Trouble With The Police And Your Pipe

[lukasstrifeson]

Has anyone had trouble with the police, while smoking your tobacco pipe? Any misunderstanding about what you're smoking in it?

Years ago.. and it's funny how as you age, you have fewer interactions with them at all.. but years ago I was put in handcuffs and searched with a dog, because I had some grape White Owls in tubes. I was detained for paraphernalia.. then released after the dog failed to find my stash.

Yes, that's a joke.. about the stash.

This one might actually be unknowingly on you. Flavored cigarillos (strawberry's the name of the game around my parts of the world) are *very* popular for blunt rolling, these geniuses are under the impression the 'cigar leaf' adequately covers the ganja stank ?

 

[olkofri]

@Rockyrepose, speaking for myself, the problem is not so much the individual police officers, but the proverbial powers that be who make shitty and tyrannical laws and turn those officers into state goons.

I have respect for good cops—there are still quite a number of those out there: folks who are reasonable, committed to serving the public, deal with the situations their job presents them with with common sense, and are not out to use their position of authority to extort civilians. I salute those officers.

Alas, nowadays, the governments –local, provincial/state, and even national– started and have ever since not stopped enacting laws and regulations that penalise law-abiding average citizens** whilst letting the criminals go free on technicalities or due to political pressures. See the link I posted above. Want another example? I've one I can personally attest to:

For the last few months we've had consistent break-ins in my apartment building. Cars in the underground parkade, which has a keyed entry, have been busted open, damaged, and property taken from them. Burglars have also gotten into the storage area, busted the locks to the lockers and stolen property. All these crimes have been reported to the police. Police response? Zero in terms of resolution, prosecution, or prevention. They've stated that these are considered petty crimes not worth their time investigating. WTF!!

Now a tenant has to stay up all night walking around the building trying to prevent these crimes. Deterrance only, because, well, in Canada you go to jail if you defend yourself or hit a perp.

Now, I'm not in favour of 'defunding the police'. All the contrary: I am against such amoeba-brained approaches. But I cannot fail to recognise that the way police departments operate and their focus has shifted for the worse. Again, policemen are being turned into goons. Way easier to hustle a peaceful citizen for smoking a pipe in his car or not wearing a mask at Waldo-mart than to chase and catch and lock up the real wrongdoers, isn't it?

____________________
**Law-abiding is becoming an obsolete term when the gov't's keep criminalising normal and inocuous behaviour.

 

[woodensmile]

nah I mean maybe if you were smoking a tiny little pipe and taking puffs and hiding it.. but if you're smoking a normal briar pipe and someone thinks there's weed in there they are beyond obtuse.

I worry occasionally while re lighting with a match while driving someone will mistake what I'm lighting for a bit of weed. Mainly with the nording compass poker. Lol would be a fun chat with the officer but upon approaching my vehicle the sweet smell of a latikia blend would dismiss any notion that it was some cannabis

 

[olkofri]

Actually, avoidance of undue police attention is one reason I hardly ever smoke my smallest pipe:


Vauen Quixx 7

 

[hawky454]

They should have bludgeoned ya, just for having a grape flavored cigar.

I answered this on that other post, but when I used to roll my own cigarettes, I've had to hand many a cigarette to an officer to have him smell it. I have had issues with officers pulling me over and asking me to extinguish my pipe, while not really understanding how to "put a pipe out" which caused me some headache. (I made a post about this last year). But, I look like an old man, (I am an old man) so if they see me with a pipe and my straw hat, they rarely ever ask me anything.

I really enjoyed that thread, do you mind reposting it here so others can see it? I’d like to re-read it myself.

 

[Rockyrepose]

@Rockyrepose, speaking for myself, the problem is not so much the individual police officers, but the proverbial powers that be who make shitty and tyrannical laws and turn those officers into state goons.

I have respect for good cops—there are still quite a number of those out there: folks who are reasonable, committed to serving the public, deal with the situations their job presents them with with common sense, and are not out to use their position of authority to extort civilians. I salute those officers.

