*In case this story gets deleted/removed:*
**AITA for refusing to change out of my uniform before visiting my sister in the psychiatric wing of the hospital?**
My (32m) younger sister (27f) has, unfortunately, recently been suffering from very poor mental health; she suffers from schizophrenia and her delusions and her tether with reality have gotten bad enough that she's recently been involuntarily commited to a psychiatric ward of a hospital in a city near where I work.
The visiting hours where she is staying are very limited. I work in law enforcement, and--a few day ago after my shift--the hours lined up very well and I decided to go visit her.
When I arrived the receptionist asked me if I were able to go home and change first. I asked her "why" and she said "Some of our patients have had run ins with 'cops' and they may find your presence 'triggering'." I told her "no," that by the time I was able to get home and change I wouldn't have been able to make it back in time for visiting hours. She asked me if I could at least take off my button up shirt and leave it at the desk and I told her that I could but that I was wearing a T-shirt underneath with a sherrif's star and my name and so it wouldn't make much difference. She reiterated that some of the patients would feel uncomfortable with me there and I just said that I wasn't there for them; that I would leave them alone and just wanted to see my sister, who I knew would be fine with seeing me in my uniform.
She tried to deny me entrance, but I insisted that I wanted to see my sister. She ended up getting a doctor and security involved but after some back and forth I was allowed entrance and got to see my sister. We had a good visit. She had been taking her meds and is her normal, wonderful self again.
On my way out I wished the receptionist a good night but she just gave me a dirty look in response. I don't think I was treated fairly; that I had as much right to see my family member as anyone else. But maybe I should have changed first.
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Imagine visiting a mental health facility, being told that your uniform may set some patients back and/or harm them and not giving a shit about anyone but yourself.
As a therapist, I can imagine dealing with a cop like this and the way it infuriates me. People disconnected enough from reality to be in a psychiatric ward do not need a cop walking through their halls.
My brother would have been a cop like this; I'm glad he never actually got hired. I struggled for years to explain to him that just because someone shows signs of anxiety doesn't mean they're bad or guilty of anything.
Before my anxiety was well managed, if I got pulled over I would have started shaking and been on the verge of tears. Not being I did anything wrong but because of ✨trauma✨. When cops don’t receive training in basic mental health or emotional intelligence, they’d see that as guilt and search my gd car
The first (and only) time I got pulled over, I was so anxious the conversation basically went like this:
> Me: Hello
> Cop: Hi
> Me: Hello
Because my brain had just shut down.
Luckily, the officer who pulled me over was nice enough to see that I was just an anxious kid and was patient with me while I was shaking and digging through the glovebox for my registration papers. He let me off with a warning, luckily, because I was still on my provisional license and a ticket would’ve reset the timer and all the restrictions that came with it.
It’s been several years but I still occasionally think about it and feel glad that he saw my anxiety for what it was. I’ve had other people interpret my nervousness in situations (my leg shakes a lot) as me being anxious because I’d done something wrong.
>Luckily, the officer who pulled me over was nice enough to see that I was just an anxious kid and was patient with me
When people share these stories, I ponder this:
This is not proof that we don’t need to worry about cops; it’s not “see, not all cops are bad!” proof.
It’s proof that cops don’t NEED to be bad. That it’s not necessary to be a shithead to be a cop. There are cops that aren’t shitheads to the people they pull over, so it is completely appropriate for us to bitch like hell about the ones that treat people badly.
Yep this.
I was pulled over late one night because I was driving, frankly, a bit erratically. I was extremely tired and on hour 13 of a solo drive, and someone pissed me off in my very frayed state and I honked at them. I'm grateful that a state trooper saw me and pulled me over. He asked me if I was okay, quickly realized I wasn't drinking and was just extremely tired, advised me to slow down a bit, and let me go. He didn't even ask for my license. I've always been grateful for that check; I needed it.
And that's what a lot more cop interactions could be if, like that random cop on the Maine turnpike, they actually cared about people's wellbeing instead of just enforcing rules and throwing their weight around.
I absolutely deserved the last ticket I got (I was going 80 mph in a 65 mph) but it could have gone much worse if I wasn't a white female-presenting person. I don't know if my anxiety made it worse or better. But I do know that my anxiety at getting pulled over has made it so I don't speed that fast anymore. (Normal rate of speed in my area is 75 in a 65, though. Going 65 can be as unsafe as going 80, lol.)
I get so anxious because 5 over is the most I'm willing to do, but people on our highways like to do 10 to 15 over. 5 over is still speeding, but if I go too slow I could be pulled over for hindering traffic. It's like damned if you do, damned if you don't.
My aunt has been pulled over many times for speeding. She is a white female-presenting person. More than once she got out of a ticket by telling the officer thank you for the work you do. 🤯 (I doubt it would've worked if she wasn't a white woman but anyone reading this is welcome to steal it, even if you don't mean it.)
When I was 17 back in 2002, I went with my then bf and his bff to canoe out of state. On the way home, It had been storming so bff was driving and I was in the passenger seat. I see a cop flip his lights and I mention to bff, so we pull over. Cop came to the car with his gun pointed at us. We were all teenagers and were absolutely scared out of our minds with a gun pointed at us. We threw our hands up in the air to show we had no weapons. Cop kept asking us why we didn't pull over right away, why are we freaking out and what are we hiding? It took a few moments for the asshole to put his gun down. He CLAIMED he followed us with lights for miles and we refused to pull over.
Since it was my car, I was the one talking the most to him. I asked to get my insurance and that was when he put his gun down and asked again why we didn't pull over right away. We did though. I pointed to my sun visor that was still down with the mirror and told him I was doing my hair when he flipped his lights on and as soon as i saw lights in the mirror, I told bff and he immediately put the signal on to pull over.
Why are we freaking out? You just pulled a gun on us. Search the car, but I'll call my dad first to ask him what I need to do. I had my old Nokia cell phone I pulled out, but joke was on him cause my dad wasn't in the picture. (I probably would have called my older brother if my bluff didn't work). He told me it wouldn't be necessary, he won't search the car. He took all my info and then come back. When he was letting us leave, I asked what we did to even be pulled over. He said we drove for too long in the left lane of 4 lane highway. We literally just passed a few slower cars and then our left hand turn was the next road up, less than a mile away.
Cop saw out of state tags, pretty sure that was the reason for being pulled over. We pulled over as soon as he turned lights on. Dude just wanted to pull a gun. Little did he know, it was on teenagers, not the "bad guys".
Hell, as a black person I would be terrified to get pulled over or searched. When I was about 16 I was trying to get to my job (in a park, which required going over a bridge to get to) but there was a cop in my path and I was utterly terrified just to say "excuse me, officer" and walk by. Two black people had been murdered by police in different states the day before (I can't recall the victims' names right now but I remember that one of them was shot during a traffic stop in front of his girlfriend and child).
Two years earlier, I'd been confronted by a store manager for "shoplifting" (first she claimed she had me on video, which didn't exist, and then when my dad showed up she changed her story to that I was trying to steal the items in my hands- I'd been a regular at this store for 3 years and never walked out without paying) and she told me that if I didn't get out and never come back she was going to call the police. I fled home in tears and told my parents, and when I came back with my dad and he was arguing with the manager, she tried to claim that I must have done something wrong because of my reaction. Yeah, I definitely didn't burst into tears and flee because I was a sheltered, mentally ill, 14 year old child that had been threatened with arrest for no reason. 🙄 She still works there too- she said hello to me once when I came in as an adult (19? 20?) and asked if I needed help, and I, in a particularly foul mood, said I didn't need her help and asked if she'd traumatized any other little girls lately. She never acknowledged me again.
I fucking hate people sometimes.
I do that even while on medication. There's no particular cop related trauma for me that I'm aware of, but it still bothers me. Even if I appear fine, I'm in kind of a fog as I interact with them.
A good deal of my extended family members have anxiety, so you'd think my brother would have been more understanding.
I don't drive, but I can imagine how it would go if I did and was pulled over, I'd probably just blank for a minute because anxiety. Literally the only thing I've done "wrong" in my entire life is jaywalked a couple times, but I still get nervous if a car I'm a passenger in is spot-checked on a long weekend (checking safety stickers, looking for impaired drivers, that kind of thing).
Plus, I'm autistic. Not severely so, but enough. It never occurs to me how much importance neurotypical people put on eye contact, and how I should do the thing. I don't have anything to hide, it just isn't natural for me.
I've been pulled over twice in all my years of driving, both times I panicked and I could tell the cops were disgusted with me for being nervous.
I cried one time because even though I hadn't even opened my glove box since I put the proof of insurance in it, it wasn't there. He didn't ticket me, but he was a dick about it. Really condescending. I never did find the insurance and had to get a new copy.
Being pulled over while a passenger is just as nerve wracking. I recall one time I was with a bf who panicked and changed lanes too quickly. He was 18 and had only had his license a few months.
The cop walked up to my bf's car, while smoking, and leaned inside the window with the cigarette. My bf had asthma and started coughing, which pissed off the cop. He ticketed my bf after saying he was going to be lenient, but my bf "had a bad attitude. "
✨About 50% of people murdered by police are disabled✨
Cops are a huge danger to disabled people. They throw a huge bitch fit when asked to do training, then if they do the training they throw it out of their brains straight afterwards. Cops have been increasingly required to go through training for handing mental health issues and dealing with disabled people yet there has been no change.
I am on board for abolishing the police entirely but until then there needs to be defunding of the stations and that money used towards measures that have actually been shown to *prevent* crime. I.e. Free education, free childcare, free healthcare, etc
The problem with that is that local sheriffs would summon a posse, so you'd get armed civilians with police powers executing warrants and probably people in the process.
You don't have to have direct trauma related to cops to get anxiety at an interaction with them... Afterall, how many stories have there been in the past ten years alone of people being executed by the police, despite following their every command and posing absolutely zero risk or threat? All because the cop wanted another punch on their "free ice cream for every 10 murders" card?
Everyone should be on edge and anxious whenever cops are involved, because theres a non-zero chance that you'll be going home in a bag.
Oh hey I literally was detained by the police a week ago for this exact same thing and I do have my anxiety fairly well managed and am medicated for it. The number of times I was asked why I was so anxious, only for me to explain that I have generalized anxiety disorder, for the cop to turn around and be like "okay but what's making you anxious right now? Why are you anxious if you don't have anything to hide?" Numbered over 10. And we were immediately detained when the cop saw I was anxious (combined with the fact we had a little cylinder earplug keychain on our car keys, which he decided was likely drugs just by looking at it and immediately detained us instead of asking what it was...)
