# Crazy Lunatic Vigilante (warning, finger gesture)



## K9Kirk (May 7, 2020)

I was out taking a leisurely drive a little while ago with an elderly gentleman of 88 years and taking pictures of some horses off to the side of the road with my new lens when this lady pulled up and told me_* I couldn't take pictures*_, that someone had recently had a horse stolen and that I was trespassing . I told her I had nothing to do with the horses being stolen and that I was on a public road where taking pictures is perfectly legal. She insisted on preaching to me and ruining my nice photo session and the conversation became heated to say the least.

She then called the police and told them that I was on private property (the public road) and taking pictures. I don't know if she actually did call the police but I decided she wasn't worth the trouble and I pulled away. She then did a u-turn and came up on me real fast and was following me real close. I pulled into a drive way and turned around to head the opposite direction but she did the same thing to get up behind me a 2nd time but that time as she was coming toward me I had already turned around again to fool her and as she saw me coming toward her she cut her wheel real sharp and came halfway into my lane and sat there blocking me. I had to hit the brakes to stop from running into her and she just sat there not moving. I honked the horn and she still wouldn't move.

Then I went around her halfway through the grass and got away from her as fast as I could. The poor guy of 88 years that I was with has dementia and was pretty shook up by it all, he didn't understand what was wrong with her, why she would act that way over me taking pictures. I got him out of there and got his mind on the scenery to calm him down. He takes meds for his nerves and he doesn't deal with that kind of sh*t very well. Here's the picture of the lady that told me *I didn't have to be rude*. Ha! She was the picture of rude, playing cop and telling me what I could and couldn't do. Beware lunatics when taking pics in unfamiliar territory, they're out there. Sorry this was so long winded.

A terrible picture of a terrible person.


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## Space Face (May 7, 2020)

I have a method of dealing with muppets like this.  It's called a punch in the throat


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## Ron Evers (May 7, 2020)

You live in a scary country, I would be worrying she had a gun.


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## 480sparky (May 7, 2020)

There's nutjobs like this everywhere.... you can't avoid them.


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## stapo49 (May 7, 2020)

It sounds like you where the one who should have been calling the police!


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## tirediron (May 7, 2020)

I would make about 200 prints of that second image and staple them to every fence post along the road!


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## weepete (May 7, 2020)

That's dissapointing, but there are nutters everywhere. A lot of people are suspicious of photographers now.

A few years ago I took my daughter out on a local photo walk around the neighbourhood. We were walking down a street in an industrial estate when I spotted a leaf that was backlit on a small tree so I was showing her how you could take a photo and the veins of the leaf would show through when this irate aggressive young woman stormed out of a nearby unit and demanded to know why I was taking pictures of her car. I just apologised and explained it was the leaf I was photographing and showed her the photos. There was much red faced-ness when she saw the shots and explained one of her collegues just came into the shop and said "there's a guy outside taking photos of your car!" Anyway she beat a hasty retreat before I could explain  that even if I was taking a photo of her car that would have been fine. But I was young at the time and a skinhead. Kinda hard to go off on one at a guy with a 5 year old in tow who's talking about how backlighting sows of the beauty of a pretty leaf


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## Space Face (May 7, 2020)

weepete said:


> That's dissapointing, but there are nutters everywhere. A lot of people are suspicious of photographers now.
> 
> A few years ago I took my daughter out on a local photo walk around the neighbourhood. We were walking down a street in an industrial estate when I spotted a leaf that was backlit on a small tree so I was showing her how you could take a photo and the veins of the leaf would show through when this irate aggressive young woman stormed out of a nearby unit and demanded to know why I was taking pictures of her car. I just apologised and explained it was the leaf I was photographing and showed her the photos. There was much red faced-ness when she saw the shots and explained one of her collegues just came into the shop and said "there's a guy outside taking photos of your car!" Anyway she beat a hasty retreat before I could explain  that even if I was taking a photo of her car that would have been fine. But I was young at the time and a skinhead. Kinda hard to go off on one at a guy with a 5 year old in tow who's talking about how backlighting sows of the beauty of a pretty leaf




You were a Skinhead??  Interesting.