Alas, nowadays, the governments –local, provincial/state, and even national– started and have ever since not stopped enacting laws and regulations that penalise law-abiding average citizens** whilst letting the criminals go free on technicalities or due to political pressures. See the link I posted above. Want another example? I've one I can personally attest to:

For the last few months we've had consistent break-ins in my apartment building. Cars in the underground parkade, which has a keyed entry, have been busted open, damaged, and property taken from them. Burglars have also gotten into the storage area, busted the locks to the lockers and stolen property. All these crimes have been reported to the police. Police response? Zero in terms of resolution, prosecution, or prevention. They've stated that these are considered petty crimes not worth their time investigating. WTF!!

Now a tenant has to stay up all night walking around the building trying to prevent these crimes. Deterrance only, because, well, in Canada you go to jail if you defend yourself or hit a perp.

Now, I'm not in favour of 'defunding the police'. All the contrary: I am against such amoeba-brained approaches. But I cannot fail to recognise that the way police departments operate and their focus has shifted for the worse. Again, policemen are being turned into goons. Way easier to hustle a peaceful citizen for smoking a pipe in his car or not wearing a mask at Waldo-mart than to chase and catch and lock up the real wrongdoers, isn't it?

____________________
**Law-abiding is becoming an obsolete term when the gov't's keep criminalising normal and inocuous behaviour.

Thankfully I live in a predominately rural area and the situation you describe just isn't going to happen here, at least not yet. Locally, the crime you describe just isn't my reality. Goon police aren't a thing either.

I'm appalled at the trends of lawlessness occurring and not being prosecuted on a larger scale in general. It's a sign of fundamental societal change that in my opinion needs action but at what cost? I'll try to avoid political discussion here but that is ultimately tied into this topic. High level corruption and by some the desire for a police state that doesn't serve the general populace. As if some power groups see the breakdown in the fundamental order of law as a means of political gain or power. i suppose the crimes committed in a parking structure are a microcosm right up to burning buildings, looting and tearing down statuary.

 

[olkofri]

I'm appalled at the trends of lawlessness occurring and not being prosecuted on a larger scale in general. It's a sign of fundamental societal change that in my opinion needs action but at what cost? I'll try to avoid political discussion here but that is ultimately tied into this topic. High level corruption and by some the desire for a police state that doesn't serve the general populace. As if some power groups see the breakdown in the fundamental order of law as a means of political gain or power. i suppose the crimes committed in a parking structure are a microcosm right up to burning buildings, looting and tearing down statuary.

Troubled waters is where the best fishing's at, they say.

 

[karam]

You guys have had three or four thousand years on us. Our cops are still figuring out this whole law and order thing. You guys wrote the book on it.

Ah well, dunno about that! Having been to a few countries in Europe, I found it baffling how teenager friends of mine from e.g., France or Denmark/Sweden used to say they made fun of police officers...for fun! I thought if you did this in Greece you'd regret it. In fact some of my friends decided to be funny with cops when we were around 18-19 and they ended up spending a night in the station - nothing bad happened to them, it was just the officers' way to show them that poking fun at the cops means the cops can make fun of you too, by having you spend 5-6 hours in a cell for supposedly "checking your status", in the morning they let them go without any questions asked.

Police in the UK are great, courteous, polite and gentlemanly when interacting with the public, efficient and lethal when, and only when, it is necessary, like in the Lee Rigby case.

I think you need to have a healthy respect of the police, but also know your rights and not give even a millimetre of them away.

 

[yaddy306]

Want another example? I've one I can personally attest to:

For the last few months we've had consistent break-ins in my apartment building. Cars in the underground parkade, which has a keyed entry, have been busted open, damaged, and property taken from them. Burglars have also gotten into the storage area, busted the locks to the lockers and stolen property. All these crimes have been reported to the police. Police response? Zero in terms of resolution, prosecution, or prevention. They've stated that these are considered petty crimes not worth their time investigating. WTF!!

Olkofri, I take exception to your characterization. Just this week, after a surveillance operation by plain clothes detectives, we arrested a suspect for breaking into parking garages and laid 20 charges.

