Police Call: Child in Trunk

[apacheguy]

This practice of "carding" pedestrians is currently big news in Toronto. Mainly because of the demographic typically being "carded". The provincial government is working on legislation to ban the practice and I believe the Mayor of Toronto (sorry, no longer Rob Ford) has put an end to it recently.

Didn't know about this. Kind of funny how they knew it was illegal to begin with to force folks to present ID randomly:

Carding is a practice that involves officers stopping citizens and storing their details in a police database. Data shows that in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and London, black individuals are more than three times as likely to be carded than whites. The data also shows that other visible minorities are disproportionately stopped.

Anyone who is being carded can legally walk away from police.

Source Random or arbitrary police carding will stop, province says | Toronto Star

There were some people parking what I thought was illegally at an intersection near where I lived in Texas. I called the non emergency police number to simply ask if they were supposed to be parking there. They said "we will send someone right over" and hung up. Next thing I knew two police officers were at my door and said "they are allowed to park there. Can we see your ID?" Very bizarre. I did since as Nigel said you risk just pissing them off but really didn't make sense. I wasn't reporting anything, just asking a question.

Wow. WTH were they thinking.

 

[Dutchie]

Wow. This is just utterly ridiculous, but not surprising in the U.S. culture.

When I grew up in South Africa in the 80s in 90s, the rule was that you can't drink until 18, unless you had parental consent. Parental consent ruled absolutely - I remember I was 14 and being able to order wine with steak in a restaurant, and waiters checking with my parents for approval. At home, I had my first small drink at 9, and started drinking 5% wine coolers like Mike Hard's lemonade regularly at the age of 12. I didn't really like anything else until I was 16.

The last time in my life I really binge drank was when I was 17. Got sick a few times and have been taking it slower ever since. I was making the same mistakes that literally every college kid in the U.S. makes, except I did it in a safe environment at home. At 17, it means this was one full year before the first time I was legally (and actually) allowed to operate a vehicle.

Since then, I've never even gotten close to driving while over the legal limit. I still don't drink alone even today - I learned it as being a social experience, and it still is one today.

Now compare this to someone who can drive for 5 years before being allowed to experiment with alcohol in any way. This often ends really badly, or if it doesn't it's pure luck that it doesn't.

I know my situation is not unique, my nieces and nephews are still raised with the mantra - if you're going to drink, drink under my roof. This style of parenting actually does work, but in the U.S. that is a total taboo to even discuss this.

Sometimes parents really are better at raising their kids than the government. But actually, some anonymous "government" is not the issue. People overwhelmingly approve these laws in the U.S. - it's the whole notion of wanting to force everybody around you to live the same way as you do. i.e. The American definition of "freedom".

+1 that is a great video. I still find it strange that there are restaurants and sports bars were I cannot got with my daughters because they are not over 18. There is really nothing going on in these places other than people having a drink with food. I am the parent for crying out loud and my kids are with me. They are accompanied! Why can't I decide at when what and when something is appropriate?

 

[S'toon]

It happened again.
Tesla Model S rear-facing child seats lead to false kidnapping report

 

[cpa]

It happened again.
Tesla Model S rear-facing child seats lead to false kidnapping report

"We're not Tesla experts," the lieutenant said. With tens of thousands of Teslas in California over the past four years, and in Newhall to boot, the sheriff's office should know about Teslas. It is not the job of the public to educate law enforcement.

Sounds like they are not law enforcement experts, either.

 

[hockeythug]

"We're not Tesla experts," the lieutenant said. With tens of thousands of Teslas in California over the past four years, and in Newhall to boot, the sheriff's office should know about Teslas. It is not the job of the public to educate law enforcement.

Sounds like they are not law enforcement experts, either.

Even if they were aware they still have to all take calls like that seriously.

 

[Chopr147]

I know it's hard for us here at TMC to believe but many people are not familiar with what Tesla or Elon do each day. I think it's a little much to expect all police departments, and every officer to know the Model S has rear facing child seats. And even if they did, the report would be checked out. It's what they do.

 

[cpa]

I am not arguing that the police should not have checked things out. Indeed, that is their job. But like many things in life, it is not what you do, it is how you do it. Those officers did not perform their job professionally and reasonably. The lieutenant's comment was just a feeble excuse, and in my opinion exacerbates the public's poor perception of all law enforcement. The lieutenant should have been more conciliatory in his comment by saying something like, "We reacted to a potentially hostile situation with an extreme show of force, and we overreacted. We regret our actions, and we have apologized to the father and the children for the way we conducted our investigation."

I wonder, how many of you have had a policeman point his gun at you, and you have no idea what the *%$@ you did, because you were just minding your own business and were quietly going about your daily life.

 

[Fezzik]

Dont know if you guys saw this. Pretty serious with guns drawn. That would be an upsetting day.
Bystander sees Tesla owner loading kids into trunk seats, immediately reports abduction

 

[myblubu]

Wow! Thanks for sharing that. There was a cool video of autopilot avoiding an accident at the bottom of the page below the article also!

 

[Dborn]

Good reason why our cops are scared to pull their guns here in Australia. For something like this they would have been crucified and maybe ended up in court over this. Another reason why guns basically are banned for all Australians unless you have a damn good reason to own one. Such as a farmer requiring a shotgun for pest control. Self defense does not get you beyond first base.

 

[northWETwa]

Pest control? Or "pest" control?? (wink wink! )

 

[Max*]

Alright, so the headline is somewhat misleading.

The owner put his kids in the trunk, someone called the cops, then the cops pulled him over, with guns drawn, only to realize it's an error. Later issued a vague non-apology apology claiming they're not Tesla experts.

 

[davinci2017]

It is a crime that Tesla charges 7 grand for those seats IMO

 

[Max*]

It is a crime that Tesla charges 7 grand for those seats IMO

You mean 4, not 7.

And they're a private business, they can do whatever they like, don't want it, don't buy it.

 

[dhcp]

In the States we are going to keep guns in Elementary Schools in case of "grizzly attacks"...

Grr...

 

[bak_phy]

This happened to my wife about 2 years ago but without any guns being drawn

 

[jeffro01]

I'd have had a field day if that were me and the cops had their guns drawn at me... There is absolutely no reason why the LEO needed to display the threat of deadly force. LE is so completely out of control in this country these days...

If I were the driver I'd sue for violation of my civil rights, unlawful detention, etc...

Jeff

 

[somnambule]

Self defense does not get you beyond first base.

I'm guessing there's something lost in "translation" here and you are not referring to some violent mating rituals you guys are into down under.

 

[davinci2017]

You mean 4, not 7.

And they're a private business, they can do whatever they like, don't want it, don't buy it.

Yeah 4 not 7, my bad, but I still don't quite agree with the implementation in the car. Oh well to each his own.

 

[4SUPER9]

I'd have had a field day if that were me and the cops had their guns drawn at me... There is absolutely no reason why the LEO needed to display the threat of deadly force. LE is so completely out of control in this country these days...

If I were the driver I'd sue for violation of my civil rights, unlawful detention, etc...

Jeff

I think the bigger problem in this country is frivolous lawsuits and people feeling a need to victimize or over-victimize themselves. While I agree that it would seem that guns did not need to be drawn (maybe hands on their holsters would have been sufficient), and while I am also sure that if I would have peed myself if I was the driver, I don't see how the "damages" go much beyond that. Also, we do not know what exactly was reported to the officers by the witness, nor do we know if they were on the lookout for a known criminal at the time. An apology and a department memo regarding Teslas should suffice.