steveh_131
Grandmaster
I doubt that many decent people actually dislike police officers. I think the problem is that for those of us who stay out of trouble, our only interaction with them is typically negative (traffic infractions).
99% of the time that I see a cop, I go into panic mode and wonder if I did something that's going to earn me an outrageous ticket. This isn't the fault of the police officers, it's the fault of a system that uses the police force as glorified tax collectors.
You know what would be a good way to combat these negative feelings? Obviously, eliminating 90% of the needless traffic infractions would help, but that's not something the cops themselves can do.
You can start by understanding that when you pull me over, you're not making me or anybody else safer. You're just collecting money from me. I don't need to hear a lecture about how unsafe it is for me to be doing 65 on a dry, empty 6-lane highway. I don't need to be grilled about where I'm going like I'm a common thief and far below you. It's 6 AM on a Monday morning, I'm obviously going to WORK, not a drug deal. Try walking up to the car and saying "Hello. I apologize for intruding on your life, but today you've been semi-randomly selected to be taxed by the local government under the guise of public safety. Here is your absurdly large bill, including hundreds of dollars for a court date that will not actually happen. Have a nice day."
99% of the time that I see a cop, I go into panic mode and wonder if I did something that's going to earn me an outrageous ticket. This isn't the fault of the police officers, it's the fault of a system that uses the police force as glorified tax collectors.
You know what would be a good way to combat these negative feelings? Obviously, eliminating 90% of the needless traffic infractions would help, but that's not something the cops themselves can do.
You can start by understanding that when you pull me over, you're not making me or anybody else safer. You're just collecting money from me. I don't need to hear a lecture about how unsafe it is for me to be doing 65 on a dry, empty 6-lane highway. I don't need to be grilled about where I'm going like I'm a common thief and far below you. It's 6 AM on a Monday morning, I'm obviously going to WORK, not a drug deal. Try walking up to the car and saying "Hello. I apologize for intruding on your life, but today you've been semi-randomly selected to be taxed by the local government under the guise of public safety. Here is your absurdly large bill, including hundreds of dollars for a court date that will not actually happen. Have a nice day."