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Don't know if you ever visit Quora. There are some innocent questions posted there which often trigger interesting answers. Here is an example (all cultural and funny 😆):

Q: What things do British tourists get wrong when interacting with U.S. police officers during a traffic stop?

A: Two different colleagues of my dad got things wrong when stopped by the police, driving, in the US, on business trips.

One couldn't figure out why a policeman was driving behind him with his blue lights on but didn't overtake, so he continued driving back to his hotel. When he arrived, the policeman said “What do you think this is, a personal escort service?”

Another was stopped by the police so he got out of the car and reached into his jacket pocket for his driving licence, at which point he realised the policeman was now lying on the ground pointing a gun at him. “Let's take this reeeeal slow” was what the policeman said.

A: The only time I have ever had any interaction with American police was when I was pulled over while driving in Houston. I had just pulled away from a traffic light after waiting for it to turn Green. Nobody had told me you were expected to drive through a red light when turning right.

As soon as I saw the flashing lights and heard the siren, I pulled in to the side of the road and got out of the car. When in the UK it is normal to conduct a conversation with a policeman face to face. That maintains dignity on both sides of the conversation. You are equals and it would be demeaning to force the policeman to crouch down to talk to you.

When I exited the car in Houston all hell broke loose. The cop pulled his gun, pointed it at me and forced me to my knees. I was ordered to lean forward with my forehead against the car and my hands clasped over my head. Eventually sanity prevailed when it was established I was Scottish and driving a hire car.

Apparently it is the correct procedure in the States to remain in the vehicle and conduct any conversation through the open window. Seems strange to me but different horses for different courses.

A: The first time I got pulled over by the police over in Canada for a routine / random Christmas breath test (I passed by the way!), I got out of the car to meet the policeman half way, it seemed the polite thing to do, and certainly what I would have done back in the UK. As I walked towards the policeman, he drew his gun and got on one knee and took aim and shouted for me to get back in the car. To this day, not getting out and meeting a policeman when they stop you still feels rude to my British sensibilities…, but I learnt my lesson on North American etiquette for sure.

Ryo1 8 Sep 13
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12 comments

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1

I love Quora. There are some humdingers of answers.

3

Yes.. North American police seem to view everyone as a threat until proven otherwise

Hi thee. Do you have a jumpy, nervous feeling when you see police officers even if their presence is nothing to do with you?

@Ryo1 as an Oklahoman, yes. Seeing a police officer is not only reason to mind your Ps & Qs, but also a reason to wonder what poc is in their radar.

@Ryo1 When I was still drinking alcohol I would get stressed out sitting in my living room while hearing a siren go by outside. Not so much anymore. Sobriety has relieved the paranoia. ☀️

1

I was stopped a policeman somewhere heading on a bike trip from West to East for "executing an unsafe manoeuvre" I stopped the bike and started walking back to the police car and suddenly there was a loud loudspeaker voice "stand by your vehicle" I immediately did as I was told. He looked at the registration and said what sounded like " is this a Renault". I felt like being cheeky and saying don't be daft Renault don't make bikes it's a Suzuki but thought better off it and said "no I bought it and am selling it back East".
He studied my licence and we exchanged a few words then he said " I am not going to book you" He shook my hand and wished me well and I went on my way. My opinion of the US police rose dramatically after that.

2

I was born in a South American country, but watched lots of American made movies, no way was I going to be so incredibly naive to act as if I was in my country when I arrived to the US in 1991. By the way, I have traveled all over the world, driven all over the world, and not once have I been ever stopped by police, except in only one country, Saudi Arabia, but was stopped while walking in a shopping mall by their religious police, they assumed I was Saudi and had committed the crime of not praying when the Imam calls for prayer, but quickly let me go when they saw my US passport with a business visa from the Saudi Government. Someone told me to wear it hanging on my neck in a plastic holder precisely as a precaution to avoid wasting time during my business visits.

3

When I got my license, the instruction was to exit the vehicle and stand at the rear of the vehicle with your hands in plain sight. It has evolved to, turn on you interior lights, lower your window, and place both hands on the wheel and wait for instructions.

4

The outcome would show that these perpetrators were of Caucasian appearance. If not, the result could have been tragic. Cops telling a Chinese student to "freeze" shot him as he did not know what "freeze" meant & continued to walk towards the police.

3

You are very lucky to be alive.

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You’re lucky to be alive with all the scaredy-cat trigger happy cops in the USA!!

3

I am afraid of our police. Was this planned?

6

Not only the Brits get surprised and not in a nice way either when confronted with the US law and order or disorder I should say.

So true. There's been a number of times I was pulled over for a very small necklace hanging from the rear view mirror. Next thing I know, they are stripping my car. (And they found nothing, but fined me for obstruction of view because of the necklace.)

I think those Brits who responded to the question have the right attitude; one says "It is the correct procedure in the States to remain in the vehicle and conduct any conversation through the open window." and another says "I learnt my lesson on North American etiquette for sure." When in Rome, do as the Romans do. There is nothing to judge here.

@Holysocks The thing is, because of the very strict gun law in the UK, we've established a culture where we can assume that no one carries a gun. Even police officers on patrol are unarmed. In contrast, in America, police officers have to assume that those they stop probably have guns on them. The starting points are very different. Mind you, I'm not saying that the UK police are perfect; some are corrupt and abuse their power. We also have gun and knife crimes. We have gangs.

@Ryo1
I had a similar discussion with one of my exes. She lives in London and she said while the rate of shootings is much lower, the stabbings are much more prominent. 🎶 What a wonderful world... 🎶

@Ryo1 Well, there is, because people get killed by cops in the US for nothing.

@Holysocks wow.. that’s a bit much. 😕

@Davekp but true

4

Yeah, for the most part, we have a shitty police system. When, in the Navy, my immediate supervisor on the ship had been a Pennsylvania state trooper. He talked about visiting England and being very impressed with the no guns. He returned to the Navy after witnessing some crooked happenings and knowing, in the 60s, he could do nothing about it. BTW, (I found out from others) he was one of the military intel people who reported that we were bombing Vietnamese hospitals. He sent his reports up the chain of command and never went public, but along the way someone else sent his reports to a congressman. This guy couldn't be "punished" except, at the time, becoming a chief had the requirement of also being voted in - he wasn't, so he accepted a promotion to Ensign.

To Brits, Dunblane school massacre in 1996 was the turning point. It shocked the entire nation to such a degree that the tightening of the gun law was agreed by both the left and the right.
[britannica.com]

3

Why a sad face @Beowulfsfriend? Different countries, different cultures, that's all. 🙂

Ryo1 Level 8 Sep 13, 2021

Bad finger.

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