A short time ago I was talking about working at night and the possibilities of having the police stop by to see just, “what the heck are you doing in those bushes?!?”
Well, last week I got a real eye opener and it was at about 10:30 in the morning.
Anyone that knows me knows that I can be very vocal about idiots that use cell phones while driving. In fact, I sometimes wish the story told by Stephen King in Cell would actually happen to them. They are more than just a nuisance, they should be ticketed more aggressively than the non-seatbelt wearers.
Here is what happened… I was just finishing up my maintenance window stint (midnight to 7AM) and was going to get some regular work done before shutting down for the day. My better half called when I was about a mile from the job so, as a good motorist, I pulled over to the side of the road and took the call. I might have been on the phone for 15 minutes or so when I looked into my side-view mirror.
Hmmm, that’s odd, there’s a sheriff coming toward me. I looked in the passenger mirror. This isn’t good, there’s another on that side.
“Sweetie, I gotta go. There’s a couple of cops that I bet want to talk to me.”
So they ran through the waddayadoin’ can I see your company ID routine. I have signs on my van that say I’m a contractor for the cable company. I happily showed them my ID badge and even went as far as showing them the work order that was just up the road. I told them I don’t like driving while on the phone (they saw me using it as they approached) and everything seemed cool. They let me know someone called about a truck parked in front of their house and were just following up on it.
Now, I heard them running my tags when they were at the rear of the truck. They knew the paperwork was in order. But here is the kicker. Now they had to see my drivers license. Remember the ID badge. It has my photo and contact info. In the pack is also a long term pass for the Naval Warfare base nearby also with a picture. So why do they need my licence? I wasn’t even moving at the time.
This to me falls into the realm of giving away our liberties. I had a seatbelt on, I was out of the traffic flow and I politely answered all their queries about work. They had absolutely no reason to have to see my license. None. My guess, they were just “fishing” for possibilities.
Have we gone this far. Have we given up all our privacy as citizens. I leave that for you to decide.
Technically we haven’t given up our privacy. We’ve just had it taken away from us.
Because of the whole “duh terra” boogeyman the US government throws around, everything the government or law enforcement does is okay because it’s in the name of stopping the terrorists. And if you don’t like it, then you must be one of them.
To me, it’s a rehash of the Communist Scare. Granted, I wasn’t alive back then but I know a far bit about it. The funny thing is that, back then the FBI et al. could spy on US citizens. But after McCarthy, new rules were set up so that no domestic agencies could spy on citizens unless there is a damn good reason.
Too bad the Patriot Act (what a euphamism!) got rid of that. Even though my command requires annual training in the roles and responsibilities of the intel analysts in regards to getting info on American citizens, the same as after McCarthy, the new rules against “duh terra” pretty much mean anything is okay now. And there’s nothing we, as citizens, can do about it since our government representatives fall over themselves anytime someone says “9/11″. Heck, look at how the Democrats have pretty much caved in to Bush’s demands even though they promised to make changes when they got in office. Not much has changed.
BTW, did you give them your license or did you ask them why?
Looks like you are not alone. I just finished reading this: Police stops can be challenged.
Asked them (very very politely) while I had my license in my hand. I can tell you from first hand experience that you don’t want to push them too hard. It is altogether too easy for a citizen to be detained with no real reason for a short period of time.
They said they were, “just following procedure” or something to that effect.
After checking out my license the officer said that she, “believed my story”.
Oh, that makes me feel better. I had no response to that.
I’m a bit split on what you were saying Crystalattice. While I can’t argue that some freedoms have been taken away, I more strongly feel that we, as the American Public, have given them freely. The Post 9/11 time has been one, in my opionion, that has seen people willing to allow Authority to smash many rights in the name of “watching out for the boogy-man”. That is a bunch of garbage. There is always a bad guy to watch out for. Over the years it has been different groups. Just look at movies since the 1980’s. The Russians, the Chinese, splinter groups of Middle Eastern or European terrorists. Whoever.
If a movie action hero like Chuck Norris has fought them, we are supposed to have been afraid of them.
People are such mindless monkeys sometimes…