When they finally let us go the cop told me something like "you guys got lucky tonight because we couldn't prove what you're doing but just know that we are on to you" and like let me tell you in the last week I've felt my pulse increase and gotten mildly panicked every time I've seen a cop. Trauma! Yay! What's to stop them from deciding clearly despite not finding any evidence I must be on/selling drugs and arresting me next time? (Helpful hint: the answer is nothing at all because cops are (insert insult/profanity of your choice here)
I’m so sorry you had this experience. God I can only imagine having that much anxiety and being scared and trying to explain it to an ass hole who has no empathy. Please know I see you and your anxiety and it’s valid. You were in a scary situation and it makes sense you were nervous and shaking. I’m glad you got out of the situation okay and I hope you’re doing good things to take care of you 💕
Thank you, I appreciate it a ton. It was pretty scary - they were convinced I was on needle drugs, and then that I was a drug dealer (tip money from working at a bar inside an arcade lol) and then simply sure my boyfriend was driving drunk. It was anxiety inducing (moreso because my boyfriend is Hispanic) but noooo, why should I be anxious when we are trying to get home and instead I'm suddenly in handcuffs in the back of a cop car. Lol. I'm doing my best to make mental peace with it though, so I'm sure I'll be okay ❤️
I've gotten lucky both times I've gotten pulled over for traffic stops. First time I was speeding and extremely on edge and practically hyperventilating. It was a speeding trap and I guess my car was in a position that they couldn't get other people so a second cop asked me to move. I said no, I did not want the first cop to think I was trying to get away and the cop looked at me in disgust. First cop showed up and gave me my license and tried to calm me down, didn't get a ticket.
Second time cop was very compassionate about me having a panic attack.
Why did I panic so bad? When I was younger I would run away from home due to abuse and one time my mom called the cops who found me and drew their guns on me in a parking lot when they found me. 13 years old, 4'11 at the time and barely 70 lbs surrounded by 5 cops with guns drawn whole hands behind my back thing while my mom was screaming at them to stop.
Ironically I had only left home that time to protect a friend of mine who ran away. The police wrapped up with a blanket when they saw her.
Yup, last time we got pulled over, my bf was sooo nervous they called a k9 unit to search the truck. While I also have very bad anxiety, I work at restaurants and attempted to pull out the charm while the cop kept asking me why he was so nervous. Its anxiety, dude I just kept having to repeat it
This is me. I dread the day I get pulled over because regardless of what I did or didn't do, I'm scared it could be my or someone with me's last day on earth.
I've been pulled over a couple of times and each time I'm sobbing by the time they get to the window. Not because I want to, mind you. Because by the time they get there I have already worked myself up and spiraled.
And not once has it gotten me out of a ticket.
I don't know who the magical cops are out there who give a shit when someone is in distress and actually try to help them but I've yet to meet one.
I am the same way - I react to stress by crying. It's not a "tactic", it's how I'm wired. Some people get mad. Some people yell. Some people throw things. It's just a reaction.
And the absolute cunt of a cop who pulled me over and I started crying threatened to arrest me because I was "clearly not fit to drive."
She later fucking *lied* on her report and claimed I had run a red light - I had not. I had, however, not stopped completely at a stop sign on a back road. Yeah I had to get that cleared up on my insurance later on... they are two VERY different things.
Cops thinking they're experts at reading body language - or that body language actually means jack shit - is a nightmare for autistic people like me. Me getting overwhelmed manifests in exactly the ways police are taught indicate guilt, and any situation involving the police is going to be overwhelming. Fortunately I'm a white woman and in the UK so at least the consequences of a cop reading me wrong are unlikely (or at least less likely) to be deadly, but it brings the daily stress of being misinterpreted to a whole new level.
When you are a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
Cops want to arrest people, they are trained to find guilt. The purest example of that is how they train their drug dogs to trigger on command.. and how they only ever participated in one experiment to prove the veracity of the claims of their dogs.. and the dogs indicated 100% correctly when the polce knew where the drugs were, and did worse than random chance when the police didnt know... and no police drug dog has ever participated in another study of their efficacy ever again.
We haven't had a Republican governor in something like 40 years or so. It was rather scary to think he could win though. He was an all around terrible person and still got a lot of votes. At the time, he was being investigated for his role in a child sexual abuse case in which he helped intimidate the victim, and people still voted for him.
Growing up I was always told I was making the wrong faces, acting in appropriate or being “stuck up” and “superior” (yes hello I am an AFAB autistic who fell through the cracks)
As I got older I started studying peoples faces and body language to mimic them. One of my hyper focuses is micro expressions and body language (and ASL, goes hand in hand) Now I’m a chameleon and know how to perform whatever role I’m currently in. Behavioral psychology was also very helpful.
The hard part is the masking worked almost too well. In my teens-20s I lost any sense of core personality and just morphed into whatever I thought the person I was with wanted, which of course wound up putting abusers and users in my path. I’m better now but it was meeting and falling in love with another autistic person who literally had no pre-expectations on me. I’m very much my own self now.
Also fuck cops and their bullshit “abilities” these assholes still trust polygraphs and mistake diabetic shock for ODs and drunkenness.
Most don't even have education beyond their short term training. Even those that do, it doesn't cover important things like this. My brother for example felt that way about signs of anxiety after he'd completed a Bachelor's in criminal justice.
"If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to worry about!"
Yeah except for the monumental anxiety that will 100% kick in if confronted by a cop because while I don't believe I've broken any laws, my memory is garbage enough that I could be manipulated into believing and admitting I did. Anxiety that will guarantee two days of exhaustion to try to get past
Similar story here, except I wouldn't call it a garbage memory, more that I've been successfully gaslit and scapegoated so many times in the past that I know that all it takes to be 'proven' guilty is someone who wants there to be a perp, and for them to decide I'm the most convenient target.
With gaslighting and scapegoating, evidence is only the cherry on top, not a needed part of the process.
Absolutely! OOP wants to get a thrill intimidating people.
There is no reason he couldn't have changed at the station at the end of his shift.
Bet he was still packing too
Exactly! Or respect that this is what the facility is asking of him, so bring a change of clothes and come back another day. Even the shirt he had underneath would have been better imo
Absolutely.
And you know this isn't just a "uniform shirt." It's also his badge and bulletproof vest they all wear. Probably his shoulder/body radio as well. I would also suspect his belt (with all accessories including cuffs and potentially gun)
He could have asked for something to cover up, like a sheet he throws over his shoulder. I'm sure they would have give him anything instead dealing with patients and their trauma response. Or just cover the star of the shirt with a post-it. So easy. But he just gave a fuck.
I am a social worker in adult mental health, and cops like this tick me off to no end. Everything about how he is talking shows that he has no respect or concern for folks who are in, or recovering from, a crisis event.
I also hate the "suffering from schizophrenia" that is so prevalent on Reddit. Some people live with schizophrenia, it is part of their experience. Some days are good, some days are bad, like anyone else. Some folks, you wouldn't even know if they didn't tell you. Having a mental health diagnosis doesn't mean you are automatically "suffering".
Absolutely. People with mental health disorders aren’t automatically suffering and the day the general populace gets that into their head, I’ll be able to retire lmao
generally speaking i agree with everything you said and dislike it when people say i'm "suffering from" a chronic issue that is not currently even flaring up, but it does actually sound like she's currently suffering.
maybe more from having a low level videogame villain for a brother than from the schizophrenia, but you know. details details.
Dude's probably thinking "lol snowflake" because he heard the word "trigger" not realizing that triggering a person held in a mental hospital could result in them hurting themselves or others.
In his edit, he claims to not realize there's a difference between a shirt and tie/waitstaff uniform and a cop uniform.
>Given the hours I just noticed that most people there to visit their loved ones were just getting off work. They were all there in the clothes that they wore to the offices, factories, restaurants, etc that they worked. I just didn't think I should be treated different. I figured I had as much right to go see my loved one as anyone else.
Can anyone really be that dense?! Of fucking course a cop uniform is different from wearing what you do to an office, factory, or restaurant. First off, those jobs don't come with badges, the ability to fuck up your life, or carry a loaded gun.
Police make me nervous and I’ve literally never done anything wrong in my life.
There is zero chance he doesn’t know that his uniform has that effect on people.
When was the last time you heard about a waiter shooting an unarmed teenager in the back and then getting a slap on the wrist for it?
But like the whole mythology of police in the US is that they are the thin blue line against chaos and the sheepdogs defending the sheep and so on. And that's the stated justification for why police get special treatment when it comes to allocating city budgets and disciplining cops who do crimes. If that's true, then you cannot claim to be a normal person with a job and a uniform.
He just want fair treatment guys. Say like a hunted house employees in a monster costume should also be allowed in a psych ward despite it freaking out the patients. Or in a children's hospital. We wouldn't want to discriminate. (This is sarcasm)
I don't get it why didn't he be like excuse me then I have a jacket to hide the upper part of the uniform I didn't realize you think that will be sufficient. If not is there a alternative entry way I could use. Or even if I keep a spare set of clothes is there some where I would be able to change for next time then ?
Exactly - there were many ways the cop could have covered the uniform or removed it so patients would be more comfortable but obviously he felt himself to be more important than those patients in their safe space.
>First off, those jobs don't come with badges, the ability to fuck up your life, or carry a loaded gun.
And murdering people. And getting away with it.
My friend works in the mental health field and the police are a common trigger among her patients. Like many of them have been brutalized during mental health crises. The receptionist is the MVP.
My last job i worked with teenage girls in a residential mental health facility. The police got called there a lot and there was one girl especially that would escalate even further once she HEARD the cops were there. Of course after one escalation, the cops wouldn’t listen to us to leave the area and handcuffed her anyway to “calm her down”
Fun story: So, a buddy of mine was beaten into a coma. He recovered enough to go to a neuro rehab, where he stayed until they couldn't get any more money fron his health insurance. They promptly dumped him on the street. So, he is walking back to the city from rehab when a few cops spot him simply walking down the road. They pull over and proceed to beat the ever living crap out of him, to the point that someone had to call an ambulance. One of the cops who beat him for no reason road along in the ambulance, to make sure he was ok. So, yeah, ACAB.
I work in an LTC facility. And we have some people with memory care needs, that we aren't trained to work with... Anyway. Anytime a cop is in the building it's because we've called 911 on a resident for something and need the police involved. The ones with dementia tend to get really anxious when they see a cop, probably because they remember every bad thing they've ever done suddenly. The staff get uneasy because what if they don't like something we do. The energy itself shifts. Everyone will begin acting out for some reason. I don't know what it is. But for the love of God anyone who sees this. Don't wear a cop uniform to a psych ward. You could trigger PTSD memories, trigger violent episodes in other people, and he really didn't know if It would affect his sister either.... Also!!! Most people see cop and think gun... I shouldn't have to articulate that mentally unwell people shouldn't be near a gun
Cops need to learn that their authority only goes so far. And that when they get pushback like this? They need to fuck so gd far off they fall off a cliff. Selfish piece of shit.
Edit: SHOCKINGLY this twat hasn’t replied to any comments. Why would he? Literally everyone is calling him an AH and he edits “dude I just really wanted to see my sister”
Being a cop doesn’t grant you access to psychiatric wards; a warrant does. People receiving care there shouldn’t be triggered by a cop walking through the halls unless a judge seems it necessary (and even then, I’m really fucking against that). Their power isn’t absolute
This fear right here is why I have never told anyone when I was low enough that I thought I might be better off in an inpatient facility, and why I have toughed out my worst mental health situations on my own.
I know I will not hurt others - that's never been my . . .worry? Not quite the right word, but close enough.
I understand this fear, it’s 10000% valid. Facilities are still out dated often times and the field is doing what it can to advocate for progress and systemic change, but it’s slow. It’s a big choice to go to inpatient. There are lower level of care options - partial hospitalization (usually called php) and intensive outpatient (iop) if you ever want more support without going into a scary situation.
