I just got pulled over as a pedestrian for "walking suspiciously"

[Recursion]

Four Alsxandria PD cars showed up.

Glad I had no warrants or drugs.

[Melinda]

1. Wow. But did you have a gun?

Being snarky, ignore me!!

But seriously... I wonder how they would have acted had you been ccw? Are the cops in Alexandria known for 'outlandish' behavior?

[MADem]

2. How does one "walk suspiciously?"

You weren't "walking while ethnic," were you? A four car party? What are you, the Incredible Hulk?

Were you near the bars on King Street, or did you have the nerve to walk in a "toney" neighborhood without a little dog in a coat?

Details, now....details!!!!

K/R!

[Recursion]

5. I'm as white as they come

I was (and am) clearly drunk, and said so to the officer, which is why I'm walking vice driving.

[MADem]

18. Did they let you go fairly soon? Were you near the bars or lurching around your neighborhood?

Were you searched and handcuffed? Made to sit on the curb while they figured out who you were? I see that on occasion around my neck of the woods.

Sleep it off and stay safe!

[Mojorabbit]

23. When I lived in the Keys in the 70s

They used to arrest people for WWI. Walking while intoxicated. I don't know if they still do it.

[Flying Squirrel]

66. Did you know that public intoxication is illegal?

At least in my state (WA) it is. That never stopped me in my 23-year drinking career, of course. 4 years sober next month

[Recursion]

67. I wasn't stumbling or belligerent or anything

I just mean it would have been obvious to anyone that I was coming from a bar where I had had some drinks.

[hfojvt]

16. I had a cop in a small town wave me over

because I was (gasp) walking down the street wearing a walkman and singing, also hanging out by the library which he did not know was open on Sundays.

But another time in the same town, I had a cop who was singalling a right turn and when I cut across the street half a block away and cut across a vacant lot, he instead went straight and then made a right, presumably to check me out. Perhaps he thought it was suspicious the way I looked both ways before crossing the street or something.

Then there was the time in 1984 or so when we got stopped going in to Canada. Apparently because my baby sister (age 14) and I (age 22) were wearing headphones they thought we were being brainwashed or something. Headphones were not nearly so ubiquitous at the time.

[MADem]

22. Damn Walkman wearing HIPPIES, I tell ya! Infesting the town, why, they're all over the front

steps of the LIBRARY!!! Oh, the horror!

[hfojvt]

25. my friend thought it was kinda funny

because the cop asked me "are you new in town" and I replied something like "no, I have been here for five months".

Fortunately for me, I had the same last name as one of the richest guys in town.

Worse yet though, I was not just loitering on the front steps of the library. I was waiting for a song to end so I could go inside and check out a book, perhaps even by Balzac or Shakespeare or some other high-falutin' Greek.

[MADem]

28. Ball sack!!! Don't you swear at a cop, yew young whippersnapper!!! Greek? Whadd are ya, a

FURRINER?????



Small town cops--it's like Andy of Mayberry, with real bullets....!

[demwing]

33. no fair

Andy of Mayberry was a solid good cop with common sense and compassion. Andy Griffith was an awesome liberal!

[2pooped2pop]

51. yeah, if only all the cops were more like Andy

I still watch the reruns. Especially love when Otis and Barney are in the same scene.

My family still uses "Hooty Hoot" as a signal to find one another if separated, lol. I think that was a Goober or Gomer episode.

[CRK7376]

62. I say Hooty Hoot

all the time and it makes my wife and daughter nuts. Forgot it was from Andy Griffith. By the way I live in the shadow of Mount Pilot or as we locals call it Pilot Mountain...

[2pooped2pop]

63. thats cool

Yeah, we look pretty silly in the store hooty hooting but it is distinctive so we always hear it in a crowd.

[CincyDem]

52. And Barney had the right approach to gun control...

...he kept that one bullet right there in his holster belt, ready at a moment's notice. OK - 5 minutes notice but still, it was the appropriate response preparedness to make sure he didn't pop Otis in the foot by surprise.

[2pooped2pop]

64. A+ lol n/t

[MADem]

70. I thought he kept it in his buttoned shirt pocket!!!! nt

[MADem]

69. Valid Point--"evil Andy," then! nt

[JHB]

73. Unregistered Silly Walk? That can run afoul of intellectual property laws...

[dkf]

3. Damn. That's pretty nuts...

[elleng]

4. Are you other-than-white?

Walking while Black, Brown, Red, Yellow CAN be injurious to one's health.

[Recursion]

6. I am biracial but pass and identify as white

My skin tone is actually lighter than many Italians.

[elleng]

8. Interesting.

Did you challenge them, as in

[Recursion]

9. Negative. Thanked them for their concern

Some fights aren't worth it.

[elleng]

12. Absolutely.

[BainsBane]

39. no fight with a cop is worth it

being polite is the only logical way to go.

[Kalidurga]

7. Once a friend of mine got harassed by cops asking her if she was a prostitute...

She was wearing a Wendy's uniform and she had just gotten off her shift. She was walking in a seedy neighborhood. But, that was where we lived so there wasn't much she could do about that. So, message I got don't be female out on the streets after dark.

