Kilted encounter with my city's finest

[Wolfhawk]

Hector, again I am truly not trying to antagonize you or anyone else.

Let's take the police aspect out of it.
If an average citizen walked up to you and said, "I work in the library, and I noticed you watching the building for the last few days and I just was curious who you were and what was going on."
Would your response still be "it's hard not to look at a building when it's right in front of me," then refuse to answer any further questions?
It may not be intended as rude, but would you really interpret it as a friendly or polite response?

I would respond the same way that Hector responded to anyone walking up to me and stating what you presented them saying.

[hospitaller]

All I'm trying to do is show how the officer's thought process might have gone, and why he reacted the way he did.

oh I know what their reasoning is and how they are taught to approach citizens and question them, I also know the things they are not required to tell us (as in our right to terminate at any time), we also do training and seminars for police departments nationwide.

believe you me, if someone walked with an attitude, it was the officer after he found that I was aware of my rights, and what he could and could not do/ask.

Again, I'm not trying to upset or accuse anyone of anything, but at the same time, I'd hate to see this turn into some sort of "Those lousy cops!" rant without reason.

Agreed! This is more of a 'this happened to me while kilted and involved cops, what's your story'.

NOT a blanket statement about how bad/good policemen are/are not, please.

.

[O'Callaghan]

Hector, again I am truly not trying to antagonize you or anyone else.

Let's take the police aspect out of it.
If an average citizen walked up to you and said, "I work in the library, and I noticed you watching the building for the last few days and I just was curious who you were and what was going on."
Would your response still be "it's hard not to look at a building when it's right in front of me," then refuse to answer any further questions?
It may not be intended as rude, but would you really interpret it as a friendly or polite response?

All I'm trying to do is show how the officer's thought process might have gone, and why he reacted the way he did.

Again, I'm not trying to upset or accuse anyone of anything, but at the same time, I'd hate to see this turn into some sort of "Those lousy cops!" rant without reason.

I think it's different if the person is not a cop. They would be forced to be more polite by their lack of authority. It might not hurt if the cop took that attitude and at least pretended to be asking like a normal citizen. In some places they do, you know.

[Dall_Piobaire]

Nothing at all against you Hector, I also enjoy your input!

But, you always catch more flies with honey then with vinegar.

Can you imagine the everyday stress of just walking up to the window of someone you veiw as suspicious. Many a cop has been shot that way.

I caught the fact that you were put off, even through you post on the internet. I would have been a bit well, "I haven't done anything", but then I would have engaged him, maybe even made a friend, interested him in why you find your attire enjoyable!

What do ya figure he thinks about you now!

It's really hard to see the other side of the coin sometimes, but being defensice is just gonna arouse more suspicions

[Macleod91]

absolutely love the way you handle this, not much more to say lol

Tony

[pdcorlis]

Better you than me Hector - I doubt I would have handled things as elegantly as you did.

[george7]

Are there pictures of this library on the internet? Perhaps even on Google Streetview?

[hospitaller]

Are there pictures of this library on the internet? Perhaps even on Google Streetview?

Actually yes, here they are, the building with the red roof is the Mac Donald's:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...05724&t=h&z=18

and the street view:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...305.71,,0,3.65

[bikeolounger]

Actually yes, here they are, the building with the red roof is the Mac Donald's:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...05724&t=h&z=18

and the street view:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...305.71,,0,3.65

I suspected that might be the place, from reading your first post. I used to live about a mile south of there, and remember when that library (and county clerk's office branch, and police district substation, and county health department branch--all in the same building) replaced the bowling alley for which that building was constructed. I remember when that McDonald's was built in the mid-1970s, as well.

Given that the police substation is right there, I'm not surprised that the police would get nervous about seeing the same man parked in the same car several days running. Our county police are a curious lot.

Thanks for politely putting them in their place.

[PGH]

The cops are the good guys. In the very few times I've been asked questions I answer them so we can both be on our way as quickly as possible.

Must admit though, it does make me smile to think that the cop thinks there might be a connection between sitting in a truck wearing a kilt and dirty deeds aimed at a library. Cry illliitteraccccyyyy!!!!