# My worst day **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 30, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014 "2009-12-30T04:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/1 "2009-12-30T04:31:32Z")
I just had the worst day of my entire life. I can’t even bear to write about it now. If anyone wants more info, PM me and I will try and explain. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/2 "2009-12-30T06:18:52Z")
I’m sorry to hear that. May this day forever retain it’s status as “worst” and you never have one this bad again. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/3 "2009-12-30T08:17:56Z")
Why not save yourself the agony of writing 50 PM responses and just tell us about it here. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/4 "2009-12-30T08:21:52Z")
Either tell us about it, or don’t. Either give the details or don’t. Either start a thread with details, or just for sympathy. But don’t start a thread and then tell people that if they want to know the substance of your point, they need to PM you. That’s just bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/5 "2009-12-30T14:08:02Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Either tell us about it, or don’t. Either give the details or don’t. Either start a thread with details, or just for sympathy. > > But don’t start a thread and then tell people that if they want to know the substance of your point, they need to PM you. That’s just bullshit. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/6 "2009-12-30T14:31:33Z")
Also agreed. Hopefully I can explain it now. I think I can stomach it now - barely. I worked at home yesterday, then did errands at lunchtime. I deposited some checks for my wife at the bank. They seemed unusually slow. When I walked outside - I was greeted by the SWAT team, who had me get down - I was cuffed and sat in a police cruiser while they looked up my (clean) record. The detectives kept looking me over - then they let me out and took the cuffs off, and explained that a guy fitting my description had robbed a (different) bank that morning. He had also robbed other banks - and a bank worker must have seen the picture and compared it to me. They showed me the picture - it was hazy but VERY close. He even had a shirt with a stripe across it, somewhat like mine. I think they had decided I wasn’t their guy and told me I would be free to go, but they wanted to have the teller from that morning do a drive-by. She did for all of 5 seconds, then they came over and said “The good news is, you’re free to go - the bad news is, she said it was you!” They recommended I contact a lawyer, which I did when I got home. He pointed out that if they thought I was their guy, they would not have let me go. The other (only?) good news is that one of the cops mentioned they had this guy’s fingerprints. Mine are on file (Fed worker) so hopefully they will check that out and I won’t hear from them again. In the meantime, Aaaaaargh! ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/7 "2009-12-30T14:43:52Z")
Wow - I would probably still be puking from the tension! Hopefully the fingerprints will clear it up! good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/8 "2009-12-30T14:56:12Z")
Holy crap, that’s pretty intense, but I’m glad they’ve likely cleared this up. But yeah, if a witness made a positive ID on you and they still let you go, then they’re pretty damn sure you’re not their guy or else you’d be in the holding tank until they sorted it out. If there’s any lingering doubt the fingerprint check will clear it up. Unless … unless _he has your fingerprints!_ To be continued… ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/9 "2009-12-30T15:02:03Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > Wow - I would probably still be puking from the tension! > > Hopefully the fingerprints will clear it up! good luck! No puking, but I haven’t eaten more than a few bites since this happened. I think I am already down 5 pounds. I’ve had to take my phone off “vibrate” since My whole body shakes so much, I always think it’s vibrating. But at least I can now answer the question “If something horribly scary happened to me, would I pee or poop my pants?” with a “No.” ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/10 "2009-12-30T15:10:30Z")
I agree with your attorney. If they didn’t take you to an interrogation room , it does indicate that they don’t really suspect you, especially since you have a clean record. If the cops want you to come in for anything, contact your lawyer and have him meet you there. Don’t say shit without your lawyer. I know you are shaking now, but a year from now, this will make one hell of a story to tell friends and family. How many other people can say it took a SWAT team to bring them in? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/11 "2009-12-30T15:12:28Z")
In a few weeks/months, this will cease being your “worst day ever” and become “the most awesome story of all time”. ---
**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:** [December 30, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/12 "2009-12-30T15:13:34Z")
Another colossal vote of confidence for eyewitness IDs. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/13 "2009-12-30T15:16:23Z")
Not to knock the OP, but there will be worse days in your life. This incident was a temporary inconvenience with no lasting harm. The death of a loved one is worse. Having a loved one diagnosed with a terminal illness is worse. Serious bodily injury is worse. Etc. I know it was upsetting, but keep things in perspective. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/14 "2009-12-30T15:27:56Z")
That was a bad day, no doubt about it. But it could have gone a LOT worse for you. And agreed, in a few years, this will be the most awesomest story ever. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/15 "2009-12-30T15:34:30Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Another colossal vote of confidence for eyewitness IDs. I walked into the middle of an armed robbery at a Blockbuster years ago. When the cops came afterwards, the clerk swore up and down that they wore ski masks. I knew damned well they wore baseball hats. We were both _absolutely certain._ ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/16 "2009-12-30T15:39:36Z")
Wow, sounds terrible. Cool story, once this is all cleared up, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/17 "2009-12-30T15:41:34Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I walked into the middle of an armed robbery at a Blockbuster years ago. When the cops came afterwards, the clerk swore up and down that they wore ski masks. I knew damned well they wore baseball hats. We were both _absolutely certain._ As a former bank teller, I’ve been through my fair share of robberies. In the one that got the most personal, I swore to the Feds that the guy wore glasses. They seemed a little displeased at my description. As it turns out, he just had really baggy eyes. (And yes, they caught him.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/18 "2009-12-30T16:00:25Z")
I’m sorry - this all sounds like it was terrible. For what it’s worth, botched eyewitness identifications are pretty common, and “drive-by” IDs are particularly error-prone. Absent training, most people in high-stress situations tend to focus on things like guns, not faces - and when you show them _one person_ being detained by police, and ask them, “is that they guy?”, they’re quite likely to say yes. A much better method is to show eyewitnesses a series of photographs one at a time, so that they don’t know how many “suspects” they’ll be looking at, and don’t feel as much pressure to pick one because “it _must_ be one of these X photos, right?” There’s a well-regarded psychologist, Elizabeth Loftus, who’s made quite a career out debunking eyewitness identification. [Elizabeth Loftus - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Loftus) ---
**Author:** ![EpicNonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@EpicNonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EpicNonsense)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/19 "2009-12-30T16:16:02Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > But at least I can now answer the question “If something horribly scary happened to me, would I pee or poop my pants?” with a “No.” Question is, _had_ you pooped your pants, would they be under obligation to buy you a new pair due to the misidentification? Seems all too often people get misidentified, go through hell, then are just ‘free to go’ and everything is all fine and dandy. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014/20 "2009-12-30T16:26:56Z")
I don’t know if I’d be spending lots of dough on an attorney until I was sure they were going after me. Dropping 500.00 - 1000.00 + on something that may turn out to be nothing in a few days if they are convinced of your innocence/alibi (as it seems they are) seems like a huge waste of money at this point. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-worst-day/523014.md?page=2)