OK so we’re going to deal with a couple of scenarios, let me share my experiences with NYCs finest that made me realize how to and not to deal with the police.
The first one I was about 16, was in the 80s and in the 80s anything went on the NYC transit system.
For any of my fellow NYers remember the last car in the D train? All the windows kicked out and the lights were off? It was the smoking/party car. The trains were nuts I hear it’s going back to that.
Anyway, I was riding the train one night, back then if you were a teenager bored looking for a little mischief you could ride the trains, you could be drinking, smoking weed, dust, tripping balls on mesc, crack, cig’s whatever you were into, have your walk-man with a couple of tapes, a fat dime bag of weed with a 40 and you were good to go.
So here I am late fall early winter rolling the D train we pull into 59th st, I was the only one in the car as we pull in I see a line of transit police, too late doors are opening, I cup the stogy in my hand and the first officer peeks in and then out I think I’m in the clear.
Some short motherfucker smells it, spots me, comes in, and pulls me off the train.
I give him my id and he asks my name, my smart response which I thought at the time was so clever, “what you cant read”.
I was whisked into a bathroom, I caught a billy club to the knee as I was going down got popped in the eye that left me a nice shiner.
When I gained my breath the little fucker asked me my name, this time I told him instead of being a smart ass LMFAO.
That lesson of the day was not to mouth off to the Police. My mom and dad got a kick out of the story by asking me if I learned my lesson, not the lesson of not to be 16-year-old smoking on the train but the lesson of what happens if I mouth off.
I mouthed off again a few years later, long story but they deserved it or I was willing to take the beaten that I knew was going to come and it did, that one to me doesn’t count cause like I said I made a conscious decision knowing where it was going but felt I had no choice know what I mean.
I knew what I was getting into, see what I mean, like if you’re going to man up be it mouth off or raise up then you got to know what’s coming.
It’s all in the game yo and if you’re not ready to pay the price then don’t play the game, that simple.
Let me also give you a little hint, you are never talking your way out of getting a ticket or arrested, if it’s not serious and there putting the bracelets you maybe if you shut the fuck up you might be out in like an hour, again no warrants and nothing serious, if you got shit they are going to find tell them, never know maybe your rolling with an 8ball and because you were a straight-up adult, yes they are taking you but maybe they don’t add the charge.
Next time, not too long after that, I was arrested before this time but that was work involved and work involved you just shut the fuck up, that’s a funny story for another time, but the next time I was arrested I decided to try a different approach with the police, this worked wonders on the outcome, I was cordial, not saying to kiss ass, yes officer, no officer, thank you. complied. That’s it!
So this time I was a gentleman, back then you could still smoke in precincts and central booking, I was headed to central booking and because I was a gentleman with the officers they asked if I wanted them to get me a pack of smocks and a quick sandwich, for which I was grateful for. Yes, I paid for it.
As we proceed now on the ride to 161st street I comment on how you two officers were the nicest cops I’ve come across, the response was “if you were an asshole you would have gotten your ass kicked, you were decent so are we, you act like an animal we can do that to”.
After that encounter from then on I was a gentleman, well except for that time but again I knew it and guess what smooth as beans always.
Another example, one evening 2 of my buds and I were sitting in Poe Park in the concourse in the Bronx on a Friday night going to say about 10 pm, again this was the 80s.
Were sitting there getting wrecked, smoking weed had to have at least 2 sixer’s with us probably a pint of J.D. or Southern Comfort, I see the 2 cars stop at both sides of the park.
I’m white, one of my boys JR also white, one black Rob, I see them get out and I know they are looking for someone and I know it’s not us, I see them coming, I give my boys a heads up tell em both, now mind you its Poe park in the 80s on a Friday night in the late fall, no lights in the park expect the glow from the street lights coming from the Concourse and our spliff so I tell em both put your hands on your knees.
As I’m telling them under my breath one of the cops screams out, “let’s see your hands”, Rob has a hoody, hands in the pockets and he starts arguing about what were we doing wrong, now it’s let me see your hands motherfucker with the guns drawn coming towards us.
I start telling Rob to take the hoody off and show his hands, his response was Nah we ain’t doing nothing wrong now I scream at him you’re going to get us shot show them your fucking hands. I hear the cop “listen to your buddy he’s right”.
Reluctantly Rob takes off the hoody and shows his hands 1 cop approaches flashlight in my face then JR’s then he turns to Rob and does not shine the light in his face, we’re looking for 2 white guys motherfucker you’re lucky I didn’t shoot you in the face and they left not touching the open beers or our smoke.