[Recursion]

10. Sadly true (nt)

[reformist2]

14. A Wendy's uniform?!

I apologize in advance for finding this a little bit funny.

[Kalidurga]

17. Well we thought it was hillarious

We went on and on about how sexy the uniform was. Then I asked her to show me the walk. And she walked like a lumberjack for me (her usual walk). Of course we were po'd too. But, sometimes it helps to laugh.

[BainsBane]

40. Is the smell of beef fat a major turn on

Last edited Mon Jan 28, 2013, 04:27 AM - Edit history (1)

for johns?

Amazing the things cops spend time on while real crimes go unattended.

[Kalidurga]

45. OMG thank you so much

I had forgotten that joke. LOL

[MADem]

19. JEEEESIS!!!! A Wendy's uniform? "Yeah, I am prostituting myself to the corporate fast food

industry for minimum wage!!!"

[Skittles]

36. a coworker and I were mistaken for prostitutes

I was working nights in Austin and I ducked down to the corner (around 11th & Congress) to have a smoke with an African-American coworker Doris (I smoked back then) - a very young cop pulled up and asked, "You ladies working tonight?" I replied yes - we work on the third floor of the bank building, waving my badge at him. He turned the brightest shade of red I have ever seen on a human being. Doris said, "HE THINKS WE'RE HOOKERS!" and started prancing around the cop car, cooing "I'M STRUTTING MY WARES.....I'M STRUTTING MY WARES" The cop stuttered his sincere apologies and left. Bet he never made that mistake again!!!

[MADem]

74. OMG, that has an element of hilarity to it....

Was it the eighties? It seemed like all of the clothing people wore back in the eighties--and this is regardless of gender--looked a bit like hooker uniforms! All those bright colors and huge padded shoulders and sequins!

[Skittles]

75. yes, it was the 80's

now me, I have always dressed the same - T-shirt and jeans - but I remember I used to kid Doris about her "FMPs" (fuck me pumps) and shoulder-padded dresses; actually the reason I mentioned Doris' race was because I felt that was the real reason we were tagged as hookers

[MADem]

76. It might have been her CLOTHES....!!!

You didn't have the boom box out on the loading dock, beating out Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" I hope?

[tularetom]

11. Could have been worse

[Recursion]

13. Yup

It's good to pass

[MADem]

21. Easier, anyway. Shame it's even a factor. nt

[TwilightGardener]

24. I knew this was coming.

[Iggo]

15. Happens to me once or twice a year.

Sucks, don't it.

[alittlelark]

20. When you sober up tomm. file a complaint.

There is nothing wrong w/ walking home while intoxicated. I assume you weren't singing loudly or peeing on the plants! If more ppl indulged and then hoofed it home instead of driving the world would be a better place.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

30. No, in fact in most of Europe, you're expected to walk, take a cab, take the bus, ANYTHING

but drive when you're drunk.

I attended an international family reunion on a small island about two miles by three miles in northern Norway in the summer of 2011. We were all housed in the summer cottages of different relatives. There was a dinner at the island's village hall, and then everyone danced and sang and drank till the wee hours (although the sun never went below the horizon, it being July in northern Norway and all). At about 2:00AM, I started fading, so I looked around for someone else who was heading back to the cottages. One of the cousins, who had driven over to the village hall, said that she was tired, too, and since we were staying with the same relative, it was perfect.

I headed toward the car, but my cousin said, "We have to walk, because I've been drinking."

On a little island. She still obeyed Norway's stringent drunk driving laws.

It was about a mile to where we were staying, but we walked along the gravel road in the dusk-like half light. We saw a deer running across the road up ahead of us.

[alittlelark]

43. This was in Alexandria VA USA

We haven't evolved that far......

[rightsideout]

26. Is this Alexandria VA?

If it is, that's weird. Alot of people walk around in Alexandria. I know people who live in Alexandria that don't own cars and they walk everywhere. And there are alot of bars and food establishments there so I'm sure there are alot of folks walking around a bit tipsy.

[Recursion]

31. Yup. Walking back to Del Ray from Old Town

Totally not what I was expecting.

[Jenoch]

41. I don't know how or when the law is enforced,

but public intoxication is a Class 4 misdemeanor. These cases are usually only charged with other acts of illegal behavior such as fighting or other disorderly conduct. The cop saw you, possibly staggering a little and decided to check out the situation. He could have been seeing if you needed assistance. Not all cops are out to get you.

[xoom]

47. Very true.

[dlwickham]

27. that happened to me when I live in Jacksonville

armpit of Florida

I was apartment sitting for a friend in a downtown building and there was a Dunkin Donuts nearby. I went to see if it was open on a Saturday and it wasn't.

I was stopped by the cops because the only reason they thought a white boy would be in that neighborhood was to buy drugs

[demwing]

35. Donuts = drugs to cops

makes perfect sense

[dlwickham]

55. I was trying to avoid that stereotype

hehe

[demwing]

58. DON'T take the last donut!

[Special Prosciuto]

29. You didn't force them into a high-speed interstate chase, or did you?

8)

[Recursion]

32. While once upon a time I could run quickly

a footchase involving me now would last 4 or 5 blocks at most.

