Kilted encounter with my city's finest

[Streetcar]

Yesterday I am sitting in my car, finishing what was left of my drink after eating my delicious fish sandwich, you know, sort of daydreaming while listening to the always delightful Edith Bowman when I hear a knock on my window.

And there's this police officer, the typical courtsies ensue and then asked me if I had an ID

As in Hello, I'm Officer Smith? As any citizen might greet another?

Being that I work as a Security Consultant, and one of the principals in the firm was the previous Police Chief for the city, I am well versed in Civil and Constitutional Rights when approached by police.

Then you're all ready familiar with a Terry Stops and Citizen Contacts.

So I asked him what the problem is and why am I being questioned.

He proceeds to tell me that he has been watching me for a couple of days and that I just sit there watching a government building, so I said 'you mean the public library? since when is a library a government building?'. No answer from him of course.

You asked and he answered. While the library in question may have been privately funded, it is certainly a public building. And before anyone goes down that road, OF COURSE you have a right to be there.

Right next to the library there is a Police station, so cop cars come and go and shifts change all the time.

Perhaps that government builiding?

...So I looked him back in the eye and say something to the effect of 'hard not to look at a building when it is right there in front of me as I parked'

Then he asked me about whether I am a citizen or not (because of my Scotland stickers in the rear window and the kilt) and where do I work.

I asked him whether he had reasonable suspicion that I was doing something illegal, and if not, I was not going to answer those questions. I did however hand him one of my business cards where it clearly details my position, address and telephone.

Would it have been difficult to say, "Hi officer. Just sitting here finishing my lunch and listening to the radio. I like this spot because it's quiet."
If I had been the officer, I certainly would have taken your reponse as both defensive and a challenge. I'd probably ask why you were getting so mad.

Then he asked me something to the effect of 'why are you mad', to which I replied that I wasn't so much mad as I was annoyed at being minding my own business and suddenly being questioned for no reason and treated as a suspect. He then replied something like 'well you can be annoyed all you want, let me see your license and registration', so I gave those to him.

That would have raised any officers suspicion meter quite a bit. And may I respectfully submit that if he had been treating you as a suspect, he would have had you step out of the car, possibly handcuffed and frisked for weapons.

But I digress.
Let's wear the officer's boots for just a moment. An unusually dressed man has been sitting in front of a public building for several consectutive days. It is unknown if he is watching for emergency exits, casing to see when the library is most busy, observing and noting police shift times and travel patterns, waiting for a specific officer or library patron, or just eating his lunch.

Any officer worth half of his salt should recognize this as as suspicious circumstance. Is there a reason he shouldn't just go up and ask, especially after the "typical courtsies?"

Suppose an ex-spouse was stalking his estranged wife. She gets shot outside the library she's working at and it comes out that police had seen a unusually dressed man hanging around outside the library for the past several days, and didn't even bother to contact him? Not arrest him, just ask what was going on?

Hector I like you and enjoy your posts. I'm not trying to antagonize you or anyone else here. But it always galls me when someone is gets offended by a police officer doing his job. The officer doesn't know anything about you. He sees a somewhat suspicious situation, so he takes the least invasive path - walking up and asking what's going on. He's answered with hostility and sarcasm.

As a security consultant, I would think you would realize that an officer tends to hand out what he's been given. If you're rude to a cop, I wouldn't expect him to be exceptionally friendly back.
Professional? Yes.
Polite? Yes.
Friendly? No.