Today in tone-deaf newspaper columns

[MisterCreosote]

In today's America, there's a widespread unwillingness to treat other people with basic human decency, and it comes from all sides. Maybe if ALL of us stopped being dicks, everything would go much more smoothly.

 

[dirtybird]

In today's America, there's a widespread unwillingness to treat other people with basic human decency, and it comes from all sides. Maybe if ALL of us stopped being dicks, everything would go much more smoothly.

Sure, but I think the natural dynamics of that interaction leave most people highly irked at cops. I get it's their job, but that job is to delay me, come into my space in an unwelcome manner, grill me and then assess me a potentially large fee, it's not a shock most folks come away from the interaction salty. No reason to be a deck to the cop, but it's just the outcome that'll happen.

Of course, if the cop chooses to not charge me that fee, I'm a fan. Transactional that way.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Most people don't like cops. Why? Because they are on the receiving end of law enforcement. When a Cop shows up, someone called them, and it probably was not you, but it may well have been because of You.
When you see a Cop, it's probably because you are perceived as having done something wrong (traffic violation, public intox., sex with a animal carcass). I'm sure you aren't happy about it - nevermind you might actually be guilty or speeding, running light, failure to indicate a turn, or consent to have intercourse with said carcass.
When a cop shows up someone is in trouble, be it heading to jail or a ticket. Whatever the issue, when Cops are called, for 99 percent of the people they are interacting with, it's going to be unpleasant. They are not firefighters or EMTs.

Keep in mind Cops on a daily basis deal with the bottom rung of human decency. Even the traffic cops. It's a lot of scumbags on a day-to-day basis.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

I have yet to meet an 84-year-old and really be comfortable with the idea of them behind 4,000 pounds of steel with a 260-horsepower engine.

 

[trifectarich]

If every driver who failed to signal was ticketed, no city, county or state in the U S of A would ever have a budget shortfall because that's all cops would do for 99 percent of their shifts. I'd put the percentage of drivers who've ever used their turn signal at no more than 50 percent.

 

[Doc Holliday]

The way you wrote this, is sounds like being polite is some magic bullet. It's not. If you were more of a deck, maybe you get a ticket, which implies the cop is pretty unprofessional. But I've been plenty polite to cops, and sometimes, I get my ticket, sometimes not.

Since their job isn't to fine people for being rude, if the difference between ticket or warning is how deferent I am, than someone is not actually doing their job but is in fact being a deck.

(That's how that whole unbalanced power dynamic works which makes folks feel like cops are dicks, something an officer probably has to factor in)

Well if you're stupid enough to be a deck to a cop and hope that he or she is not going to give you a ticket, then you're a moron.

 

[Fredrick]

I agree the column shouldn't have run.

I also think it was a petty stop in a sea of a thousand petty stops, and having a second cop there was weird, and context that was only provided after the column was written.

The guy also didn't believe the police were trying to stop him. He thought they were after someone else.

Many years ago, after covering a basketball game on a college campus, something similar happened to me. At 2 am, I turned on a Red light in the middle of campus. No one on the road, and I'd never been on the campus, so I didnt see the no right turn on red sign. A campus police officer, 2 blocks away, behind two red lights - the only other car on campus, I'd guess - sees this and hits his lights, going through one red light of his own to stop me.

At the end of the stop - I'm perfectly polite to that point - he hands me the ticket. I look at it. "How much is it?" I ask. He proceeds to tell me that, since he's a campus cop, he can't determine that; he has to submit the ticket to the county and I gotta call them to know what I owe.

This is a 2 am traffic stop.

You definitely got screwed there. Usually that late at night, early a.m., they obviously are looking for DUIs. When they see you are not DUI candidate they let u off. One time I got stopped about 1 a.m. for a stop sign violation and the guy admitted he was looking for DUIs then still gave me a ticket. He was kind of a deck. I used to work late and have been stopped before for whatever and they've always let me off once they see I wasn't drinking. Usually they admit they're looking for DUIs if they wind up giving you a warning.

 

[Alma]

Sure, but I think the natural dynamics of that interaction leave most people highly irked at cops. I get it's their job, but that job is to delay me, come into my space in an unwelcome manner, grill me and then assess me a potentially large fee, it's not a shock most folks come away from the interaction salty. No reason to be a deck to the cop, but it's just the outcome that'll happen.

Of course, if the cop chooses to not charge me that fee, I'm a fan. Transactional that way.

It's partially the "fee" and partially the moral lecture some of them want to partake in, as if they're your parent.

Cops break traffic laws all the time, too. They can spare citizens the mock concern.

 

[swingline]

Presuming the column was edited (no certainty in today's cut cut cut environment but let's assume).....why would he ever be suspended for a line that was left in?

With all the layoffs the Trib has had in the last year-plus, that column probably got no more than a cursory glance. Editing Ol' Clark was no picnic when he was 74, so I'm sure it's even more fun now that he's 84.

 

[FileNotFound]

Well if you're stupid enough to be a deck to a cop and hope that he or she is not going to give you a ticket, then you're a moron.

This exactly. I've received my share of speeding tickets and part of your share too, and I'm embarrassed to admit that when I was younger, I talked my way into most of them when I should have STFU'ed.

 

[Vombatus]

In today's America, there's a widespread unwillingness to treat other people with basic human decency, and it comes from all sides. Maybe if ALL of us stopped being dicks, everything would go much more smoothly.

The MC Manifesto.

I'm waiting until you show more appreciation for Maryland.

 

[swingline]

Driving around today, I made sure to use my turn signal. Don't want to get *Ol' Clarked.*