# I hate the oppressive police culture in the USA **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 15, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534 "2014-09-15T04:14:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/21 "2014-09-15T08:27:10Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > I can’t say I’ve ever met someone that carries their ID (typically a drivers license) just because they might be randomly stopped by the police. I’ve certainly never considered it. My license is just in my wallet and I always have it because I want to have my credit card, cash, etc on me when I’m out and about. Yea, I don’t do this, and I don’t think I’ve known anyone else who does this either. And I’ve lived in four different places in the US in the last ten years. IIRC, the only time I’ve been stopped by a cop was when I ran a stop sign (and they just gave me a warning). Where specifically does the OP live that this is a problem? How many times has he actually been stopped and asked for ID? (I kinda wish US municipalities would ease up on open container laws for pedestrians though, but its at worst a minor annoyance). ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/22 "2014-09-15T09:11:41Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > I can’t say I’ve ever met someone that carries their ID (typically a drivers license) just because they might be randomly stopped by the police. I’ve certainly never considered it. My license is just in my wallet and I always have it because I want to have my credit card, cash, etc on me when I’m out and about. I’ve been asked the opposite. I went out with some friends to have a birthday dinner get together, was not intending to drink, was not the driver (my friend was), so I didn’t go with an ID, just cash to pay for the meal. When some of my other friends at the dinner party realized I didn’t have any form of ID on me, they took me to task for it. This was in the US, where carrying ID is not required by law. And the most vocal person was a US native, not a foreigner like most of the people at the party. In my current place (where ID is required), since I’m a foreigner, I sometimes carry my passport, sometimes my driver’s license, most times my work ID, but many times also nothing. Creates a bit of a problem sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/23 "2014-09-15T09:12:38Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Do you know how relaxing it is to stroll down the street openly drinking a beer not having to worry about police harassment? “There I was, flagrantly violating a state law, and the cops suddenly just started harassing me FOR NO REASON!” ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/24 "2014-09-15T09:14:22Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > I’ve been asked the opposite. I went out with some friends to have a birthday dinner get together, was not intending to drink, was not the driver (my friend was), so I didn’t go with an ID, just cash to pay for the meal. > > When some of my other friends at the dinner party realized I didn’t have any form of ID on me, they took me to task for it. This was in the US, where carrying ID is not required by law. And the most vocal person was a US native, not a foreigner like most of the people at the party. Interesting. Did they say why they thought you should have had it on you? It just wouldn’t occur to me to not have it, since it’s always in my wallet with all the other crap in there. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/25 "2014-09-15T09:16:15Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > I can’t say I’ve ever met someone that carries their ID (typically a drivers license) just because they might be randomly stopped by the police. I’ve certainly never considered it. My license is just in my wallet and I always have it because I want to have my credit card, cash, etc on me when I’m out and about. I absolutely just _do not get_ why people act like carrying their ID with them is such a titanic burden. If I’m going to be driving anywhere, I need it as proof that I’m allowed to drive. If I’m going to buy anything, I may need to show it when I use my credit or debit card, and it’s in my wallet with my cards and money anyway. If I’m going to buy alcohol, or going to a concert at a 21-and-over venue, I need it to prove my age. If I’m boarding a plane or train, I need it to get through security. And if I’m ever in an accident where I’m rendered unable to speak, it’s the easiest way that emergency personnel could identify me to contact my family. There’s pretty much no situation where it would ever be to my _benefit_ not to have ID on me, and it represents absolutely no burden to have it on me. