And You Wonder Why I'm a Cynic...

[Senator Jack]

A good samaritan helped me out today. I was having trouble with the Mustang - the thermostat housing had started to leak - and I had to limp home a few blocks at a time. After another coffee light, I pulled up in front of a hydrant with the engine smoking and with the hood up and my head in the compartment, it wasn't long before the guy in the spot ahead of me got out to learn my trouble. Seems he used to be a mechanic and he wanted to lend a hand. 'There's a gas station up two blocks,' he said, 'I'll get you some water.' So he's looking in the engine, trying to figure out what's wrong, and I'm getting a jug out of the back and when I look up, a traffic cop is writing a ticket for the guy's car. 'Hey, what are you doing?' I yelled to the cop, but he didn't pay attention.

The next fifteen minutes were futilely spent telling the cop that the guy was just trying to help me and that the meter expired while he was looking in the engine. 'Sorry, I already, scanned the meter,' said the cop, and despite the gathering crowd that started to voice its opinion, he finished writing the ticket and handed it to the good samaritan. We were all stunned at his lack of humanity. The guy's car was all of one foot ahead of mine - the cop could see us going back and forth between the two cars - yet he waited till we were busy to start writing the ticket. And we're supposed to respect the law? We're supposed to feel it's on our side? Here, a fellow helps someone out and he gets a $115.00 ticket for his troubles. What would make him want to help anyone out again?

So, yes, I'm a miserable s.o.b - I admit to that - but how can anyone not be when the world has sunk to this miserable depth?

 

[Sefton]

I hope he challenges it in court. He might just get lucky and have a decent judge...maybe. What a shame...

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Unbelievable yet somehow I believe it

That's so mean-spirited of the cop it stinks. Here and I was hoping the story would have a happy ending.
What's a coffee light?

 

[Senator Jack]

I hope he challenges it in court. He might just get lucky and have a decent judge...maybe. What a shame...

I gave the guy my card and will write a letter in his defense. Actually, I'd look forward to a court date, should it come to that - I want to have that rotten cop up before the judge.

What's a coffee light?

It's a light that takes so long to change that you can get out of your car for a cup of coffee before it turns green.

 

[carter]

Any chance of getting this on local news?
Any good samaritan advocates in Queens?

 

[Eliza]

Lousy! Just lousy! I am so disgruntled with our current society - I see that sort of thing all the time these days! :rage:

 

[Senator Jack]

Any chance of getting this on local news?
Any good samaritan advocates in Queens?

Every gothamite has a traffic cop story like this. You could probably fill the Times every day with them. Nevertheless, I am going to see what I can do about it.

We have those muni-meters here, too - where you have to walk down the street to the box to pay and get a ticket for the windshield. One guy parked his truck, walked down the street to buy his ticket, and when he got back to his car, the cop was writing him a summons. He explained that he just went to get his ticket, but the cop ticketed him anyway because he left the car without a ticket! Now how's that for a real Catch-22?

 

[Johnnysan]

Having once worked in law enforcement, this is truly sad. It's guys like this who help to perpetuate the bad rap that a lot of decent public servants have to undeservedly bear. A decent cop would have helped out or offered to call you a tow. The decorum of the Lounge prevents me from referring to him in the anatomical vernacular he deserves.

My guess is the samaritan will have no luck appealing this in traffic court, even with your testimony on his behalf.

Hopefully, you got this guys name and address, Jack, because I think we should pass on the decency that was displayed here. To that end, I'll put in the first $20 towards paying the $115 fine and ask for five more Loungers to step up.

This may be a token gesture, but this guy needs to know that he needn't hesitate the next time someone needs his help and no one should lose faith that common decency is dead. Decent people help one another and that's all I'm proposing be done in return.

Seriously...let me know where to send the check.

 

[Senator Jack]

Thanks for the gracious offer Johnnysan, but I've already allocated that $115 out of my budget should it come to that. I hope he calls me, though; he left before I got his number.

 

[Feraud]

A decent cop would have helped out or offered to call you a tow.

Probably not. I belive NYC cops now charge for this "service call".

This is a sad story and clearly explains why many people choose to "not get involved". NYC nickels and dimes us to death. No good deed goes unpunished in this city.

 

[Lincsong]

The cop is milking the overtime.

This cop is/was probably trying to milk the overtime. The cops out here (Frisco Bay) get paid time and half for showing up in court, working past 8 hours etc. In fact the cops out here work 4 ten hour days and get paid 2 hours time and half for each of the four days!!!!! The newspaper just the other day published how many cops in this town are racking up over $100,000 a year by milking the overtime. One guy made $149,000 last year!!!!! I can only imagine what happens in New York City.:rage:

Now, let's not get political in this discussion.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

This is why I thank God I'm a country boy. The Big City can be a cruel, heartless, and greedy place. :rage: But not entirely hopeless I think,(hope).
Law enforcement should be true to their sworn duty, and enforce real laws with meaning, for the welfare of honest people, not to line the pockets of politicians. This sort of thing only hinders the urban revitalization spoken of in another thread that our society so urgently needs right now.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

oh my...that is truly terrible...i agree with Maj. about the country. my town is only 13k and cops arent hard on ya'...my father and i were parked along the street down from my cousins house stealing their internet with our laptops for the 2nd day in a row(they knew it)...a cop pulled up behind us and asked us what we were doing...we explained about my cousin and so on and he said "oh ok, yah we got a call saying there was a strange car parked across the street 2 days in a row. but its fine, have a nice day." didnt say move it along or anything...didn't mean to hijack the thread, figured it was ok to tell cop stories..[huh]

 

[carter]

Hopefully, you got this guys name and address, Jack, because I think we should pass on the decency that was displayed here. To that end, I'll put in the first $20 towards paying the $115 fine and ask for five more Loungers to step up.
This may be a token gesture, but this guy needs to know that he needn't hesitate the next time someone needs his help and no one should lose faith that common decency is dead. Decent people help one another and that's all I'm proposing be done in return.

Seriously...let me know where to send the check.

I'm in if this comes to pass. Just let me know.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

It's a light that takes so long to change that you can get out of your car for a cup of coffee before it turns green.

Thanks for the explanation. My Buick LeSabre hated those, too.
Heavens, I wonder that he didn't ticket your Mustang for being in front of a fire hydrant.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

errr, what does one expect from a cop? I've yet to meet one that's not on a power trip.

Or maybe they're just tripping. Or drunk. How else to explain it?

bk

 

[scotrace]

Justifiable cynicism.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

And You Wonder Why I'm a Cynic...

Don't recall wondering, now that you mention it.

errr, what does one expect from a cop? I've yet to meet one that's not on a power trip.

Widespread phenomenon and well explicable, but still not true for all. (Also, the neutral address of a copper is "officer", not "bloomin bampot".)

 

[Flivver]

Here in the Boston area, the local TV stations would be all over this story. They love to expose public servants who abuse their power.

 

[GearHead]

That just plain out stinks.
If you had his number or a way to contact him I would go and call one of our local stations. Shame on you or one of those type bits would probably pick it up.
And my offer is still open to lend on hand if you need any work done you Mustang.
I know you were asking about doing some rewiring awhile back.

Erick