Terry stop...

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So, I vape everywhere and no one ever says anything and that's why I felt the need to post this...

A few weeks ago I was waiting at City Hall station (BSL) in Philadelphia after my weekly 8+ hour train trip from Vermont...

...when a couple of cops, they was up to no good, started making trouble in my neigh.... Wait, no.

They just asked me to have a seat (and, no, not in that creepy Chris Hanson sort of way). So, it turned out they wanted to know about the strange device hanging out of my mouth and emitting clouds of vapor (and, I may be wrong, but I think they were considering giving me a ticket as well). I explained it to them, handed out a few cards (shameless, aren't I) and hopped on the subway train so I could avoid being too late for my class. The fun part was explaining to the other students in my law school class why I was late ("Yeah.. The cops were questioning me... Nah, no trouble... But I think I may have made a sale...").

Why am I sharing this? Well you may know somebody in a similar situation or you may be in a similar situation and if you're in a situation like this... Be nice, 'cause the cop who's hassling you today may be your brother in arms (and maybe customer) helping to fight "the man" tomorrow. ~~Adam

[crashtestjeep]

NICE!!! And well-handled, as well! Most of why people say anything at all, whether it be inquisitive, nice, rude, etc is bc they have a curiosity sparked. The outcome has 99% to do with how we choose to answer, and how we do it!
Well put!

[augie]

So, I vape everywhere and no one ever says anything and that's why I felt the need to post this...

A few weeks ago I was waiting at City Hall station (BSL) in Philadelphia after my weekly 8+ hour train trip from Vermont...

...when a couple of cops, they was up to no good, started making trouble in my neigh.... Wait, no.

They just asked me to have a seat (and, no, not in that creepy Chris Hanson sort of way). So, it turned out they wanted to know about the strange device hanging out of my mouth and emitting clouds of vapor (and, I may be wrong, but I think they were considering giving me a ticket as well). I explained it to them, handed out a few cards (shameless, aren't I) and hopped on the subway train so I could avoid being too late for my class. The fun part was explaining to the other students in my law school class why I was late ("Yeah.. The cops were questioning me... Nah, no trouble... But I think I may have made a sale...").

Why am I sharing this? Well you may know somebody in a similar situation or you may be in a similar situation and if you're in a situation like this... Be nice, 'cause the cop who's hassling you today may be your brother in arms (and maybe customer) helping to fight "the man" tomorrow. ~~Adam

your mom sent you to live with your aunty and uncle in Bel-Air didn't she?

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your mom sent you to live with your aunty and uncle in Bel-Air didn't she?

I wish. I'm guessing Bel-Air is a whole lot warmer than Vermont and even Philadelphia are right now.

[whistlrr]

Wow, that's some very impressive staying calm and being level-headed there. Were you nervous at all? Even though you knew you weren't breaking the law or anything, if it had been me I'd have been very nervous -- especially if I had figured they were pre-determining to give me a ticket or something, and it seems that just being nervous is enough to be misintepretted as being suspicious (You know you'd think police would know by now that they do tend to do a good job of intimidating/just just making people nervous sometimes, even if for no particular or good reason other than the fact that they are cops and they are looking at you suspiciously).

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Nervous? Probably a little... But, after going to a university that has the second largest police force in the state (scary, huh?) and after 2 years of law school, I wasn't too worried about anything other than being late for my class. The most they could have done would be give me a ticket (which I would have loved fighting in court... Hey, anyone vape in a courthouse yet?)

[whistlrr]

Nervous? Probably a little... But, after going to a university that has the second largest police force in the state (scary, huh?) and after 2 years of law school, I wasn't too worried about anything other than being late for my class. The most they could have done would be give me a ticket (which I would have loved fighting in court... Hey, anyone vape in a courthouse yet?)

well police just sorta scare/intimidate me... around here they always almost always come mega tall and come with dark hair a mustache and piercing blue eyes (seriously, its like there must be a police clone factory somewhere that spits them out its kinda creepy. once in a great while you'll see one with slightly blondish hair that's buzzed so short they're nearly bald but otherwise its like almost the same guy walking around in multiples) and they have all those.. trinkets whatnot and stuff around their belts etc

I dunno..

I'm the person who watches "COPS" mainly just so I can just sit on my couch going "man am I ever glad that's not me" at the people they've apprehended (and yes, being grateful I've at least got enough wits not to pull and do the stuff that got most of the apprehended in the first place.. but really its the 'I'm so glad that's not me" feeling that reigns supreme there).

Even if I've had on two rare occasions to have to call on them for help (I once had a neighbor just completely go off and just come pounding on my door and once I opened the door, to loudly and 'colorfully' threaten me with bodily harm, another time I had to call for help when a stalker guy started calling me leaving literally 30 threatening messages on my voice mail which I was able to share a days worth of with the officer), and they were great about it each time

I was glad for 'em then, had a little 'night in shining armor' perspective going there even at the very same time (I'm short so they just .. look even bigger maybe to me I don't know and I do think I may have triggered some knightly sort of testosterone "I'll take care of it ma'am" protective response each time which was good, was needed in fact).. but even when having to call on them and having them being helpful, they scare me. That's just part of their job (being a bit scary) I guess,
Its their job to intimidate, and they do it well/a hellafine job of it (maybe even when they don't mean to).

I also wouldn't want to battle them in court either because it'd be my luck I might need one again some day and it'd be that very same cop who might show up and he'd no doubt remember me and having that court fight with me.

Never 'vaped' in a courthouse (I guess come to think of it, I sorta make it a personal mission not to find reasons to be in a courthouse either )

[Gruce]

Well you may know somebody in a similar situation or you may be in a similar situation and if you're in a situation like this...

Or you could just have fun fillin' out the forms and playin' with the pencils.

[olderthandirt]

Or you could just have fun fillin' out the forms and playin' with the pencils.

sittin' there on that Group W bench

[Scottbee]

sittin' there on that Group W bench

Ya know (keeed)... about 70% of the people on this forum don't know what the Group W bench is. I'm part of the other 30%!

(Having spent some quality time with Officer Obie myself....)