[andy99]

Meh, you might technically be right but the world is better if everyone can have a bit of fun, even police. I’m not super sympathetic to the “I was minding my own business driving a giant banana when the police pulled me over to ask me about it” argument - this guy seems fine with it too, but it’s not like there’s any reason to drive it other than for the attention.

And the “I pulled you over because you peeled out” - I mean it’s fun. Anyway, if it’s harmless I don’t really see the problem.

[ceejayoz]

> the world is better if everyone can have a bit of fun, even police

Police have plenty of ways to have fun that aren't Fourth Amendment violations.

If you wanna give out free ice cream cones, station a cruiser with a sign saying so. People can come to you just fine, without the "what the fuck, why am I getting pulled over?!" worries. The banana guy at least has an inkling of why there are flashing police lights in his rearview, but that doesn't make it OK.

[eru]

Sure, I agree about the ice cream cones for random people. But the banana car guy is basically opting-in to getting lots of attention.

(And, yes, I realise that this is exactly the same shape of argument that turns into victim blaming when it's about cat calling or worse. No, I don't have a principled way to distinguish the two cases.)

[zamadatix]

Opting in to getting attention shouldn't imply anything one way or the other about how often you get pulled over. In the real world it does, because the police are a collection of humans and will misuse powers they are able to, but that has no bearing on what's supposed to be right or wrong - it's just the realistic expectation you'll have to deal with.

[eru]

Well, especially in a democracy what's supposed to be right or wrong is heavily influenced by what the general public wants and accepts.

[zamadatix]

What the public wants is part of that picture, sure, but what the public accepts is a different thing than either right/wrong altogether. Namely "what you can realistically get away with".

[eru]

I agree in the abstract. But the abstract doesn't say anything concretely about what the exact powers of (traffic) cops should be.

For example, your average cop in the UK, traffic or otherwise, doesn't carry a gun. Bobbies can get guns, but it's enough of a bureaucratic hassle that they seldom bother. The absence of guns makes a lot of the tension disappear that I read about in American encounters with low enforcement.

In Germany, police routinely carry guns, but also approximately no one is afraid they might get shot as a result of making the wrong move at a routine traffic stop. (Partially that's because every shot fired comes with lots and lots of red tape. Even warning shots. If the police officer actually hits a person, they get the police equivalent of a court martial. And that's mandatory, even when it's obvious they were doing the Right Thing. Just like a captain in the Royal Navy got a court martial, when their ship sank for any reason.

I say 'partially', because I suspect culture has a lot to do with it.)

[BoorishBears]

No, they can't have fun this way.

If you mop floors and you have fun by twirling your broom and humming a tune, you're not affecting anyone.

If we give you a gun and the right to shoot people in the head and go home to sleep in your own bed, then we can ask you to lock in a little more than that and not pull over people because it's funny.

[cj]

Such a negative attitude is incredibly counterproductive.

You want police to have a positive presence in the community. Innocent engagement with a banana car helps with that, doesn't hurt.

[ssl-3]

That sounds nice.

Over here in reality, when a man with a badge and a gun pulls people over for a bit of fun: Refusing to play along with whatever game it is that they have in mind is a criminal offense.

[ceejayoz]

> You want police to have a positive presence in the community.

Can they not pull up alongside and wave? Give a thumbs-up? Roll down the window?

[AngryData]

If cops want to be a positive presence in the community then they shouldn't regularly extort and abuse citizens and protect their violent and murderous coworkers.

[BoorishBears]

If being a positive presence in the community isn't enough incentive to be that, you don't deserve to be police.

And if that sounds hackneyed and like a ridiculous standard, you're damn right it is: we let them have outsized influence in our existence as otherwise free people. Their standard has to be a double standard.

[cj]

There's a lot of anger towards police coming through in your comments. It's just a banana car.

[ceejayoz]

It's a banana car that has been pulled over illegally hundreds of times.

[BoorishBears]

Yeah I'm a Black immigrant with a funny name, I have a lot of anger about what we tolerate of police vs what we should.

Are you under the impression all cops are known for is harassing banana cars?

[voakbasda]

Except it is literally not innocent. They are violating an innocent person’s rights.

[cj]

It is crazy to me that the banana car driver seems to like the attention from cops, but here in the comments we are rewriting the narrative because all cops must be evil people.

I appreciate your anger, but it’s misplaced here.

[BoorishBears]

It's crazy to you because other people are applying critical thinking and you're not.

The cop comfortable with pulling over the funny looking car (that looks like a banana) is the same cop with unreasonable understanding of the responsibility they're given.

It wouldn't matter if the banana car man has a sign that says "I love cops free donuts in the back"

What's really crazy to me is that someone is working over time to try to police (literally) other people's negative feelings about cop misconduct.

What inadequacy leads someone to see others upset at an obvious misuse of power and think "I need to stand up for the guys misuing it!"

[cj]

> What's really crazy to me is that someone is working over time to try to police (literally) other people's negative feelings about cop misconduct.

It’s crazy to me that you view it as “policing” your opinions rather than simply seeing my viewpoint as just that, and opposing viewpoint.

I’m not policing you. Just offering a different perspective.

I apologize for speaking up. So much for free speech :)

But I’ll say it once more: it’s a freaking banana car. Lighten up bro! Very confused why you’re more upset than the driver of the banana is (who seems to want the attention and is getting it, the desired effect)!