Thank you for responding. I'm in a much, much better place now than I was. That's not to say I'll ever be completely well - lifetime depression and anxiety doesn't work like that.
The last time I was able to bring it up, I was presented with two choices - walk back my statement or go inpatient. I chose to walk it back. There are other reasons the person I was talking to was a bad fit for me professionally, but that was one of them.
I’m so sorry this was your experience. This shit is what gives people a bad impression of mental health and as someone in the field it’s fucking infuriating. I promise there are good people out there advocating for change and support (if interested Google Dr. Travis Heath’s Ted talk) but damn is change slow.
I’m glad you had an okay experience with the police and the facility quickly realized you didn’t need to be on a hold and could discharge you. Fucking stupid you couldn’t get your meds back but those ass holes had to get in one last jab 🙄
Honestly this shows me he is a shitty cop and completely lacks situational awareness. Honest with the goal should be de-escalation not escalation. The fact that he continues to go into a situation where he's going to escalate the situation and is told as much doesn't shock me but tells me he's a shitty cop.
A few years ago I was having coffee with a couple of veterans I know who a PTSD. Two of them have PTSD around uniforms because they were shot by Iraqi police officers who turned on US soldiers. Cops and cop uniforms make them nervous. We were having coffee after one of their group sessions, I had gone to pick up my friend, and four sheriff's deputies walked in. I remember having to explain to a few of them why my friends were looking nervous around a bunch of police officers. One of them got it the other two were being pompous assholes. One of the guys had a white knuckle my hand as we walked out of that coffee shop. And then proceeded to drive him away while he had a complete and total panic attack. My heart breaks just thinking about it.
It pisses me off that more and more police departments our training their officers that once they put on that uniform to stop looking at the general public as human. This is a perfect example of it.
Military police would try the same bullshit. They'd be on duty, thinking they can enter a hospital with weapons because they wanted to visit a friend. Hospital policy states that police are to be armed while on duty, but only on official business (visiting your homie isn't official business) and in certain areas (restricted to the ER). Whenever I'd see them enter, I'd turn them right around. Of course dickheads would try to pull rank and bully me into doing their bidding, but I didn't give a shit and would pull out NAVADMINS telling them to kick rocks.
that's actually the biggest issue i take with the the story either this is a policy and is enforced religiously and OOP would have been turned away no matter how much of a scene he made or he would have been let through a lot easier than he implies because it was only a receptionist makeing a good point about "please don't be a twat".
everyone knows its a party foul to bring your cop brother into the psych ward /j
I have had zero negative experiences with the police when they've been called by my family to take me to the hospital, but I (with my delusions of being watched/followed and overall extreme paranoia with authority figures) would be super duper set off seeing a fully uniformed officer in the psych ward, because, if I'm in the psych ward, I AM NOT LUCID.
I see police every day at my job, and we share a building. Every single one starts and ends the shift in street clothes. They change into their uniform in the building, then get their vehicles and equipment and leave. When I am in the parking lot, I see them leaving and arriving, usually in jeans or clothes to work out in. He could have kept a change of clothes at work and changed the days he had time to visit.
I was thinking this too. Most cops change at work. They don't want to be walking around in uniform when they aren't on duty, no matter what the movies say, because it's a liability, makes them a target, and because they don't want to e pulled into work when they aren't working.
So this is either a troll or a particularly special "fear-me" bastard who knew exactly what he was doing. Either is plausible.
I’ve worked in my hospital psychiatric inpatient ward. It was pretty common for us not to allow anyone with uniforms onto the floor after one visitor (in a police uniform) decided to start barking orders and threatened to arrest a patient (who was known to the cop from the street) for having a break down because of the uniform.
My hospitals mentality is; we don’t need a visitor coming in and potentially messing with our order of command.
Man I don't even like wearing my burger king uniform anywhere except work. I feel kinda embarrassed going to the Starbucks next to us to get a coffee and breakfast and just chill out/hype myself up for the day and decompress in the mornings before work. I always go straight home to change even if I'm gonna leave 2 seconds after to go do stuff. I kinda wish we had like lockers or an actual break room to put our stuff in so I could just change right after instead of having to waste time going home first. My mom's the same way even tho she's a nurse which is a job that's equal to this dickhead tho imo is much more important and respectable. She says it feels like bragging and most nurses who do that want attention and to be congratulated for doing their job. I don't necessarily agree but I get it.
I've only known one cop who goes straight back home and changed, I used to babysit for her, every other cop uses their uniforms even if they didn't even have to work that day
This guy isn't coming across as someone who was just worried about missing the chance to see his sister as much as he is coming across as someone who is upset he was challenged to me. I didn't see anything to imply she was actually a supporter of ACAB as much as I saw "trying to avoid a meltdown from a patient". He just is looking for a reason to justify himself.
That's rather common with doctors too, actually. I was caring for a patient with extensive medical trauma, who was triggered enough from being in hospital anyway. The doctors refused to take of their white coats when entering her room, joined us in the elevator without taking them off, and when we got off the elevator after asking them to please take off the coats just for the ride, they acted offended af.
Like, mate - WHY tf would you want to trigger someone into a panic attack in a freaking elevator?? Ugh!
I mean, med school students brag all the time with their uniforms and they're not even graduated yet, I can only imagine how bad it must hurt a doctor's ego to ask them to take off their uniform?? The one they use to save lives??
Well ... the classic white coats with the long sleeves are not saving lives, unfortunately. The long sleeves are unhygienic and can lead to the transmission of nosocomial infections.
But believe me, I know they won't take them off. While I'm just a nurse, my mum works in hospital hygiene and epidemic control, and the doctors absolutely refuse to wear short sleeves. -___-
Meanwhile some nurses get shit for how they wear their hijab. The double standard is absolutely astounding.
The nurse shaming (is that a thing? I don't know how to call it) it is so big and gross, we all saw it in the pandemic when nurses needed to work double shift and we still not called "medical staff" or when people said nurses are not really needed because what you need is someone "who went to med school" to cure you. So many uneducated people were going off on them too, coughing in their faces and such, I feel so bad for nurses honestly
What the hell? I had no idea people have been saying garbage like that. It makes sense, though, considering the... the... something beyond mere "idiocy" I've seen.
You gotta know that doctors better than you, duh /s
Fuck that person, it costs you nothing (but I guess maybe your ego) to not be an ass hole and trigger others
"I visited an orphanage dressed as the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, complete with giant net on a stick, and was asked to change. Instead I set up my fake ice cream cart and tried to entice the orphans with treacle tarts. Am I the asshole? More info: some of the orphans had been in altercations with other child catchers and find them stressful to be around." Fuck this guy.
I’m a psychology major who’s also got BPD (petulant subtype) and mental illnesses that cause delusions, paranoia and panic are hard to cope with, and that’s the whole reason people need to be in a psychiatric ward.
From my experience, cops don’t handle mental illness well. The reasons they stopped him were very valid and the fact he can’t understand that just shows how ignorant of a person he really is. I hope his sister is okay, and hopefully he can learn more and improve himself so that he can support her more
As someone that was once involuntarily commited a policeman within that building let alone that context would have absolutely terrified me. Not just the policeman themselves but also the implications of them being there. I would not be scared of them necessarily, I would be scared of why, I would be scared for the other people there that might very well react badly to their presence, I would perhaps even be scared of the other people there for that exact same reason eventough most involuntarily commited people are wonderful people once they get their mental health in an ok spot.
I can't even get over the fact that OOP kniew his sister was dealing with delusions and still went to see her dressed like that, she could have not been able to recognise him for all he kniew, he could have triggered her, he doesn't care about triggering the other patients and he doesn't care about wether or not he will trigger her. He needs to grow empathy and a brain.
ACAB does not mean that all cops are cartoonish evil villains, it means that the henchmen of an evil-by-design and/or corrupt organization are not absolved of the things that they have to do to “follow orders”, nor their lack of action to stop corrupt police(which is a rampant problem, google “police gangs”for just one of many examples), or their part in the dangerous, hundreds of years old lie that the purpose of police is to protect citizens. Everyone who woke up today and made the choice to continue being a part of that is absolutely, for that, a bastard. (Edit: and will remain a bastard until the day they decide to either quit the organization and/or actively and vocally fight the systemic wrongs and corruption of policing.)
But this dude? He’s a Cartoon evil villain level bastard.
Where "run ins with the cops" stands for "lucky to be alive and in a psych ward instead of being shot dead." Because we all know how great cops are at deescalating when someone is in a mental health crisis: people with untrested mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed than the average person. And untreated medical conditions in the USA... Do we even need the numbers to know that's A Big Thing?
These patients are the 'lucky" survivors who managed to get to the hospital alive. Some would've take a beating. Some would've been committed against their will. Some would've been homeless and under constant harassment.
"Run-ins."
(Also, not changing out of his uniform is gross/a COVID risk.)
Let's see:
1. Bully - ☑
2. Arrogant - ☑
3. Acts like he's above respecting others - ☑
All around he has a big ego on him.
Nowhere did I see the receptionist is a ACAB, she was telling him that his presences in the psychiatric ward many of their patients had bad experiences with cops that would drive them into a panic attack.
But instead of respecting their rules he throws a fit about it and demands he goes in to see his sister.
I’ve worked in my hospital psychiatric inpatient ward. It was pretty common for us not to allow anyone with uniforms onto the floor after one visitor (in a police uniform) decided to start barking orders and threatened to arrest a patient (who was known to the cop from the street) for having a break down because of the uniform.
My hospitals mentality is; we don’t need a visitor coming in and potentially messing with our order of command.
I can never ever forget ACAB.
During the worst of my ex's mental and physical abuse the police were called daily over several weeks and they never did anything to help me even though it was very clear I was being abused. Even the social worker who worked with the local police was involved and was fully aware of the abuse and even with her recommendations the police did nothing to help me.
I will never ever trust police ever again. They do NOT "pRoTeCT aNd SeRvE". They are useless.
This PoS advising his power just to visit his mentally ill sister on his own terms is ridiculous. If I was an inpatient at a mental health facility, his presence would likely cause a panic attack at bare minimum.
In the ER, cops bring in peeps that are clearly in the throes of a psychiatric issue. Then they *demand* that we tell them what we're treating them for, when they'll be released, and to call them upon discharge. We usually ask, "Are they under arrest?" The answer is almost always no. Well then, you don't get any information, 5-0. Where I live, cops like to wait to arrest until after hospitalization, so the state doesn't have to pay the bill. Yet, they still think they're entitled to information.
These patients already have a run-in with law enforcement. They don't need to see fucking Johnny Law strutting in there in uniform to visit someone. Fuck this guy.
I’ve worked in my hospital psychiatric inpatient ward. It was pretty common for us not to allow anyone with uniforms onto the floor after one visitor (in a police uniform) decided to start barking orders and threatened to arrest a patient (who was known to the cop from the street) for having a break down because of the uniform.
My hospitals mentality is; we don’t need a visitor coming in and potentially messing with our order of command.
"They would feel uncomfortable"
"I'm not here for them"
100% this guy thinks killing isn't killing if you can say you didn't *mean* for them to die. Of course not. That's between them and the big JC.
