Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

COPS - some questions...

Chundles

Chundles

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jul 4, 2005
12,037
493
Just watching the show COPS on TV right now, got a few questions:

1. Are the cops in the US really that insane and grumpy? Or are they just playing it up for the cameras?

2. Why have they got this bloke walking a line and following a pen with his eyes when they suspect he's drunk? Why didn't they just breathalyse him right away.

I just can't get my head around how serious and mean/mad the cops on this show are - making some bloke call them "officer" and shouting and stuff.

I dunno, most of the cops I know here just love getting noise complaints late at night because it's normally close to end of shift and they can have a few beers at the party.

Also, they arrested some bloke in a car for drinking beer, not the driver - the passenger. Why would the passenger get booked for drinking beer? He wasn't driving the car.
 
My brother-in-law is a cop...

1. Not all are, and my brother-in-law said the show isn't "exactly" what it's like, they do play it up for the camera somewhat.

2. Their department may not have enough money to supply every cop car with a breathalyser.

In the US it is illegal to have any open container of alcohol in a car, driver or not.

I've never met a "mean" cop before. I've been pulled over twice, and gotten a ticket twice, and both cops were really nice about it and even lowered the price I had to pay both times (They would have been nicer to let me off completely, but there was no way I was getting out of it, I was going 20mph/32kph over both times...)
 
Yup all insane i mean who runs towards gunfire??cops

who still makes house calls? cops

who works at a job that if u make a mistake ur dead, if you dont make a mistake you can still be dead and if u arent dead there is always the comforting deal that you may end up in jail for defending yourself in a life or death position?? COPS!!

any way its good to know that u never have to see them unless u need them--:D
 
Keep in mind there are laws around the breathalyser that vary from state to state I think.
 
I've met a lot of cops, since I used to work at a convenience store. We'd get cops hanging out in the store for up to 30 minutes at a time, and they'd be in and out all day, taking advantage of the free coffee and soda. Almost every single one I met was really nice and nothing like the cops on TV. I'd imagine most of them on TV are playing it up.

What I don't understand about COPS is why anybody would sign a release so their face could be shown.
 
it5five said:
What I don't understand about COPS is why anybody would sign a release so their face could be shown.
Click to expand...

the docu on COPS speaks to this.

The producers dont get why people want their most heinous and usually embarrassing acts on TV.

But, when you break it down, everyone wants their 15 minutes, and truly the people on COPS have no other way to get it.

yes, let me sign that release showing me half naked and drunk, its the only way Ill be able to get my face out to Hollywood!
 
I agree with old cholo. It is easy to judge when you havent been where they have.
 
Chundles said:
Just watching the show COPS on TV right now, got a few questions:

1. Are the cops in the US really that insane and grumpy? Or are they just playing it up for the cameras?

2. Why have they got this bloke walking a line and following a pen with his eyes when they suspect he's drunk? Why didn't they just breathalyse him right away.

I just can't get my head around how serious and mean/mad the cops on this show are - making some bloke call them "officer" and shouting and stuff.

I dunno, most of the cops I know here just love getting noise complaints late at night because it's normally close to end of shift and they can have a few beers at the party.

Also, they arrested some bloke in a car for drinking beer, not the driver - the passenger. Why would the passenger get booked for drinking beer? He wasn't driving the car.
Click to expand...

We have a flavors of police officers here. Most are just regular folk doing a tough job. But, we also have a lot of Nazi's too. They are just as bad as they are portrayed in COPS - even worse. You do not want to fail the personality test with American policemen. At best you will be arrested. Getting beaten is not uncommon and being shot is not out of the question.
 
1. Most cops I have met yes. I'm sure not all of them are, but keep in mind most of the ones on tv have just run somebody down, or chased them in the car for a few miles. I'd be upset too.

2. From my knowledge, breathalyzers do not hold up in court, you need to do a blood test. To do that, you need to have them fail a field sobriety test, thus the reason why it is given.

