dingodog

Cop deserve any discount they can get, in my opinion. They have to put their lives on the line dealing with so many stupid people and I have great respect for them. All the cops I have ever known have been great guys who are doing their job the best they can.

Thanks for the story.

hollow

I don't think these are kickbacks or bribes...that would mean that you want them to turn a blind eye to crime. This is just the opposite...good community policing.

There's a local convenience store that is pretty busy, and I've noticed that cops will come in and get a soda or coffee and not be asked to pay...big deal. It's not like they're giving them major items. Plus, if I'm ever out at night and am in need of a police officer, that would be the first place I'd go. So it's not just good for the cops and the store, but for the public as well.

jaxgtr

I had flats in both tires one night when I ran over glass from a beer bottle that was thrown my way and a cop pulled over so I could use his car lights to replace my tubes. The benefits of carrying 2 tubes. I told him what happened and he called in the incident and all three hillbillies were located, charged and convicted. I occasionally ride with the guy to this day.

BikeWise1

Maybe because it's them that has to deal with the scum of society on a daily basis and as an added bonus, they're more likely to get killed doing their job?

It's a largely thankless job. I don't begrudge them anything they get their piggy little fingers on...

wfrogge

You should have said "one of you ladies want to race me to the county line?" then knocked their coffee out of their hands.. The result would have been a better story.

SoreFeet

I purchased a bag of green tobacco from a friend once. I left his house, the next thing I knew I got pulled over. His neighbors are tweakers, so I was guilty by association for going in his house. The officer was demanding that I allow him to search my backpack. I knew if I didn't I would be found guilty as charged. He ruffled through my bag and saw my tubes/pump/patches...He did not see the bag of tobacco.

He asked about my mileage and I said about 50-75 a week. He said "looks like your a serious bicycle rider have a good day." Hehehe

Enthalpic

The store owners who provide free stuff are illegally purchasing additional protection. The store owners who choose not to provide gifts, or provide less attractive ones, are receiving less than their fair share of the tax dollar funded policing. No way around the ethical issue here, heck all of the business owners here accept that they are giving the cops perks in order to receive additional services, even if that service is their mere presence. Hire a security guard.

As for the "risking their lives" comments, policing is far from the most dangerous profession (not even close to top 10) and any crimes committed against them are almost certainly solved, unlike crimes against the general public. Just because the victim was a police officer should ethically have little to no influence.

To the police officers the onus is on you to turn down the gifts/bribes because nobody will enforce it. You know it’s wrong, let the payment for your sacrifice be honor and pride not some ill gotten free slush from quickie mart.

oilman_15106

My cop "run in" story is kind of weird. Trying to get home before nightfall after about 40 miles. Approach a 3 way intersection(all must stop). Cop car had a guy pulled over on the side just past the stop sign. Did a track stand and started thru the intersection. Cop yells "hey you pull over"! Thought the guy is going to try to ding me for not stopping but I came to a better stop than most cars. Cop proceeds to ask me if I can help push the disabled jeep out of the intersection.

Anyway he flagged down a couple more teenagers and we begin to push the thing off the road. Must have been a sight. Cop, guy in bike clothes, 2 gruffy looking teens. We are pushing the Jeep out of the way and without power steering it was a job. About halfway thru the intersection, the driver of the disabled Jeep says "Oh yea, I can turn the engine on, the transmission is just acting up". All 4 of us looked at each other trying to decide who was going to kill the Jeep guy first. Mission accomplished but I was not too much help in bike shoes and cleats.

slim_77

While correct, you are splitting hairs. If a police officer chooses to purchase items at a store in uniform (on the way home from work, for example) or coffee shop, etc, then the owner still recieves this "added value" in addition to his profit, similar situation with any store located near a police station. The morality you are seeking seems to place equity bleow equality. Every time they put their uniiform on they exist in moral balancing act: how much, how little, etc.

Keep in mind equity is attainable, equality is not.

The morality you are looking for is more akin to a monestary than a beat...honor and pride are not huge motivating factors behind career choice, nor is anyone "perfect".

Yeah, it is "wrong", but...bigger battles need be fought first...imo.

dpr

+ 1

do-well

Consult 100 people with 100 different jobs and all 100 will claim to be under paid. It's a hard knock life....

rhennigan

Top ten most dangerous jobs as of 2005:

Logging workers
Aircraft pilots
Fishers and fishing workers
Structural iron and steel workers
Refuse and recyclable material collectors
Farmers and ranchers
Roofers
Electrical power line installers/repairers
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs

These people deserve free stuff more than cops if that's your reasoning.

rworsnop

It's not a particularly dangerous job.

The death rate for the average worker of all types is about 4.3 per 100,000 and it ranges from about 9 to 14 for various law enforcement agencies.

