I work with ALDOT and we drive a van that has ALDOT emblems on the doors
and a yellow light bar on top.  We were heading out of a small town in
North Alabama this morning to check some roads when we noticed Police
cars with blue lights on parked on the side of the road and officers at the intersections ahead
directing school traffic.  No problem did not see the school zone sign
but slowed to 20 mph as in town they are ususally 25 mph but sometimes 15 mph.  This was a State Route by the way.



Officer at 1st intersection was waving us forward
and then starts waving us forward rapidly as we get near him.  I would have had to gunned
the engine to go any faster as our van has lousy power and did not feel
comfortable trying to rapidly accelerate with him standing it the middle
of the road and his car parked on the right.  As we pass he screams
"GET OFF THE ROAD PUNKS!"  Never been called a punk.  What the Hell guess I wasn't moving fast enough to suit him?





Second officer at next intersection waves us through no problem.  We get several miles down
the road and it starts sleeting so we turn around and head back.  Again the second (now first) officer waves us through ok and we were following another vehicle.  Officer who shouted is waving the vehicle ahead through and as soon as he sees us jabs his hand directing me right just as I get to the intersection!  I'm going 30 mph now as I saw the 35 mph school zone sign coming back into town and can't make the turn and as we go by he screams something we couldn't understand.



I'm not going back as this officer is having issues today.  I head to the Town Hall/ Police Dept. and ask to see the Chief of Police and was told it would be 30 minutes before he would get there and would I like to speak to the Mayor.  He was very courteous and after I related the incident to him and a description of the officer (in his 50s, heavyset with glasses) he sighs and says this is not the first time they had a complaint about him and that he would take care of it.



In all interactions with law officers in my 47 years they had acted in a professional manner.  I don't know if he was having a bad day or mad because he had to be out in the cold.

You can ask to see they Mayor in your town and he'll come right out of his office? You must live in a SMALL town

Sounds like you handled it appropriately. Glad no dogs were shot.

Good on you for reporting it!

I probably would have just yelled back something spicier than 'punk', which wouldn't have accomplished anything other than making me feel better.

The reality is that at accidents and such you sometimes get people who want to hoover over the accident site and rubberneck. Or they don't comply with some very obvious handsignals. After a long time of flapping your wings at drivers who don't pay attention, these sorts of people can get on your nerves.

One of these days I'm going to log on and no one will be bitching about how a cop treated them badly.  

A cop yelled at your vehicle?  BFD.

Get over yourself.  He may have assumed that you couldn't hear him, with your windows up, which it seems you couldn't since you didn't quote him.

The officer should be thankful that they get people who vacuum up all the broken glass at accident sites.



Seriously though, people who almost cause accidents while trying to oogle at another accident are annoying.





 

 

What bearing does this have on the OP? He's one of "those people?" We should expect this behavior from police because they sometimes have bad experiences with other people?



You rationalize police work to tolerate behavior that is unacceptable.

edit

He won't be able to see your point.

I did quote him.  Couldn't understand him the second time he screamed.  Also 2nd officer directing traffic did not have a problem with my speed or actions.  Mayor said not first complaint they had but feel free to continue defending him.




edited for spelling





 

Cops have bad days, like everybody.

And, some are just plain assholes.  Based on the Mayor's reaction, you ran into one.

The reality is that calling a driver a 'punk' as you direct traffic is uncalled for, unacceptable, and extremely unprofessional. And defending such actions... just sad.
We don't need children for officers throwing temper tantrums. If you can't do your job without hurling insults at passerbys, then maybe you should look for work elsewhere.

How about you get over yourself? If the cop is randomly yelling at people like a fucking retard, the OP has a legitimate complaint.





 

Why would he be yelling at a State DOT vehicle?

I see a difference between a peer at work or a business person or a spouse having a bad day and yelling, and a cop yelling. I see a difference in the relationship, in the allowable responses, and in the possible outcomes.



An ingnorant fool might think that it's all the same with a cop as it is with those other examples.

Maybe he was busting his balls...    As in



 

Few things in life are as frustrating as directing traffic.

I use a whistle so that when I cuss at people all they hear is a beeeeep.

Yeah, except that with any other job, when you hurl insults at customers (or more accurately, employers)... you usually get canned.

You got all the way to the mayor? Must be a hell of a small town.

He hasn't failed us yet.  Not once.  The "Cop eats dead babies while running over kittens with steamroller" thread was his pièce de resistance.  He may be a JBT but he's OUR JBT!  
 