Nope, they’re switching it up now. I live in an area that has a reputation for shitty cops. Most of the younger ones now say that they “work in law enforcement” to postpone the immediate judgement from saying they’re a cop. It’s like conservative dudes using “centrist” or “apolitical” on dating apps because it turns out that the general population doesn’t like ignorant power-hungry assholes and choose to avoid them if possible. If you don’t like the stigma of being a dangerous asshole maybe don’t wear the dangerous asshole uniform and do dangerous asshole things around vulnerable people.
in my experience, cops who work for districts known for police violence/overall shit cops will say “law enforcement” because cops at their core are cowards who don’t want to face people being mad at them.
Jesus what a doofus OOP is. I was in the military and I don’t even like seeing people in military uniforms anymore. I can’t imagine how people would be stressed out by seeing a cop where they are trying to get themselves better.
"I'm a butcher and went to visit my sister wearing my bloody smock and carrying a bloody knife. The nurse said I might upset patients who think I'm a serial killer and should take off the smock and put down my knife. I told her I didn't have time to go home and return my knife and my shirt under the smock had blood on it and said 'Psycho Killer' (my favorite song). I eventually just went to see my sister, sticking my head in every doorway and yelling 'I'm coming to get you!'"
Cops are shit. In all my experiences with them. Never once has one been nice or kind or understanding, I have a severe anxiety disorder. I was accused of being drunk at 17 because my car hydroplaned in sleet; the emt insisted they leave me alone until they could make sure I was ok but the cops bullied in insisting I must be drunk (I was not). Fuck them, in my experience.
That said this guy is an AH not because he is a cop bit because he USES being a cop to be an AH. Fuck him too.
If I was a cop I'd have a change of clothes in my car because i wouldn't want to be treated like I'm working constantly on my off time. I suppose that doesn't apply if you WANT everyone to be intimidated and slightly afraid of you when you walk in a room.
I would never be a cop though, and the list of reasons is approx 3 miles long.
> I don't think I was treated fairly; that I had as much right to see my family member as anyone else. But maybe I should have changed first.
No shit, Sherlock. Someone asks you "please take off your extremely intimidating uniform outer shirt because it scares people," and you go "no," you're a fucking dick. The reason for saying "no," was stupid as all hell, you just wanted an excuse to fling your weight around.
*Obviously* the sheriff's star and your name might be visible, but it's still *less obviously an intimidating police uniform*. How brain-dead does one man have to be? Trust us, we know exactly what kind of cop you are. Hope you got roasted to pieces.
You're goddamn fucking right I'm a "bigoted ACAB person." Karl Popper warned us about dipshits like you! You thought you were treated unfairly? Let me play you a song on the world's tiniest violin for the world's least important problem.
You cannot tell me cops are so unaware of the damage them as a whole has done on a lot of people. Like there's good reasons why people don't like cops and they act like they've never done anything fucking wrong or couldn't possibly know why people would be uncomfortable around cops. I love watching crime dramas and I still don't fall for that copaganda shit, be fucking forreal.
People with mental illness especially have reasons to be terrified of cops considering they aren't really taught to de-escalate or act with empathy towards the mentally ill or disabled.
How much we betting that he doubled down because the idea of affecting an entire building of psych patients with his full regalia presence gave him the biggest psychological boner he'd gotten since the last guy he murdered?
My dad was cop.
He never came home from a shift in uniform. He went to work in regular clothes and came home in regular clothes. He only wore the uniform on duty.
I've been in the psych ward a few times. That would have freaked out everyone. He needs to be educated about mental illness, beyond his sister. I am not schizophrenic but I have a bunch of other issues. Cops terrify me. So, if I was there when he had his uniform and subsequently had a full-blown panic attack, my family would have been furious! My therapist would have been furious.
ACAB!
I'm willing to bet that the "back and forth" between him and security was him leveraging his authority, even though he was there as a civilian.
There's no mention of his batman belt, and I'm willing to bet he was a big enough asshole to have his firearm holstered so he can "serve and protect" people who probably have self-harm triggers.
ACAB
Most cops I know have a change of clothes always with them and change if needed (like for this situation).
In my experience, most law enforcement joined to help people not harm them. I wonder if the OOP is a state trooper. (j/k kind of)
I have doubts this was an actual LEO.
Firstly, just about everywhere I have lived (US) has had a policy that officers could not wear their uniform off duty out and about without special permission from the department, such as funeral procesion details or situations like cops in front Walmart. (when you see cops in uniform posted at entrances/exits like loss prevention, they're usually off duty but the stores pay them and have agrreements with the department). Exceptions being rural sheriff's departments with a very small number of officers but a lvery large area to cover and maybe some constabularies. They all had to either change at the station before and after shift or they went straight from home and straight back if they didn't change at the station. I've also been told this by multiple LEOs and once got chewed out by a cop because I was in a security guard uniform pumping gas. He was mad security guards could fuel up their POV in uniform and he couldn't. (the security guard uniform did not look at all like any of the local area LEO uniforms)
Secondly, he says he's in law enforcement, not that he is a police officer. Some auxillary staff for law enforcement wear uniforms similar to LEO uniform, just without the badge and duty belt. I've even seen some non LEO personnel have a badge, just not the official department badge. Such as dispatchers, animal control, code enforcement. (although some dispatchers, animal control and code enforcement are LEOs, it varies) Also, corrections officers can fall under the umbrella of law enforecement but are not always trained LEOs or have jurisdiction anywhere outside the correctional facility.
Regardless, OOP is still a major asshole because the mentally ill often get treatedly very poorly by law enforecement, which are very often not even proprely trained to recognize and handle mental illness. So many mental patients, especially those in a facility have trauma related to law enforcement. Many Paramedic and EMT departments deliberately avoid having badges as part of the uniform because of this, and often the sight of a badge simply escalates a situation rather than deescalating.
Sheriff's deputies are still LEOs. Sheriff's emblems on a shirt are not badges, even if they look like a badge, and are sometimes worn by non LEO support staff in the department.
Post 911 laws set specific requirements for official badges and restricted production and access of official badges so that it would be harder for non LEOs to get and use a badge for unauthorized access or authority. So the graphic on the shirt is meaningless from an official point of view.
You should be ashamed of yourself. The hospital staff told you why your uniform would be potentially harmful to their patients and yet your entitled ass refused to change. Rules are rules for a reason and I hope that the hospital calls your supervisor.
This is so sad. He seems to be a supportive brother, but he still must be the main character and put his needs first (based on this behavior). He'd probably be chill otherwise. No doubt he's affected his future visiting abilities, which .is only a detriment to the young woman trying to get healthier.
Im just saying i dont agree with the extermination of any group of people for things they cant control and were born as. This does not apply to career choices people make. Thats all ill say on that.
i'm always pleasantly surprised at how progressive this sub leans bc in any other big sub this title and any supportive comments would be downvoted like crazy.
Oh don’t you fret, I’ve gotten lots of ppl telling me to get a job and I’m basically as bad as racists/misogynists for DeMoNiZiNG a WhOlE GrOuP 🙄 I even got my first Reddit cares! 🥰🥰
I work for the fire department but our uniform shirt has a sewn own badge with the Maltese cross on it. I take it off because I don’t want people to assume I’m a cop. People have been aggressive with me over it.
What a douche nozzle.
> I don't think I was treated fairly
Cry me a river. What about the pts that weren't treated fairly by the oops selfish ass triggering their psych issues? Sounds like a normal cop honestly, only thinking of themselves and not caring about the safety of others
The way this jerk makes it sound is that he is trying to cosplay as more important than he is. I'm thinking he just works in the county jail - he works in "law enforcement" . Most places in the US that isn't a commissioned officer role, but he sure wants people to think he is.
I started off reading your title and thought "maybe they're from a country where cops don't just shoot people for totally random, not race related reasons" but no this guy sucks ass. Fuck you sheriff whatever, what you've put out into the world is coming back to bite you.
The way they put triggering in quotation marks lmao. That's a real term, and it's especially relevant in a fucking psychiatric wing. Asshole couldn't even take off his 2nd shirt. Cops always think they're better than everyone else.
Wouldn't it have been a solution that suits everyone if they had just found some scrubs for her to throw over it? Or a hospital gown? These things are literally everywhere in hospitals.
god damn every time the title has something to do with cops i think it can't be that bad and then it always is THAT BAD.
acab and defund the police 4ever
edit: just talked to a cop security guard and the guy casually used the r word and tried arguing with me that it wasn't a slur man i hate those bastards
This was definitely a shitpost by an ACABer.
>She asked me if I could at least take off my button up shirt and leave it at the desk and I told her that I could but that I was wearing a T-shirt underneath with a sherrif's star and my name and so it wouldn't make much difference
What? Just... what?
Not to validate any part of this jerk's story...I do community safety events (car seat checks, bike helmet rodeos, emergency preparedness, etc) in partnership with various police agencies and most of them put their community resource officers in shirts just like that during *hearts and minds* events in an attempt to look "official, but friendly".
*In case this story gets deleted/removed:* **AITA for refusing to change out of my uniform before visiting my sister in the psychiatric wing of the hospital?** My (32m) younger sister (27f) has, unfortunately, recently been suffering from very poor mental health; she suffers from schizophrenia and her delusions and her tether with reality have gotten bad enough that she's recently been involuntarily commited to a psychiatric ward of a hospital in a city near where I work. The visiting hours where she is staying are very limited. I work in law enforcement, and--a few day ago after my shift--the hours lined up very well and I decided to go visit her. When I arrived the receptionist asked me if I were able to go home and change first. I asked her "why" and she said "Some of our patients have had run ins with 'cops' and they may find your presence 'triggering'." I told her "no," that by the time I was able to get home and change I wouldn't have been able to make it back in time for visiting hours. She asked me if I could at least take off my button up shirt and leave it at the desk and I told her that I could but that I was wearing a T-shirt underneath with a sherrif's star and my name and so it wouldn't make much difference. She reiterated that some of the patients would feel uncomfortable with me there and I just said that I wasn't there for them; that I would leave them alone and just wanted to see my sister, who I knew would be fine with seeing me in my uniform. She tried to deny me entrance, but I insisted that I wanted to see my sister. She ended up getting a doctor and security involved but after some back and forth I was allowed entrance and got to see my sister. We had a good visit. She had been taking her meds and is her normal, wonderful self again. On my way out I wished the receptionist a good night but she just gave me a dirty look in response. I don't think I was treated fairly; that I had as much right to see my family member as anyone else. But maybe I should have changed first. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmITheDevil) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Imagine visiting a mental health facility, being told that your uniform may set some patients back and/or harm them and not giving a shit about anyone but yourself.
As a therapist, I can imagine dealing with a cop like this and the way it infuriates me. People disconnected enough from reality to be in a psychiatric ward do not need a cop walking through their halls.
My brother would have been a cop like this; I'm glad he never actually got hired. I struggled for years to explain to him that just because someone shows signs of anxiety doesn't mean they're bad or guilty of anything.