Here are the most dangerous jobs in the USA:

https://money.cnn.com/2006/08/16/pf/2...jobs/index.htm

dingodog

No, I don't think it is just the danger factor that is involved. They deal with a lot of crap so that the rest of us (hopefully) don't have to. One officer I have met (I worked with his sister) worked as a detective, on vice, and as a bike cop for many years. The things he told me that were going on in my area were unbelievable. But thanks to the cops, I didn't have to deal with it personally. They're not all saints by any means, but I think we often don't appreciate what they do as much as we should. Just my 2 cents.

blonduathlongrl

It's not just discount, it's free food all the time for some.A friend I ride with is a state trooper and he was just telling me that it's just right down embarassing, he just assumes paying and he sees his friends take advantage of it and sees businesses joining in to give things away to them so they too will feel "protected".
he wants no part of it.

powerglide

My friend owns a restaurant and never charges cops. Also, he caters city related events for free to get brownie points. He says it's totally worth it.

mpd224

Wow, you must be pretty bitter towards cops. Did you get a ticket recently or arrested. You know, things may be just fine up in Canada, however there are parts of the U.S. that are far from safe. When you go to work, is it possible that you could get spit on? Is it likely that you may get into a fight every night and possibly hurt? Is there a chance that you may get shot at and possibly killed? Is there a chance that you could get your vehicle hit while conducting a traffic stop or investigating a crash? If the answers to the above questions are yes, then you either have one screwed up profession or you are a cop. If you are a cop, then you must work in an area where there is absolutely no crime. Try entering into a house or building while either chasing or looking for a suspect. Unfortunately every time you open a door or turn a corner you think for a split second if this is where you could meet your maker. I don't expect any discounts or free stuff and neither do any of my colleagues. If a patron insists that I don't pay for an item, I am not going to stand there and argue with them and cause a scene. I visit Starbucks daily and they almost always give me my coffee for free. I don't ask for it to be free and I don't expect it, I do leave between $3 and $4 in the tip jar. Now, if you are not a cop or have never done this job, then please don't assume that you know what this job is all about. I sure wouldn't try and tell you how to do your job nor try and act like it is a thankless and petty job. I don't know about Canada, but Police Officer deaths are pretty high for the year of 2007. Violent Police deaths are significantly up and traffic related deaths are still up. If you don't mind, take a look at this webpage and if nothing else, please respect and honor these fellow officers that gave their lives for their state and community. Also, keep in mind that these are all in the line of duty deaths. https://www.odmp.org/year.php

Sooner Rider

Law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, nurses, non-higher-ed teachers and anyone in the military who carries a weapon. They typically chose these low-paying careers for the right reasons, and I thank & respect them for it. If I can get them an occasional discount or bennie, then that's my business.

Enthalpic

I agree being a police officer must be a terrible job; but up here they are well paid with lucrative retirement packages and I don't think they should take gifts. Leave the money for what you owe, and not in the tip jar either. That would just reinforce the employee to refuse payment (aka theft) knowing a extra large tip would be forthcoming; an action the officer does so he/she doesn't feel so guilty. Heck if you take something from a publicly traded corporation, even with consent, it should be illegal as the manager doesn't have the right to misappropriate public funds.

If you can't understand how accepting gifts is morally unacceptable I hope you would feel fine with me accepting vendor gifts and kickbacks from large industries for being "on their side" in purchasing/investigations. There are many in the civil service who could allow their authority to obtain perks...

If anyone I would tip doctors, but thats wrong too; think of all the unpleasantness they deal with.

mpd224

Well, obviously there is nothing that I can say that will make you happy or make you feel that cops are not "thieves". I applaude you for being a perfect person. You're picture must be in the dictionary next to the word Moral. If you received "kickbacks" or "vendor gifts" from large industries, I really wouldn't give a rat's ass. I find it hard to believe that you have never received any type of gift or kickback. I challenge you to quit your current job and become a police officer so that you could give us a role model to look up to.

Enthalpic

Glad we could reach an agreement. You are right that there is nothing you could say, but your actions could sway me. Give up the free squishy.

Factoid: uniformed cops free meals contain 87% more spit.

Lava

A group I was with had a run-in with a cop today. I was in an alley-cat race, which I didn't know a lot about, but I was behind the lead group when they ran a red light and saw a squad car flip on his lights and make a hard turn to chase them.

I turned down a side street, but I guess he yelled at them for a bit, ending with "What the hell do you think you're doing running a red light like that!?" They replied: "Uh...bike race," to which he responded "Oh, oh man I'm so sorry! Go on, I'm keeping you from the race, get out of here!"

That group ended up finishing first too, and I think it's awesome that he didn't ticket them. Though it might not seem like it sometimes, I guess some cops out there are cordial and reasonable.

ilmooz

Your comments tend to come off sounding rather "holier than thou".

I don't think anyone would condone a kickback in any profession. You seem to associate kickbacks with gifts and gifts as something given in the expectation of something given in return. That's not really a gift, is it? Yet, you seem to perpetuate it as such. Christmas must be a blast at your house.

Rex G

A local police chief (not my listed home town) told a chain of convenience stores to stop offering free fountain drinks to his police officers, or they could face prosecution for offering gratuities to public servants. The store chain consulted an attorney, and responded by telling the chief the free drinks were not a gratuity, but a promotion, and they could offer a promotion to anyone they wanted. They key to a crime is the intent, after all. Disclaimer: I do not work for the PD of my listed hometown, and though I enforce he law, I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice.

rschulze

I know my thread here has been dead for a couple days but I happened to look it up and see the last few posts. So let me stir the pot a bit.

I wouldn't care how much the cops are paid or what kind of retirement package they received, I think they deserve every single perk they can get. They are doing the job no one else wants, dealing with scum and/or butt heads many of us fall into that last category unless we happened to want to see a cop because we were assaulted, had something stolen etc....

I think any store owner or community that makes there cops feel welcome and appreciated should be commended. I do get the issue of this may seem like they are taking bribs etc... and this could spin out of control but I doubt it.

If any cops see me in Starbucks, tap me on the shoulder I'll be more than happy to buy you a coffee.