# Inappropriate Police Behavior **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 27, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335 "2006-02-27T17:40:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335/121 "2006-04-06T12:44:25Z")
Crap, sorry guys. I missed the last page! ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335/122 "2006-04-06T16:40:58Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > For the last time: it’s not just dealing with the request for a form but the entire pattern of behavior. When a cop asks you a question, they want to hear “Yes, sir/ma’am” or “No sir, ma’am”. They do _not_ want to hear “Who decides that?” and _certainly_ not “Why?” Or, as I said way back in post #51: Asuuming the report is correct, no. Whoa, wait, what? I’d dropped this topic with you back on my posts [78](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7161091&postcount=78) and [81](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7161677&postcount=81), as it was clear you had different standards of what being “belligerent” was, but if a cop is expecting Yes sir/No sir answers from me they can go fuck themselves. _Especially_ if they were the ones who dodged my questions in the first place. A police badge infers special powers sure, but the wearer is beholden to the public, not the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335/123 "2006-04-06T17:20:24Z")
> [@Nanoda](#): > > if a cop is expecting Yes sir/No sir answers from me they can go fuck themselves. _Especially_ if they were the ones who dodged my questions in the first place. A police badge infers special powers sure, but the wearer is beholden to the public, not the other way around. Some cops do expect yes sir/no sir answers and when one encounters that sort of cop it’s best to act accordingly to get anywhere with that cop or try to find one who doesn’t have that attitude. Again, I am not defending the cops. I _am_ saying “it takes two to tango” in this instance. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335/124 "2006-04-06T17:30:41Z")
And as abuse of powers go, [a bit of verbal assault is relatively minor](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=317347). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335/125 "2006-04-06T18:50:20Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > For the last time: it’s not just dealing with the request for a form but the entire pattern of behavior. When a cop asks you a question, they want to hear “Yes, sir/ma’am” or “No sir, ma’am”. They do _not_ want to hear “Who decides that?” and _certainly_ not “Why?” . Then they need to find another country, one without a Bill of Rights and where they can get good prices on Jackboots. Cops are just civil _servants_ who get to carry guns. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335/126 "2006-04-06T20:14:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Then they need to find another country, one without a Bill of Rights and where they can get good prices on Jackboots. Cops are just civil _servants_ who get to carry guns. Have I said anything to the contrary? ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335/127 "2006-04-07T17:45:52Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Have I said anything to the contrary? By defending the actions of cops that got all huffy and pissed because of a few simple questions, you’re placing them above normal expectations for behavior. Really, who’s supposed to be the adult here? Is it unreasonable to expect that it would be the cops? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335/128 "2006-04-07T21:58:16Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > When a cop asks you a question, they want to hear “Yes, sir/ma’am” or “No sir, ma’am”. They do _not_ want to hear “Who decides that?” and _certainly_ not “Why?” When conducting a traffic stop or an investigation, sure. When someone walks into the station to request a form? Hell no. To quote the Miami chief of police himself: > [@](#): > > “Your job is to explain how you take the complaint and make no judgement, even though you may say, this person looks like they just dropped in from Mars”, In other words, their job in that situation is to answer the questions of the people who come into the station with a request. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335/129 "2006-04-07T22:24:09Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > By defending the actions of cops… What part “I am not defending the cops. I am saying ‘it takes two to tango’ in this instance” do you not understand? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335/130 "2006-04-07T22:26:56Z")
Hell, one of my sisters married a cop who turned out to be one of those passive-agressive types; he got worse when he retired and they ended up divorcing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-police-behavior/346335.md?page=6)