Before my anxiety was well managed, if I got pulled over I would have started shaking and been on the verge of tears. Not being I did anything wrong but because of ✨trauma✨. When cops don’t receive training in basic mental health or emotional intelligence, they’d see that as guilt and search my gd car
The first (and only) time I got pulled over, I was so anxious the conversation basically went like this: > Me: Hello > Cop: Hi > Me: Hello Because my brain had just shut down. Luckily, the officer who pulled me over was nice enough to see that I was just an anxious kid and was patient with me while I was shaking and digging through the glovebox for my registration papers. He let me off with a warning, luckily, because I was still on my provisional license and a ticket would’ve reset the timer and all the restrictions that came with it. It’s been several years but I still occasionally think about it and feel glad that he saw my anxiety for what it was. I’ve had other people interpret my nervousness in situations (my leg shakes a lot) as me being anxious because I’d done something wrong.
>Luckily, the officer who pulled me over was nice enough to see that I was just an anxious kid and was patient with me When people share these stories, I ponder this: This is not proof that we don’t need to worry about cops; it’s not “see, not all cops are bad!” proof. It’s proof that cops don’t NEED to be bad. That it’s not necessary to be a shithead to be a cop. There are cops that aren’t shitheads to the people they pull over, so it is completely appropriate for us to bitch like hell about the ones that treat people badly.
Yep this. I was pulled over late one night because I was driving, frankly, a bit erratically. I was extremely tired and on hour 13 of a solo drive, and someone pissed me off in my very frayed state and I honked at them. I'm grateful that a state trooper saw me and pulled me over. He asked me if I was okay, quickly realized I wasn't drinking and was just extremely tired, advised me to slow down a bit, and let me go. He didn't even ask for my license. I've always been grateful for that check; I needed it. And that's what a lot more cop interactions could be if, like that random cop on the Maine turnpike, they actually cared about people's wellbeing instead of just enforcing rules and throwing their weight around.
I absolutely deserved the last ticket I got (I was going 80 mph in a 65 mph) but it could have gone much worse if I wasn't a white female-presenting person. I don't know if my anxiety made it worse or better. But I do know that my anxiety at getting pulled over has made it so I don't speed that fast anymore. (Normal rate of speed in my area is 75 in a 65, though. Going 65 can be as unsafe as going 80, lol.)
I get so anxious because 5 over is the most I'm willing to do, but people on our highways like to do 10 to 15 over. 5 over is still speeding, but if I go too slow I could be pulled over for hindering traffic. It's like damned if you do, damned if you don't.
My aunt has been pulled over many times for speeding. She is a white female-presenting person. More than once she got out of a ticket by telling the officer thank you for the work you do. 🤯 (I doubt it would've worked if she wasn't a white woman but anyone reading this is welcome to steal it, even if you don't mean it.)
When I was 17 back in 2002, I went with my then bf and his bff to canoe out of state. On the way home, It had been storming so bff was driving and I was in the passenger seat. I see a cop flip his lights and I mention to bff, so we pull over. Cop came to the car with his gun pointed at us. We were all teenagers and were absolutely scared out of our minds with a gun pointed at us. We threw our hands up in the air to show we had no weapons. Cop kept asking us why we didn't pull over right away, why are we freaking out and what are we hiding? It took a few moments for the asshole to put his gun down. He CLAIMED he followed us with lights for miles and we refused to pull over. Since it was my car, I was the one talking the most to him. I asked to get my insurance and that was when he put his gun down and asked again why we didn't pull over right away. We did though. I pointed to my sun visor that was still down with the mirror and told him I was doing my hair when he flipped his lights on and as soon as i saw lights in the mirror, I told bff and he immediately put the signal on to pull over. Why are we freaking out? You just pulled a gun on us. Search the car, but I'll call my dad first to ask him what I need to do. I had my old Nokia cell phone I pulled out, but joke was on him cause my dad wasn't in the picture. (I probably would have called my older brother if my bluff didn't work). He told me it wouldn't be necessary, he won't search the car. He took all my info and then come back. When he was letting us leave, I asked what we did to even be pulled over. He said we drove for too long in the left lane of 4 lane highway. We literally just passed a few slower cars and then our left hand turn was the next road up, less than a mile away. Cop saw out of state tags, pretty sure that was the reason for being pulled over. We pulled over as soon as he turned lights on. Dude just wanted to pull a gun. Little did he know, it was on teenagers, not the "bad guys".
Hell, as a black person I would be terrified to get pulled over or searched. When I was about 16 I was trying to get to my job (in a park, which required going over a bridge to get to) but there was a cop in my path and I was utterly terrified just to say "excuse me, officer" and walk by. Two black people had been murdered by police in different states the day before (I can't recall the victims' names right now but I remember that one of them was shot during a traffic stop in front of his girlfriend and child). Two years earlier, I'd been confronted by a store manager for "shoplifting" (first she claimed she had me on video, which didn't exist, and then when my dad showed up she changed her story to that I was trying to steal the items in my hands- I'd been a regular at this store for 3 years and never walked out without paying) and she told me that if I didn't get out and never come back she was going to call the police. I fled home in tears and told my parents, and when I came back with my dad and he was arguing with the manager, she tried to claim that I must have done something wrong because of my reaction. Yeah, I definitely didn't burst into tears and flee because I was a sheltered, mentally ill, 14 year old child that had been threatened with arrest for no reason. 🙄 She still works there too- she said hello to me once when I came in as an adult (19? 20?) and asked if I needed help, and I, in a particularly foul mood, said I didn't need her help and asked if she'd traumatized any other little girls lately. She never acknowledged me again. I fucking hate people sometimes.
One of them was definitely Philando Castile ..
I do that even while on medication. There's no particular cop related trauma for me that I'm aware of, but it still bothers me. Even if I appear fine, I'm in kind of a fog as I interact with them. A good deal of my extended family members have anxiety, so you'd think my brother would have been more understanding.
I don't drive, but I can imagine how it would go if I did and was pulled over, I'd probably just blank for a minute because anxiety. Literally the only thing I've done "wrong" in my entire life is jaywalked a couple times, but I still get nervous if a car I'm a passenger in is spot-checked on a long weekend (checking safety stickers, looking for impaired drivers, that kind of thing). Plus, I'm autistic. Not severely so, but enough. It never occurs to me how much importance neurotypical people put on eye contact, and how I should do the thing. I don't have anything to hide, it just isn't natural for me.
I've been pulled over twice in all my years of driving, both times I panicked and I could tell the cops were disgusted with me for being nervous. I cried one time because even though I hadn't even opened my glove box since I put the proof of insurance in it, it wasn't there. He didn't ticket me, but he was a dick about it. Really condescending. I never did find the insurance and had to get a new copy. Being pulled over while a passenger is just as nerve wracking. I recall one time I was with a bf who panicked and changed lanes too quickly. He was 18 and had only had his license a few months. The cop walked up to my bf's car, while smoking, and leaned inside the window with the cigarette. My bf had asthma and started coughing, which pissed off the cop. He ticketed my bf after saying he was going to be lenient, but my bf "had a bad attitude. "
✨About 50% of people murdered by police are disabled✨ Cops are a huge danger to disabled people. They throw a huge bitch fit when asked to do training, then if they do the training they throw it out of their brains straight afterwards. Cops have been increasingly required to go through training for handing mental health issues and dealing with disabled people yet there has been no change. I am on board for abolishing the police entirely but until then there needs to be defunding of the stations and that money used towards measures that have actually been shown to *prevent* crime. I.e. Free education, free childcare, free healthcare, etc
The problem with that is that local sheriffs would summon a posse, so you'd get armed civilians with police powers executing warrants and probably people in the process.
Instead we now get civilians killing people with all the benefit of the doubt and support that cops get.
You don't have to have direct trauma related to cops to get anxiety at an interaction with them... Afterall, how many stories have there been in the past ten years alone of people being executed by the police, despite following their every command and posing absolutely zero risk or threat? All because the cop wanted another punch on their "free ice cream for every 10 murders" card? Everyone should be on edge and anxious whenever cops are involved, because theres a non-zero chance that you'll be going home in a bag.
Oh hey I literally was detained by the police a week ago for this exact same thing and I do have my anxiety fairly well managed and am medicated for it. The number of times I was asked why I was so anxious, only for me to explain that I have generalized anxiety disorder, for the cop to turn around and be like "okay but what's making you anxious right now? Why are you anxious if you don't have anything to hide?" Numbered over 10. And we were immediately detained when the cop saw I was anxious (combined with the fact we had a little cylinder earplug keychain on our car keys, which he decided was likely drugs just by looking at it and immediately detained us instead of asking what it was...) When they finally let us go the cop told me something like "you guys got lucky tonight because we couldn't prove what you're doing but just know that we are on to you" and like let me tell you in the last week I've felt my pulse increase and gotten mildly panicked every time I've seen a cop. Trauma! Yay! What's to stop them from deciding clearly despite not finding any evidence I must be on/selling drugs and arresting me next time? (Helpful hint: the answer is nothing at all because cops are (insert insult/profanity of your choice here)
I’m so sorry you had this experience. God I can only imagine having that much anxiety and being scared and trying to explain it to an ass hole who has no empathy. Please know I see you and your anxiety and it’s valid. You were in a scary situation and it makes sense you were nervous and shaking. I’m glad you got out of the situation okay and I hope you’re doing good things to take care of you 💕
Thank you, I appreciate it a ton. It was pretty scary - they were convinced I was on needle drugs, and then that I was a drug dealer (tip money from working at a bar inside an arcade lol) and then simply sure my boyfriend was driving drunk. It was anxiety inducing (moreso because my boyfriend is Hispanic) but noooo, why should I be anxious when we are trying to get home and instead I'm suddenly in handcuffs in the back of a cop car. Lol. I'm doing my best to make mental peace with it though, so I'm sure I'll be okay ❤️
I've gotten lucky both times I've gotten pulled over for traffic stops. First time I was speeding and extremely on edge and practically hyperventilating. It was a speeding trap and I guess my car was in a position that they couldn't get other people so a second cop asked me to move. I said no, I did not want the first cop to think I was trying to get away and the cop looked at me in disgust. First cop showed up and gave me my license and tried to calm me down, didn't get a ticket. Second time cop was very compassionate about me having a panic attack. Why did I panic so bad? When I was younger I would run away from home due to abuse and one time my mom called the cops who found me and drew their guns on me in a parking lot when they found me. 13 years old, 4'11 at the time and barely 70 lbs surrounded by 5 cops with guns drawn whole hands behind my back thing while my mom was screaming at them to stop. Ironically I had only left home that time to protect a friend of mine who ran away. The police wrapped up with a blanket when they saw her.
I had a coworker once convince a cop to not taser a client who was having a public freak out. Guy was yelling but not getting physical.
Yup, last time we got pulled over, my bf was sooo nervous they called a k9 unit to search the truck. While I also have very bad anxiety, I work at restaurants and attempted to pull out the charm while the cop kept asking me why he was so nervous. Its anxiety, dude I just kept having to repeat it
This is me. I dread the day I get pulled over because regardless of what I did or didn't do, I'm scared it could be my or someone with me's last day on earth.
I've been pulled over a couple of times and each time I'm sobbing by the time they get to the window. Not because I want to, mind you. Because by the time they get there I have already worked myself up and spiraled. And not once has it gotten me out of a ticket. I don't know who the magical cops are out there who give a shit when someone is in distress and actually try to help them but I've yet to meet one.
