:14:41Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I’m not sure what you mean by this. Your question what something on the order of “why the hell did this guy act like a jerk to me?” My post was an attempt to examine what this guy might have been thinking. I was talking about your reputation in your real-life community, not here on the board. Oh. I misunderstood, I apologize. Well that goes back to what I was saying; I had always had a cordial, polite and respectful relationship with this man, as far as it went. I always said hello to him in passing and made small talk with him in the steam room. I absolutely never had even the slightest uncomfortable, awkward or negative experience with him at all. He wasn’t a member of my old gym, either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759.md?page=11)