# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/121 "2012-07-06T02:32:21Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I don’t think anyone thinks it’s a “coincidence”. The benefit of the doubt would be for all incidences and is based on the possibility that this person is still disabled. So-fucking-what. On the tiny possibility that he _is_ disabled and he’s choosing to break the law instead of complying and doing what he needs to do to get an up-to-date placard in order to park where he needs to, then he most certainly deserves every penny of the fine that comes with the ticket. Being disabled doesn’t give one the right to shirk responsibilities. Now let me also say this is different than an incident where a truly disabled person honestly forgets to put up their placard on an individual instance (I have actually been guilty of this myself and gotten a ticket). This person forgot nothing; they chose to do what they did. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/122 "2012-07-06T03:18:40Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I don’t think anyone thinks it’s a “coincidence”. The benefit of the doubt would be for all incidences and is based on the possibility that this person is still disabled. Not for three years. If they’re still disabled, they’ll reapply. People with disabilities still have to abide by the law. Also, am I odd in this that I sometimes cast a cursory eye over the tags of people parked in disabled spots? It takes no effort - just turning my eyes around while I’m off to some other place. You don’t have to be a vigilante to notice something out of place when it’s specifically designed to be noticeable, as disabled permits are. Ambivalid, I think I’ve said this to you before - perhaps consider posting the new developments in an old thread if it’s within a year or so. I would if the topic were similar enough, and it is. ---
**Author:** ![MrDurden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ed655f/32.png) [@MrDurden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDurden)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/123 "2012-07-06T08:30:20Z")
The thing is… even though I do think your posts are generally of high quality… I remember the posts about handicapped parking issues more than anything else. is it wrong that able bodied people park there? yes. Is constantly killing yourself with anger and stress every time you see it a counter-productive response… yes. I feel like you are not 100% ok with what happened to you, and since it was a medical error, you have that right. But sooner or later you are going to have to deal with it and realize that the world works the way it does and injustices abound… (many more than handicapped spots being taken) instead of redirecting your anger at losing the use of your legs at high-class assholes who feel their BMW needs some extra room. From my very limited POV. It’s just not germaine (sp?) to your well being as a person. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/124 "2012-07-06T10:46:17Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The benefit of the doubt would be for all incidences and is based on the possibility that this person is still disabled. In a civilized society there are rules. Everyone is expected to follow the rules, otherwise it’s chaos. If this person is disabled, he had 3 years to renew his placard, it’s really not that difficult. I have to renew my driver’s license, if I don’t, I’ve violated the rules, and I would be subject to a penalty. This guy has violated the rules, even if he’s disabled, so he gets to be subject to the penalty. Anyway, I’d bet cash money that this guy isn’t disabled, and is using the tag illegally. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/125 "2012-07-06T11:50:16Z")
So, like, have you actually pursued this in anyway? With what outcome? If you know the guys name, why you can’t find out where he works, photograph his car, contact his company/boss? Have you contacted the police dept for clarification? What were you told? How do you know his permit is expired if he’s got it covered up? Any updates? ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/126 "2012-07-06T12:19:09Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > So, like, have you actually pursued this in anyway? > > With what outcome? If you know the guys name, why you can’t find out where he works, photograph his car, contact his company/boss? > > Have you contacted the police dept for clarification? What were you told? > > How do you know his permit is expired if he’s got it covered up? > > Any updates? How is he supposed to find out this guy’s name? Plus, if the car is registered to a business, there’s at least a 50/50 shot that this guy is self-employed and thus has no boss. Also, color me skeptical that, even if he has a boss, that this boss is going to make a big deal about his well-paid employee parking with an expired tag. At most he’ll get a “knock it off with the company car–we can’t afford all these tickets.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/127 "2012-07-06T12:55:07Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > “Let it go”? What are you talking about? If you aren’t telling me to stop calling when I see a violation, what exactly are you telling me to “let go”? 😕 Let it go. Don’t let each one that gets away bother you. You can’t catch them all. Maybe you might call one in and they drive away before the cop gets there. Maybe the cop doesn’t write the ticket. I’m not saying to stop calling but if each case does not work out the way you hoped LET IT GO. I think thats pretty easy to understand. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/128 "2012-07-06T13:31:36Z")
