pulled over the finer points

[T-Bone]

Hmm; that might be a stretch. I'll stipulate that every cop is different, and circumstances affect cases--that is, a cop in a big city will / might / may react differently to something than a small town officer would. However, they all share a certain "cop-sense" as explained to me by my neighbor, an officer in our semi-rural township. "If something looks unusual, it just might be," he told me once. "You get to know what 'normal' looks like."

Not knowing how common kilts are in your area, if he just got a glance of you in the gas station you may have set off his "unusual" light. Normal? costume? disguise? what? he's thinking....worth a look. You're briefly stopped; in that time he determines you're 1) a bit out of the norm but OK, 2) not drunk, 3) and based on a quick visual check, not an imminent hazard or threat. Naturally, he can't say to you "Sorry, you just looked unusual for around here," so he asked about the kilt.

I won't say he couldn't have ignored you completely but I will say what he did was well within the bounds of his job.

Yes, I've been "stopped" (motioned to the side, actually) by a cop in the next town over who simply wanted to look at
the car I was driving. First words out of his mouth were "You're not in trouble..." We talked cars for 20 minutes.

i.e. guilty until proven innocent.

[SeumasA]

I've had similar experiences on my motorcycle. I used to have to be at work at 0400. A couple of the excuses I got for being pulled over were, "I just ran your plate number and it belongs to a Harley. This sure doesn't look like a Harley." (I ride a Triumph) and "I can't prove you were speeding, but you sure looked like you were going awfully fast back there". In reality, they wanted to know what I was doing on a bike that time of day. When I pulled off the helmet and they saw the gray hair, they knew I wasn't some kid just out screwing around.

[seanachie]

I've been in law enforcement for 20 years now and am currently the commander of my department's uniformed division. If this officer pulled you over without any articulable suspicion that a civil or criminal violation had occurred, he was completely in the wrong. Depending on where this happened he himself likely violated civil and possibly criminal law. At a bare minimum he would be subject to department discipline if not more serious repercusions.

While you say that "nothing was harmed" I'd argue that the reputation of my profession has been harmed by his foolish and prohibited actions. I don't think anyone would disagree if for example he was stopping cars without cause to get the names of attractive women drivers. This isn't really any different. I don't mean to come off like a complete hard a$$ but this guy is lucky he doesn't work for me.

Sorry to stray a bit too far off topic.

I was in the USAF Security Police, and early in my career particularly on weekends, guys would on a very infrequent occassion pull over a nice looking woman driving with a temporary pass on base to try to chat her up etc. (These were paper forms you place in the windshield, rather than the DD2220 decals used to get on base) We had a rule about calling in all traffic stops, so people would make stuff up. Until one night we had an incident occur and a need for backup. I will never forget that, safety is a good reason to make sure you never pull a stunt like this.

[sin2001]

There are many police officers around here that feel there above law. I live next to one who works a few city's over. He fly in the residential area around here like a bat out of hell. He always brags about pullovers of attractive females and making up a reason. Personally knowing his wife a ask him what he is thinking. He says you never know what will happen. A police he says can pull who ever for what ever they find a reason for anything he says.

[Joe I]

I agree with Scout. Officers that think they are above the law are to me a step or two toward Stormtrooper. Bad enough that as a truck driver there are laws that are applied unevenly against me. What ever happened to equal protection under the law?

[Tobus]

Hmm; that might be a stretch. I'll stipulate that every cop is different, and circumstances affect cases--that is, a cop in a big city will / might / may react differently to something than a small town officer would. However, they all share a certain "cop-sense" as explained to me by my neighbor, an officer in our semi-rural township. "If something looks unusual, it just might be," he told me once. "You get to know what 'normal' looks like."

Not knowing how common kilts are in your area, if he just got a glance of you in the gas station you may have set off his "unusual" light. Normal? costume? disguise? what? he's thinking....worth a look. You're briefly stopped; in that time he determines you're 1) a bit out of the norm but OK, 2) not drunk, 3) and based on a quick visual check, not an imminent hazard or threat. Naturally, he can't say to you "Sorry, you just looked unusual for around here," so he asked about the kilt.

I won't say he couldn't have ignored you completely but I will say what he did was well within the bounds of his job.

Yes, I've been "stopped" (motioned to the side, actually) by a cop in the next town over who simply wanted to look at
the car I was driving. First words out of his mouth were "You're not in trouble..." We talked cars for 20 minutes.

The law and court precedents clearly state that an officer must have probable cause to detain you. Mere suspicion that something "doesn't look right" is not probable cause unless there is actual (demonstrable) suspicion that a legal infraction has been committed. I know it happens every day, but it shouldn't. This is not supposed to be a Police State where citizens must submit to random harassment by their overlords.

[Father Bill]

Well, I guess I need to prepare a list of places I won't be going. Thanks for starting this thread to begin my list with.

[sin2001]

Father Bill. For a list I would still have Utah on it. Its great here. Got the Mountains surrounding us. Also we have a Huge lake that puts off the best smells on a windy day, not to mention mosquitos. Love it here.

[Zardoz]

Don't see the big deal, I get a flash from the county deputy sheriffs I know around here every once in a while, just to say hi, or usually ask how my Dad is doing.

[OrneryPiper]

Don't see the big deal, I get a flash from the county deputy sheriffs I know around here every once in a while, just to say hi, or usually ask how my Dad is doing.

I don't think there is a big deal, this thread just gave people with a beef, and a flare for the dramatic, an opportunity to express their views on the police. The thing I don't understand is why, if you believe you are oppressed you don't file an official complaint. If you have been mistreated why not deal with it in a proper, mature faction, perhaps there is a reasonable answer?

I think sullying the police (or any other group for that matter...) on XMTS, preticularly when there are so many police and police pipeband members is inappropriate.