Cops tick me off

Actually...Cops have a damn tough job and they are wonderful when you need them and they show up. I don't really hate them at all, and generally respect them.

I do wish they had a better way of screening them though, cause there certainly are some power-tripping assholes on the force.

I am always very respectful when talking to them, or being pulled over, and since my youth, have never had a problem with one.

If we didn't have a police force, most of us would be dead now...

Oh so in other words, you don't want police men you want body guards???

They can't follow people around 24/7 waiting for shit to happen.

As for standing over your dead body....hmmm, I don't know how many times my husband has had to do CPR on someone because the paramedics weren't there yet.
Or has gone to a house and had to perform CPR on an obviously dead person because their body was still warm. So if you are dead, chances are they aren't standing over your body doing nothing. Oh but wait, from your analogy, the paramedics are going to get there first.

Nope, I need neither. Cops can simply piss off in my case. In any instance of trouble, I can drop most people mano-a-mano, or go O.K. Corral if they wanna play with toys. Either way, a cop won't be there 99.9999% of the time to protect me regardless. After all the fun is over, what then is a cop good for? Asking questions about my own behevior and associations, then telling me that they will investigate...and eventually telling me that they cannot locate a suspect. I'm a damn fine bodyguard all by myself. And trust me, I'd rather a crackhead with a bleeding lip ulcer give me CPR before any cop does (except Heather Locklear when she was on T.J. Hooker...mmmm mmmm).

Also, around here the Paras ususally do get to the scene after the cops. The Paras, though, actually do something besides yell "MOVE ALONG", and glare at people.

I think cops are a mixed bag like any other group of people. You get a whole range of behavior, exaserbated of course by all the special stressors of the profession. That said, this is my story:

First some essential background. Highland Park, a tiny island city in Dallas, TX where everyone is white and extremely affluent. The cops are very bored and very much into harassing anyone who they think looks suspicious.

My husband worked at the movie theatre and we had one car.. a real beater. Five nights a week I drove into Highland Park around 2:30 am to pick up my husband, and I usually got followed, and sometimes stopped. One beautiful night, when I was very pregnant, I was pulled over for the usual harassment. I was asked to get out of the car and feeling the urge to vomit, I did.. all over the cops shoes. He declined to arrest the 8 months pregnant woman (who was as big as a house) and I was never stopped again.

From a post above:

"You shout FOUL if you observe me driving fast to an emergency call, but raise hell if I take more than ten seconds to respond to your call."

That's nice, but what about people who can't defend themselves, or if the "people" you are trying to drop have weapons and you don't? Maybe I just don't understand the point you're making.

W e i r d. I live in a "Highland Park," but it's the COMPLETE opposite of the Dallas one. I've called 911 only once (shotgun discharges in the vicinity). Normally, I wouldn't call 911 for gunshots but my manager is a crazy redneck we know owns a shotgun because he told my girlfriend that one time some gay guys were kissing in the pool and he got out his gun and told them he'd shoot them if they didn't stop and leave-- so natch we thought he was drunk and went nuts.

The police didn't even send a car, only did a quick flyby in a chopper about 10 minutes after I made the report. (By the way, if you live in LA, DON'T BET ON 911-- it took over 20 minutes to get someone on the line!).

I will say one thing good about city workers, Firetrucks in this city are super effing fast. Maybe it's a better idea to call the fire department?