Law enforcement question

[soapbox]

No, I do not feel better.

In fact I feel a lot less secure knowing that any wannabe cop or even a real donut-munching cop can approach someone behaving properly in a public place, and demand that that person explain their presence. Sounds like a scene I saw recently in a WW2 movie, except that the “officers” all had extreme German accents ("YOUR PAPERS PLEASE!!). And if you think that this example is a bit extreme, then you’re just not paying attention to what’s going on all around you.

I can remember back when the U.S. was a republic, instead of the totalitarian regime we now have. And what’s even sadder is how the sheeple population has just rolled over and told those in power that they are willing to sacrifice their civil liberties in exchange for the FEELING of security.

Sorry, Jack, but no, I do not feel better.

I don’t feel better, either ! Our civil liberties are being eroded everyday.

I don’t railfan the way I used to because I don’t want to be “checked out”.

I have nothing to hide,but that doesn’t mean I have nothing to fear.

All it takes is one “judgment call”, and you are surrounded by security

and LEO. Been there,done that. All the poor guy was doing was eating

a candy bar. What has America come to ?

You would argue just to argue so here is the scoop. I do not see where anyone said anything about being detained. it said they was questioned by a cop like person, and even in your rant you said the same thang I said but you added your own twist to it. so here we are and ill say it again the cops or security do not need any reason to stop and ask you what you are doing there on someone else property they are patrolling. ( go ahead call your lawyer) and once they are satisfied that your just a patron they are on there way. Now if you want to be bad and start thumping your chest in I have rights you cant question me blah blah blah … they will be polite and ask your buisness again you get cocky with them and you better have your condoms for bubba at the gray bar motel and your lawyers will get you out after you post bail. Its simple proble cause is only after the fact. unless your standing there with a m-16 or a gernade launcher or a patriot missle I honestly dont think there going to use proble cause on you just a few questions and they are gone. and questioning you is with in the scope of the law.

Read the original post - the person was wondering if he didn’t have his ticket if he would be detained. And for that matter - it wasn’t a “rant”. T

[(-D]

Yeah, after all, that candy bar COULD be used as a weapon.

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“Just a few questions”. [sigh]

How many “questions” does it take for it to become harrassment?

What type of behavior did the original poster exhibit that justified the questioning?

Is brown skin sufficient to warrant questioning?
How about long hair?
How about a skinhead?
A mowhawk?
African American?
Native American?
Spanish?

Just what are YOUR criteria for justifiable questioning by the authorities?

I just love how libertarians “liberally” inject race into a conversation when it wasn’t in the original discussion, and then try to make a stand on that hot-button issue. Suddenly a security officer asking a few questions turns-into the Third Reich. Laughable.

Wow guys, this seems to be spiralling out of control over something simple. A LEO asked a couple of questions. Big deal.

I have the right to ask you your name, and what you are doing. You have the right not to answer, to me. You would have to answer a peace officer, though.

A police officer also has the right (where I’m from) to stop any vehicle on the road, and run an ownership and licensing check. It isn’t a big deal. Be glad there is someone out there looking after you.

Even if you didn’t have a ticket and you were not supposed to be there, you probably would have got a “move along please” anyways.

I just don’t think this warrants a jump to the government control bandwagon.

It’s possible that someone generally fitting your description was being looked for by the police or something. This guy was able to ascertain with a few questions that you weren’t who they were looking for so moved on.

FWIW I was once sitting reading MR in a stall in the lobby men’s room at a top Las Vegas hotel/casino after checking out, suffering the effects of a late night and an early morning, when I was kicked out of there by security guards who apparently thought I was a tramp or something. (I was there for an a.m. wedding, but after the ceremony had changed to jeans, t-shirt and boots.)

I often wondered if they thought it odd that a “bum” after being given the boot had gone out and gotten in a new car and driven away??

In my 17 years on earth, the only experience I’ve ever had with a police officer was a good one. Once when I was railfanning, an officer stopped and chatted pleasantly for a few minutes before continuing on his way. He never once asked if I was up to anything.

Actually, I had one other experience. I handed a police officer his food in the drive-thru at Arby’s a few weeks ago. Incidentally, he was quite nice and certainly not like your typical gestapo that you describe.

Perhaps things in Omaha are a bit sheltered, but I just don’t see these examples of impending totalitarian rule that you mention.