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## Soocom1 (May 7, 2020)

social distancing to the extremist. 
Well, the police wont really do much except tell you to be careful. 

I would have prob. done the license plate instead. 

The worst part is that she chased you and thats a problem. 

But all is well that ends well.


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## Derrel (May 7, 2020)

Crazytown!!!!!


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## weepete (May 7, 2020)

Space Face said:


> You were a Skinhead??  Interesting.



Yeah, not with right wing views though....just the haircut and steel toecap DMs  I was always more of a socialist politically. From time to time I still shave my head, the clippers came in handy during lockdown though it p*****s off the Mrs when I take it back to the quick even when I tell her I've enough hair on my chin now to compensate


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## K9Kirk (May 7, 2020)

Ron Evers said:


> You live in a scary country, I would be worrying she had a gun.



Nah, it did cross my mind but I watched her close and didn't make any moves toward her vehicle to give her any reason to go for one, had she had one. I think the media has given a lot of people the wrong impression about this country. Most gun violence takes place in the bigger cites. Not one gun incident where I live in the last 6 yrs. and only a few that i heard of in the 17 years I lived in Austin, Tx. gun violence is not rampant in America and they never report good people protecting themselves and others with guns. The media is biased and does what it can to put them in a bad light.


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## K9Kirk (May 7, 2020)

tirediron said:


> I would make about 200 prints of that second image and staple them to every fence post along the road!



Thanks, I need to have a little fun, that was very stressful. Thanks for the idea! You dah man!


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## LightSpeed666 (May 7, 2020)

You should have kept doing what you were doing and let the police come.
They likely would have arrested her. She cant flip the middle finger in handcuffs.


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## Jeff G (May 7, 2020)

I had a similar event happen, wasn't  photography related, but was a wacko  who thought she was wronged. Then she proceeded to block us into a parking space. I had a truck at the time, so I drove over the curb and left,  she peeled out and chased us for twenty minutes before I lost her. The scariest part was that she had three small children in her car while she went bonkers.


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## K9Kirk (May 7, 2020)

Derrel said:


> Crazytown!!!!!



Not really, it's pretty laid back here. I did hear from some people later on that someone or some people have been killing horses for their meat in that area and that's why she was all concerned about me taking pictures of the horses. I told them she has every right to be concerned but she doesn't have the right to play detective and confront everyone that comes into her neighborhood like she's the Gestapo.  Anyways, I told her to F-off and left.


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## K9Kirk (May 7, 2020)

LightSpeed666 said:


> You should have kept doing what you were doing and let the police come.
> They likely would have arrested her. She cant flip the middle finger in handcuffs.



It crossed my mind but I just didn't want any cops confronting me, no telling what lies she might've told them and I believe she would've because she told me to my face that I was trespassing when I was standing on the road in front of someone else' house ... wasn't even hers. I try my best to keep crazy   b*#%$ out of my life. I don't go toward them, I go away from them, lol!


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## K9Kirk (May 7, 2020)

Jeff G said:


> I had a similar event happen, wasn't  photography related, but was a wacko  who thought she was wronged. Then she proceeded to block us into a parking space. I had a truck at the time, so I drove over the curb and left,  she peeled out and chased us for twenty minutes before I lost her. The scariest part was that she had three small children in her car while she went bonkers.



Maybe it was the same crazy lady that had a kid in her SUV that was next to me in the right lane, looked at me and came into my lane to force me out. I was on my motorcycle and I had to move to the far left while braking to avoid her hitting me. Come to find out she wanted over because her left turn was coming up and I suppose i was blocking her. wish I could've told the idiot she could've simply slowed down and fell in behind me to make her turn instead of running someone off the road to accomplish it. People ... they're why I like animals better.


