| Author |
Message |
    
ReallyTrying
Citizen
Username: Reallytrying
Post Number: 560
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 1:29 pm: |     |
There's a new family in our neighborhood, and the husband is a state police officer. As a result, there is now a state police car parked on the street 24/7, literally all day, every day. This is really bothering me, but I cannot articulate a reason. Can anyone help me? |
StringsTeacher99
Citizen
Username: Blue_eyes
Post Number: 223
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 1:39 pm: | |
Maybe you feel like someone is constantly watching over your shoulder waiting for you to do something wrong? Like not use your turn signal when turning into your driveway or something. I think it would make me a little uncomfortable to. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 266
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 1:40 pm: | |
Hmmm...could be a number of things...Some possibilities:
- You think that visiting friends and family will think you live in a high-crime area because there are always police being called out to your neighborhood.
- It's disturbing you internally because subconsciously you're conditioned to think that seeing a police car means there's trouble or an emergency of some sort.
- It's just distracting because it always catches your eye.
By the way - I think I know what street you live on because I've noticed lately whenever I go running on that street there's a state police car parked on the street....
Look at it this way - you are probably less likely to get robbed with that car parked out there...I mean...would you rob a house that has a police car parked in the vicinity? |
jjkatz
Citizen
Username: Jjkatz
Post Number: 439
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 1:58 pm: | |
Only by someone wanting to get into one of those "dumb criminals" reports. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3499
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 2:31 pm: | |
If the car is there 24/7, when does the guy go to work?
It's probably the subconcious cop car=trouble thing. OTOH, maybe it will send woiuld=be criminals to the next block....
|
Addy
Citizen
Username: Addy
Post Number: 317
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 2:34 pm: | |
You can't smoke dope on your front porch anymore? |
jeffl
Citizen
Username: Jeffl
Post Number: 877
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 2:42 pm: | |
I don't know the answer but it must have something to do with your unconscious desire to murder your same sex parent and sleep with your opposite sex parent. Doesn't everything? |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 1686
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 2:46 pm: | |
Why is the state police car allowed to park on the street 24/7, when the rest of us are not? I understand if the officer is on duty, but at his/her home other times? |
ReallyTrying
Citizen
Username: Reallytrying
Post Number: 561
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 2:47 pm: | |
greenetree, I've wondered the same thing.
addy, yes, it's really put a cramp in my recreational life.
And LilLB, you have it exactly right. To me, a cop car means something's wrong. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 267
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 2:52 pm: | |
I knew that unused degree in psychology would come in handy one day.... |
Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 403
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 3:36 pm: | |
Perhaps this new family doesn't know you are not permitted to park on the street? If it was in the driveway though, would it be any better? |
ReallyTrying
Citizen
Username: Reallytrying
Post Number: 562
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 3:58 pm: | |
I was wondering about that, too. Maybe cops' cars get immunity. Although he had better not leave it there during snowstorms.
Aside from what we've already discussed, it also strikes me as a safety issue, in that there are lots of little (ages 4-8) kids who like to ride or skate in what is a fairly quiet street. I would hate for one of them to not see an oncoming car and dart out from behind or beside the cop's car. |
ReallyTrying
Citizen
Username: Reallytrying
Post Number: 563
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 4:00 pm: | |
Or maybe I'm getting too hung up about this. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3501
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 4:01 pm: | |
I used my pschology degree: all those long, type-written papers increased my secretarial skill set my first year out of college. |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4444
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 4:31 pm: | |
I think many of us associate police cars with some sort of emergency in the area - a crime, an accident, a heart attack, a downed power line. It takes a while to get past the feeling of dread that something serious has happened on the block, maybe even to our own family and realize "Oh yeah, my new neighbor the State police officer likes to park his State patrol car in front of his house when he isn't out on patrol." |
Pizzaz
Citizen
Username: Pizzaz
Post Number: 1328
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 7:18 pm: | |
A reasonable answer, but Jeffl's response was wild. Perhaps the resident psychologist can analyze it for us?  |
mem
Citizen
Username: Mem
Post Number: 4357
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 9:11 pm: | |
Always plant your pot in a secluded area in the yard, or else close enough to your neighbor's so you can blame them. If not possible, bring it indoors and use grow lamps.
(My neighbor is retired state police - he'll be snooping around my yard now!) |
just me fromsouthorange
Citizen
Username: Jmfromsorange
Post Number: 1008
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 1:06 am: | |
be glad you don't live in florida. all the officers are given their own personal police cars that they take home with them. this means there are a lot more police cars at private homes.
i remember seeing one of the maplewood k-9 cars off ridgewood road a lot a few years ago.
and there is a newark fire van that's always parked in south orange. |
Mayor McCheese
Citizen
Username: Mayor_mccheese
Post Number: 55
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 3:36 am: | |
Perhaps, deep down inside, much like everyone else, you mistrust the police. Only some will admit it, but when a cop is behind you while driving, how many times do you look back at him?
This is not to say that I hate police, but knowing that someone has a certain amount of power over you is bound to make you uneasy. |
Brett Weir
Citizen
Username: Brett_weir
Post Number: 467
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 10:46 am: | |
Really Trying- The feeling is somewhat like having your parents move across the street, except the cop won't watch your kids or pick up the dinner checks. Remember this: home is where this guy goes to stop being a trooper. He just wants to be a family guy and a neighbor. The car just means he's an on-call guy, so it has to be there. And it will deter criminals just by being there- if it were in his driveway it would have less deterrent value. |
Duncan
Citizen
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 3614
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 11:26 am: | |
I would march myself right over there and, with cookies in hand, welcome them to the neighborhood. Make some small talk and thank him for basically sticking up a "DONT F**K WITH MY STREET" sign on the street. What you are feeling weird about harkens back to the days you smoked a joint in the car or some other nonsense. It took me a long time to stop feeling queasy when I saw a police car behind me, even after 13 years of sobriety.
When you are 4 cops are cool
When you are 14 cops are "peace officers"
When you are 24 you are either in training to be a cop or being damn sure not to be stopped by one.
When you are 34 you play golf with cops
When you are 40 you usually stop worrying about em. And then you are right back to thinking they are cool cause you have a 4 year old. |
Albatross
Citizen
Username: Albatross
Post Number: 401
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 11:33 am: | |
(When you're 18 you get stopped by the cops because your friend lit a firework in the parking lot  ) |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4451
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 5:01 pm: | |
JustMe:
Brit, the canine officer, lived in that neighborhood. |
Innisowen
Citizen
Username: Innisowen
Post Number: 305
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 6:19 pm: | |
I guess if he were an officer of the Wisconsin State Highway Patrol, with his car on my street in South Orange, that would cause me some ennui. |
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