> [@](#): > > How is he supposed to find out this guy’s name? Didn’t he say he had the guy paged? I assumed by name. My bad. But still, is there some reason he hasn’t clarified with the police supervisor why, exactly, this clearly illegally parked car cannot be ticketed? Wouldn’t that be your first response? Wouldn’t you be taking a picture on your cell and then calling, right on the spot? Maybe it’s just me, but it’s hard for me to imagine anyone \*not \*doing so. Also, I want to know what the police say, I want to know why this is so. Don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/129 "2012-07-06T16:19:21Z")
I would be mildly curious to see if the police respond to Jamie’s request for clarification. It seems pretty obvious to me, though, that the responding officer simply made a mistake and wasn’t sufficiently experienced writing parking tickets. I mean, there was a case locally where an experienced police officer was too stupid to run a state official’s registration and plate correctly and impounded an official state vehicle for not being registered. :smack: Don’t underestimate the fact that lots of police officers simply make mistakes, whether through insufficient training or mere stupidity. It’s hardly worth agonizing over. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/130 "2012-07-06T18:03:49Z")
> [@MrDurden](#): > > The thing is… even though I do think your posts are generally of high quality… I remember the posts about handicapped parking issues more than anything else. > > is it wrong that able bodied people park there? yes. Is constantly killing yourself with anger and stress every time you see it a counter-productive response… yes. I feel like you are not 100% ok with what happened to you, and since it was a medical error, you have that right. But sooner or later you are going to have to deal with it and realize that the world works the way it does and injustices abound… (many more than handicapped spots being taken) instead of redirecting your anger at losing the use of your legs at high-class assholes who feel their BMW needs some extra room. > > From my very limited POV. It’s just not germaine (sp?) to your well being as a person. Oh give me a fucking break. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/131 "2012-07-06T18:21:24Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > So, like, have you actually pursued this in anyway? > > With what outcome? If you know the guys name, why you can’t find out where he works, photograph his car, contact his company/boss? > > Have you contacted the police dept for clarification? What were you told? > > How do you know his permit is expired if he’s got it covered up? > > Any updates? Well, _like_, I am waiting on the sergeant whom I called and left a message on his voicemail to call me back. I initially called the department and spoke to the lady who answered the phone and she _did_ tell me that the policy was to not ticket cars owned by businesses; but when I pressed her for details she was unable to give them to me and transferred me to this sergeant. I never knew the name of the driver in this matter. I was able to make out the last two numbers of his placard after a few days of seeing it; he didn’t do the best job of covering every single day. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/132 "2012-07-06T18:26:27Z")
Do you carry a camera? If you see the car again, have someone photograph the scene. Ideally manage to get the Parking Sign, License Plate, and **you** all in the same shot. Then send the picture to your local paper and see if they would like to do some journalism stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/133 "2012-07-06T18:34:21Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Ideally manage to get the Parking Sign, License Plate, and **you** all in the same shot. See, this is what I am always flummoxed by. How am I supposed to get all these things in one shot? The expired placard on the dash, the parking sign _and_ his plate (not to mention me) all in one shot? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/134 "2012-07-06T18:36:23Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > See, this is what I am always flummoxed by. How am I supposed to get all these things in one shot? The expired placard on the dash, the parking sign _and_ his plate (not to mention me) all in one shot? Just suggesting an ideal shot. You at the rear of the car with the plate and the parking sign in the background, then shot #2 with the windshield, I guess… ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/135 "2012-07-06T19:30:29Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > See, this is what I am always flummoxed by. How am I supposed to get all these things in one shot? The expired placard on the dash, the parking sign _and_ his plate (not to mention me) all in one shot? “Enhance. Zoom. Rotate. Enhance. Enhance. Zoom. Enhance.” ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/136 "2012-07-06T19:45:21Z")