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/26 "2014-09-15T09:32:19Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > Interesting. Did they say why they thought you should have had it on you? > > It just wouldn’t occur to me to not have it, since it’s always in my wallet with all the other crap in there. I don’t have a wallet. Well, I used to have a wallet, and then I lost it. And since then, I’m a bit wary about having another one. I was lucky both my SSN card and my driver’s license were NOT on the wallet as I had switched them to be with my passport/airline ticket. So when I went out that night, to a place I knew was cash-only, well, I took a small purse and just cash. I left my driver’s license in my car (and I was not driving it). In fact, that’s where my driver’s ID was most of the time, anyways (the car). I’m not completely sure why the other person thought I should have it with me, but the sentiment and feeling they were using led me to believe it was for reasons similar to what grude describes (random police check). Keep in mind this was a southern small town, USA, and I was (am) a minority. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/27 "2014-09-15T09:43:14Z")
Singapore. I have a nationally issued identity card (mandatory for all citizens I believe), but it is not mandatory to carry it with you. I have it with me now (a driver’s licence also works as official ID except when performing national service, but I carry both my ID card and driver’s licence). I’ve never been stopped by a policeman who demanded to see my ID. Heck, I’ve never been stopped by a policeman ever. I didn’t see any policemen today. Well scratch that, I saw a police car drive by, there might have been a policeman inside but I wouldn’t know. In my 32 years I’ve only ever went to a police station to update the address on my identity card. That about sums up my interaction with the police. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/28 "2014-09-15T09:45:20Z")
I’m not sure what the cops would even do with your license if you had it, or what they would do if you didn’t have it. They can’t arrest you for not having ID, and if you do have ID I’m not sure what they’d get out of looking at it. Unless your a famous escaped serial killer or something, just knowing your name and address isn’t really going to help the cops. I don’t really see what purpose it would serve, and again, I’ve never really seen it happen, except maybe outside bars in college towns, where the purpose is obviously to catch kids drinking underage. Does the OP have a cite that this is a widespread practice in the US? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/29 "2014-09-15T09:55:38Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > There’s pretty much no situation where it would ever be to my _benefit_ not to have ID on me, and it represents absolutely no burden to have it on me. From what I recall seeing, in previous threads, the argument against ID basically comes down to government distrust. People don’t want to take a census nor carry ID, because they don’t want to be able to be tracked down, on the day the government decides it needs to deal with people of a “certain type”. For example, they don’t want to end up like the Japanese-Americans did during WWII (nor like the German-Jews, during the same time period). I think that’s a bit overblown, but it does have some historic backing, so I can’t entirely shoot them down. But in general, I would say that this thread tells us more about **grude** , than it does about American police. I imagine that American police are more likely to intervene when they expect people to misbehave, but that’s probably because Americans tend to misbehave in more violent and destructive ways than Germans, British, or French do. But the police still only interfere with people who seem likely to misbehave, so…don’t look like you’re going to do bad things, if you don’t want people to treat you like someone fixing on doing bad things. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/30 "2014-09-15T09:57:45Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I absolutely just _do not get_ why people act like carrying their ID with them is such a titanic burden. If I’m going to be driving anywhere, I need it as proof that I’m allowed to drive. If I’m going to buy anything, I may need to show it when I use my credit or debit card, and it’s in my wallet with my cards and money anyway. If I’m going to buy alcohol, or going to a concert at a 21-and-over venue, I need it to prove my age. If I’m boarding a plane or train, I need it to get through security. **And if I’m ever in an accident where I’m rendered unable to speak, it’s the easiest way that emergency personnel could identify me to contact my family.** > > There’s pretty much no situation where it would ever be to my _benefit_ not to have ID on me, and it represents absolutely no burden to have it on me. All of this, especially the bolded part. If you ever find me unconscious and unable to respond, please, please, PLEASE go through my pockets and look for my ID. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/31 "2014-09-15T10:12:40Z")
> [@grude](#): > > he had been riding his bike and smoking a cigarette and out of nowhere he was knocked off his bike and hit the ground and suddenly had two cops swarming on him. > > His crime? He crossed over a street that is on university property where smoking is forbidden … this merited being knocked off his bike to be cuffed and arrested. CITE? Please?.. Now, I hate smokers myself, and I would love to throw 'em all in jail, (especially the smokers in my office 🙂 ) . But I kinda doubt that the police would assist me in cuffing 'em all. I don’t normally get too nitpicky about cites…But without one, well…as somebody already posted above, this thread seems to tell us more about **grude** than about the police. ---