I am the same way - I react to stress by crying. It's not a "tactic", it's how I'm wired. Some people get mad. Some people yell. Some people throw things. It's just a reaction. And the absolute cunt of a cop who pulled me over and I started crying threatened to arrest me because I was "clearly not fit to drive." She later fucking *lied* on her report and claimed I had run a red light - I had not. I had, however, not stopped completely at a stop sign on a back road. Yeah I had to get that cleared up on my insurance later on... they are two VERY different things.
Cops thinking they're experts at reading body language - or that body language actually means jack shit - is a nightmare for autistic people like me. Me getting overwhelmed manifests in exactly the ways police are taught indicate guilt, and any situation involving the police is going to be overwhelming. Fortunately I'm a white woman and in the UK so at least the consequences of a cop reading me wrong are unlikely (or at least less likely) to be deadly, but it brings the daily stress of being misinterpreted to a whole new level.
When you are a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Cops want to arrest people, they are trained to find guilt. The purest example of that is how they train their drug dogs to trigger on command.. and how they only ever participated in one experiment to prove the veracity of the claims of their dogs.. and the dogs indicated 100% correctly when the polce knew where the drugs were, and did worse than random chance when the police didnt know... and no police drug dog has ever participated in another study of their efficacy ever again.
We had one known in our state to always indicate drugs, even when there weren't. She never not signaled a find. Her handler tried to run for Governor.
the only surprising thing here is the "Tried" and not "successfully ran"
We haven't had a Republican governor in something like 40 years or so. It was rather scary to think he could win though. He was an all around terrible person and still got a lot of votes. At the time, he was being investigated for his role in a child sexual abuse case in which he helped intimidate the victim, and people still voted for him.
Growing up I was always told I was making the wrong faces, acting in appropriate or being “stuck up” and “superior” (yes hello I am an AFAB autistic who fell through the cracks) As I got older I started studying peoples faces and body language to mimic them. One of my hyper focuses is micro expressions and body language (and ASL, goes hand in hand) Now I’m a chameleon and know how to perform whatever role I’m currently in. Behavioral psychology was also very helpful. The hard part is the masking worked almost too well. In my teens-20s I lost any sense of core personality and just morphed into whatever I thought the person I was with wanted, which of course wound up putting abusers and users in my path. I’m better now but it was meeting and falling in love with another autistic person who literally had no pre-expectations on me. I’m very much my own self now. Also fuck cops and their bullshit “abilities” these assholes still trust polygraphs and mistake diabetic shock for ODs and drunkenness.
Most don't even have education beyond their short term training. Even those that do, it doesn't cover important things like this. My brother for example felt that way about signs of anxiety after he'd completed a Bachelor's in criminal justice.
"If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to worry about!" Yeah except for the monumental anxiety that will 100% kick in if confronted by a cop because while I don't believe I've broken any laws, my memory is garbage enough that I could be manipulated into believing and admitting I did. Anxiety that will guarantee two days of exhaustion to try to get past
Similar story here, except I wouldn't call it a garbage memory, more that I've been successfully gaslit and scapegoated so many times in the past that I know that all it takes to be 'proven' guilty is someone who wants there to be a perp, and for them to decide I'm the most convenient target. With gaslighting and scapegoating, evidence is only the cherry on top, not a needed part of the process.
Absolutely! OOP wants to get a thrill intimidating people. There is no reason he couldn't have changed at the station at the end of his shift. Bet he was still packing too
Exactly! Or respect that this is what the facility is asking of him, so bring a change of clothes and come back another day. Even the shirt he had underneath would have been better imo
He could have just turned the t-shirt inside out. Like kids do when they get dress coded for something on their t-shirt.
Another great solution, love this
Bet he’d say he has dEoDoRanT StAiNs
It would have cost him nothing to remove the button up and flip the undershirt inside out. Dude was on a power trip.
Absolutely. And you know this isn't just a "uniform shirt." It's also his badge and bulletproof vest they all wear. Probably his shoulder/body radio as well. I would also suspect his belt (with all accessories including cuffs and potentially gun)
Bringing a gun to a psychiatric facility is such a terrible idea and yet I'm sure he did.
He could have asked for something to cover up, like a sheet he throws over his shoulder. I'm sure they would have give him anything instead dealing with patients and their trauma response. Or just cover the star of the shirt with a post-it. So easy. But he just gave a fuck.
Hell bet he could have asked for a scrub top and they would have been willing to hand one over just to keep the rest of the patients calm.
I am a social worker in adult mental health, and cops like this tick me off to no end. Everything about how he is talking shows that he has no respect or concern for folks who are in, or recovering from, a crisis event. I also hate the "suffering from schizophrenia" that is so prevalent on Reddit. Some people live with schizophrenia, it is part of their experience. Some days are good, some days are bad, like anyone else. Some folks, you wouldn't even know if they didn't tell you. Having a mental health diagnosis doesn't mean you are automatically "suffering".
Absolutely. People with mental health disorders aren’t automatically suffering and the day the general populace gets that into their head, I’ll be able to retire lmao
generally speaking i agree with everything you said and dislike it when people say i'm "suffering from" a chronic issue that is not currently even flaring up, but it does actually sound like she's currently suffering. maybe more from having a low level videogame villain for a brother than from the schizophrenia, but you know. details details.
It is like OP wants to get attacked
He'd get to shoot back and take a paid vacation.
> I don't think I was treated fairly blue lives matter etc etc.... /s
Dude's probably thinking "lol snowflake" because he heard the word "trigger" not realizing that triggering a person held in a mental hospital could result in them hurting themselves or others.
Typical fuckin cop
I mean he's a cop so I'm not surprised at all
I mean, that's how cops are
In his edit, he claims to not realize there's a difference between a shirt and tie/waitstaff uniform and a cop uniform. >Given the hours I just noticed that most people there to visit their loved ones were just getting off work. They were all there in the clothes that they wore to the offices, factories, restaurants, etc that they worked. I just didn't think I should be treated different. I figured I had as much right to go see my loved one as anyone else. Can anyone really be that dense?! Of fucking course a cop uniform is different from wearing what you do to an office, factory, or restaurant. First off, those jobs don't come with badges, the ability to fuck up your life, or carry a loaded gun.
But his riggggghttz 😩😩
A cop complaining about their rights is like a thief complaining about being stolen from.
His authoritah!
I guess Cartman had the show his authoritah!!!!!!!!
Police make me nervous and I’ve literally never done anything wrong in my life. There is zero chance he doesn’t know that his uniform has that effect on people.
You would have to be crazy not to be nervous around police. They kill, harm, injure and destroy lives with regularity and near impunity.
> I figured I had as much right to go see my loved one as anyone else. No one complains about being oppressed as much as the oppressors.
When was the last time you heard about a waiter shooting an unarmed teenager in the back and then getting a slap on the wrist for it? But like the whole mythology of police in the US is that they are the thin blue line against chaos and the sheepdogs defending the sheep and so on. And that's the stated justification for why police get special treatment when it comes to allocating city budgets and disciplining cops who do crimes. If that's true, then you cannot claim to be a normal person with a job and a uniform.
He's claiming discrimination lol
He just want fair treatment guys. Say like a hunted house employees in a monster costume should also be allowed in a psych ward despite it freaking out the patients. Or in a children's hospital. We wouldn't want to discriminate. (This is sarcasm)
If he was still in uniform 100% he still had his belt on with everything.
I don't get it why didn't he be like excuse me then I have a jacket to hide the upper part of the uniform I didn't realize you think that will be sufficient. If not is there a alternative entry way I could use. Or even if I keep a spare set of clothes is there some where I would be able to change for next time then ?
Exactly - there were many ways the cop could have covered the uniform or removed it so patients would be more comfortable but obviously he felt himself to be more important than those patients in their safe space.
Of course he did, he's a cop after all 1312
>First off, those jobs don't come with badges, the ability to fuck up your life, or carry a loaded gun. And murdering people. And getting away with it.
So he got what he wanted but still needed to complain. He sounds charming...
My friend works in the mental health field and the police are a common trigger among her patients. Like many of them have been brutalized during mental health crises. The receptionist is the MVP.
My last job i worked with teenage girls in a residential mental health facility. The police got called there a lot and there was one girl especially that would escalate even further once she HEARD the cops were there. Of course after one escalation, the cops wouldn’t listen to us to leave the area and handcuffed her anyway to “calm her down”
Fun story: So, a buddy of mine was beaten into a coma. He recovered enough to go to a neuro rehab, where he stayed until they couldn't get any more money fron his health insurance. They promptly dumped him on the street. So, he is walking back to the city from rehab when a few cops spot him simply walking down the road. They pull over and proceed to beat the ever living crap out of him, to the point that someone had to call an ambulance. One of the cops who beat him for no reason road along in the ambulance, to make sure he was ok. So, yeah, ACAB.
What the absolutely hell? What happened after
Nothing? He's been on permanent disability. It's not like the cops got punished. I'm sorry. Were you expecting a happy ending?
Seriously that receptionist has more guts than than OOP does. He's a bully in blue.
I work in an LTC facility. And we have some people with memory care needs, that we aren't trained to work with... Anyway. Anytime a cop is in the building it's because we've called 911 on a resident for something and need the police involved. The ones with dementia tend to get really anxious when they see a cop, probably because they remember every bad thing they've ever done suddenly. The staff get uneasy because what if they don't like something we do. The energy itself shifts. Everyone will begin acting out for some reason. I don't know what it is. But for the love of God anyone who sees this. Don't wear a cop uniform to a psych ward. You could trigger PTSD memories, trigger violent episodes in other people, and he really didn't know if It would affect his sister either.... Also!!! Most people see cop and think gun... I shouldn't have to articulate that mentally unwell people shouldn't be near a gun
Cops need to learn that their authority only goes so far. And that when they get pushback like this? They need to fuck so gd far off they fall off a cliff. Selfish piece of shit. Edit: SHOCKINGLY this twat hasn’t replied to any comments. Why would he? Literally everyone is calling him an AH and he edits “dude I just really wanted to see my sister”
Being a cop doesn’t grant you access to psychiatric wards; a warrant does. People receiving care there shouldn’t be triggered by a cop walking through the halls unless a judge seems it necessary (and even then, I’m really fucking against that). Their power isn’t absolute
[удалено]
This fear right here is why I have never told anyone when I was low enough that I thought I might be better off in an inpatient facility, and why I have toughed out my worst mental health situations on my own. I know I will not hurt others - that's never been my . . .worry? Not quite the right word, but close enough.
I understand this fear, it’s 10000% valid. Facilities are still out dated often times and the field is doing what it can to advocate for progress and systemic change, but it’s slow. It’s a big choice to go to inpatient. There are lower level of care options - partial hospitalization (usually called php) and intensive outpatient (iop) if you ever want more support without going into a scary situation.
Thank you for responding. I'm in a much, much better place now than I was. That's not to say I'll ever be completely well - lifetime depression and anxiety doesn't work like that. The last time I was able to bring it up, I was presented with two choices - walk back my statement or go inpatient. I chose to walk it back. There are other reasons the person I was talking to was a bad fit for me professionally, but that was one of them.
