Inappropriate Behavior While Carrying A Handgun?

[Maple Syrup Actual]

Aside from actually knowing a lot about weird telecommunications technology, one major lasting benefit I got from spending a lot of time on the road in big, branded trucks (often full of heavy stuff like the old fibreoptic welding gear, or banks of batteries and RF analyzers and so on making them really unwieldy) is that you just couldn't drive like an asshole. You couldn't honk, you couldn't speed, you couldn't cut anyone off, you couldn't yell, you couldn't gesture. If you did, someone would be phoning your company and either you worked directly for a company and you'd be in trouble or you were contracting something to someone and you'd lose a contract.

Actually, just yesterday I had someone really bizarrely freak out at me for parking "too close" to him in a parking lot (next space over in a moderately full lot but by sheer accident I left him nearly three feet on the side). He called me "motherfucker" about twenty times and just stood there ranting about the ridiculous stupid bullshit I'd pulled by parking next to him, instead of next to the guy on the other side. He actually had so much room he could roll the shopping cart between our two vehicles and load stuff in the side door of his minivan with no problems so honestly I'm not sure where the outrage was coming from.

Anyway, once I realized I hadn't somehow unknowingly backed into his truck or something, I just sat there and watched him for a minute to make sure he wouldn't get squashed when I pulled out, and then drove off. I don't think my pulse got over 70 the whole time because I'm not invested in him thinking I'm cool; I don't care at all if he thinks I'm an asshole. Particularly not for parking in a parking spot.

As I later explained to someone else, who knows me a little bit and was all "whoa did you get out and totally fuck him up" because he can't really distinguish between being martially inclined and being an aggro douchebag, when people have handbag dogs that sit there and yap at me I'm not like "oh yeah? let's fight bro!" I'm just going to shrug and walk way and probable never think about it again. And if it's a rottweiler, I'm not like "yes this is awesome" I'm like "hmm...better think this through because both of us are going to get hurt if this goes down, no matter what."

I don't really mind getting dinged up a bit but it better be over something worthwhile.

[busykngt]

Not the one I was looking for but it'll do...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eKUiRuBiMaA

[Peally]

Haha - Starship Troopers really didn't have space battles in the the book. There were mainly infantry assaults and some asteroid tossing. Nothing like the horrible movie. The Bugs were technology matches for us and used weaponry. The movie made no sense - no armor suits, woeful underpowered full auto Mini-14 based long arms. No real air support, etc.

Thread drift though. Heinlein went off the deep end with incest filled books and time travel.

To the thread topic - I try not to honk in anger anymore or flash brights - never know who you might meet.

They're battles in space bro, as long as it isn't on Earth it counts

And yes, the movie is one of my top 5 hated movies of all time. They took badass orbital assault marines and turned them into massive derp.

[blues]

I think it was Mas Ayoob that said once you start carrying a gun you give up the right to flip people off in traffic. I know that runs through my head fairly often when driving.

I used to love to occasionally...because I couldn't help myself, (and since feds aren't authorized to be traffic cops), pull over some douche who thought it was funny to flip me off and swerve at my vehicle for one moronic reason or another.

I'd hit the wigwags and flip the siren switch for a moment and pull the miscreant over. Invariably the excuse was "I didn't know you were a cop". I'd say "Oh, then it would be okay if I was just some little old lady, I guess. You'd better hope you don't have any outstanding warrants. Turn off your car and hand me the keys."

Oh, I've had a few stories like that that got fairly interesting.

[Zincwarrior]

I used to love to occasionally...because I couldn't help myself, (and since feds aren't authorized to be traffic cops), pull over some douche who thought it was funny to flip me off and swerve at my vehicle for one moronic reason or another.

I'd hit the wigwags and flip the siren switch for a moment and pull the miscreant over. Invariably the excuse was "I didn't know you were a cop". I'd say "Oh, then it would be okay if I was just some little old lady, I guess. You'd better hope you don't have any outstanding warrants. Turn off your car and hand me the keys."

Oh, I've had a few stories like that that got fairly interesting.

These are stories I would like to hear...

[blues]

These are stories I would like to hear...

One morning when I was traveling from Key Biscayne to Miami there were a pair of latin dudes in a car that were driving somewhat erratically and dangerously on the two lane causeway. I watched for a while and then decided that maybe they should be pulled over and I could let local law enforcement take over from there.

