I love New York!
That exchange was indeed polite by NY standards. What’s the problem?
Christ, what an asshole (behind the camera).
That is really how you feel? I do agree the guy behind the camera could have been more polite, but the officer just asked a very unconstitutional question. The officer’s reaction showed he was well aware he had no right to ask that question, and he was just trying to bully a citizen. How would you react if while out shopping with a bag, I came up and asked, What’s in the bag? Would you open it up and allow me to look, or would you tell me to pound sand?
I haven’t clicked on the link yet…am I correct in assuming the man behind the camera is white?
First of all the question is not unconstitutional, it would be unconstitutional to search the guys bag w out a search warrant or probable cause. Just asking the question doesn’t constitute a search.
Second of all, just because the officer had no (or not enough) probable cause, doesn’t mean they deserve abuse for asking a question. The guy might be right, but he’s still an asshole. Probably the same type that curses at Walmart receipt checkers.
You feel he could have been “more polite”? Really? How could anything be more polite than calling him a scumbag? I just can’t imagine what you mean.
Asshole behavior is asshole behavior, dude. The question wasn’t in any way “unconstitutional” (sheesh) and it appeared the cops weren’t even interested in engaging the guy. It looked like he was passing by, said something probably inline with his other comments, and the one copy just kind of almost dismissively asked him that. Not sure, of course, but that’s how it looked. And in any case–not unconstitutional. Don’t water that concept down, please. Or that they were bullying him with their demeanor or actions.
I’m all with jumping all over cops when they deserve it, and god knows they frequently do, but this seemed completely unwarranted, asshole behavior.
You fucking scumbags obviously don’t understand that this is a polite exchange of pleasantries by New York standards.
He is only a cop. He has to know his place. As a cop he is always the one who should be held to higher standards and if he doesn’t have a good reason for asking, then he should just shut up.
I was wondering the same thing. It’s hard to know just from the audio, of course. However, if history (especially recent history) is any indication, we might be able to make an educated guess as to the dudes race (or the cops perception of his race).
You still have not answered how you would respond if I asked what was in the bag. Inappropriate questions are often best met with harsh retorts.If the officer had asked him if he had the time, or if he could please move so others could pass I would agree. If I ask to sleep with your wife because I think she is a damn fine bitch, would you say, thanks for your kind offer sir, but I do not think that would be best.Politeness has it’s place, but nastiness can be called for.
Wit out mother fuckers like you we’d be in the god damned dark here. Thanks a fuck load for taking the time to tell us what’s what. You’se like a god damned umanitarian.
I’m not the OP, but I’d just say “why do you ask?”, and if there was no good reason for the request (we have a warrant/probable cause to search), I would say no thank you and ask if I was free to go.
I’m not some rabid cop defender (there are bad cops, no doubt), but in this situation it doesn’t seem like the cops did anything wrong and were fairly polite about an interaction with an obvious douchenozzle (who btw, if i had to guess, started the altercation).
Goodfellows
By the way the cops just walk away I can’t help but think that something just happened that put them in the wrong and really pissed the guy off - I just can’t imagine a scenario where those cops wouldn’t shoot him to death for talking back like that.
To my ear he sounds not-white. Some clicking through to the Youtube channel suggests I’m not wrong:
http://www.talk2srandall.co.nr/
The guy’s apparently been in the news, but I can’t seem to find the article:
EDIT: Here we go. Apparently, the article was about how he wasn’t as successful in all of his past brushes with officers:
Sigh. A cop casually asking someone “What’s in the bag?” is driving trollies, in the old sense of the term. It’s shitty and random policing. The cop’s hope is that the he’s going to provoke the guy into probable cause for a search or for an admission of contraband. It relies on the provocation to fluster the target into ensnaring him-/her-self into the legal system. It’s a dick move by a powerful person, and I’m not going to give him a pass. Cops have power, and they will lie, cheat, plant, provoke, and flat out assault you if it helps them get their job done or their jollies off.
Besides, Officer Curious has seen worse. He ain’t bothered by this, no matter how much we rightly might wish that he was.
Wow I’m surprised the guy survived this.
What are receipt checkers? (I’m assuming you’re talking about something else than people buying stuff and checking their receipts afterwards)
Honor your scumbag, oaf!
