The LEO thread

[O Really]

Yep. I guess he would have met the "good guy" definition. Former cop. Not a documented loon. Bad temper. Opps. Another good reason to think it's a good idea to let people carry guns into bars where we all know everyone is calm and responsible.

[Boatrocker]

71 years old; I wonder if he's had a Alzheimer's screening.

[Crock Hunter]

71 years old; I wonder if he's had a Alzheimer's screening.

Don't know.. but if he gets to prison he'll probably get a few colonoscopies from "Big" Lance...

[O Really]

71 years old; I wonder if he's had a Alzheimer's screening.

Don't know.. but if he gets to prison he'll probably get a few colonoscopies from "Big" Lance...

If he lives for a year or so, he'll get to prison. I don't think even the most lenient interpretation of the "opps" defense would help him on this one. It would be interesting also to hear the take of the gun nuts that always say "if everyone were armed..." and "good guys don't..." Here was an (apparently) legal owner/carrier, former law enforcement, who shot a guy in a theatre because he was annoyed. Suppose the guy texting had been armed. Wouldn't have mattered, because he was basically ambushed. Suppose the witness had been armed. Wouldn't have mattered, because he wouldn't have known anybody was going to get shot until afterward. Suppose everybody in the theatre were armed and the shooter knew it. Wouldn't have mattered, except that there may have been more people killed or injured in the return fire.

[O Really]

OMG - the looney lawyer actually said ... "The retired Tampa police captain accused of fatally shooting a man who was texting during a movie had every right to defend himself, his lawyer argued in court Tuesday."

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01 ... aying?lite

[neoplacebo]

It would be interesting also to hear the take of the gun nuts that always say "if everyone were armed..." and "good guys don't..." Here was an (apparently) legal owner/carrier, former law enforcement, who shot a guy in a theatre because he was annoyed. Suppose the guy texting had been armed. Wouldn't have mattered, because he was basically ambushed. Suppose the witness had been armed. Wouldn't have mattered, because he wouldn't have known anybody was going to get shot until afterward. Suppose everybody in the theatre were armed and the shooter knew it. Wouldn't have mattered, except that there may have been more people killed or injured in the return fire.

They probably foresee a time in which everybody will be armed, but just a few will have ammunition (because of the Obama ammunition conspiracy theory) so that total confusion would ensue in which nobody really knows who has bullets and everyone would be waving their guns around frantically searching for the "real" shooter. Hilarious.

[neoplacebo]

I noticed a yahoo news story this morning about Patrick Moen, a ten year veteran, and supervisor, with the DEA has quit his job with them to take a position with a "marijuana industry investment firm." The article relates how, even as he rose within the agency, "...he nursed a growing sense that the pot cases he worked, and the laws underpinning them, were wrongheaded." I hate it when things are wrongheaded.

[Boatrocker]

Headlight flashing OK, Missouri judge says

It's a common practice among drivers who pass through a speed trap: Flash your headlights at approaching cars as a warning to slow down. Now, a federal court judge in Missouri says penalizing drivers for the headlight flash violates their First Amendment right to free speech...

I've always wondered about that. I couldn't understand how it could not be protected expression.

Should be- small towns have always bent and broken common law, common sense and common decency in their zeal to use cops as revenue-producing tools. They have always gotten away with it, and still do largely. Not too many motorists have the time, money and outrage to pursue such legal action. Good for him.

[Mr.B]

Headlight flashing OK, Missouri judge says

It's a common practice among drivers who pass through a speed trap: Flash your headlights at approaching cars as a warning to slow down. Now, a federal court judge in Missouri says penalizing drivers for the headlight flash violates their First Amendment right to free speech...

"I've always wondered about that. I couldn't understand how it could not be protected expression."

Most times you can tell Southerners from Yankee transplants......flash your lights at a transplant and you'll get a bird in return;
Southerners wave a thank you. Nowadays with most cars having DRL's, many drivers think you're an idiot.

