Cops visited us tonight.

[donsrods]

Tonight I was washing my daily driver in the driveway of the shop while Dan was finishing up his headers. Don had his Vette in his part of the shop cleaning it up too. I had my trunk open because I am taking Dan's headers to Tampa tomorrow to be coated, and when I walked around my car I got blinded by a bright light. I looked down the driveway and there was a Sheriff car with the spotlight on me, then he drove off.

I walked into Don's shop and told him and Dan what just happened, and as I was walking back out there were two Sheriff's officers standing at the door. We made small talk and thanked them for keeping an eye on the shops in that area, but they were not exactly in a talking mood. Then one of them says, "Do you guys have any ID on you?" I said sure, and Dan and I walked back to our shop to get ours, and one of the cops went right with us while the other one stayed with Don, who was getting his ID out of his car.

We showed them our licenses and they looked around the shops and asked what we do there, so we told them they are our hobby shops. What kinda made us a little mad was even after they decided we belonged there they were not very friendly, quite the opposite.

As they were leaving I asked them if there was something going on that we should keep an eye out for, and they said "We are here because we got a call someone was at this location with an open trunk, so we were checking you out." They were two of the driest cops with zero personalities I have ever seen, and we have been there over 7 years and work late at night without anything like this ever happening. It just left a weird feeling with us, like we were criminals or something.

We are glad they are keeping an eye on these places, but I would have thought they would have lightened up once they knew we were ok. I hope we never run into these two cops when we are out cruising in our hot rods.

Don

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

And people wonder why cops get a bad rap. Just another example of a police state at work. You are doing your business as usual and they can just come poking around to "check you out". Barging in to your private property with no cause other than "what are you doing in here?". Outrageous.

Have you called to follow up on this yet? I would be wanting some answers as to why this behavior was going on. It's inappropriate at best, and certainly out of line.

 

[hotrod preacher]

don, dont you know that "an open trunk" is suspicious...

i mean, seriously, think about how many old ladies at kroger get arrested every year for putting their groceries in an open trunk

seems like after you "proved yourselves" it should have been ok, but who knows what they had been thru on their shift already...

 

[CR55]

Some of em are simply aholes just like others are ok....its the old "I have a badge and you don't"!!!!

 

[RPM]

Some of em are simply aholes just like others are ok....its the old "I have a badge and you don't"!!!!

X2 !!!!!!!

 

[Tripper]

Don,
Many moons ago here in Houston a man killed his young child & stuffed her in the trunk of his car. About a month later I was putting something in my trunk & had my oldest under my arm... she was about 4 at the time & I took her everywhere I went. Someone saw that & called the police & 2 homicide detectives arrived shortly. Anyway... they wanted to look in my trunk & after they found nothing there they wanted to know where our child was. I said in bed asleep & they wanted to see to make sure. One of the cops was like nearly 7 ft tall and I'm not kidding... he had to duck when he came in the door to keep from hitting his head. My wife thought all this was hilarious that they thought we'd knocked off our child & lost it & just started laughing uncontrollably out loud. The cops weren't amused & neither was I but you never know what cops see every day! I was *sure* glad when they left but she just kept laughing for about an hour after that!!!

BoB

 

[donsrods]

Ya know, half of me is glad they are so nosey and keep an eye on the shops back where ours is located. But what rubs me the wrong way was their demeanor. We were standing inside our shop (our property) and they are standing there asking for our IDs, and when they are satisfied about who we are they were still acting like we were up to something. Weird.

They kept looking around both shops (we have two adjoining shops) and commenting on "you guys sure have a lot of stuff in here" as if we were dealing in stolen merchandise or running a chop shop. They looked Don's Vette over and asked a lot of questions about it, same with Dan's rpu. And they were not questions as if they were interested in cars it was more like "prove this thing is yours".

I'm not going to do anything further, like complaining, because they technically did nothing wrong. They were not abusive, and I guess being friendly is not something that is required, they just have to do their job. We have been in there for so many years and have been hanging out sometimes until daybreak with the doors open, and have never once had a cop stop like that.

But we all talked when they left about how dry they were......."Just the facts, Maam !" kinda dry.

Don

 

[Tripper]

as if we were dealing in stolen merchandise or running a chop shop.

Technically you guys are sorta runnin' a "chop" shop! [ddd[ddd[ddd

BoB

 

[Dirtyrat]

Well, next time they show up I know how I would treat them.
"this is private property, I own the property, and unless you have a search warrant, I suggest you leave."