Sometime after that, I was in a diner on Kings bridge between Web and Sedge wick, real Greek greasy spoon dive not even in street-level had to step down into it lol, I’m in their getting a cheeseburger deluxe to go when I get stormed by 4 cops that take me out to a cruiser to get ID’d, of course, it wasn’t me and they let me go.
I go back in the diner SOB stopped cooking my burger lol and they all knew me over there which makes it more funny.
Another example again with JR in a bar on McLean Ave in Yonkers right after Wood lawn drinking in the bar we get rolled in by Yonkers cops wanting to search me for a gun, my point is it happens to everyone not the based color of skin and let’s be honest I wasn’t an angel in these times, all my encounters, except for the one where I took the beaten were caused by me.
Every encounter I’ve ever had with the police was my fault, except for the time when the 2nd beaten took place that was the reason I popped off but every other one was my fault be it traffic or the more serious shit getting a no-knock warrant served on me I was a gentleman, even if they are assholes take the higher ground my dudes and dudettes and hopefully, you have the $$$$ to fight in court, in the street we can not win.
Traffic stop
As soon as you get pulled over, if it’s night time put your interior lights on, have your license registration and insurance ready in hand, which is now resting on the steering wheel.
Do not, I repeat do not keep your glove box or the box between the seats open and you do not want to open it in front of them, if your documents are in the box get them before the officer gets to your car but I suggest keeping them in the visor so they see you reaching, this coming from a white guy with privilege don’t forget.
Also, no weapons which include knives, or any kind of paraphernalia, if they see it guess what they search, keep your car clean on that note, lots of garbage what have you can give them the excuse that they have seen something to institute a search, if its in public view its fair game.
If they ask to search or look in your glove box or trunk, try to divert don’t get into an “I don’t need to let you search the car,” in the end they are going to search it whether it stands in court depends on how much $$$$ you have to spend on lawyers.
The fight is not on the street, they do not make the laws, the courts and politicians do our fight is with them, LE stands for what? Law Enforcement Officer, it’s their job, if you break the law even if they disagree with it it’s their job to enforce it.
For example, I’m sure in your job there are some stupid ass policies that make no sense to the grunt on the ground except that if you don’t do the stupid shit you lose your job.
If your clean clean then go for it and I mean clean cause they will search the car if you become irate. If you’re making the stand then know how it probably ends before it even starts.
Now if you know you got open warrants on you, my advice is to let them know, there going to find out anyway and if your straight up it’s going to go a lot different, no they’re not letting you go but the way they treat you changes.
Act like an adult you get treated like one, act like a child and you get a time out.
Do not say a word, if they ask “do you know why I pulled you over” the answer is always NO even if you do know the reason.
ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN BE USED AGAINST YOU
Let them write the ticket, you’re not getting out of it, in fact, the more you talk the more ruin your chances for beating it in court, at the very least you may get a reduction. That is if you kept your mouth shut.
Stupid shits the police do not need to read you your rights for what you say being used against you.
Here’s another urban myth, the police can lie to you, they do not need to inform you they are the police while working undercover.
Say thank you and please just like in anything else in life you’d be surprised where these niceties get you.
Why argue on traffic or any other reason where do you think that ends? If you think fighting with the police ends in your favor then you really are a stupid shit.
Let’s imagine that you are the police walking up to a strange car, how would you like the person in the car to treat you?
You get what you give in this life, deal with it.
You’re doing something wrong.
So this scenario you are breaking the law and you got caught what to do, this is a tricky situation no, I mean if you’re looking at forever and a day in the clink then maybe you go for it and really your looking for suicide by cop.
If that’s the case wouldn’t it better to put the chrome up to the dome and do it yourself, old shogun warrior style?
Do you think you can outrun the cops? They have radios, helicopters, this isn’t the 1920’s get to the next county or over the state border, and your home free. You can not outrun the police if you are trying you want it to end badly, Nuff said.
If you draw in a cop you’re going to get shot pretty simple, if you don’t show your hands and act like you got something you might get shot pretty simple.
Look I’m not saying that they don’t do fucked up shit what I’m saying is how I act as a human being goes a long way in every single situation in life not just with LE but with LE it usually means either you doing something wrong or something went wrong with you.
You catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar.
Johnny Says when the police stop just shut the fuck up, give them your id, take the ticket or the arrest, and tool up for court.
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