nm. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/137 "2012-07-06T20:00:27Z")
> [@Kiwi\_Fruit](#): > > Why does the police department deal with apparently private parking spaces? Around here it would be the property owner or manager that would deal with that situation. Handicap parking is typically a city or state ordinance, and is enforced via police. Thus, the laws regarding handicap placards. > [@steronz](#): > > Or the guy had a legitimate medical problem in 2009 that necessitated a temporary handicap parking permit. Let’s call it a hip replacement, just so we can get a mental picture. 3 years later, the hip still bothers him, but he’s too lazy/busy/occupied-rescuing-kittens-from-trees to either renew his permit or get a permanent one. So he parks in the handicap spot, gently adjusts his sunglasses case, and hobbles feebly into the gym. It’s right there in your post: “temporary handicap parking permit”. If his handicap is still in effect, he needs to pursue the legitimate grounds and get it updated, not bypass the rules. The deliberate covering up of the date is a clue this person knows he is violating the rules and is deliberately trying to skirt the consequences. > [@Shoeless](#): > > Instead of calling the cops, can you just call a tow truck and have the car towed? If you own neither the car nor the parking spot, you have no grounds to have the car towed. The gym could potentially have the car towed, especially if they have a sign posted about parking rules. But handicap parking is typically a city ordinance, and is dealth with via city ordinance enforcement, i.e. the cops. > [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > This topic is Ambivalids pet issue. This topic is the whole reason he joined the board in the first place. To bitch about people parking in handicapped spots that shouldn’t be and GOD FUCKING DAMMIT! If you are so annoyed, why are you participating in the thread? Shouldn’t you just ignore it? > [@Guinastasia](#): > > You don’t seem to be all that familiar with **Ambivalid** , are you? If you have such an issue with **Ambivalid** , why are you participating in his thread? Why do you wish to invest so much of your time and outrage dealing with **Ambivalid** ’s presumed outrage? > [@Magiver](#): > > I don’t think anyone thinks it’s a “coincidence”. The benefit of the doubt would be for all incidences and is based on the possibility that this person is still disabled. Then the person should go reapply for a handicap placard and follow the damn laws, not violate them. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/138 "2012-07-07T01:49:20Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Let it go. Don’t let each one that gets away bother you. You can’t catch them all. Maybe you might call one in and they drive away before the cop gets there. Maybe the cop doesn’t write the ticket. I’m not saying to stop calling but if each case does not work out the way you hoped LET IT GO. I think thats pretty easy to understand. Sure but what makes you think I get so bothered by every one that ‘gets away’? This thread is about **one specific** illegal parker who repeatedly used the handicap parking spots at my gym. I saw this car many times before I even thought to look at the carefully placed placard on the dash board; and I simply reported the violation to the gym staff themselves several times before I directly phoned the police myself. I am having a hard time understanding what, _specifically_, you think I should LET GO (I do appreciate the caps, I was having to squint). Should I have **not** called police? Is that it? After I had already reported him several times to the gym employees, should I have just ‘put up with’ all future incidents with this car parking illegally? Because you can’t “catch em all”? Sure, but you sure can catch those that just sit there with a fuckin’ bullseye on their hoods. _Day after day._ ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/139 "2012-07-07T03:28:36Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Then the person should go reapply for a handicap placard and follow the damn laws, not violate them. No doubt. But have you ever exceeded the speed limit? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759/140 "2012-07-07T03:32:07Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I am having a hard time understanding what, _specifically_, you think I should LET GO (I do appreciate the caps, I was having to squint). Should I have **not** called police no but maybe not 911. It’s not an emergency regardless what the police officer told you. > [@Ambivalid](#): > > Is that it? After I had already reported him several times to the gym employees, should I have just ‘put up with’ all future incidents with this car parking illegally? Because you can’t “catch em all”? Sure, but you sure can catch those that just sit there with a fuckin’ bullseye on their hoods. _Day after day._ Yes, “put up with” would be the LET IT GO part of it. If you have the free time you can follow up with the local police and see what can be done in the future but really, LET IT GO. You’re letting someone else get to you and they’re not even trying. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-a-police-officer-be-this-wrong/626759.md?page=8)