[neoplacebo]

I keep a large piece of cardboard that says "Cops just ahead" that I can whip out if need be. Of course, some drivers are going too fast to read my sign.

[O Really]

Most times you can tell Southerners from Yankee transplants......flash your lights at a transplant and you'll get a bird in return;
Southerners wave a thank you. Nowadays with most cars having DRL's, many drivers think you're an idiot.

You don't get around much, do you, Mr.B?

[Mr.B]

"Most times you can tell Southerners from Yankee transplants......flash your lights at a transplant and you'll get a bird in return;
Southerners wave a thank you. Nowadays with most cars having DRL's, many drivers think you're an idiot."

Uhhh...O Really...DRL's mean 'Daytime Running Lamps'....they think you're telling them their lights are on.....remember when cars didn't have DRL's?
It was a courtesy to remind a driver that their headlights were on.

"You don't get around much, do you, Mr.B?"

What's your point?

"We're discussing Mr.B's "flashing" here."

[O Really]

"Most times you can tell Southerners from Yankee transplants......flash your lights at a transplant and you'll get a bird in return;
Southerners wave a thank you. Nowadays with most cars having DRL's, many drivers think you're an idiot."

Uhhh...O Really...DRL's mean 'Daytime Running Lamps'....they think you're telling them their lights are on.....remember when cars didn't have DRL's?
It was a courtesy to remind a driver that their headlights were on.

"You don't get around much, do you, Mr.B?"

What's your point?

"We're discussing Mr.B's "flashing" here."

I understand daytime running lamps. My point is that this is not the first time you've attributed some behaviour or habit to "the south" or "southerners" when in fact it was common pretty much across the US.

[Mr.B]

"My point is that this is not the first time you've attributed some behaviour or habit to "the south" or "southerners" when in fact it was common pretty much across the US."

Maybe so. My point was that Southerners tend to be more polite than Northerners; hence, I wrote "flash your lights at a transplant and you'll get a bird in return". It's happened.

[Mr.B]

"That was you?! Opps."

Not unless you were that little gray-haired woman in a Pinto.

[O Really]

"My point is that this is not the first time you've attributed some behaviour or habit to "the south" or "southerners" when in fact it was common pretty much across the US."

Maybe so. My point was that Southerners tend to be more polite than Northerners; hence, I wrote "flash your lights at a transplant and you'll get a bird in return". It's happened.

That's a bit of an over-generalization. If you want to say some Southerners are more polite than some Northerners, OK. I'll bet I'm as polite as you.

[Mr.B]

"If you want to say some Southerners are more polite than some Northerners, OK. I'll bet I'm as polite as you."

Maybe, maybe not. Most Southerners are more polite than most Northerners. Of course, there are exceptions.

[O Really]

Still too generalized - it's just a comparison of stereotypes. Historically, upscale Southern behaviour or social habits have included some exaggeration of politeness. Southern riff-raff do not necessarily share that habit. People who live in NYC are not outwardly polite to strangers on the street, but behave very well among friends and colleagues. Minnesota even has a term for their version - "Minnesota Nice." People throughout the "North" from Indiana, Ohio, central Pennsylvania, upstate New York ... all mostly polite people.

[homerfobe]

How many times have you been shot through the heart Verde?

People who live in NYC are not outwardly polite to strangers on the street, but behave very well among friends and colleagues.

Friggin' Yankees in general are not outwardly polite to anybody, on the street or off. Behave well among friends and colleagues? Bullshit.
They'd just as soon smack the piss out of you and rob you as to look at you. After you've received a good dose of mf this and mf that, that is.

[JTA]

This is just my small sliver of experience, but working with the public here in upstate SC was total hell for me compared with working with the public in the downstate NJ. Usually a certain demographic of old people. The there's the obligatory getting accused of racism by young black women that happened a few times. Those two demographics were the worst. And middle aged white guys stealing. Maybe it's just the area I was in or something. Can't say for sure. Then again, there were also a lot of cool people too.

Oh well I'm glad not everywhere is the same.