My experience with police tends to be more bizarre than anything else. Like when rank-and-file cops know your name. Or when the police department deploys undercover officers into your group.
One of my more amusing and bizarre experiences with the police happened during the 2003 protest weekend in D.C. On Saturday there was a big antiwar march organized by ANSWER. On Sunday there were anti-globalization marches.
The odd thing was that the cops were aggressive against the permitted "peaceful" anti-war march, at time using motorcycle officers to run into people in the crowd. The cops left the anti-globalization protest alone. That protest included a large black bloc.
At one point during the ANSWER march, I peeled off to do one of my favorite activities: scouting the police deployment for the protests. I may be a known activist, but in real life I tend to look like the average white guy from the Midwest. Think anarchist youth pastor.
I walked over to the World Bank to scout the security set-up for the protest weekend. The cops had set up their new brand of anti-protester fencing. I was looking at how they set up the fencing and where they had the police deployed.
There wasn't much going on. The anti-war march turned a corner several blocks away and never went towards the WB.
There were a bunch of police officers lounging along the fencing.
I went up to one group and asked them where they were from.
They told me that they were from the Fairfax, VA police department.
I engaged in some banter with one of the officers.
I think I said something about being unemployed and this officer suggested that I join the police department!
I had a good laugh at the irony of the offer.
Chuck