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| Re: ROBBED BY A COP— PROPERTY DESTROYED! (426590) | |||
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Re: ROBBED BY A COP— PROPERTY DESTROYED! |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Mon May 7 14:56:45 2007, in response to ROBBED BY A COP— PROPERTY DESTROYED!, posted by Nilet on Sun Apr 29 20:42:32 2007. Wow, that is bad.It happens in other places too (this should be on BusChat, but since it is on the topic of police harrassment with respect to transit, I will take my chances). For example, in Phoenix, I wanted to go check out the Phoenix ElDorado Transmark buses since I had never been on them (i know they are pieces of crap and were retired in 2005, but I had been on about everything else that Valley Metro of Phoenix owned at the time, and they only operated in one section of town (Mesa, Arizona). I parked my car and walked over to the street where the bus line ran just east of downtown Mesa (which is a suburban downtown kinda like Riverside, California or a suburb of Los Angeles). This area was not that sketchy, but not "amazing" either. I was deciding whether to take the bus back around downtown (northbound) with the justification of making a "transfer" or riding it for a short time, or taking it southbound away from downtown and then taking another one back. I decided to take it "back into downtown" (this never happened, as you will see). Anyway, here's where the trouble started. All Valley Metro buses (like most transit systems) only accept exact change. So, as I was crossing the street over to the northbound bus stop, another apparent bus passenger (either for the route I was riding or for the other route that crossed the street here) asked for a quarter for the exact change for the bus. Since I had a pass at the time, and I don't like carrying that much loose change since there are no tolls in Arizona, I decided to give the guy a quarter to help him out with exact change. BAD THING TO DO IN MESA, ARIZONA, REALLY BAD. I immediately crossed the street to wait for the bus, only to be confronted by two squad cars, just for giving a guy 25 cents while crossing the street (LEGALLY, I might add). Later on, I was guessing that the cop car that was driving by thought I was doing a DRUG deal, even though I looked completely harmless and was not in any danger other than the cops. I was clean shaven and was not disheveled like most criminals would be, and all I was going to do was wait for the bus and take a ride on a HellDorado Transmark before they were retired. Turns out that had to wait, as I was put to the ground and HANDCUFFED for NO APPARENT REASON. I understand "suspicious activity" but as far as I know it is NOT a crime to give someone exact change for the bus, or even to cross the street or wait for a bus in a different (but not that bad) part of town (I was from another section of the city, but that did not show). So, right after I was at the bus stop waiting for the bus, I was put to the floor (not slammed to the floor, but I had to sit down) and they started asking me questions for no apparent reason. I have never been in trouble with the cops except for a minor altercation, and this was quite frightening and scared me away from busfanning for a VERY long time (since then, I do NOT go into Mesa even though there are WORSE areas in the Phoenix area). However, they then started looking in my pockets and looking at my cell phone (which judging by what these guys did, they thought it was a gun handle). As I was questioned for the "suspicious" activity of crossing the street, giving a guy a quarter (no drug dealer would try to do that in open day light) and waiting for a rare bus, which apparently is a major "crime" in the SUBURB (not even the inner city) of Mesa, Arizona. Not even the Phoenix police have bothered me like that. As I was waiting, the northbound bus passed me by, and that was done for. Finally, they let me go after about 5-10 minutes of random "searching" and "questioning" for no apparent reason, and I had to go to the south side of the street to catch the bus and get off at the next stop. I finally got my ride (first and last) on an ElDorado Transmark, and it certainly was not worth it for the pain that I got (not to mention the trouble with my parents) in this situation. I still ride the bus (since I ride free for the entire Valley Metro system and the Arizona State University bus shuttle to downtown Phoenix) but when I cross the street, I do it quickly, quietly, and try to be unnoticed. In addition, I vowed NEVER to ride a bus in Mesa again (except for the other ASU shuttle, which is passing me as I write this, but that is a safe bus) or even to go into Mesa again by car (except for absolutely necessary things). Mesa is not even the most dangerous part of the city, |
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