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Originally Posted by Iexpedite
Cops work with a high level of autonomy. They make the decisions as to when, where, and why they write tickets. He didn't pull this man over and was then forced to give him a citation. In this instance he did it because he wanted to. We aren't talking about some kid out there trying to be Fast and Furious. We are talking about an adult driving his car for maximum fuel economy, what's the harm in that.
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That's precisely what I said above. I don't think the officer cited the vehicle because he enjoys harassing people; rather, he has a problem with the vehicle and thinks it would be safer if it were brought up to code or removed from the road.
I don't feel that "victim" is an appropriate description of the OP. It implies the cop was intending malice with the motivation to inflict harm rather than do good. While it's possible the officer is just a bad cop and was on a power trip, I believe it more likely that he exercised his discretion and judgement on what codes to enforce to serve the interest of the community.
I once got pulled over and cited for doing 45 mph in a 30, when in fact I had never exceeded 30 mph. I was rolling along timing traffic lights which change to green just in time if you are going 30 mph. I lost the case twice in court even with witnesses, and was extremely angry at the officer. Still- I don't believe I was a "victim". More likely the officer saw someone else, lost sight of them for a moment, and then believed it was me that had been speeding. This is a more likely explanation than he profiled me because I'm a white male driving a stock Hyundai Accent and he wanted to harm me.
Perhaps the ecomodded vehicle is safe to drive, but the officer is human and has his own interpretation of what safe means. The cop can be considered good even if he sometimes makes bad decisions. Heck, I make the wrong diagnosis at work all the time. Most people say I'm among the best at what I do. Error is what humans do.
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Originally Posted by Xist
My platoon leader is in law enforcement and he told us last drill that he teaches new officers the correct way to work according to procedure, but to do whatever works best for them, although if they get in trouble, he will say he taught them properly and they did not follow his instructions.
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Damned if you do, damned if you don't. It's a tough philosophical question to be sure. If we follow rule and authority 100%, then we can't be held accountable for our actions. However, if we are not supposed to follow rule and authority 100% of the time, then how do we determine when to obey, and when to disobey?
The brilliance of "A Few Good Men" is the exploration of this philosophical dilemma. We are to follow the orders of those with authority, but sometimes those in authority give very bad orders.