Not the reality in the world of law enforcement.  Tis acceptable there.  Because they might be having a bad day.     Their bad day becomes everone else's bad day.  See how that works?

Driving through Gurley, huh?  

Yes, I know.  All cops are bad.  They should act perfectly at all times.  

For the record, I don't buy this story at all.  Who calls a 47 yr. old guy in a DOT vehicle a punk?  I think someone had a slow day or a boring week and decided to log on to arfcom and get some attention.  

Let me guess, LEO generally looks at you sideways because of the way you appear?  Leather, tats, long hair, beard.  Yeah, didn't we have this discussion yesterday?

Yeah.  Arfcom's LEO's have given us real insight into the reasoning and motivations of police officers.  I've learned more here about the inner workings of cops than I have the inner workings of guns.



 

Why did you have him do that?

Now that is how traffic is supposed to be directed. Woe to the officer my Dad (Captain) would catch NOT using his whistle while directing traffic. Good on you for doing your job properly.

The OP did exactly the right thing and his being able to talk to the Mayor was sauce for the goose. I'll bet there is one LEO tonight that wished he had used his whistle.

OK so now I'm a liar.  But your coming close to why I was shocked at his reaction.  But then my co-worker is black and maybe he saw him that's why he said it.





 

You sure the cop wasn't joking? I can't imagine him doing that, especially to a DOT vehicle.

So...the shirt didn't touch your back until you were squealing on the cop that was out directing traffic in the cold shit huh?

Just making sure I got the facts straight...I wasn't there..and ain't judging how bad your puss got hurt getting yelled at.

As I said previously, some cops are just assholes.

I'm sure you'll feel the same when your wife is called a stupid bitch passing through an intersection, or your daughter an ignorant slut.

They're just words, right?
And let's not forget... the cop had a bad day. He deserves to vent  a little bit.

Very subtle. I like it.

OP, don't sweat it. Words don't hurt. Guy sounds like he's on the edge of stroking out if he's letting a traffic post get under his skin that badly. Don't be as thin skinned as him.

I usually just call him on his cell.

Yeah and you will run home and post how you got corn holed by the next cop that gives you a ticket......Please

Law enforcement yelling at civilians for no good reason is inexcusable. Feel Goods have nothing to do with it.

No dogs were harmed during the making of this post.

Yep.  Have gotten tickets and I have told the officers to be safe and have a good day.  They were doing their job and I deserved it.





 

I certainly don't do much traffic work but I have shouted at people who were doing some combination of ignoring directions, rubber necking, driving too fast through an obvious accident scene or broken stoplight,   or generally driving with head up ass.  I only do this to get their attention so that they don't cause another accident.  They pay me do that.  

Also I may use bad language to get through to a person on their level when they are continuing with or precipitating a violent situation, such as a domestic or disorderly conduct.  Normally I use other techniques such as talking slowly and softly to drag their energy level back down.  Sometimes that doesn't work either but it's a tool in the tool box.  

"Drop the gun,..... drop the gun,.... drop the fucking gun"  seldom gets an officer in trouble.  

Fortunately I don't do a lot of those calls either.

I called a cop a punk today so everything evens out

I once worked with a cop who got so frustrated directing traffic, due to a clueless driver, that he pepper sprayed the driver, took his car keys out of the ignition and threw them over the highway fence. Obviously I don't work with him any longer.

Nah..I don't tell you about my speeding tickets..nonya damn business anyhow....you can dig my previous posts if you like...I don't bitch about petty shit like a ticket....and I frikkin hate squealers...loath and despise them in fact.

So here is how I look at the OP's supposed situation...as I see it....."Omagosh!..That froze officer just yelled at us!..For no reason!..I'm going to squeal on him right now...nothing better to do on state time, it's sleeting"

So don't be bitchin' about my speeding tickets...I ain't had one in 20 years dude..

Let me guess...

No.  Our bad day become your worse day.  See how that works.





 

Wow, you don't get a response like this from a officer now a days! I wish they were more like you. Reminds me of the old days.

How commendable. You're actually proud of abusing your position of authority & taking out your petty frustrations on the public you're supposed to be serving.
What do you do to wind down at the end of the night... kick your dog or beat your wife?

I see your humor and appreciate it, but there's a truth there too.  I addressed it here:


So yeah, what you are saying can be absolutely correct.

Nah, he's not being proud –– he's acknowledging the truth of it in a humorous way.

50k here, and it works the same!