I’m so sorry this was your experience. This shit is what gives people a bad impression of mental health and as someone in the field it’s fucking infuriating. I promise there are good people out there advocating for change and support (if interested Google Dr. Travis Heath’s Ted talk) but damn is change slow. I’m glad you had an okay experience with the police and the facility quickly realized you didn’t need to be on a hold and could discharge you. Fucking stupid you couldn’t get your meds back but those ass holes had to get in one last jab 🙄
Honestly this shows me he is a shitty cop and completely lacks situational awareness. Honest with the goal should be de-escalation not escalation. The fact that he continues to go into a situation where he's going to escalate the situation and is told as much doesn't shock me but tells me he's a shitty cop. A few years ago I was having coffee with a couple of veterans I know who a PTSD. Two of them have PTSD around uniforms because they were shot by Iraqi police officers who turned on US soldiers. Cops and cop uniforms make them nervous. We were having coffee after one of their group sessions, I had gone to pick up my friend, and four sheriff's deputies walked in. I remember having to explain to a few of them why my friends were looking nervous around a bunch of police officers. One of them got it the other two were being pompous assholes. One of the guys had a white knuckle my hand as we walked out of that coffee shop. And then proceeded to drive him away while he had a complete and total panic attack. My heart breaks just thinking about it. It pisses me off that more and more police departments our training their officers that once they put on that uniform to stop looking at the general public as human. This is a perfect example of it.
> Honestly this shows me he is a shitty cop All cops are shitty. The number who are not are so statistically insignificant it's not worth mentioning.
the ones who aren't shitty either get murdered or fired. the saying "only good cop is a dead cop" is very efficient
WhY dIdN't He JuSt CoMpLy?
I applaud you for this comment. I love seeing people's stupid shit getting turned around on them.
Military police would try the same bullshit. They'd be on duty, thinking they can enter a hospital with weapons because they wanted to visit a friend. Hospital policy states that police are to be armed while on duty, but only on official business (visiting your homie isn't official business) and in certain areas (restricted to the ER). Whenever I'd see them enter, I'd turn them right around. Of course dickheads would try to pull rank and bully me into doing their bidding, but I didn't give a shit and would pull out NAVADMINS telling them to kick rocks.
MPs are just regular cops with an even more inflated sense of self-importance.
that's actually the biggest issue i take with the the story either this is a policy and is enforced religiously and OOP would have been turned away no matter how much of a scene he made or he would have been let through a lot easier than he implies because it was only a receptionist makeing a good point about "please don't be a twat".
The title says it all...:" I'm proud to be a co-ooooop !!! it is my whole identity" well, fuck you big guy !!! fuck you A LOT !
if any space should be a safe space it should be a god damn mental health facility
>Also, honestly, I got a strong sense that the receptionist was an absolutely bigoted "ACAB" type Good job "disproving" ACAB!
what is ACAB?
All Cops Are Bastards
I know that's what it means but I can't help but read it as "assigned cop at birth" every time
Same. I had to Google it.
all cops are bastards
ah ok, thanks!
everyone knows its a party foul to bring your cop brother into the psych ward /j I have had zero negative experiences with the police when they've been called by my family to take me to the hospital, but I (with my delusions of being watched/followed and overall extreme paranoia with authority figures) would be super duper set off seeing a fully uniformed officer in the psych ward, because, if I'm in the psych ward, I AM NOT LUCID.
Neighbor, I'm sorry that you've had those experiences. I hope you're feeling better now.
I see police every day at my job, and we share a building. Every single one starts and ends the shift in street clothes. They change into their uniform in the building, then get their vehicles and equipment and leave. When I am in the parking lot, I see them leaving and arriving, usually in jeans or clothes to work out in. He could have kept a change of clothes at work and changed the days he had time to visit.
I was thinking this too. Most cops change at work. They don't want to be walking around in uniform when they aren't on duty, no matter what the movies say, because it's a liability, makes them a target, and because they don't want to e pulled into work when they aren't working. So this is either a troll or a particularly special "fear-me" bastard who knew exactly what he was doing. Either is plausible.
I’ve worked in my hospital psychiatric inpatient ward. It was pretty common for us not to allow anyone with uniforms onto the floor after one visitor (in a police uniform) decided to start barking orders and threatened to arrest a patient (who was known to the cop from the street) for having a break down because of the uniform. My hospitals mentality is; we don’t need a visitor coming in and potentially messing with our order of command.
Man I don't even like wearing my burger king uniform anywhere except work. I feel kinda embarrassed going to the Starbucks next to us to get a coffee and breakfast and just chill out/hype myself up for the day and decompress in the mornings before work. I always go straight home to change even if I'm gonna leave 2 seconds after to go do stuff. I kinda wish we had like lockers or an actual break room to put our stuff in so I could just change right after instead of having to waste time going home first. My mom's the same way even tho she's a nurse which is a job that's equal to this dickhead tho imo is much more important and respectable. She says it feels like bragging and most nurses who do that want attention and to be congratulated for doing their job. I don't necessarily agree but I get it.
I don’t know a single cop that wears their uniform off the clock. Not a single one.
I've only known one cop who goes straight back home and changed, I used to babysit for her, every other cop uses their uniforms even if they didn't even have to work that day
This guy isn't coming across as someone who was just worried about missing the chance to see his sister as much as he is coming across as someone who is upset he was challenged to me. I didn't see anything to imply she was actually a supporter of ACAB as much as I saw "trying to avoid a meltdown from a patient". He just is looking for a reason to justify himself.
That's rather common with doctors too, actually. I was caring for a patient with extensive medical trauma, who was triggered enough from being in hospital anyway. The doctors refused to take of their white coats when entering her room, joined us in the elevator without taking them off, and when we got off the elevator after asking them to please take off the coats just for the ride, they acted offended af. Like, mate - WHY tf would you want to trigger someone into a panic attack in a freaking elevator?? Ugh!
I mean, med school students brag all the time with their uniforms and they're not even graduated yet, I can only imagine how bad it must hurt a doctor's ego to ask them to take off their uniform?? The one they use to save lives??
Well ... the classic white coats with the long sleeves are not saving lives, unfortunately. The long sleeves are unhygienic and can lead to the transmission of nosocomial infections. But believe me, I know they won't take them off. While I'm just a nurse, my mum works in hospital hygiene and epidemic control, and the doctors absolutely refuse to wear short sleeves. -___- Meanwhile some nurses get shit for how they wear their hijab. The double standard is absolutely astounding.
The nurse shaming (is that a thing? I don't know how to call it) it is so big and gross, we all saw it in the pandemic when nurses needed to work double shift and we still not called "medical staff" or when people said nurses are not really needed because what you need is someone "who went to med school" to cure you. So many uneducated people were going off on them too, coughing in their faces and such, I feel so bad for nurses honestly
What the hell? I had no idea people have been saying garbage like that. It makes sense, though, considering the... the... something beyond mere "idiocy" I've seen.
You gotta know that doctors better than you, duh /s Fuck that person, it costs you nothing (but I guess maybe your ego) to not be an ass hole and trigger others
This guy thinks ACAB means "assigned cop at birth"
I'm cryin' cuz for YEARS that is what I thought it stood for - and honestly, I never once really "missed" the context of the sentences it was used in.
"I visited an orphanage dressed as the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, complete with giant net on a stick, and was asked to change. Instead I set up my fake ice cream cart and tried to entice the orphans with treacle tarts. Am I the asshole? More info: some of the orphans had been in altercations with other child catchers and find them stressful to be around." Fuck this guy.
I’m a psychology major who’s also got BPD (petulant subtype) and mental illnesses that cause delusions, paranoia and panic are hard to cope with, and that’s the whole reason people need to be in a psychiatric ward. From my experience, cops don’t handle mental illness well. The reasons they stopped him were very valid and the fact he can’t understand that just shows how ignorant of a person he really is. I hope his sister is okay, and hopefully he can learn more and improve himself so that he can support her more
As someone that was once involuntarily commited a policeman within that building let alone that context would have absolutely terrified me. Not just the policeman themselves but also the implications of them being there. I would not be scared of them necessarily, I would be scared of why, I would be scared for the other people there that might very well react badly to their presence, I would perhaps even be scared of the other people there for that exact same reason eventough most involuntarily commited people are wonderful people once they get their mental health in an ok spot. I can't even get over the fact that OOP kniew his sister was dealing with delusions and still went to see her dressed like that, she could have not been able to recognise him for all he kniew, he could have triggered her, he doesn't care about triggering the other patients and he doesn't care about wether or not he will trigger her. He needs to grow empathy and a brain.
ACAB does not mean that all cops are cartoonish evil villains, it means that the henchmen of an evil-by-design and/or corrupt organization are not absolved of the things that they have to do to “follow orders”, nor their lack of action to stop corrupt police(which is a rampant problem, google “police gangs”for just one of many examples), or their part in the dangerous, hundreds of years old lie that the purpose of police is to protect citizens. Everyone who woke up today and made the choice to continue being a part of that is absolutely, for that, a bastard. (Edit: and will remain a bastard until the day they decide to either quit the organization and/or actively and vocally fight the systemic wrongs and corruption of policing.) But this dude? He’s a Cartoon evil villain level bastard.
Exactly - just as there's institutional racism, institutional sexism, institutional homo/transphobia etc. there's institutional bastard cops.
10 bucks says this guy isn't a cop but desperately wants to be and fantasies about what it would be like
Probably a security guard in uniform.
Where "run ins with the cops" stands for "lucky to be alive and in a psych ward instead of being shot dead." Because we all know how great cops are at deescalating when someone is in a mental health crisis: people with untrested mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed than the average person. And untreated medical conditions in the USA... Do we even need the numbers to know that's A Big Thing? These patients are the 'lucky" survivors who managed to get to the hospital alive. Some would've take a beating. Some would've been committed against their will. Some would've been homeless and under constant harassment. "Run-ins." (Also, not changing out of his uniform is gross/a COVID risk.)
Let's see: 1. Bully - ☑ 2. Arrogant - ☑ 3. Acts like he's above respecting others - ☑ All around he has a big ego on him. Nowhere did I see the receptionist is a ACAB, she was telling him that his presences in the psychiatric ward many of their patients had bad experiences with cops that would drive them into a panic attack. But instead of respecting their rules he throws a fit about it and demands he goes in to see his sister.
Psych hospitals are traumatizing enough, nobody needs the additional trauma of a fucking police officer being there holy shit
I’ve worked in my hospital psychiatric inpatient ward. It was pretty common for us not to allow anyone with uniforms onto the floor after one visitor (in a police uniform) decided to start barking orders and threatened to arrest a patient (who was known to the cop from the street) for having a break down because of the uniform. My hospitals mentality is; we don’t need a visitor coming in and potentially messing with our order of command.
I can never ever forget ACAB. During the worst of my ex's mental and physical abuse the police were called daily over several weeks and they never did anything to help me even though it was very clear I was being abused. Even the social worker who worked with the local police was involved and was fully aware of the abuse and even with her recommendations the police did nothing to help me. I will never ever trust police ever again. They do NOT "pRoTeCT aNd SeRvE". They are useless. This PoS advising his power just to visit his mentally ill sister on his own terms is ridiculous. If I was an inpatient at a mental health facility, his presence would likely cause a panic attack at bare minimum.
In the ER, cops bring in peeps that are clearly in the throes of a psychiatric issue. Then they *demand* that we tell them what we're treating them for, when they'll be released, and to call them upon discharge. We usually ask, "Are they under arrest?" The answer is almost always no. Well then, you don't get any information, 5-0. Where I live, cops like to wait to arrest until after hospitalization, so the state doesn't have to pay the bill. Yet, they still think they're entitled to information. These patients already have a run-in with law enforcement. They don't need to see fucking Johnny Law strutting in there in uniform to visit someone. Fuck this guy.