Every week we've been doing extra patrols in Harbour Landing, Walsh Acres and downtown to prevent the very crimes you claim we don't investigate.

Also, break and enters in our city are down 26% over last year.

PM me the name of the person who "stated that these are considered petty crimes not worth their time investigating".

 

[davek]

I smoke a cob, I guess they may look more like paraphernalia. They were used a lot in the olden days when I smoked reefer. In the 70's, I might have been pulled over smoking a cob.

With the better pot now, not many are loading up big bowls of Grape Ape. Pot is less of an issue than it was in the 80's as well.

Trouble with the cops... no. I have been out at festivals and such and found a secluded spot away from the crowd, fired up a pipe, and had a cop check me out. I'm talking walking by. I just gesture "hello" with my pipe and they walk on.

 

[olkofri]

Olkofri, I take exception to your characterization. Just this week, after a surveillance operation by plain clothes detectives, we arrested a suspect for breaking into parking garages and laid 20 charges.

Every week we've been doing extra patrols in Harbour Landing, Walsh Acres and downtown to prevent the very crimes you claim we don't investigate.

Also, break and enters in our city are down 26% over last year.

PM me the name of the person who "stated that these are considered petty crimes not worth their time investigating".

I will PM you later during the day, yaddy306. I'm tired and about to turn in (guess you now guessed who's the 'tenant staying up all night'—well, gives me an opportunity to smoke my pipe, LOL).

 

[BROBS]

Then you wake up to shit like this:

Saskatchewan judge rules roadside breath testing without any suspicion is constitutional

'I find that the Crown has proven, on a balance of probabilities, that the legislation impairs the accused’s rights in a minimal way'

leaderpost.com

???

Don’t worry. The Crown gets to decide your rights. It’s very fair. Just ask them.

 

[Old School 3319]

I dont get out much to get hassled by the cops. And most of the cops in my area are just a bunch of young kids. I did get pulled over about 10 years ago in a 70's ford truck with very dark tinted windows and told the kid the truck was older them him and the windows had been tinted since he was in diapers.

 

[Mr.Mike]

right.. plenty of good guys and good being done I don't mean it that way.
but it's the only job really besides working in a factory where you need no skills at all, or even really any training.
Then they're set loose with a gun. Some of these kids I see around here have gotta be not a day over 19.

I respectfully disagree with this statement. I work in a factory as a printing press operator. Most people it takes over 6 months to learn how to run these machines unassisted. Alot of them don't make it at all. It's a real shame our culture here in America looks down on production workers, food service and the like. That's why everything is made in China anymore. We don't respect our blue collar workers, and tell our youth the only way to be successful is to go to college. I own a 4 bedroom 2500ft house on 3 acres, I make a good living in manufacturing. I'm very proud of what I do. 20 years now when you can't even find a roofer or a plumber, all these college do gooders are going to wish they respected us more. Society would collapse in a week without tradesman and police.

 

[Old School 3319]

I respectfully disagree with this statement. I work in a factory as a printing press operator. Most people it takes over 6 months to learn how to run these machines unassisted. Alot of them don't make it at all. It's a real shame our culture here in America looks down on production workers, food service and the like. That's why everything is made in China anymore. We don't respect our blue collar workers, and tell our youth the only way to be successful is to go to college. I own a 4 bedroom 2500ft house on 3 acres, I make a good living in manufacturing. I'm very proud of what I do. 20 years now when you can't even find a roofer or a plumber, all these college do gooders are going to wish they respected us more. Society would collapse in a week without tradesman and police.

I also work in manufacturing. I started at the bottom and over 10yrs of working hard and learning to get to where I am now in the engineering dept. I have 2 degree's and dont use either one. At the end of the day its hard work and motivation to do better

 

[BROBS]

I respectfully disagree with this statement. I work in a factory as a printing press operator. Most people it takes over 6 months to learn how to run these machines unassisted. Alot of them don't make it at all. It's a real shame our culture here in America looks down on production workers, food service and the like. That's why everything is made in China anymore. We don't respect our blue collar workers, and tell our youth the only way to be successful is to go to college. I own a 4 bedroom 2500ft house on 3 acres, I make a good living in manufacturing. I'm very proud of what I do. 20 years now when you can't even find a roofer or a plumber, all these college do gooders are going to wish they respected us more. Society would collapse in a week without tradesman and police.

