The Comments was tongue in cheek…hince the “;)”.
sorry if my sly grin didn’t come across well.

And when my affiliation is pertinent to the discussion on the biased misperception of Joe Citizen (as well as Joe Visitor to the BG) and the unenviable position of cops to educate an unwilling public…let me know…

I know at least one such person who was brave enough to mention his affiliation and got swatted in real life for it…

Until then I’m just a clown fish trying to change the world in a fish eating sea of sharks.

(“Swim DOWN!!!!”)

However, as the caller stated, there was time on the crosswalk signal. If she had jaywalked, that would have been one thing, but to lecture a person when she was crossing the street in a crosswalk with the walk signal still available to her is harassment.

And Old Blue, is it really the law that you can’t start crossing the street when the don’t walk starts flashing? I’ve never heard that and I thought that the light flashing was sort of like a yellow light to pedestrians in reverse. Means be prepared.

You revealed the paramedic affiliation during the Star debate and attempt at freezing the competition out of the market by ordinance. 🙂 Honesty check: are you affiliated w/ ADA EMS?

And as for people who I one-sidedly support, you left out the coroners office! 🙂

I dont think I bring out the worse in people, people are already being petty and uncivil when I give my comments, Im just trying to show the otherside, and also defend those who are continuously bashed with out thought or care…and maybe in the process…just maybe, cause someone to think about ALL sides o the issue.

You are right, we ALL make mistakes. And as I have said before those in public service should be held to a higher standard. A realistic one, but a higher one.
But this is nt a higher standard, its a double one. We want officers to do their job, until it involves us.

It just bends me the wrong way when I see good people bashed for doing what they supposed to do.

And as for the “worker bee” and “servants” comments….there are “servants” and those who are in “service”. There is a subtle but important difference. And those who prefer to call cops, paramedics, and firefighters “servants” are subconsciously showing their lack of appreciation and value they have for them.

Servants are people who make your bed, serve you food, etc. Valuable functions but not the same.
You would never think of asking a waitress to save your kids life, or your maid to stop a bank robbery, no matter how much you paid them….when you chose to go out in the cold and risk your life, thats being “In SERVICE” to a (hopefully) greater good….not being a servant…and that is indeed a higher standard.

Anyway, I know this last part made no sense to anyone on here, or at least very few…..but thats just par for the course.

I sense that Gordon and Tex seem to have an axe to grind with the PD.

“I think the worst thing that ever happened to us as a society is when the guys with the badges changed their terminology for themselves from “peace officers” to “law-enforcement officers.”

If you truly believe this statement, then you are really as ignorant as you sound. I doubt that this was the straw that led to the downfall of western society.

I think the interesting thing in the story is that it’s illegal to cross after the countdown has started. I do that all the time and adjust my crossing speed accordingly to give myself leeway. I’m shocked that it’s illegal to do so. Those countdowns are always long enough so that a slow moving pedestrian could make it without trouble.

There are precioius few of those walk/don’t-walk countdown timers. What? Maybe a half-dozen in the whole state? Are they covered by statute? Seems to me if it’s counting-down, the citizen should be able to make a judgment call as to whether s/he can make it from Point A to Point B in the alloted time. No harm? No foul.

Cops could ticket 200 Borah kids on Camas / Cassia every morning around 7:40. They must be on very tight schedules, because they can’t waste their precious time obeying posted speed limits, stop signs, etc.

A paramedic recently retired who was good at his medical job. He was a horrible driver. He risked many lives, he caused injuries to innocent citizens (9th and Front) and yet he remained on the job. You know that to be true.

The lady in the crosswalk didn’t need a lecture about walking in a crosswalk when the countdown started…she did NOT jaywalk! Ass chewings are simply inappropriate.

Do you or the cops EVER say, “We screwed up on that one. Sorry?” What about the loose dog that chomped the poor man who was handcuffed? Internal affairs said it was OK.

End of the day. Cops and paramedics, firemen and politicos screw up every bit as much as the public. The difference is the public is the EMPLOYER and the others are public SERVANTS. Well paid and for the most part respected. Most are pretty good people, but they are the worker bees and the citizens are in command.

“Law Enforcement Officers probably when they realized how much money they make for every time they throw someone in jail or write them a ticket”
Common (and gross) missperception of where and what the fines (if any) collected by writing a ticket go and do. There is no “Money made”. And if there is , the Officer doesn’t see a dime. As it should be. Occasionally certain fines are earmarked for certain programs, but the monies dont cover those programs entirely as a rule, much less any left over.
As for those people who go to Jail….absolutely ZERO money made by ANYONE there….(Boy that alone could be a thread on alternative sentencing)

“S” said…”I see a kind of harassment and a cop with too much time on his hands.”
Actually what you “saw”, was probably an Officer who has seen plenty of auto pedestrian accidents and took the extra step of trying to be proactive and do a bit of preventive education.

Hears a new flash. Most cops are reluctant like to interact with the general public because 9 times out of 10, the “Joe Citizen” will take it the wrong way and complain, regardless of how nice or tactful the officer put his words of advice. Todays society is made up of people who feel entitled to do what ever they want, when ever they want, to whoever they want, regardess of the consequences… and are as a result resentful of anyone who contrast with that view…like police officers.

At the end of the day, it was a friendly word of advice. No citation was written, get over it.

On the flip side, if he doesnt make contact, hes accused on not being open to the public.

Their JOB is to interact with a public who resents them. Their job is to stop and educate the same public who does not want to be educated.

Remember, teh pedestrian will think about what he does when he crosses the street. He may still be stupid and try to beat the light, but at least he thought about it befre he gets squished like a grape. The lecture that officer give to day may save that pedestrians life tomorrow…(In fact wasnt their another unrelated call on the hotline about a pedestrian killed in traffic listed immediately AFTER the complaint?)

THATS almost ironic.