I've been fortunate for most of my life. Until the two most recent ones.
One was more sinister-ish; the other straight up terrifying.
I was riding home on a holiday evening, and as I was on the road, I noticed a car slowing up and speeding down after me. They weren't passing. It creeped me the fuck out. It was late. Being that I didn't know if it was a drunk driver (in Wisconsin, especially :\) I decided to go down a side street and hope it wasn't going to follow me. I saw it in my rearview (since I didn't have the damn lights shining in my my mirror when I turned off), and saw it was a cop.
I turned around and went back on my way. He had turned into a lot right near that turn off so of course, as I passed him, he pulled out again. I just pulled over at that point, expecting he was gonna pull me over anyways, so, whatever.
He asked me why I pulled over, I told him that the way he was driving, pulling up to me close like that then backing off freaked me out - especially since I had a sister that died from a drunk driver, so I pulled over in case he was a drunk driver, so I would be safe. He gave me a verbal warning for a "light out" in my plate. Which apparently is why he initially was trying to get close - he couldn't see my plate. Whatevs. He wasn't terrible, but there was a little standoffish attitude. I could understand that one, at least, even if what he did was dumb.
--------- Second one, that was much worse - perhaps you were my friend on LJ by then, but I don't know.
I had ran a red light, trying to get through by speeding up before it turned. I didn't see any cop car or anything. Anyways, I'm pulling up on a ramp to an exit and then as I'm on the exit lane, I hear sirens (but do not see anything at that point. I'm hoping it's not me, but since I don't see anything I keep driving). Then I get on my exit, which is a weird crowded type exit, so lots of traffic blockage possible if I pull over, which is why, when I saw the truck behind me with it's lights on, I decided I was close to the parking lot of where I was going I would just pull in there and not impede traffic, so as the traffic kept going I moved into the lot and he drover around and blocked me stormed out of his vehicle totally yelling at me and had his hand right at his holster ready to pull out, what I dearly hope was a Taser. I just saw him in that position that any second he was gonna draw. I was terrified. He asked why I didn't pull over - I told him I didn't want to impede the flow of traffic.
At some point in this whole exchange I started just bawling tears of pure terror. An agent of the state was getting very confrontational with me, when I had done nothing, I thought (yes, I ran the red light but I didn't make that connection at first, since I didn't see the vehicle til a bit later.) He doesn't know this, of course, but that total attitude, when I HAD MY HANDS ON THE WHEEL THE WHOLE TIME. He pulled me into the lot told me I'm supposed to stop right then and there and that *HE* would direct me to safer place to park. Apparently that's how it works, even though I've heard many times that you should pull over into a place where you feel safe. Prolly Urban Legend. Anyways, He took pity on me for bawling my eyes out, I guess. I'm sure he was relieved that I wasn't aggressive. Still.
I can only imagine how that interaction may have gone were I black.
I can't believe you've had to deal with that much. I know you call it the Waste-Land, but damn.
I've had my car broken into once, and that's it so far in my life. Actually twice, I guess - once when I was in the gas station and my Nintendo DS got stolen, but that's not relevant.
Anyways, my friend was in downtown Phoenix and took video of the protest there, apparently during the "First Friday Art Night"... Phalanx of Pigs, she said it was intense, and getting super crazy.
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One was more sinister-ish; the other straight up terrifying.
I was riding home on a holiday evening, and as I was on the road, I noticed a car slowing up and speeding down after me. They weren't passing. It creeped me the fuck out. It was late. Being that I didn't know if it was a drunk driver (in Wisconsin, especially :\) I decided to go down a side street and hope it wasn't going to follow me. I saw it in my rearview (since I didn't have the damn lights shining in my my mirror when I turned off), and saw it was a cop.
I turned around and went back on my way. He had turned into a lot right near that turn off so of course, as I passed him, he pulled out again. I just pulled over at that point, expecting he was gonna pull me over anyways, so, whatever.
He asked me why I pulled over, I told him that the way he was driving, pulling up to me close like that then backing off freaked me out - especially since I had a sister that died from a drunk driver, so I pulled over in case he was a drunk driver, so I would be safe. He gave me a verbal warning for a "light out" in my plate. Which apparently is why he initially was trying to get close - he couldn't see my plate. Whatevs. He wasn't terrible, but there was a little standoffish attitude. I could understand that one, at least, even if what he did was dumb.
---------
Second one, that was much worse - perhaps you were my friend on LJ by then, but I don't know.
I had ran a red light, trying to get through by speeding up before it turned. I didn't see any cop car or anything. Anyways, I'm pulling up on a ramp to an exit and then as I'm on the exit lane, I hear sirens (but do not see anything at that point. I'm hoping it's not me, but since I don't see anything I keep driving). Then I get on my exit, which is a weird crowded type exit, so lots of traffic blockage possible if I pull over, which is why, when I saw the truck behind me with it's lights on, I decided I was close to the parking lot of where I was going I would just pull in there and not impede traffic, so as the traffic kept going I moved into the lot and he drover around and blocked me stormed out of his vehicle totally yelling at me and had his hand right at his holster ready to pull out, what I dearly hope was a Taser. I just saw him in that position that any second he was gonna draw. I was terrified. He asked why I didn't pull over - I told him I didn't want to impede the flow of traffic.
At some point in this whole exchange I started just bawling tears of pure terror. An agent of the state was getting very confrontational with me, when I had done nothing, I thought (yes, I ran the red light but I didn't make that connection at first, since I didn't see the vehicle til a bit later.) He doesn't know this, of course, but that total attitude, when I HAD MY HANDS ON THE WHEEL THE WHOLE TIME. He pulled me into the lot told me I'm supposed to stop right then and there and that *HE* would direct me to safer place to park. Apparently that's how it works, even though I've heard many times that you should pull over into a place where you feel safe. Prolly Urban Legend. Anyways, He took pity on me for bawling my eyes out, I guess. I'm sure he was relieved that I wasn't aggressive. Still.
I can only imagine how that interaction may have gone were I black.
I can't believe you've had to deal with that much. I know you call it the Waste-Land, but damn.
I've had my car broken into once, and that's it so far in my life. Actually twice, I guess - once when I was in the gas station and my Nintendo DS got stolen, but that's not relevant.
Anyways, my friend was in downtown Phoenix and took video of the protest there, apparently during the "First Friday Art Night"... Phalanx of Pigs, she said it was intense, and getting super crazy.