[lunatica]

50. At my age a footrace would last about 1.2 seconds in my head only

Aging is for the brave who can't run away like they used to.

[irisblue]

61. this made me laugh^^^

so loud I woke the sleeping cat up. thanks for laugh

[Lil Missy]

34. Too bad you didn't have a gun. n/t

[TlalocW]

37. Start messing with them

Next time you're out walking, if there are a lot of cars pulled up to the sidewalk, when a cruiser goes by, right after it passes, drop to the ground then bearwalk as fast you can until you're past the cruiser and pop back up again.

Drives 'em nuts.

TlalocW

[tama]

53. Had to think for quite a while

to get the video running in da head, but got it. Weehaw!

[ellisonz]

38. I would guess they were looking for someone...

...and you matched the description.

[jambo101]

42. When cops aint got nothing to do

They can get quite creative with their reasons for harassing some one, i remember back in the late 60's in Daytona a cop trying to arrest me for tending to look aimless

[Fumesucker]

44. I was talking about walking and getting pulled over to a guy I know who's always been dirt poor

I don't think he's ever had a car or a license.

He told me that you are about ten times more likely to be pulled over by the cops while walking than riding a bicycle, if anyone should know it would be him.

[Baitball Blogger]

46. Sounds like a stop and frisk.

But they're only legal in high crime areas.

[boston bean]

48. I got pulled over once for "sounding" like I was going to fast..

I was like WTH... but was nice and moved along, not wanting to get a ticket.

[Lesmoderesstupides]

49. What part of Alexandria?

Even though you are bi racial many in VA would still consider you a non-white and treat you accordingly.

[Tikki]

54. The APD is looking for someone....and even though you may eventually find out that you look....

nothing like who they were looking for...they may have been suspecting their perp might have had an accomplice
and you were there where they were looking..


Tikki

[Raine1967]

56. Last night was busy for the APD:

They had an incident near Braddock Road last night: http://delray.patch.com/articles/driver-arrested-after-striking-police-cruiser-during-stop

Del Ray has had a couple of gunpoint robberies in the past few weeks.

Maybe they were just hypersensitive? I'm glad you are home safe and sound. Old Town to Del Ray is a hellova walk!

[Helen Reddy]

57. A neighbor's son,

who attends a major midwestern University recently received his second citation for being intoxicated while walking home to his dorm.

First offense was a ticket, the second was an overnight stay at the local jail and an issue to appear. He is forced to get an attorney, the family has money so......they are already in it for over 2500 bucks. Now, they want him to go to jail for a few days to teach him a lesson.

My neighbor's son is a senior at the school, excellent grades and happens to be a L.P. Mom thinks maybe there is some discrimination due to this. Who knows. My opinion is there is more to this story, such as....the dude gets drunk a lot, and mom does not want to face it.

[msanthrope]

59. Were you frisked? nt

[pipi_k]

60. another view of this...

While the additional police "support" was probably a bit overboard, I can see the cops stopping someone who appears intoxicated out of concern for that person's own personal safety.

Thieves and other bad people have been known to target individuals who look vulnerable.

Anyway, I'm glad it all worked out in the end.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

65. Did they just talk to you?

Or were you secured? As in, checked for weapons, etc.

Where I am we have a lot of music, dancing and nightlife. It's a huge industry here. You'd think the local police would be more lenient, or supportive even, for PI's (Public Intoxication) if the drunk person were trying to walk home rather than drive. it would make sense, right? Wrong. They'll hunt you down and slap the $500 ticket on your drunk butt.

[DemoTex]

68. "Martini Man" used to frequent Old Town Alexandria.

He would show up every day at any one of several very nice restaurant/bars for lunch. I remember seeing him at Chadwick's and Portner's. Martini Man always wore very expensive threads: Brooks Brothers blazers, Jermyn Street ties, Italian pumps, etc.. He would order a martini, get it, and then order an expensive lunch. Before his lunch came (he always sat at the bar, and never talked to anyone) he would have a second martini. When lunch came, he would order a third martini. I never saw Martini Man eat a bite of food, not even the olives out of his 5-6 martinis.

I once saw Martini Man outside Union Street Public House, after the lunch hour(s), leaning against a wall of Revolutionary-era brick like a post-modern Ahab lashed to a masonry whale .. waving and waving to whom or what neither he nor I could have ever known. Perhaps he was waving to the Alexandria police, who pulled up and - as was their almost daily custom - gently carted off Mr. Martini Man to some other place (jail, home .. where, nobody knew).

That was over twenty years ago. I doubt that Martini Man still does his bar-crawl in Alexandria. Either his money & liver ran out, or he got the cure. I hope it was the latter.

[ThoughtCriminal]

71. "Tater", is that you? - nm

[MadHound]

72. Sounds like Springfield Missouri,

Got pulled over by the cops for the standard hassle eight times in four years. One of the most assholish, repressive cities I've ever seen.