So today I pissed off a cop...

[last_texas_dem]

Actually, for anyone who read my work-related moral dilemma I posted on here almost a week ago, here is a new installment in the saga of how I'm making more and more people at my job hate me. haha

Anyway, I work at a movie theatre and on weekends where we are playing R-rated movies that attract large numbers of the "undesirable element" (read: teenagers- and no offense to any teenage DUers; this is the owner's logic, not mine) they hire out one in a revolving stable of "rent-a-cops" to come and "keep the peace." Most of the cops are decent guys, nice enough, etc., but one of them gave me bad vibes from the first time he came around- partly 'cause he seems to have a creepy crush on my much younger (than him) boss, but something else beyond that I couldn't really define either. Now I know what it is: it was the vibe of a dirty FReeper! haha

So yeah, several of my co-workers and I were cleaning up in the concession area after we had finished selling for the show when the rent-a-cop comes up to the counter shooting the breeze and getting on my nerves. One of the movies we are showing, Once Upon a Time in Mexico comes up in the discussion, and this one guy I work with was talking about how Johnny Depp was really good in the movie. So then the Rent-a-Cop says "Well I don't like Johnny Depp. He doesn't support President Bush." So then I, who hadn't said anything so far in this boring twenty-minute thus far conversation piped up "Well I don't support him either, so maybe that isn't the best thing to bring up." (For lack of something more clever; I suck royally at thinking on my feet...) So anyway then the FReeper says- and get this, "Are you Taliban?" I mean, can you fucking believe that? Well I just came back with "No, I'm a Democrat", though I do wish I could have come up with something better there... I mean that shit's outrageous. Then the guy made some crack about my immaturity later on (relevant to my political beliefs once again, I'm fairly certain...) as the conversation went on but I handled it pretty well, if I do say so myself, by pretending it was so unfunny that I didn't even realize it was a joke, and no one else laughed at it either.

So anyway, not exactly a "victory" story but just thought I'd share. We're dealing with some real weirdos out here. I should've said much more than I did; I mean what's w/ a cop accusing me of being "Taliban"? :wtf: And yes, I'm sure he would say he was only "joking" if prodded, but I mean, shit- is that really the kind of "humor" a law enforcement officer should be engaging in? Well anyway, if I start getting pulled over on a weekly basis, or wind up on one of Ashcroft's lists, I guess I'll know why... :scared:

[Andy_Stephenson]

1. I would have asked him...

1. Who wants to know a Taliban Chief? Or

2 Are you the gestapo or something?

3. No silly...I'm Al queda can't you tell by my ________ hair.


BTW You in Texas if so where? I am from Copperas Cove.

Smart move not to piss a cop off(I think he will say you young and naieve btw). You handled it ok...he is mind controlled. So what can you expect?



Welcome to the 4 digit club. :hi:

[last_texas_dem]

4. Yeah, I wish I would have responded w/ something more clever

Good comebacks! But, then again, perhaps it is for the better. At least the FReep knows where I stand so maybe won't shoot his mouth off so freely.

I hail from the far-right (though politically my area isn't quite as bad as much of the state; we elect mainly conservative Dems and DINOs rather than Re:puke:s!) side of Texas in the southeast corner- Orange, to be exact.

And thank you for the welcome! :hi:

[HydroAddict]

7. Hey GBNC! I'm in Temple!

Been seeing your posts for awhile now on DU. (I don't post much, obviously.) Had know idea you lived so close!

[ccinamon]

10. GBNC - you still living in Cove?

I've lived there several times over my lifetime -- graduated from Cove High in '75.

Glad to be out of there!

Being a feminist in goat-ropper world is a hard road!

[ikojo]

12. My aunt and her family live in

copperas cove, TX. Her husband was career military so I suppose they support the shrub. As I have said in several threads I do not discuss politics with my relatives.

[Swede]

2. Be careful, you may be making an enemy

"There's a cold wind blowing across America" as Tim Robbins said it. We live in scary times my friend.

[Wonk]

3. In case it comes up again you could mention that "Taliban" translates as

roughly "hardcore religious student", aka FUNDIE. The American equivalents are the Tim Lahaye "Left Behind" type crowd, and this guy may have been one from the sounds of it. It has been known to blow some of their minds (cognitive dissonance) when that's pointed out to them, if they're actually paying attention.

[last_texas_dem]

5. Hey- cool fact...

I didn't know what "Taliban" translated as, but that's very interesting to know. I have a feeling this guy might be taken a bit aback in finding that out, as long as he isn't too dense to realize he might be the equivalent himself!

