Amputate Your Head

So I got up early this morning and drove into town to the local hardware store, (not Home Depot or Lowes, just a small local store), to get a bunch of supplies I need for some projects I have going on around here. But they weren't open yet. I didn't have any idea when they opened, so I just took a shot. Wanted to get this stuff early to make the most of my day.

When I got there, of course the doors were still locked because they weren't open yet. So I did the typical hand cup around the eyes thing and was peering through the glass to see if I could see any employees milling about, like maybe they were going to open soon. This store just happens to be next to the local Cop Shop.

All the sudden I hear the all too familiar sound of the single temp flick of the siren. Cop.

He comes over and asks me what I'm doing there. I told him I was just there to get some supplies, but they weren't open yet. He tells me I have to leave. I said, "I've done nothing wrong, they just aren't open yet. I think they're getting ready to open up, I see some people in there." He tells me again that I have to leave. So I asked him why? He says he knows I'm "up to no good" [because] "you tattooed freaks are always causing trouble around here" and if I don't leave I'd be arrested for trespassing.

I said, I'm not a freak, I'm 43 and I just need some hardware. At which point he puts his hand on his taser (he never actually took it out) and it's looking like things are about to go really bad. I step back a bit cuz I'm wiggin' out over how aggressive this guy is, and tell him, "Hey man, don't taze me bro!" half seriously and half joking, trying to inject some humor into the situation. And then like some miracle, this young girl clerk opens the door for business, says 'Good Morning!' to both of us, and the whole thing is instantly diffused. (this all happened in a matter of seconds? seems longer when typed out, but it went really fast)

Fuck.... cops jumpy much these days? I didn't do a fucking thing wrong. He saw tattoos and assumed I was trying to break in or something. Guess next time I need to wear long sleeves and a turtleneck to hide my skin colors. But it raises a question for me.... if I had gone out wearing plaid golf pants, a sweater and white old-man loafers, would he have even stopped at all? I doubt it. I should've gotten his badge number, but at that point I just wanted the asshole out of my life and to go in and buy my shit.

And so, once again I am given yet another reason to not trust the po-po. Trigger happy cowboys with a badge.

On a completely separate note, the cops tased a guy in Vallejo just last night, and he was killed by it. The guy in question actually was combative and resisting and all that, and had coke in the house (according to the police)?. but the point here is, these fucking tasers need to stop being pushed on the public as "Non-Lethal", because it's a lie. They are lethal in many instances. My advice is, if you're ever facing a potential tasering, treat it like a loaded gun. It might just kill you. A loaded gun is "Non-Lethal" too if you don't hit any vital organs. This bullshit taser PR campaign must end.

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SIG TOO BIG