I love watching COPS
 
Not all cops are like that but working in the middle of the night and dealing with aggressive drunks tends to anyone snarky.

Alcohol laws vary widely between states. In some places its illegal to have an open container of alcohol in a moving vehicle. In some places its illegal to have an open container of alcohol in public.

The field sobriety test (walking the line etc) is used to obtain probable cause for a breathalyzer test/blood test.

As for why people sign consent forms; Why do people who can't sing try out for American Idol? It gets them their 15 minutes of fame. Perhaps the producers even sweeten the deal with a bottle of Mad Dog.

There was an episode of "My Name is Earl" a while back which was about their episode of COPS, with people in the crab shack asking for autographs of the participants afterwards.
 
SMM said:
We have a flavors of police officers here. Most are just regular folk doing a tough job. But, we also have a lot of Nazi's too. They are just as bad as they are portrayed in COPS - even worse. You do not want to fail the personality test with American policemen. At best you will be arrested. Getting beaten is not uncommon and being shot is not out of the question.
Click to expand...

I've only dealt with the Nazi ****** ones. I'd rather depend on taking care of issues myself than hopeing some over weight, ego-tripping jerk wad is having a good day and feels like doing his job. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but I've yet to find one.

And there is no way in heck I'm going to sign some form to show my face to the world after getting busted doing something worthy of being arrested. I'll save my 15 minutes for some other day, thank you.
 
Hey Chundles, let me help you out.

The only people who are cops in major populated areas are people who would oppress their fellow citizens.

And, in the U.S.A. you never have to submit to a "field sobriety test," like walking a line or following a pen. To get a Drivers License in America you sign an agreement to submit to a blood, breath or urine test.

Only fools who don't know what they agreed to pony over for a "field sobriety" test.

Any cop who asks you to take a field sobriety test obviously isn't there for your interests.
 
it5five said:
I've met a lot of cops, since I used to work at a convenience store. We'd get cops hanging out in the store for up to 30 minutes at a time, and they'd be in and out all day, taking advantage of the free coffee and soda. Almost every single one I met was really nice and nothing like the cops on TV. I'd imagine most of them on TV are playing it up.
Click to expand...

Yes, but the cameras aren't filming them when they're eating and drinking and being merry. Every cop I know is a nice guy.

SMM said:
We have a flavors of police officers here. Most are just regular folk doing a tough job. But, we also have a lot of Nazi's too. They are just as bad as they are portrayed in COPS - even worse. You do not want to fail the personality test with American policemen. At best you will be arrested.
Click to expand...

I really don't think the cops in the show are being that bad. And, I also think a majority of them act as those portrayed in the show when they are on the job.

SMM said:
Getting beaten is not uncommon and being shot is not out of the question.
Click to expand...

Please... you make it sound like we are literally living in an oppressive police state. Have you ever been beaten or shot by cops? You know, I sometimes give them attitude when I know I'll have the upper hand, nobody ever tried to shoot me.
 
Cops are like all people. Most are good folks who are doing their best at an underpaid, underappreciated job. A few are d**ks who get off on power and abusing the powerless.

And of course the d**cks are the ones who get all the news coverage.

Plus I've met my share of both kinds of cops, from the one who made a point of regularly stopping by a family member's house after a break-in and attempted assault to the one who used to snort meth off the dash of his cruiser and pull cute girls over just to talk to them.

They're people like the rest of us. Most are good. Some suck.
 
Typically speaking nice, "normal" people don't make for entertaining TV. So the producers either find people that are "better" for TV or they take the nice guy they filmed and cut it up so he looks less nice on TV. Give me a week of following around Santa Clause w/a camera and I could make him look like a lunatic axe murder. ;)

I've worked on reality TV shows and regardless of what the subject's actual disposition is we can pretty much manipulate that person in editing to be any "character" (smart, dumb, hero, villain) we want them to be.


Lethal
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back