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## Space Face (May 8, 2020)

weepete said:


> That's dissapointing, but there are nutters everywhere. A lot of people are suspicious of photographers now.
> 
> A few years ago I took my daughter out on a local photo walk around the neighbourhood. We were walking down a street in an industrial estate when I spotted a leaf that was backlit on a small tree so I was showing her how you could take a photo and the veins of the leaf would show through when this irate aggressive young woman stormed out of a nearby unit and demanded to know why I was taking pictures of her car. I just apologised and explained it was the leaf I was photographing and showed her the photos. There was much red faced-ness when she saw the shots and explained one of her collegues just came into the shop and said "there's a guy outside taking photos of your car!" Anyway she beat a hasty retreat before I could explain  that even if I was taking a photo of her car that would have been fine. But I was young at the time and a skinhead. Kinda hard to go off on one at a guy with a 5 year old in tow who's talking about how backlighting sows of the beauty of a pretty leaf



My avatar may give you a clue about me, what I still am.


Can't be arsed with the politics and fed up over the years explaining what it's really all about.


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## PJM (May 8, 2020)

Not photo related but... Years ago during a snowstorm my wife and I stopped at a drug store.  As the lot was full, she went in and I stayed with the car and got out to brush snow off of it.  Another customer whose car was completely covered in snow, blocking all windows, backed out of her spot and hit my car and almost me.  She got out, ranting that it was all my fault for being parked where I was.  She then ran back into the store to call the police.  When the police arrived and before I could say a word she came dashing back out of the store screaming "I did all the driving so I will do all the talking!"  Fine with me


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## K9Kirk (May 8, 2020)

PJM said:


> Not photo related but... Years ago during a snowstorm my wife and I stopped at a drug store.  As the lot was full, she went in and I stayed with the car and got out to brush snow off of it.  Another customer whose car was completely covered in snow, blocking all windows, backed out of her spot and hit my car and almost me.  She got out, ranting that it was all my fault for being parked where I was.  She then ran back into the store to call the police.  When the police arrived and before I could say a word she came dashing back out of the store screaming "I did all the driving so I will do all the talking!"  Fine with me



My mom told me about a lady friend of hers (senior citizen) that is like many others around here and gives the impression they have special privileges being they are retired and live in a retirement community. They're quick to tell everyone else what the rules and laws are and that they should be obeyed and then they get in their golf carts and vehicles and break every rule in the book. This particular lady said a sheriff's deputy had pulled her over and cited her for going over the speed limit and the lady replied to him ... "BUT, I live in this community!", as if being a citizen in a retirement community made them exempt. An old guy ran through a red light on his bike the other day and a car hit and killed him, poor guy (RIP) and all the people on "Next Door" blamed the person that hit him even after the sheriff's report said no drivers were cited for speeding or anything, was totally his own fault. One retiree declared the speed limit was to blame and all the retirees immediately sided with her and banded together and said the speed limit needed to be lowered. I'm sure they'll demand it in the next town meeting.


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## smoke665 (May 8, 2020)

Around here in our rural area, where police response time is between 30 mins to an hour, it's automatically assumed that the other person is armed. AL like FL is a "Stand your Ground" state, so before you start running your mouth at someone you better think about what you're doing. I make it a practice to carry either rifle, pistol or both when I'm out, in our valley, for the same reason I carry insurance on my vehicle. 

That said, I likely would have done my best to get away from her as you did and only taken things to the next level if I perceived an imminent threat. Also wouldnt have called LEO , unless it was absolutely necessary, as my experience has been they don't always look favorably on you when you aren't in your own neck of the woods. Just because you were within your rights on a public road, doesn't mean you wouldn't get hassled or even ticketed for some bogus charge. 

Livestock is expensive, I've been checked on before by landowners. Most just see the camera, talk a bit and go on. I've had a few not so friendly, and rather then get in p*****g match over what my rights are I generally just move on.


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## limr (May 8, 2020)

Keep a lid on the gun talk, folks.


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## ~Ocho1~ (May 8, 2020)

Crazy! 

Just to annoy her I probably would've said "Ok, go ahead & call the cops. I'll be here"....nothing pisses off those who threaten to call the police than to calmly say Ok. 

Some guy did that to me a few years ago while I was eating my lunch under a tree by a lake. Cops showed up & they were more upset that the guy made them waste their time.

