in the film Barfly the beloved drunk protagonist Charles Bukowski had some classic one liners...
Mickey Rouke delivered these lines wonderfully
one classic line about cops
Wanda: I hate the police, don't you?
Henry: I don't know, but I seem to feel better when they're not around.
there are times when I feel the same...
I do not hate cops
yet so often... they brush me the wrong way
in these times of protest there have been a number of parallel moments
adjacent to the Black Lives Matter Movement there is this ACAB sentiment
which spurred the Blue Lives Matter movement
now me... I do not believe ACAB
no... not All Cops Are Bastards
yet I be believe that many of our systems could use some reform
our nation's system of law enforcement could use some adjustments
some major adjustments
the other day I was walking across the street going from my car to the sidewalk in front of my house
as I limped across the street with my slowly healing Achilles a DC Police car was headed my way from the corner
the car was coming my way at speed... more than likely more speed than the newly adjusted 20 MPH Speed Limit
so... I slowed my pace rather than accelerate my pace
passive aggressively asking the approaching car to slow and allow me to cross the street
the police car did slow
then stopped with the passenger side window down
with the car at my side I made eye contact with the officer
I got that "what the F do you want look" from him
then I gave him my piece...
in short... "when I cross the street in front of my house I expect that the car coming this way or the car coming that way will grant me the respect to cross my street safely. I expect this from this car and that car and even the police car"
the officer then told me that there was plenty of room
I disagreed but could sense that this was not a meeting of the minds so I did not offer a rebuttal
now... had I walked across the street without beaconing that police car to slow down... that car would have continued at speed
brushing past me with a breeze on my back
more than likely faster than the NEW 20 MPH Speed Limit
now...
what seems to be misunderstood by car drivers is that the Speed Limit is the Speed Maximum
and this Speed Maximum is how cars are supposed to interact with other cars
the car should reduce their speed when approaching pedestrians or cyclists
this officer in the cruiser had no intention to adjust their speed for the pedestrian (me)
when we spoke I did not try to argue with the officer
he was set in his stance that he was correct in his actions
so I changed the topic
I was almost certain that this was the officer involved in the Karon Hylton case
I spoke how I felt the community treated him wrong
that I did not believe that he caused the accident
and that I understood that he had a difficult job
as I spoke the officer concealed his body camera...
a day or two later the officer involved in the Karon Hylton case was charged with murder
so yesterday I was headed back from lunch with a cyclist I hosted for the night
met a young man who was riding his bicycle from Maine to Key West
after riding his bike from Michigan to NYC then Maine
as we rolled down my street we rode side by side
in front of me were several cars...
those car proceeded forward
as a police cruiser stalled on the oncoming side of the road allowing these cars to pass
we followed that momentum
the police cruiser allowed the three cars to go past
then he proceeded forward
which was fine
but then this...
THE POLICE CRUISER DID NOT ONLY COME FORWARD
BUT THAT COP DRIVING THE COP CAR CAME INTO MY SIDE OF THE ROAD HEAD ON
FORCING ME TO PULL TO THE SIDE AS SO NOT TO HAVE A HEAD ON COLLISION
AS IF PLAYING CHICKEN
this is a two lane road
there is room for cars to pass side by side even with the cars parked along side of them
yet this officer INTENTIONALLY pointed his police cruiser at me
with his car over on my side of the road
I was rolling... I had the right of way
this ASSHOLE drove straight at me in my lane
I would have had a head on collision had I not dodged him!
then two blocks later...
another police cruiser headed up the road in my direction
this officer pulled the same move
two way traffic... two lane road
that officer in a police cruiser pulled that same BULLY ANTI BIKE MOVE
and pointed their car right for me
again I had to swerve to the right to avoid the head on collision
when in each case the police cruisers could have maintained movement in their lane
passing without threatening my right to space and my right to safety
How can I defend the men in blue if they act like this?
I try to defend the police to the ACAB crowd
but with incidents like this
I ask myself
What is the Police training for car behavior around pedestrians or cyclists?
What makes the police think that this behavior is okay?
F THE POLICE
sorry... but if you were bullied like this by the police in your neighborhood... how would you feel?
the police are here to Protect and Serve...
but who are they protecting and serving
I am feeling threatened and intimidated
I do not feel protected or served
this begs the question...
What is the police training on pedestrians and cyclists?
If police in their cars are not yielding to pedestrians and cyclists... how can we expect them to guide other drivers to respect the right and safety of pedestrians and cyclists?
maybe ACAB
but I try not to believe this
yet the behavior of the police in my Ward is consistent
the station is up the street from my house so I witness their driving style on a daily basis
when walking my dog I do not expect the police cruiser to grant me my Right of Way to cross the street at the four way stop with my dog... I expect the cops to flow through the stop sign without a complete stop with the same negligent driving style as the other cars that take their short cut through my neighborhood