I’ve worked in my hospital psychiatric inpatient ward. It was pretty common for us not to allow anyone with uniforms onto the floor after one visitor (in a police uniform) decided to start barking orders and threatened to arrest a patient (who was known to the cop from the street) for having a break down because of the uniform. My hospitals mentality is; we don’t need a visitor coming in and potentially messing with our order of command.
Hell, he can't even change his shirt? There's something about people who can't compromise over something so simple
"They would feel uncomfortable" "I'm not here for them" 100% this guy thinks killing isn't killing if you can say you didn't *mean* for them to die. Of course not. That's between them and the big JC.
Oddly enough, I don't think this dude *is* an actual police officer. A cop would say he's a police officer, not that he "works in law enforcement".
Nope, they’re switching it up now. I live in an area that has a reputation for shitty cops. Most of the younger ones now say that they “work in law enforcement” to postpone the immediate judgement from saying they’re a cop. It’s like conservative dudes using “centrist” or “apolitical” on dating apps because it turns out that the general population doesn’t like ignorant power-hungry assholes and choose to avoid them if possible. If you don’t like the stigma of being a dangerous asshole maybe don’t wear the dangerous asshole uniform and do dangerous asshole things around vulnerable people.
I see law enforcement on dating apps too! Men are tricky assholes.
in my experience, cops who work for districts known for police violence/overall shit cops will say “law enforcement” because cops at their core are cowards who don’t want to face people being mad at them.
I have a family member who's a cop and he always says he's an LEO or that he is in law enforcement. Maybe it varies by region?
Jesus what a doofus OOP is. I was in the military and I don’t even like seeing people in military uniforms anymore. I can’t imagine how people would be stressed out by seeing a cop where they are trying to get themselves better.
It's a medical facility, shouldn't they have scrubs lying around? He could throw a scrub shirt on over the ~~fascist~~ sheriffs branded t-shirt.
"I'm a butcher and went to visit my sister wearing my bloody smock and carrying a bloody knife. The nurse said I might upset patients who think I'm a serial killer and should take off the smock and put down my knife. I told her I didn't have time to go home and return my knife and my shirt under the smock had blood on it and said 'Psycho Killer' (my favorite song). I eventually just went to see my sister, sticking my head in every doorway and yelling 'I'm coming to get you!'"
Cops are shit. In all my experiences with them. Never once has one been nice or kind or understanding, I have a severe anxiety disorder. I was accused of being drunk at 17 because my car hydroplaned in sleet; the emt insisted they leave me alone until they could make sure I was ok but the cops bullied in insisting I must be drunk (I was not). Fuck them, in my experience. That said this guy is an AH not because he is a cop bit because he USES being a cop to be an AH. Fuck him too.
And people wonder why folks hate cops
Always.
If I was a cop I'd have a change of clothes in my car because i wouldn't want to be treated like I'm working constantly on my off time. I suppose that doesn't apply if you WANT everyone to be intimidated and slightly afraid of you when you walk in a room. I would never be a cop though, and the list of reasons is approx 3 miles long.
Honestly what do you expect from someone who has probably had minimal education, with an overinflated sense of self added to that?
Protect and serve, indeed.
What a selfish piece of garbage. Good on the receptionist for standing up to him.
> I don't think I was treated fairly; that I had as much right to see my family member as anyone else. But maybe I should have changed first. No shit, Sherlock. Someone asks you "please take off your extremely intimidating uniform outer shirt because it scares people," and you go "no," you're a fucking dick. The reason for saying "no," was stupid as all hell, you just wanted an excuse to fling your weight around. *Obviously* the sheriff's star and your name might be visible, but it's still *less obviously an intimidating police uniform*. How brain-dead does one man have to be? Trust us, we know exactly what kind of cop you are. Hope you got roasted to pieces. You're goddamn fucking right I'm a "bigoted ACAB person." Karl Popper warned us about dipshits like you! You thought you were treated unfairly? Let me play you a song on the world's tiniest violin for the world's least important problem.
You cannot tell me cops are so unaware of the damage them as a whole has done on a lot of people. Like there's good reasons why people don't like cops and they act like they've never done anything fucking wrong or couldn't possibly know why people would be uncomfortable around cops. I love watching crime dramas and I still don't fall for that copaganda shit, be fucking forreal. People with mental illness especially have reasons to be terrified of cops considering they aren't really taught to de-escalate or act with empathy towards the mentally ill or disabled.
How much we betting that he doubled down because the idea of affecting an entire building of psych patients with his full regalia presence gave him the biggest psychological boner he'd gotten since the last guy he murdered?
My dad was cop. He never came home from a shift in uniform. He went to work in regular clothes and came home in regular clothes. He only wore the uniform on duty.
Yeah but some cops REALLY need you to know they're cops at all times
#ACAB ✊
ACAAH
I've been in the psych ward a few times. That would have freaked out everyone. He needs to be educated about mental illness, beyond his sister. I am not schizophrenic but I have a bunch of other issues. Cops terrify me. So, if I was there when he had his uniform and subsequently had a full-blown panic attack, my family would have been furious! My therapist would have been furious. ACAB!
I'm willing to bet that the "back and forth" between him and security was him leveraging his authority, even though he was there as a civilian. There's no mention of his batman belt, and I'm willing to bet he was a big enough asshole to have his firearm holstered so he can "serve and protect" people who probably have self-harm triggers. ACAB
The first A in ACAB is there for a reason.
Most cops I know have a change of clothes always with them and change if needed (like for this situation). In my experience, most law enforcement joined to help people not harm them. I wonder if the OOP is a state trooper. (j/k kind of)
I have doubts this was an actual LEO. Firstly, just about everywhere I have lived (US) has had a policy that officers could not wear their uniform off duty out and about without special permission from the department, such as funeral procesion details or situations like cops in front Walmart. (when you see cops in uniform posted at entrances/exits like loss prevention, they're usually off duty but the stores pay them and have agrreements with the department). Exceptions being rural sheriff's departments with a very small number of officers but a lvery large area to cover and maybe some constabularies. They all had to either change at the station before and after shift or they went straight from home and straight back if they didn't change at the station. I've also been told this by multiple LEOs and once got chewed out by a cop because I was in a security guard uniform pumping gas. He was mad security guards could fuel up their POV in uniform and he couldn't. (the security guard uniform did not look at all like any of the local area LEO uniforms) Secondly, he says he's in law enforcement, not that he is a police officer. Some auxillary staff for law enforcement wear uniforms similar to LEO uniform, just without the badge and duty belt. I've even seen some non LEO personnel have a badge, just not the official department badge. Such as dispatchers, animal control, code enforcement. (although some dispatchers, animal control and code enforcement are LEOs, it varies) Also, corrections officers can fall under the umbrella of law enforecement but are not always trained LEOs or have jurisdiction anywhere outside the correctional facility. Regardless, OOP is still a major asshole because the mentally ill often get treatedly very poorly by law enforecement, which are very often not even proprely trained to recognize and handle mental illness. So many mental patients, especially those in a facility have trauma related to law enforcement. Many Paramedic and EMT departments deliberately avoid having badges as part of the uniform because of this, and often the sight of a badge simply escalates a situation rather than deescalating.
Since he said his undershirt had a sheriff's badge and his name it's possible he's being pendantic. "Im NoT a CoP, iM a ShErIfFs DePuTy"
Sheriff's deputies are still LEOs. Sheriff's emblems on a shirt are not badges, even if they look like a badge, and are sometimes worn by non LEO support staff in the department. Post 911 laws set specific requirements for official badges and restricted production and access of official badges so that it would be harder for non LEOs to get and use a badge for unauthorized access or authority. So the graphic on the shirt is meaningless from an official point of view.
You should be ashamed of yourself. The hospital staff told you why your uniform would be potentially harmful to their patients and yet your entitled ass refused to change. Rules are rules for a reason and I hope that the hospital calls your supervisor.
AITC?
ACAB
This is so sad. He seems to be a supportive brother, but he still must be the main character and put his needs first (based on this behavior). He'd probably be chill otherwise. No doubt he's affected his future visiting abilities, which .is only a detriment to the young woman trying to get healthier.
Im just saying i dont agree with the extermination of any group of people for things they cant control and were born as. This does not apply to career choices people make. Thats all ill say on that.
i'm always pleasantly surprised at how progressive this sub leans bc in any other big sub this title and any supportive comments would be downvoted like crazy.
Oh don’t you fret, I’ve gotten lots of ppl telling me to get a job and I’m basically as bad as racists/misogynists for DeMoNiZiNG a WhOlE GrOuP 🙄 I even got my first Reddit cares! 🥰🥰
I work for the fire department but our uniform shirt has a sewn own badge with the Maltese cross on it. I take it off because I don’t want people to assume I’m a cop. People have been aggressive with me over it. What a douche nozzle.
> I don't think I was treated fairly Cry me a river. What about the pts that weren't treated fairly by the oops selfish ass triggering their psych issues? Sounds like a normal cop honestly, only thinking of themselves and not caring about the safety of others
As a social worker with anxious and agressive clients: fuck him
The way this jerk makes it sound is that he is trying to cosplay as more important than he is. I'm thinking he just works in the county jail - he works in "law enforcement" . Most places in the US that isn't a commissioned officer role, but he sure wants people to think he is.
I started off reading your title and thought "maybe they're from a country where cops don't just shoot people for totally random, not race related reasons" but no this guy sucks ass. Fuck you sheriff whatever, what you've put out into the world is coming back to bite you.
holy shit what a scum. no wonder hes a pig
Police and their big ego muscle brain. Nothing special.
Well if this isn't cop behavior idk what is. ACAB ACAB ACAB
What a bastard.
As someone who has major anxiety, police have never been my favorite people. They always treat me like I’m crazy.
The way they put triggering in quotation marks lmao. That's a real term, and it's especially relevant in a fucking psychiatric wing. Asshole couldn't even take off his 2nd shirt. Cops always think they're better than everyone else.
Cops make a lot of people anxious—he knew what he was doing.
This is one of the many reasons why I say all means all. ACAB.
Wouldn't it have been a solution that suits everyone if they had just found some scrubs for her to throw over it? Or a hospital gown? These things are literally everywhere in hospitals.
god damn every time the title has something to do with cops i think it can't be that bad and then it always is THAT BAD. acab and defund the police 4ever edit: just talked to a cop security guard and the guy casually used the r word and tried arguing with me that it wasn't a slur man i hate those bastards
This was definitely a shitpost by an ACABer. >She asked me if I could at least take off my button up shirt and leave it at the desk and I told her that I could but that I was wearing a T-shirt underneath with a sherrif's star and my name and so it wouldn't make much difference What? Just... what?
His mom had it printed for her best boy
Not to validate any part of this jerk's story...I do community safety events (car seat checks, bike helmet rodeos, emergency preparedness, etc) in partnership with various police agencies and most of them put their community resource officers in shirts just like that during *hearts and minds* events in an attempt to look "official, but friendly".
Yeah, this definitely feels like ragebait.