Where in Florida are you? I live now in Central Fl, which is much more calm than when I lived in Miami......in Miami your incident would've easily gotten ugly & out of hand.


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## Foques (May 8, 2020)

heh.. I have no flight reflex, so she and I would have a very nasty conversation.


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## K9Kirk (May 8, 2020)

~Ocho1~ said:


> Crazy!
> 
> Just to annoy her I probably would've said "Ok, go ahead & call the cops. I'll be here"....nothing pisses off those who threaten to call the police than to calmly say Ok.
> 
> ...



Sun City Center, the retirement community where people still remember there's a constitution and a bill of rights. I agree, saying go ahead would've pissed her off which is why when she said she's calling the cops I turned my back to her and started taking pictures, as if I didn't care. I could almost see the daggers shooting from her eyes when I turned back around and then I took the pictures of her calling the sheriff (supposedly), that one really put a rip in her girdle, lol!


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## K9Kirk (May 8, 2020)

smoke665 said:


> Around here in our rural area, where police response time is between 30 mins to an hour, it's automatically assumed that the other person is armed. AL like FL is a "Stand your Ground" state, so before you start running your mouth at someone you better think about what you're doing. I make it a practice to carry either rifle, pistol or both when I'm out, in our valley, for the same reason I carry insurance on my vehicle.
> 
> That said, I likely would have done my best to get away from her as you did and only taken things to the next level if I perceived an imminent threat. Also wouldnt have called LEO , unless it was absolutely necessary, as my experience has been they don't always look favorably on you when you aren't in your own neck of the woods. Just because you were within your rights on a public road, doesn't mean you wouldn't get hassled or even ticketed for some bogus charge.
> 
> Livestock is expensive, I've been checked on before by landowners. Most just see the camera, talk a bit and go on. I've had a few not so friendly, and rather then get in p*****g match over what my rights are I generally just move on.



A wise man told me once that you never get anywhere arguing with idiots so yeah, best to just move on let them enjoy their blissful ignorance and everyone's happy.


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## CherylL (May 8, 2020)

What a nut!  Glad she didn't shoot you.  You should upload her photo to one of those meme generator sites/apps.    First strip any meta data off of your file.


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## Woodsman (May 9, 2020)

With the elderly gentleman along I think you did the right thing to get him away from her and the situation.  If he had not been along then "Let the good times roll" would have been my attitude.   I hate control freaks but there is no sense wasting breath trying to explain rights to people like this.  Its more fun to piss them off more when you know you are in the right.   I would say no problem, lets wait right her for the cops while I continue to take pictures, your free to watch if you like while we wait. 

Years ago I was grabbed from the back on the sidewalk in downtown Toronto.  I was taking a night picture of the moon coming up between two high rises.   A guy I never saw grabbed me from the back and was trying to rip my camera from me while screaming I was taking a picture of his store.   Unless his store was across the street and on the moon I don't think so scooter.    He was threatening to call the cops.  I said I don't where your store is but you just assaulted me so if you want to call the cops fine, call them, I'll wait.   He went back into his store swearing at me.    

Control freaks, they are out there.


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## K9Kirk (May 9, 2020)

Woodsman said:


> With the elderly gentleman along I think you did the right thing to get him away from her and the situation.  If he had not been along then "Let the good times roll" would have been my attitude.   I hate control freaks but there is no sense wasting breath trying to explain rights to people like this.  Its more fun to piss them off more when you know you are in the right.   I would say no problem, lets wait right her for the cops while I continue to take pictures, your free to watch if you like while we wait.
> 
> Years ago I was grabbed from the back on the sidewalk in downtown Toronto.  I was taking a night picture of the moon coming up between two high rises.   A guy I never saw grabbed me from the back and was trying to rip my camera from me while screaming I was taking a picture of his store.   Unless his store was across the street and on the moon I don't think so scooter.    He was threatening to call the cops.  I said I don't where your store is but you just assaulted me so if you want to call the cops fine, call them, I'll wait.   He went back into his store swearing at me.
> 
> Control freaks, they are out there.



