Encounters with police

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I've been twice stopped by the cops for only sitting in my car parked in a suburban street . I'm not stalking or planning a robbery. I have aspergers. Cops ask so many questions as if I were a criminal. I mean I like sitting in my car. It's quiet and I browse the Internet . Why do people call the cops on me? What should I do if it happens again? Press the gas and flee the cops?

Click through to the local police radio for your city/town, and listen to the things they deal with or get calls about for a few days. That may give you some insight:

http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/

I may be weird but I ain't no criminal.

What country are you in?

I get stopped by the cops an extraordinary amount myself, and I'm a small female. I have to wonder if they are looking for anyone behaving out-of-the-norm sometimes. In college I once got myself trapped atop a fence with police at the bottom actually. It's a long story...

...but trust me, NEVER RUN. It gives them a reason to give you a citation. Even if you've never done anything wrong aside from running from a cop, they can write you up for that.

Running would be an idiotic move. You would receive more than a citation. You would be arrested for "fleeing," "obstruction" or something like that.

USA

Cops tend to think that people in cars at night, especially in "drug-prone" areas, are "up to something."

If I were to sit in my car in my decent neighborhood--especially if I had the lights on and the music blasting, I would certainly get a visit from the cops.

If you tried to run, the cops would most likely shoot you, especially here in gun-happy America. I would just ask them why they were called, and point out that all you're doing is browsing the internet. It might also be easier if you got out of your car and sat on the hood or something, at least that way you're making it clear that you're not trying to be sneaky and stalker-ish.

They wouldn't likely shoot a person running.

They would probably arrest that person for "obstruction" or whatever.

Most judges would dismiss such cases at arraignment--unless the person has a previous record, or the judge is fanatical about being "anti-crime."

second question: Are you black???

Unfortunately, many black people are being shot by police these days, especially when they are called upon to calm an emotionally-disturbed person or something of that ilk.

One person shot in this way is too many.

However, I still believe that a person simply fleeing, no matter what race, will not be shot--but will be arrested if the person is caught.

It's probably better, unfortunately, to be more careful with the police if you are a racial minority in the US, though.

FFS, He told you to listen to it to figure out WHY they reacted to you, it's called growing your empathy. Listen to the damn streams and learn why the cops reacted!

And yes - i agree that you should floor it the next time you see cops. It's great - they give you a permanent new place to live where you cannot waste other peoples time on the internet by ignoring their advice.

I had a similar thing with US Customs where I was (professionally) interrogated on both my visits. Luckily I didn't have any major issues but apparently someone like me (single, young male, infrequent visitor) is an automatic red flag. It was annoying but I understand they are just doing their jobs. Once I answered their questions and they searched the car, I was allowed to go on my way.

As for your situation, I am a tall, (formerly) single, solitary male who is a child magnet: kids literally run up to me all the time. I'm sure more than one person reported me in this paranoid time. I recently had one child smile, say hi to me in an elevator, I said "good morning" and the father grabbed the child and quickly ran off like I had pulled out a gun. Luckily I have never had any direct police encounters because of that but I know running would be the absolute most foolish thing one could do.

I will say that I think at least some of it really does depend heavily on what sort of area you're in. If you're in or near a big city, then cops are much more likely to be suspicious of this, and chances are, they have good reason to.

As opposed to living in the middle of bloody nowhere, as I do. If I were to do that around here, nobody would care. There just isnt any crime here, really. Too sparse of an area. All that the cops care about around here, thusly, is wether or not someone is speeding. Obviously, there are always exceptions, but the basic way they operate does seem tied to the area they're in.

Of course, sometimes you might get one that's just a jerk, or paranoid. Which isnt a police thing, anyone in any work field can be like that.

Anyway, just dont let it bug you. They just have a job to do, that's all, and for many, being suspicious of things is part of the job description.

Enough.

There's really no reason to be acting like that, dont you think? Particularly here of all places. I mean, really.

Someone is wasting time on the internet, yes. It's not the OP.

I know you're not a criminal.

I sit in my car and listen to the ballgame sometimes.

And I'm not a criminal.