**Author:** ![AnaMen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@AnaMen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnaMen)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/32 "2014-09-15T10:31:05Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > … > But in general, I would say that this thread tells us more about **grude** , than it does about American police. I imagine that American police are more likely to intervene when they expect people to misbehave, but that’s probably because Americans tend to misbehave in more violent and destructive ways than Germans, British, or French do. But the police still only interfere with people who seem likely to misbehave, so…don’t look like you’re going to do bad things, if you don’t want people to treat you like someone fixing on doing bad things. Exactly. Like black people get asked for ID and harassed by the cops all the time and obviously they are generally up to no good, as the jails are full of them. If you want to be left alone, quit looking so black, ya know? Don’t even get me started about those long-haired hippies. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/33 "2014-09-15T10:31:34Z")
Excessive police harassment is mostly an issue for the poor and non white so most people in power don’t even know it exists let alone want to do something about it. I think the incident in Ferguson may have opened some eyes but it probably will make little difference. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/34 "2014-09-15T10:31:49Z")
Yeah, I found that kind of unlikely myself, talk about only getting one side of the story (re Chappachula’s post above, two replies in the time it took me to type) And as for the OP, someone who goes out of their way to get hassled by the police gets shocked and bent out of shape when he’s hassled by the police. Hmmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/35 "2014-09-15T10:55:08Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I recently had an online friend who lives clear across the USA from my usual resident area relate how he had been riding his bike(dude is in his late 40s and a programmer) and smoking a cigarette and out of nowhere he was knocked off his bike and hit the ground and suddenly had two cops swarming on him. Riding his bike _and_ smoking a cigarette? Clearly he’s in the wrong line of work - he needs to quit programming and give Ringling Bros. a call. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/36 "2014-09-15T11:19:24Z")
In my nearly 40 years living in the USA, I have never once been randomly stopped, harassed, or asked to provide ID by police. I’m certainly not doubting or blaming those that say they have, and I am in principle all in favor of pushing back against overreaching police officers so that we never get to that sort of oppressive regime state, but I have to admit that it’s not really a pressing concern in my day-to-day life. The last time I spoke to a cop, it was because I was driving home at night, and a blown fuse meant that my tail lights weren’t lit up. He asked me to drive the rest of the way with my blinkers on, ran my license, and sent me on my way. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/37 "2014-09-15T12:00:20Z")
I’ve never been harassed, but I’m a white female. I think that makes a difference. I don’t carry ID when I go for a walk or a hike either. It is a difficult problem. We ask our police to deal with the worst of society, so it’s not surprising that they start to see people differently. I see the same thing with people I know who work as corrections officers. There is an us against them kind of mentality. ---
**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:** [September 15, 2014, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/38 "2014-09-15T12:14:26Z")
I’m not sure where you get that the US is swarming with cops. Of course certain places have a lot. Times Square for instance. But that is a relatively recent phenomenon. Back when I was a kid it was hard to find a cop in Times Square. It was also a total and complete shit hole. In the town I grew up in during the busy evening hours there are often 5 cops work an area of around 30 square miles with a population of almost 70,000\*. That seems pretty typical. I wouldn’t call that swarming. \*That is patrol officers. During the day on weekdays there are more working but they have different jobs and aren’t patrolling the streets. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/39 "2014-09-15T12:23:20Z")
[Help, help, I’m being repressed!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8ukak8P2vY) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534/40 "2014-09-15T12:48:22Z")
[QUOTE=grude] People in the USA, random law abiding citizens make sure they never leave the house without ID in case they are stopped randomly by police even if they are not driving. [/quote] I often go around as a pedestrian without ID and have never been stopped and harassed for it. Maybe if I was drinking a beer and frequently looking around in paranoid fashion for “swarms” of cops, it’d be a different story. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-oppressive-police-culture-in-the-usa/698534.md?page=3)