Last Tuesday in the early afternoon I was returning from a Dr’s appointment by public transportation. I arrived at LA Union Station via Red Line subway about an hour before the next Orange County Metrolink (I live in Anaheim, Doc is in Beverly Hills). So I went into the main station concourse and got a candy bar to eat before I got on the 2:25 PM train. I sat down in the concourse for a little people watching while I nibbled away.
After a few minutes a cop-like person (male) in the uniform I have seen around the station a lot (but not a city cop) came over and asked me if I had a ticket Mind you I was in the main concourse where there are several doors to the street and a couple of courtyards and at least 2 restaurants. One of the restaurants is critically acclaimed and gets street walk-ins. I had my round trip ticket handy, showed it to him, and he thanked me and left.
Afterwards I wondered. What if I had just arrived on a one-way ticket and discarded it as useless before he spoke to me? Would I have been detained? Is there some rule that only ticket holders can use LA Union Station? What if I am touring Olvera Street or Chinatown (both within walking distance) and decide to see the station too? What reason could he have for asking to see my ticket?
You were in a public place, so law enforcement personnel have the right to make contact with you, but I agree with Last Chance; get some id if you’re uncertain.
Unless there was a sign around saying the area was restricted to only ticketed passengers, I don’t think they could’ve detained you without cause. Certainly they can approach you and ask, but they’d need probable cause to detain you for questioning.
they dont need proble cause for anything that term is so used and abused that it dont mean anything. Just remeber your on someone elses property and if they have security or even real cops patrolling you are subjected to what they feel is resonable to ivestigate why you are there.
Sorry, but if you’re on public property, law enforcement can speak to you and question what you may be doing, but they will need reasonable/probable cause to detain you for any length of time. They must consider your behavior suspicious, dangerous, etc., etc. They can’t simply hold you over for questioning without specific cause. The result of speaking with you may serve as their reasons for detaining you, because your answers or your behavior while being questioned leads them to believe something’s amiss. Civil rights attornies were born to pursue harassment charges against law enforcement acting without reasonable cause.
Better clothing??? Black slacks, white socks, black loafers, new sports shirt, a shoulder bag with a Paramount Pictures logo (OK, a man purse, gotta carry my meds and records somehow), and a cane (since I am also disabled)? Maybe I’ll wear my tux next time.
Long ago I got stopped on the Turnpike for inspection. No problem.
Except that Pizza from Sbarro (Spelling?) was on one side of the doghouse, the coffee was in the holder and assorted side snacks and napkins all over the dash. Made me look like a rolling roach coach.
That officer stood on fuel tank and conducted a proper inspection amid the aroma of food and it was right about lunchtime.
There was no problems what so ever.
If you are not having any issues there is no trouble sharing a few words with a friendly LEO from time to time. Dont worry, if something comes up… they’ll make sure to let you know.
I understand all the points you all have made and I thought about them at the time. There WAS a long line for the next Surfliner and I wondered if the dreaded TSA people had finally made their descent on Amtrak. But no, they were just waiting for the train to be called and they scurried out to the tracks rapidly once that occurred.
I looked around and saw some people who looked very scruffy, like always. There was unfamiliar music coming from one of the courtyards, but I didn’t go look. The people sitting there and passing through were of the usual entertaining variety. Business men and women in expensive suits; young musicians with guitars slung over their backs; blue-collar workers of all races; families; day-school groups; tourists taking pictures; the occasional runner making haste to his train.
I have figured out that he just wanted to get a verbal response from me and that almost any reasonable answer would have been OK, but…
I was far from the worst dressed person there, and I had scrubbed myself clean that AM in preparation for my exam at the Dr’s. I have been making these trips once or twice a month for a couple of years and I just can’t figure out whyhe picked me to question. Maybe he was just bored.
I understand all the points you all have made and I thought about them at the time. There WAS a long line for the next Surfliner and I wondered if the dreaded TSA people had finally made their descent on Amtrak. But no, they were just waiting for the train to be called and they scurried out to the tracks rapidly once that occurred.
I looked around and saw some people who looked very scruffy, like always. There was unfamiliar music coming from one of the courtyards, but I didn’t go look. The people sitting there and passing through were of the usual entertaining variety. Business men and women in expensive suits; young musicians with guitars slung over their backs; blue-collar workers of all races; families; day-school groups; tourists taking pictures; the occasional runner making haste to his train.
I have figured out that he just wanted to get a verbal response from me and that almost any reasonable answer would have been OK, but…
I was far from the worst dressed person there, and I had scrubbed myself clean that AM in preparation for my exam at the Doc’s. I have been making these trips once or twice a month for a couple of years and I just can’t figure out why he picked me to question. Maybe he was just bored.
First, I’m not the expert on this. Second, I do not know the level of training that the security person has received. This could have been a random check. Or, the bag and/or the cane could have have caused some suspicion. As for the question about the ticket… It might have had nothing to do with the ticket. It could have been a control question and the security person was trained to read body language. Apparently, no red flags were raised and the security person moved on. Logic would suggest that the security person knew that Jack had a ticket because he was in a train station and how many men go into a restaurant with a bag?
I know that Jack S felt a little hassled, but don’t you feel better knowing that there is somebody checking and looking out for the general safety of the public?
Older person, cane, candy bar - possibly checking for medical problems? Asking a pertinent question just to make sure response is lucid? Maybe looking out for welfare of person, rather than…?