Thursday, April 14, 2005
Community policing, not.
As I raptly watched the fiber being pulled down my street, one of the cops there to direct traffic brusquely told me, "Move along. We're working here." Huh? I was out of everybody's way. I had waited to cross the street for a momentary halt in the cable pullery. I was well off the street on town park land. I reminded him that I was a citizen, a taxpayer, that was my house right there, and that he worked for me.
Imagine, I go all over the world extolling FTTH, then when the fiber actually comes down my street, some self-important bully with a badge objects when I watch. The nerve!
Even if I weren't a fiber fanatic, as a citizen I should be able to watch what goes on in my neighborhood from a reasonable distance.
Later, another cop gave me crap for standing in my next-door neighbor's driveway; I gave him a look that said, "so arrest me for trespassing," and he backed off. I am going to have to talk to our elected town officials about our police problem.
Imagine, I go all over the world extolling FTTH, then when the fiber actually comes down my street, some self-important bully with a badge objects when I watch. The nerve!
Even if I weren't a fiber fanatic, as a citizen I should be able to watch what goes on in my neighborhood from a reasonable distance.
Later, another cop gave me crap for standing in my next-door neighbor's driveway; I gave him a look that said, "so arrest me for trespassing," and he backed off. I am going to have to talk to our elected town officials about our police problem.
Comments:
Do you get to elect your chief of police? Stand against him. If your experiences are typical they need reminding they are public servants & the best way to do that is from above.
Your descriptions drew a chortle.
I've been exactly there so many times.
There is nothing so funny as how a little power brings the bully out of ordinary people.
Now imagine what power does to sub-ordinary people in extraordinary positions. Like for instance, that drunk hillbilly most Americans call "Mr President."
That little lizard of a man actually thinks he is a tyrannosaurus.
Then again, if you get a large enough percentage of people cowering about in his shadow... he does become a beast.
Same with the local police fucks.
Same with anybody with a few ounces of power.
So by all means, gently rip the hides off the nearest supervisors.
It's your civic duty.
I've been exactly there so many times.
There is nothing so funny as how a little power brings the bully out of ordinary people.
Now imagine what power does to sub-ordinary people in extraordinary positions. Like for instance, that drunk hillbilly most Americans call "Mr President."
That little lizard of a man actually thinks he is a tyrannosaurus.
Then again, if you get a large enough percentage of people cowering about in his shadow... he does become a beast.
Same with the local police fucks.
Same with anybody with a few ounces of power.
So by all means, gently rip the hides off the nearest supervisors.
It's your civic duty.
I've had a different reaction with local crews.
When Cablevision was pulling fiber through our property 10 years ago (and we still only have vanilla cable modem service with port 25 blocked) I was basically getting in the way watching. The difference was that I knew the police officer - our township uses retired police for this sort of duty.
I ended up giving the policeman and three people on the crew a primer of how fiber optics work and what they might expect. I remember telling them they could easily get music, but video would be much more difficult.
They were very interested.
When Cablevision was pulling fiber through our property 10 years ago (and we still only have vanilla cable modem service with port 25 blocked) I was basically getting in the way watching. The difference was that I knew the police officer - our township uses retired police for this sort of duty.
I ended up giving the policeman and three people on the crew a primer of how fiber optics work and what they might expect. I remember telling them they could easily get music, but video would be much more difficult.
They were very interested.
And these sort of folks are the ones that are going to be running your local Broadband Ministry when your nirvana of muni-run fiber networks comes about. Sorry, couldn't resist. ;-)
Seriously, there is a systemic reason why cops, DMV workers, and other assorted gov't flunkies are rude a-holes. And it's why the prospect of trading one group of a-holes from an incumbent telecom company for another group of a-holes in the gov't doesn't exactly fill my heart with joy.
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Seriously, there is a systemic reason why cops, DMV workers, and other assorted gov't flunkies are rude a-holes. And it's why the prospect of trading one group of a-holes from an incumbent telecom company for another group of a-holes in the gov't doesn't exactly fill my heart with joy.
# posted by 
: 4/20/2005 10:03 PM
: 4/20/2005 10:03 PM
