We know that cops are psychologicaly addicted to asserting their authority. Cops typically grow up in a family where they had little autonomy, and they love getting back on all who oppressed them before.
They see everything with ordinary citizens as a black-white scenario. And want to get brownie points for running us in.
My own horror story at the hands of cops: I was bicycling along a nearby lake with my neighbor's boy, with the permission of his mother. David was 13, I am 60. David stopped, and a dozen yards later, I stopped to care about whether he was tired or a mechanical problem. A cop came along and demanded, "What are you doing?"
Me: We were bicycling. I was turning around for David. He's just around the corner.
Cop: !Show me your identification!
Me: I left my wallet at home, but it's just two blocks away. {I didn't realize that I should always carry my wallet when bicycling in my neighborhood.} You can call my wife.
Cop: We are on the look out for sexual predators like you.
Me: {Head spinning--like me?? I was merely bicycling with my neighbor's son, and his mother encouraged him getting some exercise and talking with me about school and his other interests, and now I am accused of being a sexual predator? Reality disconnect big time.} You can call David's mother.
Cop: Who is David? Why do you know him? What are you doing with this boy?
Me: {Fortunately David caught up at this time; he was obviously scared, but he stammered out answers.} Ask David.
Cop: Who is this man? Is he your father or Uncle?
David: No.
Cop: Does your mother know you are here?
David: I think so. {exactly 'here' being ambiguous for a 13-yr old trying to be truthful, as to which street corner}.
Cop: Come with me.
Me: About the bicycles? We can't just leave them.
Cop: Do you want me to put you under arrest?
Me: {5 minutes later, with David in the passenger seat and me behind plexiglass on a metal seat, but fortunately not handcuffed, we arrived in front of my house with flashing lights and a second patrol car with flashing lights--quite a scene.} {Wife comes out to see what is going on; neighbors come out. David's mother comes out.} {David is looking totally scared; I am looking WTF? David's Mom comes forward to say that me and my wife are long-time friends of her family, and what is the problem?}
Cops--now 4 of them: "Son, do you agree to go back with your mother?"
I am speechless. This boy is not the son of these thugs. Nothing has suggested--or even hinted at--that he is unhappy in his family or with his Mom. All we were doing was taking an evening bicycle ride in our neighborhood.
I have not the tiniest bit of respect for cops ever since.
They see everything with ordinary citizens as a black-white scenario. And want to get brownie points for running us in.
So, what is the best way to deal with these Rambo wanna-bees? To remind them that they work for us? Or is this a lost cause, are we already living in a police state? If so, how can we minimize inconvenience wtihout surrendering all of our liberties? Do we need to each of us carry around some lawyer's business card, ask the confronting officer "Are you detaining me against my will?" and sue those who do? Any suggestions? Could you have gotten his name and badge number, and found ways to make life miserable for him? Or is that a contest the typical citizen can never hope to win?