[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by unluky

Not annoyed by the police in the least - just the other idiot drivers that seem to think cop cars spontaneously combust and will explode if they pass them.

I have a few buddies in LE, I could never do it. I take too much of my job home as it is and I don't see the worst side of people like they do. I have been to a few of their parties where I was the only non LE there and they are comfortable enough to speak frankly with me there. I would not make it. I'd be a drunk or worse.

I appreciate all you guys do and every time I hear someone whining about tint laws I give them the same speech. Strap on a badge and go out on the highway 15-20 minutes away from help and walk up on a car you can't see into and tell me how it feels? We allow 35 tint in MO and I have that on mine, but I still roll down my windows and turn on my dome if I get pulled over.

Funny cop story - I was probably mid 40's and still had my old 300ZXTT. I took it into a late movie one week night and was on my way home (11pmish) and the smallish town I was in was very dead. I came around a corner and being the large child I am, I opened her up a little and broke them loose. Nice soft tires so no squealing, but slid a tire width to the side - like that. As soon as I let off I noticed this cop in the exact parking lot to have a front row seat. I started laughing and deciding where to pull in and he of course lit me up. I also had 35 tint on this car (legal), but it is so small it looked darker and it was night. Rolled them both down as always and when he comes stomping up to my window he leans down and sees me and does a double take. He says "Damn - how old are you!?!?!?" I laugh and say "Old enough to know better!" as I hand him my license.

He says they have had complaints of kids tearing through that area and he was SURE he had pinched one. He goes and runs me and comes back and see's I had a CCW listed. He says "You packin??" I said no, but there is one in the car. He then goes on to tell me if I have my CCW I should be packing (the CO theater shooting had just happened) especially if I was in a movie. We then talked about guns for a minute once he learned I was in the industry.

He hands me my license and said "Go ahead and get on home, us old guys are allowed to let off a little steam now and then....."

I have had plenty of positive LE experiences, but that one took the cake. Not only was I "chastised" for not packing my weapon, I was basically told letting it eat now and then was not a bad thing........ =)

Love that story. It put a familiar rictus on my face.

It's interesting that you mentioned alcoholism. The propensity to turn to drugs or alcohol when stressed is something the hiring process and the psychologists attempt to weed out. This job will push some over the edge; I see it all of the time. Fortunately I have never been a drinker/drug user, so it's never my go-to when I'm stressed; isolation [with a pizza], martial arts and racing bikes are my preferred decompression methods. I also don't take it home; being largely disconnected works great for this field, but not so much for romantic relationships.