I didn't say it doesn't take skill to work in a factory.
My Grandfather worked his whole life at John Deere and my other Grandfather for Maytag.
I'm saying these are the only jobs that take no training to start.
I realize you have to learn once you get hired.. but do you think that's how a police force should operate?
Instead these 19 year olds who "can't make it" stay on the job the rest of their life, or move from department to department... rather than being weeded out like in a factory setting.

 

[BROBS]

here are the qualifications for our department in town.. pretty laughable honestly.

Qualifications

• A U.S. citizen and be willing to comply with the City's residency policy; live within 10 miles of the Department Headquarters.
• At least 18 years of age by the application deadline.
• Able to read, write, and understand the English language.
• High school graduate/G.E.D. by application deadline.
• 20/100 vision in both eyes correctable to 20/20; normal color vision.
• Normal hearing.
• No alcohol or drug dependency.
• Current valid driver's license and satisfactory driving record.
• No felony convictions.
• Legally able to possess firearms.
• Not, by any reason of conscience or belief, be opposed to the use of force when necessary.
• To view the State of Iowa minimum police officer qualifications, including physical fitness standards visit the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.

 

[BROBS]

SO IF YOU ARE AN 18 YEAR OLD CHILD, CAN HEAR, AND DON'T INJECT SMACK YOU'RE GOOD TO GO

 

[lawdawg]

I respectfully disagree with this statement. I work in a factory as a printing press operator. Most people it takes over 6 months to learn how to run these machines unassisted. Alot of them don't make it at all. It's a real shame our culture here in America looks down on production workers, food service and the like. That's why everything is made in China anymore. We don't respect our blue collar workers, and tell our youth the only way to be successful is to go to college. I own a 4 bedroom 2500ft house on 3 acres, I make a good living in manufacturing. I'm very proud of what I do. 20 years now when you can't even find a roofer or a plumber, all these college do gooders are going to wish they respected us more. Society would collapse in a week without tradesman and police.

I don't think it's true that people in general look down on production workers, and it's certainly not why those jobs disappeared. The remaining good production jobs are highly coveted.

Granted, there is certainly an arrogance in a portion of the population about blue collar work, but those people are in the minority in my experience, even in urban areas. I think there is also a growing respect for the trades as the college-educated crowd sees skilled tradesmen consistently out-earning them.

Issues of arrogance aside, I've lived in both rural areas and a major metropolis, and I know a couple of rural blue collar business owners who are probably about as wealthy as the wealthiest white collar city people I've known. They don't flash their money around much, but they've got it. I know because I've assisted them in financial and estate planning matters. Multi-millionaires with calloused hands driving pickup trucks abound.

 

[timelord]

Don’t worry. The Crown gets to decide your rights. It’s very fair. Just ask them.

In Australia random breath testing is normal; NSW police just cone of a bit of road and pull over cars. I've been stopped a few time at these and it's no real hassle. They also random breath test boat skippers on the harbour (especially at New Year...). My record was being stopped at three different random test points on one Saturday morning - when I remarked about this on the third stop the office just smiled, apologised and then she said 'OK, you can go!"

UK police are - or at least when I lived there were - not allowed to conduct random breathalyser test but what they used to do in London is put a traffic census on south side Blackfriars or Waterloo Bridge (possibly other bridges too but Blackfriar's has quite a rise and you can't see across it and Waterloo has a longish approach so again you can't see across it. Stop all vehicles for a pretty basic census and in the process if they smell alcohol tjhey then have reasonable suspicion to perform a test.

No idea if Brazil's police can stop randomly but they don't strike me as the sort of people you want to argue (or even joke) with although they do appear to be approachable and willing to talk with the public.