Comments on: In Response to ER’s COPS Program https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/23/in-response-to-ers-cops-program/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:41:18 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/23/in-response-to-ers-cops-program/#comment-12841 bowser Sat, 24 Mar 2012 17:31:32 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=11640#comment-12841 They aren't legal and are probably more trouble than they are worth. I'd guess very foolish. I have one in the van. I'm a bit paranoid about being hassled when I'm parked someplace overnight. I've figured if I turned it on the badguys might get nervous and it might attract attention. Never done it. Someone called the police on a loud party down the block a few years ago. It was outside with much hootin' and hollarin'. I saw the car drive up, park alongside the party and hit the lights. Sat there a minute and drove away. Broke up the party immediately without any more contact. They aren’t legal and are probably more trouble than they are worth. I’d guess very foolish.

I have one in the van. I’m a bit paranoid about being hassled when I’m parked someplace overnight. I’ve figured if I turned it on the badguys might get nervous and it might attract attention. Never done it.

Someone called the police on a loud party down the block a few years ago. It was outside with much hootin’ and hollarin’. I saw the car drive up, park alongside the party and hit the lights. Sat there a minute and drove away.

Broke up the party immediately without any more contact.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/23/in-response-to-ers-cops-program/#comment-12840 ER Sat, 24 Mar 2012 17:07:11 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=11640#comment-12840 <p>Blue lights are not a good idea.</p> Blue means cops, real cops with guns. Our prowler lights are amber, and we only use them to attract attention to ourselves when we are trying to guide a legit emergency vehicle to our location. We have no authority to pull anyone over, or even to threaten them with action. Blue lights are not a good idea.

Blue means cops, real cops with guns.

Our prowler lights are amber, and we only use them to attract attention to ourselves when we are trying to guide a legit emergency vehicle to our location. We have no authority to pull anyone over, or even to threaten them with action.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/23/in-response-to-ers-cops-program/#comment-12833 ER Sat, 24 Mar 2012 07:05:33 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=11640#comment-12833 The police don't like people doing their job for them. Not only can it lead to big trouble when it goes bad, as we have seen, but even if it works it only encourages more idiots to go out and play vigilante. Sooner or later, somebody gets hurt, and the cops get a pile of paperwork. The gun nuts love to put stickers on their windows that say "This house protected by Smith and Wesson" or "Forget the dog, beware of owner". Thieves just wait til they're out and then break in and steal their firearms. The police don’t like people doing their job for them. Not only can it lead to big trouble when it goes bad, as we have seen, but even if it works it only encourages more idiots to go out and play vigilante. Sooner or later, somebody gets hurt, and the cops get a pile of paperwork.

The gun nuts love to put stickers on their windows that say “This house protected by Smith and Wesson” or “Forget the dog, beware of owner”. Thieves just wait til they’re out and then break in and steal their firearms.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/23/in-response-to-ers-cops-program/#comment-12830 ER Sat, 24 Mar 2012 06:24:20 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=11640#comment-12830 A COPS program like mine is great for a quiet neighborhood because it reassures the residents, discourages villains, and frees up the real cops to concentrate on more active crime areas. I do it strictly as a "service-to-the-community" thing. It seems more fun than calling Bingo at the Community Center, or teaching Western Line Dancing. A COPS program like mine is great for a quiet neighborhood
because it reassures the residents, discourages villains, and frees up the real cops to concentrate on more active crime areas. I do it strictly as a “service-to-the-community” thing. It seems more fun than calling Bingo at the Community Center, or teaching Western Line Dancing.

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/23/in-response-to-ers-cops-program/#comment-12827 bowser Sat, 24 Mar 2012 05:09:10 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=11640#comment-12827 You have to wonder about the kind of person who thinks they can make a difference doing this, and then wants to do it. Certainly they are after attention, first. That's dangerous. They are likely to intervene in situations which are of no consequence. Secondly, they identify with a fantasy character. That's OK to an extent, not to the extent of dressing like them and "patrolling" the streets. Third, they could get into one hell of a lot of trouble fast. Who would take them seriously? And anyone that narsissistic would make it about them. Curtis Sliwa's Guardian Angels was an example of his grandiosity at work, and he staged fake rescues. For all I know they are still wandering around someplace, probably don't do any harm. At least they didn't dress up in Halloween costumes. ER's COPS program looks to be a very good deal. The more eyes on the street the better. If I were them I'd have a very bright blue light, preferably rotating, which could be plugged into the cigarette lighter. I've seen a lot of loud parties and people silenced simply by cops flashing the lights. A badguy will clear out of an area if he sees a blue light moving around. You have to wonder about the kind of person who thinks they can make a difference doing this, and then wants to do it.

Certainly they are after attention, first. That’s dangerous. They are likely to intervene in situations which are of no consequence.

Secondly, they identify with a fantasy character. That’s OK to an extent, not to the extent of dressing like them and “patrolling” the streets.

Third, they could get into one hell of a lot of trouble fast. Who would take them seriously? And anyone that narsissistic would make it about them.

Curtis Sliwa’s Guardian Angels was an example of his grandiosity at work, and he staged fake rescues. For all I know they are still wandering around someplace, probably don’t do any harm. At least they didn’t dress up in Halloween costumes.

ER’s COPS program looks to be a very good deal. The more eyes on the street the better. If I were them I’d have a very bright blue light, preferably rotating, which could be plugged into the cigarette lighter. I’ve seen a lot of loud parties and people silenced simply by cops flashing the lights. A badguy will clear out of an area if he sees a blue light moving around.

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/23/in-response-to-ers-cops-program/#comment-12822 TB Sat, 24 Mar 2012 04:26:05 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=11640#comment-12822 <p>It's weird. Most of my life, there weren't any. Or at least, none that made the news.</p> I used to wonder about it. Of all the many varieties of nutty, why didn't somebody somewhere put on a cape and start playing Batman? Then, seemingly just in the past few years, they came out of the woodwork. Were they always there, and only now news? <blockquote>"All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day. You had a bad day once, am I right? I know I am. I can tell. You had a bad day and everything changed. Why else would you dress up as a flying rat? You had a bad day, and it drove you as crazy as everybody else... Only you won't admit it! You have to keep pretending that life makes sense, that there's some point to all this struggling! "God you make me want to puke! "I mean, what is it with you? What made you what you are? Girlfriend killed by the mob, maybe? Brother carved up by some mugger? Something like that, I bet. Something like that..." - The Joker, talking to Batman. From Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke."</blockquote> It’s weird. Most of my life, there weren’t any. Or at least, none that made the news.

I used to wonder about it. Of all the many varieties of nutty, why didn’t somebody somewhere put on a cape and start playing Batman?

Then, seemingly just in the past few years, they came out of the woodwork. Were they always there, and only now news?

“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That’s how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day. You had a bad day once, am I right? I know I am. I can tell. You had a bad day and everything changed. Why else would you dress up as a flying rat?

You had a bad day, and it drove you as crazy as everybody else… Only you won’t admit it! You have to keep pretending that life makes sense, that there’s some point to all this struggling!

“God you make me want to puke!

“I mean, what is it with you? What made you what you are? Girlfriend killed by the mob, maybe? Brother carved up by some mugger? Something like that, I bet. Something like that…”

- The Joker, talking to Batman. From Alan Moore’s “The Killing Joke.”

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