Stopped by police

[Streetcar]

...However, before I could ask him about his legal rights to obviously question what I was wearing the car continued its way across the square. Seeing it disappearing I considered whether I should find a police station and complain about him. But after a couple of minutes I came to the conclusion that it probably would be nothing but a waste of time.
I did feel insulted and I still do...

If it had been a random citizen asking you the same thing, would you still be insulted?

I readily admit that I know nothing about Swedish law. Perhaps in Sweden, uniformed police are not allowed to talk to people unless it is in regards to a criminal investigation.

Fortunately, police here do not give up their rights as citizens when they put on the uniform. (Though many think otherwise...)

[Rogerson785]

You should understand that police officers are supposed to be curious of their surroundings and it’s their job to be inquisitive of something new or unusual. Granted to the members of this forum wearing a kilt anywhere is not considered unusual, but had it been 45 Celsius (113F) and you were wearing a knit watch cap and trench coat you would be questioned too, at least if the police were doing their job. Were you wearing a Sgian Dubh with your kilt, because that could have caused the initial interview?

[BozemanboB]

I've been "questioned" a couple of times here by cops. Never a big deal. They approach the encounter as any other curious at-work onlooker would. If they have a friendly tone and appear genuinely curious I have no problem with that. One of them even asked The Question; I responded with "shoes and socks" and he and his partner just busted up laughing.

Happens at airports with TSA folks ("Dude! Is that really a kilt?!" was the line of questioning on my last trip), concerts with the hired security guys ("Cool kilt, man. You don't have any weapons in your, uh, the thing on your, um... no weapons, right?") that sort of thing.

boB

[Tommie]

concerts with the hired security guys ("Cool kilt, man. You don't have any weapons in your, uh, the thing on your, um... no weapons, right?") that sort of thing.

I would not be able to resist sayin"Nothing but the hole in the back.Ya wanna look?"

[ccga3359]

Nothing overly unexpected. No doubt I'll be stopped and questioned by the Police at some point with no problems. Outside of Scotland kilts are not a common sight. There may also be concern on mainland Europe due to drunken rowdy kilt wearers of past. I'd wouldn't be offended, it is his job to investigate things out of the norm.

[BoldHighlander]

I'd wouldn't be offended, it is his job to investigate things out of the norm.

It would be dependant upon the manner of the questioning / attitude of the officer,
otherwise I wouldn't be offended either.

[ccga3359]

It would be dependant upon the manner of the questioning / attitude of the officer,
otherwise I wouldn't be offended either.

Agreed, to me GG's encounter did not sound at all confrontational.

[BoldHighlander]

Agreed, to me GG's encounter did not sound at all confrontational.

I agree

There may also be concern on mainland Europe due to drunken rowdy kilt wearers of past.

You know Grant, this came to my mind initially too.

[GG]

Thank you for all the answers.
I might, of course, have been overreacting as it is the overall opinion here. As Grant says, it was not confrontational in any way.
"If it had been a random citizen asking you the same thing, would you still be insulted?" Streetcar asks. No, I wouldn’t.
The difference is that a cop in a uniform is an “official” person and in our society he, as a principal rule, is not supposed to talk to citizens unless he has observed something illegal or he is investigating a committed crime. I guess that in your countries the police may have other rights.
Recently we have experienced increasing violence and the usage of knives and guns in Denmark. Here new rules established by the Minister of Justice specifically allow the police within certain well defined areas of Copenhagen and for a limited time on a random basis to investigate and check if people are carrying knives and other weapons. It is no longer permitted to carry knives with a blade exceeding a few inch unless you are a scout. The possessing and wearing of guns is and has always been strictly forbidden. But outside these neighborhoods cops cannot without reasonable suspicion check if people are breaking the law. In neighborhoods where drug dealers operate the police cannot legally check position of drugs unless they observe something unusual.

That is why I being - and with my camera around my neck looking like - a tourist feel offended when a policeman stops his car and is telling me that wearing a kilt is uncommon.

Greg

www.dress2kilt.eu

[ccga3359]

Thank you for all the answers.
I might, of course, have been overreacting as it is the overall opinion here. As Grant says, it was not confrontational in any way.
"If it had been a random citizen asking you the same thing, would you still be insulted?" Streetcar asks. No, I wouldn’t.
The difference is that a cop in a uniform is an “official” person and in our society he, as a principal rule, is not supposed to talk to citizens unless he has observed something illegal or he is investigating a committed crime. I guess that in your countries the police may have other rights.
Recently we have experienced increasing violence and the usage of knives and guns in Denmark. Here new rules established by the Minister of Justice specifically allow the police within certain well defined areas of Copenhagen and for a limited time on a random basis to investigate and check if people are carrying knives and other weapons. It is no longer permitted to carry knives with a blade exceeding a few inch unless you are a scout. The possessing and wearing of guns is and has always been strictly forbidden. But outside these neighborhoods cops cannot without reasonable suspicion check if people are breaking the law. In neighborhoods where drug dealers operate the police cannot legally check position of drugs unless they observe something unusual.

That is why I being - and with my camera around my neck looking like - a tourist feel offended when a policeman stops his car and is telling me that wearing a kilt is uncommon.

Greg

www.dress2kilt.eu

I assumed in Denmark, as it is in Canada and from what I remember In England, not common at all to see a man in a kilt unless it was an official function (parade or such). Then perhaps this Policeman knew something about traditional Scottish attire including the carring of a sgian dubh and was checking to see if you were indeed "armed". The laws and police proceedure do indeed sound similar here.