Thank you! Yes, control  freaks but I should add ... *ignorant* control freaks. I'm afraid if that guy had put his hands on me he might've been apologizing from the concrete. Not saying I would've punched him, I prefer small joint locks (wrist) to subdue people without harm and harm to myself.  Hard to say for sure how I would've reacted since I wasn't in the moment but we all like to fantasize a little about taking out the bad guy.  

Sorry for the bump.


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## smoke665 (May 9, 2020)

K9Kirk said:


> A wise man told me once that you never get anywhere arguing with idiots so yeah, best to just move on let them enjoy their blissful ignorance and everyone's happy.



One of my fathers words of wisdom - If you find yourself arguing with a crazy person, who's the craziest? Even if you convince them you haven't gained anything.


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## Photo Lady (May 9, 2020)

you did the best thing...leave!


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## K9Kirk (May 9, 2020)

smoke665 said:


> K9Kirk said:
> 
> 
> > A wise man told me once that you never get anywhere arguing with idiots so yeah, best to just move on let them enjoy their blissful ignorance and everyone's happy.
> ...



Maybe you father liked Sanford & Son, too. I know I did.


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## The Barbarian (May 14, 2020)

You find idiots everywhere, but fortunately, they aren't that common.  You should probably have gotten her license plate, and contacted the police.   Not many people know that you can file a report without making a complaint.    The value in doing that, is the police can use your information if she later crosses the line and does something really criminal.


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## LightSpeed666 (May 16, 2020)

You are all going about it the wrong way.
She's lucky it wasn't me, instead of Kirk.
The police would have come. They would have seen what a crazed former/present drug addict she is/was/.
 Then guess who would  have been put on the spot? An old hag with ugly hands? Or the guy with the 80 year old man in the car?


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## K9Kirk (May 16, 2020)

LightSpeed666 said:


> You are all going about it the wrong way.
> She's lucky it wasn't me, instead of Kirk.
> The police would have come. They would have seen what a crazed former/present drug addict she is/was/.
> Then guess who would  have been put on the spot? An old hag with ugly hands? Or the guy with the 80 year old man in the car?



Ha! All well and good and I would've loved to have seen the sheriff at the very least setting her straight on the difference between a public road and private property and why ignorant people shouldn't try taking the law into their own hands and then arrest her for stalking and attempted assault with her vehicle. She clearly did both but I can't stress enough my concern for Ken, the 88 yr. old gentleman, no one understands how easily and badly he gets stressed out and I was doing everything I could think of to get away from her so that he nor I didn't blow a fuse. I wasn't just worried about Ken having a stroke or worse, I was worried I might seriously do something I would regret later and possibly hurt her. I was seeing red and about to lose it, I couldn't let myself do what i really wanted to do and that was ram her and shove her into a ditch and then call the cops ... had to get out of there or I would be sitting in a county jail awaiting a trial and that's wouldn't have been the best thing for Ken. If I were alone at the time I might be listening to a jail house lawyer about now.


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## LightSpeed666 (May 16, 2020)

I always carry a nice bag of roofing nails and steel ball bearings for people like this woman.
Put a few nails in your hand. As they follow you simply stick your left had out of the window and kind of grab the roof of the car like you're just cruising with the window down.
A slight flick of the wrist, and they never see it coming. By the time the tires goes flat, they are usually miles away and never know where the nails came from.

The ball bearings with obliterate a wind shield quicker than you can shake a stick. But I've not taken that route in a very long time for fear of hurting someone.


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## tirediron (May 16, 2020)

Woodsman said:


> ....Years ago I was grabbed from the back on the sidewalk in downtown Toronto.  I was taking a night picture of the moon coming up between two high rises.   A guy I never saw grabbed me from the back and was trying to rip my camera from me while screaming I was taking a picture of his store.   Unless his store was across the street and on the moon I don't think so scooter.    He was threatening to call the cops.  I said I don't where your store is but you just assaulted me so if you want to call the cops fine, call them, I'll wait.   He went back into his store swearing at me.
> 
> Control freaks, they are out there.