[Iris]

23. do you think the "Left Behind" crowd is really as extreme

as the Taliban? I know some pretty mainstream folks who love those books. In fact, sometimes I am downright shocked at some of the people who tell me they read them. I usually make it a rule not to make negative comments about people's reading material, but in these cases it is very difficult.

[bluestateguy]

6. To each his own...

go ahead and let him support an Administration that is working hard to screw rent-a-cops like him royally. The Administration he is so fond of opposes raising the minimum wage for people like him, wants to make it impossible for people like him to collect overtime by imposing draconian new rules and they think its just fine for private companies to bully workers like him into not joining a union.

[luckyluke]

14. Minimum wage...

...hurts the working class. -ll

[dani]

8. I woud've taken a logical approach

Although it's fun to make a Freepie feel dumb, I think it's more effective to show them the errors of their thought (in the hope they'll become less dumb). In your situation I could've told FReep that if he was implying a critic of BushCo was anti-american (a Taliban no less!?) then that was an either/or fallacy, or a fallacy of false dichotomy. Moreover, if he was implying that dissent was unamerican or unpatriotic I'd remind him that freedom of speech is a very American tradition that many of our men and women died to protect in WW2 against the collectivist Fascist regimes and I'm not about to allow BushCo or any Freepies to force Americans to abandon their right to freedom of speech or dissent.

How's that? ;)

[Kamika]

9. lol

thats fucking priceless.

You should have said like..

why yes.. yes i am a taliban, how did you know?

extremely calm

edit: come to think of it he might have taken it literally and arrested you heh

[eauclaireliberal]

11. "No, I'm not Taliban....

anymore than you are a real cop!"

[7th_Sephiroth]

13. Everyone that has less that 50 million dollars

is on ashcroft's list, as for the rent-a-cop, dont worry, just keep a video camera around.

[luckyluke]

15. What's a rent-a-cop? (nt)

[Don_G]

17. Private Security Guard

AKA "Knob-Shaker": One who is paid to go around at night rattling doorknobs to make sure the offices are locked up.

[luckyluke]

18. In other words...

...he's *not* a cop. The original post seemed kind of confused on that score. -ll

[last_texas_dem]

21. No, he was a *real* cop

I suppose I shouldn't have used the term "rent-a-cop" in that it's not exactly correct. These guys are real cops, but they do come and stand around in the theatre some nights for the purposes of intimidation, so play a role I think of a "rent-a-cop" playing. I didn't know of a precise distinction (that "rent-a-cops" aren't real cops) but this guy is a *real* cop. In this guy's case, he wasn't even assigned to be there on the night of this occurrence, but simply stopped in to pick up some popcorn and flirt with my boss.

[Catshrink]

16. Good Job!

Gotta speak up and let these guys know that not everyone shares their opinion. You did just fine -- you don't have to be eloquent or verbose. Keep up the good work!

[Orangeone]

19. I don't understand

I don't understand why the good ole boys support Shrub so strongly. He's a spoiled frat boy, not exactly one of the unwashed masses.

[proud patriot]

20. Next time say "I'm a Patriot who Supports the Constitution"

:D then ask the Freeper "How are you supporting the Constitution
or the troops for that matter?"

[Iris]

22. What's the world coming to when a Democrat can't dislike a Republican pres

?

I thought your replies were fine. There's no sense wasting too many words on people who are so dumb.

[lpbk2713]

24. This is pathetic........

Obviously it didn't even occur to this moron that he's having to work a second job because his hero put the economy so far in the toilet that it will take a miracle to get us out. He accused you of being "Taliban" because his limited mentality equates anyone who is critical of anyone who is the appointed occupant of the Oval Office as being a threat. That poor bastard. Where I live law enforcement candidates are required to have at least two years of college. It appears this loser isn't bright enough to tie his shoes. I think babysitting teenagers is probably over his head.

[davsand]

25. Moonlighting cops--Argh!

I know several guys on force and some are really cool. Others are a pain in the a$$ and THEY always seem to bee the ones that moonlight on the "rent a cop" jobs.

Next time somone asks if you are Taliban or implies in any way that you are "un-amurrican" because you don't like the idiot in chief feel free to remind them that this nation wouldn't be here if it wasn't for political dissent. I always say I feel a moral obligation to the Founding Fathers to stand up when I disagree with where our nation is going.

Seems to me that most of the really terminaly stupid ones manage to understand that we'd be singing "God Save the Queen" if it hadn't been for political dissent by some rebels.

I've also been known to finish up by saying that I'm happy to see THEM politically involved even if we disagree--simply because so many have bled and died to give us that right and not enough people take it seriously. That way, you are at least leaving them with an image of you that isn't too horrible.

Laura