I got behind their vehicle, flipped on the grill lights and hit the siren but they wouldn't pull over. (Mind you, I'm supposed to be on my way to the office in the Doral area...about 25 minutes away.) So, this goes on for a while with me behind them and them failing to pull over. It starts speeding up some and at that point I called our comm center over the radio so I could give them my position and they could have local law enforcement meet up with me at some point if and when I knew where we were heading.

Their mistake was getting onto I-95 N and then turning off on the causeway heading to Miami Beach. It must've been a slow morning in Miami Beach because as we were about to leave the causeway and get on the island I saw a few marked units waiting to intercept the vehicle. They finally decided that the prudent thing was to stop and they received a very "warm" welcome from the uniforms who responded to provide an assist. In hindsight they'd probably have been much better off that morning had they pulled over when I directed them to.

__________________________________________________ _____________________________________________

This one is the funniest one.

I'm returning from the field to my little apartment on Key Biscayne late one afternoon or early evening. I'm at the toll booth sharing a pleasantry with the gentleman working that lane when a late model Porsche convertible comes up behind me and hits the high beams a few times to let me know he's important and has no patience for being delayed whatsoever.

I shrug my shoulders, tell the toll collector I'd better let the guy get through and pull out. As the guy comes abreast of me he yells something my way, flips me off and flies down the road at Porsche speed.

Well, fuck it...I'd have let being flipped off go but now he was being reckless and so I followed, got behind him and gave him lights and siren. He wouldn't pull over for quite a while until I told him over the loud hailer that he would be arrested if he didn't pull over right quick.

He pulls over and as I approach his vehicle (with the intention of at least checking wants and warrants) I see two little heads sticking up from the passenger seat. His little kids. Oh great. Just what I want to do...embarrass the guy in front of his kids. I figure I'll make this quick and let it go.

Ask for his license and reg and he refuses. Ask again and he still won't cooperate. I tell him that the last thing I want to do is see him arrested in front of his kids but if he doesn't turn off the car and hand me his documents I'm going to have locals meet me and take him into custody. I pull out my cuffs.

He hands over the documents and I'm secretly hoping he's wanted for something but feeling for the kids. Wants and warrants come up empty.

He asks me where I live. I ask why he wants to know. He says that I shouldn't be stopping people on the way to Key Biscayne if I can't afford to live there.

I ask him where he's from. He tells me Argentina. I tell him things are a little different in the U.S. and that folks have to obey the law no matter where they live or how wealthy they may be. And that they still have to follow orders from a law enforcement officer whether thy make more money than him or not.

He berates me and throws a few choice terms my way. (I spoke Spanish fluently back then.) I tell him nice mouth. He says "I make my money with my mouth". I say "prostitution is against the law". He's really annoyed now.

Finally I let him go but I notice he doesn't want me to see where he is going to go. (His license has the wrong address but I got the updated address over the air.) When we get into the village of Key Biscayne he tries to lose me down some of the local streets but I just proceeded to his home and arrive there about five minutes before him. He about shit when he saw my vehicle parked in front of his home. I just waved and took off.
(My apartment was about four blocks away.)

Stopped over at the police sub-station and asked if they had experience with the guy and it turned out that a couple of domestic batteries and a marine incident or two involving the Marine Patrol as well.

I walked past his house that night (a week night) and there were about a dozen high end vehicles parked by his house.

Next morning I called and verified his employment as a broker for a big firm and then called a friend at the IRS and told him that I think this guy's taxes might need looking into. They were only too happy to accommodate.

Well, that's a couple of long stories...I can come up with a couple others if need be. (As I'm sure many here can.)

[Zincwarrior]

Awesome.

[Tom Duffy]

The shortest unit of measurable time: the interval between when a Manhattan traffic light turns green and the taxi cab behind you starts blowing his horn.

[11B10]

One morning when I was traveling from Key Biscayne to Miami there were a pair of latin dudes in a car that were driving somewhat erratically and dangerously on the two lane causeway. I watched for a while and then decided that maybe they should be pulled over and I could let local law enforcement take over from there.

I got behind their vehicle, flipped on the grill lights and hit the siren but they wouldn't pull over. (Mind you, I'm supposed to be on my way to the office in the Doral area...about 25 minutes away.) So, this goes on for a while with me behind them and them failing to pull over. It starts speeding up some and at that point I called our comm center over the radio so I could give them my position and they could have local law enforcement meet up with me at some point if and when I knew where we were heading.