Did you want to know what the constitution and the various supreme court decisions say, or the situation that Americans have decided to tollerate since the current government (both sides of the aisle) decided to wipe away all those inconvenient individual rights with the USAPatriot act?

Americans as a group have chosen the illusion of security over freedom.

Bingo! The most appropriate remark made so far. As a former Police Officer, I was constantly receiving descriptions of wanted subjects over the radio. If I saw anyone fitting this description, it was my duty to check them out. This officer you mentioned did not seem overbearing and seemed to be satisfied. When I was a Police officer in the '60s, I got a lot of static from hippie types who thought they were being hassled.

A few of you suggested totalitarianism. Anarchy is much worse.

Dude, what you need to do is stop stereotyping the police.

Your comments like that do a great disservice to those men and women who put their lives on the line for you and your family 24/7, 365 days a year.

You wouldn’t be making such comments if and when you actually do need a police officer.

I dont care if your black white mexican indian german polish eskimo railroader harley rider ditch digger truck driver lawyer doctor. etc… if your in public you are going to be stopped at some point and asked what is your buisness here. if your nice as they are then its only a minute or 2 and its over.no more and no less. if you give them a problem then its going to be longer. you dont haft to show any behavior to be questioned and yes profiling still goes on, its simple if they have a job to do of looking into loitering and or vandalismn they haft to start somewhere. and if they never seen him before or only a few times its called a contact. and yes they get recorded in case something happens in the near future they have a place to start looking. but remeber they haft to start somewhere. what is harrasment is everyday doing the same thing to you is harrasment otherwise most likly

If you didnt have a ticket he would have just asked somthing along the lines of “If you dont mind me asking sir, what is your purpose for visiting the train station today?” then based on your responce and the following conversation he would leave you be just the same as he did or have you escorted off the property. I work security and thats exactly the way it works, the guy was most likely building security or a transit cop

What better way to not directly ask a person in a train station if they have a reason for being there than asking if they have a ticket.

Maybe he was just checking to see if that candy bar contained any illegal trans fat.

Frequenting LAUPT (now LAUS) often, I have to say, I wish there were such a rule. I can say, I’ve been there well over a hundred times in my life, and never once have I been asked what I am doing or if I have a ticket.

Murray, I’m not directly attacking your statements, but I am going to use them to try to make a point. The following is intended for all readers of this thread.

If, indeed, I am “stereotyping” the police, it is for good reason, which, I might add, is the same type of logic the police use: certain people, due to either the way they act or the way they dress, will attract the attention of someone that may have to interact with.

So if the police are allowed to use their judgement (based on their observations) on who to question, then how am I wrong to ‘question’ the action of cops? They are people who, due to human nature, are subject to prejudices and fears. Why do we automatically assume that the cops do nothing wrong? Do they have free reign on who they ‘question’? I believe the Fourth Amendment (you remember the Constitution and the Bill of Rights) has something to say about this type of activity.

May I suggest to those of you who accuse me of being unreasonable that you go and actually read the Bill of Rights. Note the title: Bill of Rights. Our founding fathers knew what it was like to live under the cloud of unrestrained authority–that is why they established these United States.

What did you do last july 4th? Set of some fireworks? Have a picnic? Have a good time? Did you even co

But zardoz… you can judge - but judge on what actually happened and was reported. Someone in uniform (police, security, ice cream man??) came and asked the OP to see his ticket. OP showed it, man in uniform left. Where is the civil rights violation here? Now if the uiformed man would have tased and beaten the OP, then locked him in a amfleet vestibule for 56 hours… then we can really call his actions into question.

Without hearing the officer’s side of the story, we are just peeing into the wind here. Maybe someone reported a strange man with a cane checking out women’s cabooses. It was a train station, so is it a public space? You could argue yes and no. There’s restaurants and platforms, so really, that is its fuction.

In case anyone wanted to know (I knew you didn’t) I spent last July 4th working. No fireworks for the RR…

I’m in favor of the “stock question” idea. Happened to me once as I was crossing the border into Canada. I wasn’t expecting to be asked what state my vehicle was registered in (we have front license plates and a registration sticker on the drivers side of the windshield, so the customs officer could have plainly seen for her self) and asked for the question to be repeated. Then I answered it (correctly, of course) and was sent on my merry way.

Bottom line - a straightforward question with an easy answer. Had I bobbled it badly, I’m sure I’d have been there a little longer.