I'm on your side on this, there is never a reason to be ****ty with people when you are checking out IDs, etc. And in all reality they had no right to look in your shop either.

 

[Bonehead]

As a former cop, I can tell you it is a hard job. The bad guys don't tell you they are the bad guys, and some of them act like the good guys to the point you think they are.

One of the many reasons I got out of it, is because I got to the point that I didn't trust anyone. Good liars and thieves, look just the same as regular people. They even have IDs.

It is a shame those guys didn't lighten up. But my guess is they still think something is up at your place.

 

[sneakysnake]

Thats exactly why I dont see eye to eye with the cops any more,Its guilty until proven inocent and they seem to be dead set sometimes.

 

[ratrodz]

thats what happens when you interrupt their donut break.it was your fault they had to come check y'all out

 

[oldmanb]

I learned it takes a certain kind of person to be a cop,you have to be one who likes to have control and power. Their talking to you about your cars and stuff, sure isn't about wanting to know about your stuff, it's more to find out where you obtained it. I think some take "important" pills daily.

 

[kelseydum]

Awe come on Don, they just want to bust the meth lab ya'll got going. If I post this they'll probably have the feds on you too.LOL.

 

[cycledog]

Did you get their badge numbers and make sure they were real cops? Sounds a bit funky to me.

 

[donsrods]

Something I laughed about later was that sitting there on our bbq grill is a plastic baggie with catnip in it that I keep for the stray cats that I feed. It looks a lot like pot ! Can you see me trying to explain that one to the cops ?

I know they have a very tough, very dangerous job and see a side of life most of us don't want to know about, and I have some personal friends who are cops. I used to even drink at the Cop Shop that is for members of law enforcement because my buddy would get me in, so I have nothing but good things to say about them. They just left us with the strangest feelings.

Don

 

[Tim...Ok]

Something I laughed about later was that sitting there on our bbq grill is a plastic baggie with catnip in it that I keep for the stray cats that I feed. It looks a lot like pot ! Can you see me trying to explain that one to the cops ?


Don

LOL.. I was headed to work one night many years ago, decided to swing by
my moms house..She had just picked some fresh tomatoes out of her garden and sent a couple small ones to work with me..Whats a fresh tomatoe without a little salt on it? She didn't have an extra salt shaker i could take, so she dumped me a little salt in the only small container she had available, an empty prescription pill bottle Well, I get pulled over on the way to work with this pill bottle with a couple "grams" of salt in the bottom..true story, I thought I was going to jail that day..I finally talked him into tasting it
He wasn't happy, but sent me on my way..

Sounds like he never did fully believe you guys were legit to me..

Tim

 

[gassersgarage]

After a couple of decades on "the job', I was sent to a neighbprhood watch meeting on my "beat". Now most supervisors "know" better than to send me, I tried to warn them but they wouldn't listen. Anyway, after a few speeches by the coordinator, it was my turn.

I asked the audience if anyone had any questions, no hands were raised. So I told them, "Let me tell you how it is, I don't live in your neighborhood (richest area in California), I don't know you people and I don't care about you people. I'm here because they pay me and it's my job! I'll even tell you why I don't care about you. Some of you know me because you received a ticket from me. Even though you deserved the ticket and I was doing the job I was paid to do, you cussed me out or called me names. However, have me pull you out of a burning house or car, it would not dawn on you to call my Captain to say what a good job I did, so if you don't care about me, why should I care about you?".

Funny thing is, those people called my Captain and got me a commendation..........

The video I posted about the "Cruise to the Lake", the Sheriffs and the Irwindale P.D. drove by constantly. Apparently, some cars were cited (for what, I don't know) and the feeling was, they were being hassled. Myself, I didn't see a problem, my car is legal and I was legally parked. Apparently, the hosting club is never going back to that venue.

 

[motrhd]

Did you get their badge numbers and make sure they were real cops? Sounds a bit funky to me.

That was my first thought too, are you sure that they were even real cops, or just an elaborate way to case your place ? [S

 

[Tripper]

After a couple of decades on "the job', I was sent to a neighbprhood watch meeting on my "beat". Now most supervisors "know" better than to send me, I tried to warn them but they wouldn't listen. Anyway, after a few speeches by the coordinator, it was my turn.

Gassser,
Real shame you didn't tell them how you *really* felt... haha!

BoB