Their mistake was getting onto I-95 N and then turning off on the causeway heading to Miami Beach. It must've been a slow morning in Miami Beach because as we were about to leave the causeway and get on the island I saw a few marked units waiting to intercept the vehicle. They finally decided that the prudent thing was to stop and they received a very "warm" welcome from the uniforms who responded to provide an assist. In hindsight they'd probably have been much better off that morning had they pulled over when I directed them to.

__________________________________________________ _____________________________________________

This one is the funniest one.

I'm returning from the field to my little apartment on Key Biscayne late one afternoon or early evening. I'm at the toll booth sharing a pleasantry with the gentleman working that lane when a late model Porsche convertible comes up behind me and hits the high beams a few times to let me know he's important and has no patience for being delayed whatsoever.

I shrug my shoulders, tell the toll collector I'd better let the guy get through and pull out. As the guy comes abreast of me he yells something my way, flips me off and flies down the road at Porsche speed.

Well, fuck it...I'd have let being flipped off go but now he was being reckless and so I followed, got behind him and gave him lights and siren. He wouldn't pull over for quite a while until I told him over the loud hailer that he would be arrested if he didn't pull over right quick.

He pulls over and as I approach his vehicle (with the intention of at least checking wants and warrants) I see two little heads sticking up from the passenger seat. His little kids. Oh great. Just what I want to do...embarrass the guy in front of his kids. I figure I'll make this quick and let it go.

Ask for his license and reg and he refuses. Ask again and he still won't cooperate. I tell him that the last thing I want to do is see him arrested in front of his kids but if he doesn't turn off the car and hand me his documents I'm going to have locals meet me and take him into custody. I pull out my cuffs.

He hands over the documents and I'm secretly hoping he's wanted for something but feeling for the kids. Wants and warrants come up empty.

He asks me where I live. I ask why he wants to know. He says that I shouldn't be stopping people on the way to Key Biscayne if I can't afford to live there.

I ask him where he's from. He tells me Argentina. I tell him things are a little different in the U.S. and that folks have to obey the law no matter where they live or how wealthy they may be. And that they still have to follow orders from a law enforcement officer whether thy make more money than him or not.

He berates me and throws a few choice terms my way. (I spoke Spanish fluently back then.) I tell him nice mouth. He says "I make my money with my mouth". I say "prostitution is against the law". He's really annoyed now.

Finally I let him go but I notice he doesn't want me to see where he is going to go. (His license has the wrong address but I got the updated address over the air.) When we get into the village of Key Biscayne he tries to lose me down some of the local streets but I just proceeded to his home and arrive there about five minutes before him. He about shit when he saw my vehicle parked in front of his home. I just waved and took off.
(My apartment was about four blocks away.)

Stopped over at the police sub-station and asked if they had experience with the guy and it turned out that a couple of domestic batteries and a marine incident or two involving the Marine Patrol as well.

I walked past his house that night (a week night) and there were about a dozen high end vehicles parked by his house.

Next morning I called and verified his employment as a broker for a big firm and then called a friend at the IRS and told him that I think this guy's taxes might need looking into. They were only too happy to accommodate.

Well, that's a couple of long stories...I can come up with a couple others if need be. (As I'm sure many here can.)

It's always the same damn story. If these dipshits would just FOLLOW ORDERS, life would be so much easier - for them, too.

Allow me to tell a tale a very good friend (who's an IRS investigator - refers to himself as a "gun-totin tax man") told me. I had asked him if he ever "pulled rank"/flashed his badge at anyone (he's plainclothes, of course). He was coming from a two weeks long out of state trip and was tired. Guy climbs right on his bumper in the left lane, flashing his lights, waving his arms, etc. My buddy sees the guy's mouth going, but can't go/do anything cause they're boxed in. This goes on for miles, when finally the right lane opens up, letting Mr. Tuff Guy get in the right lane, pull beside my friend with the obvious intent to really give it to him - he's buzzed his window down, arm out the window and is beginning the yelling. My friend, who says he's never done this before, has an inspiration - grabs his badge/wallet, buzzes HIS passenger side window down and thrusts his hand at the clown. He said two things happened: 1. Guy disappeared! 2. Guy found an off-ramp that didn't exist! Made his day.

[blues]

We'll have to have a separate thread for the really stupid stuff we've done. (Or maybe, better yet, those stories shouldn't be published. Yeah, I think that's the right answer. )