Mine was in a coffee shop a few years back on the Wounded Warrior Run BC.  The team were milling about, talking to patrons, and 'spreading the word'.  I was shooting a few general shots for social media, and I saw a slightly scruffy patron order the largest size cup of coffee, thought nothing of it, and I was standing adjacent to the cream & sugar area, ignored him as he walked over to me.  He put probably a half-dozens spoons of sugar, a BIG shot of cream in the coffee, sidled up right beside me, whispered that, "This is what I got for taking his picture" and poured the coffee over me and my gear...  it takes a LONG time to get coffee syrup out of focusing rings, let me tell you!!!


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## smoke665 (May 16, 2020)

@K9Kirk still think you made the wise choice, being the adult in the matter. This is a strange world we live in today, where so many times common sense gives way to rage. Couple years ago, two women got into a rode rage incident on an interstate not far from us, they both pulled over, one got out walked to the other's car and shot her point blank. You just don't know what may or may not be the state of mind, or the ability of a man or woman to do harm. Look at the jogger shot and killed outside Brunswick, GA in Feb, because it was suspected that he was breaking into a construction site, because he walked through it. He could have just as easily been taking photographs.

Not sure about your area, but I suspect it's probably like ours, unless you have a "legitimate" reason to be in a neighborhood, when the police are called there's a 99% chance they'll lean in favor of the resident.


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## K9Kirk (May 17, 2020)

smoke665 said:


> @K9Kirk still think you made the wise choice, being the adult in the matter. This is a strange world we live in today, where so many times common sense gives way to rage. Couple years ago, two women got into a rode rage incident on an interstate not far from us, they both pulled over, one got out walked to the other's car and shot her point blank. You just don't know what may or may not be the state of mind, or the ability of a man or woman to do harm. Look at the jogger shot and killed outside Brunswick, GA in Feb, because it was suspected that he was breaking into a construction site, because he walked through it. He could have just as easily been taking photographs.
> 
> Not sure about your area, but I suspect it's probably like ours, unless you have a "legitimate" reason to be in a neighborhood, when the police are called there's a 99% chance they'll lean in favor of the resident.



That's true and sometimes the good cops that are smart and listening very well will detect when the wrong word goes in the right ear and know that a resident is telling a lie or there just isn't any proof that a crime was committed as some residents claim but with me I'd rather just avoid the stress of having to defend myself to a cop that's looking at me as a possible criminal from the get go until I've made a believer out of him. Not that you're guilty until proven innocent but when you're not in a court where a single cop pretty much plays judge and jury to determine whether he or she should haul you in you need to be real fast and good with the words to convince them of your innocence or you might be bunking with ol' Bubba in country.


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## smoke665 (May 17, 2020)

K9Kirk said:


> Not that you're guilty until proven innocent but when you're not in a court where a single cop pretty much plays judge and jury



Yup I've seen more then a few do that. Don't get me wrong there are a lot of professional LEOs out there, but like all professions there's a few bad apples.


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## K9Kirk (May 17, 2020)

tirediron said:


> Woodsman said:
> 
> 
> > ....Years ago I was grabbed from the back on the sidewalk in downtown Toronto.  I was taking a night picture of the moon coming up between two high rises.   A guy I never saw grabbed me from the back and was trying to rip my camera from me while screaming I was taking a picture of his store.   Unless his store was across the street and on the moon I don't think so scooter.    He was threatening to call the cops.  I said I don't where your store is but you just assaulted me so if you want to call the cops fine, call them, I'll wait.   He went back into his store swearing at me.
> ...


 
You took the high road kudos for doing that, it isn't always easy, especially when all your senses are telling you to give the sob what he deserves. To each his own on how they handle a situation, they wear the shoes, not others. Good and bad can be said for just about every imagined scenario depending on how it's viewed. It's also hard to say what you would actually do in certain situations where tempers are flared but the thought of giving that guy a good shove onto the floor when he initially assaulted you is pleasing to the mind and you would've been withing your rights to do so. You chose to moved away from trouble instead and who could argue that that was the sane thing to do.


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