A first

Larry

"Uncle Larry"
On Sundays I share an open mic blues jam gig w/ another drummer.
So last Sunday there I am. This night had an abundance of drummers, thankfully.
Towards the end of the night, I go out to my truck parked in the back of the bar. I was there for maybe 2 minutes tops doing something I can't say.
Here, the back of the bar was being staked by the fuzz out because recently, they had picked up an underage drinker there. I found that part out too late.

Long story short, I got arrested lol. At a gig. With my drums there. There's a first. They didn't give a crap that I was working there. They were very nasty for no reason, I was very nice to them. Man they really know how to tighten those handcuffs down hard, don't they? Also, they have optical scanners now, no more fingerprint ink lol.

Luckily there were other drummers there to finish the night. Luckily my wife was there and she broke my kit down and loaded it up and drove my truck almost home. I was taken down to the station house for maybe 2 hours. They said I would be spending the night, and that I would see a judge in the morning. Great. Then an hour later they came in to my cell (with the flat metal bed and metal toilet) and said that by the grace of God, the Sergeant decided to let me go provided I could get a ride. Called my awesome wife, and she turned around and retrieved me.

I know it's really not a good example to post this stuff, but I had to tell you guys.
And I got nothing but sympathy from the boss of the band. He asked me to play this Sunday, so it's all good there. I felt like such a tool though. Talk about your illegal search. And they never read me my rights either.
Chalk up one more gig story.
 
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Awesome story, Larry!

Here in Seattle, the cops have all but decriminalized whatever it was you might have been doing. It's so low on their priority list, that they might take it away... or more likely, not.

Good to hear you didn't have spend the night in the cooler, but a big bummer nonetheless.
 
Larry, as you know it was essential for the taxpayer to spend a thousand dollars or so protecting society from dangerous degenerates such as yourself!

It reminds me of a couple of Fridays ago. I went out for a dinner at the Hare Krishna truck, along with the other dregs of society (I just like the food, and I always make a good donation).

A singer/guitarist and drummer were busking across the road outside Newtown Station. So I went over to check it out. A nice, relaxed vibe with people standing around enjoying themselves.

Next minute, a bunch of very large police emerge from the station with a sniffer dog. They're standing around, looking tough, checking everyone out who's walking by. They stayed put, making sure they fulfilled their function of preventing young people from enjoying themselves.

I left after about 10 minutes because it dispersed the people who'd been enjoying themselves and I was feeling a bit peeved at the flagrant waste of our tax $$. I see it as hubris; we as a society have lost track of what matters and what doesn't. The cart's leading the horse.
 
I made a bit of a scene as I was being shown the way to the patrol car. I was yelling at the top of my lungs to get my wife out here now dammit. They wouldn't let me inform her of what happened.
He was nasty to me right from the get go, and got even nastier after he heard my reply to an incriminating question, trying to get me to admit guilt. I replied, "With all due respect sir, I can't answer those kinds of questions without my lawyer present". (Never never but NEVER admit guilt to an officer, use the lawyer card first. Always remember that)

It gets them upset to do that, but it's in YOUR best interest. Don't be stupid. They are not on your side and will try to get you to forfeit your rights. If they ask to search, reply "WADR officer, I won't be consenting to any searches today. (This line truly saved me untold grief once)

You should have seen them admiring the quality of their score that night. The one officer, after smelling it, (in front of about 3 other officers at the station) gave me a certain knowing smile and an eyebrow raise that only a person who has consumed it and appreciates it can make. I truly believe they kept it for themselves. I really detest hypocrisy. They made uncalled for, off color sexual comments to me about my wife being 18 years younger than me. They also stole a portable plumbers torch from my van, a bottle of Visine, and a glass vial I keep (legal) pills in. But I hold no grudges. They are who they are.
 
Larry, that's why I always wait for whoever is in the bathroom to leave. Going outside by your car is just too risky and you wind up in trouble like this if someone spots you. The only thing I'm slightly puzzled by is the guy smelling it. I mean, that's just disgusting.
 
I mean, putting you in cuffs ... a 50 year-old electrician and part-time drummer. It would be funny if it wasn't so hideously wasteful and pointless - not to mention the theft.

When I was young I often heard that the major police station a few kms up the road were on-selling the stuff they picked up from busts.
 
Heh, I was trying to make it a bit more obvious in my last post that I had come to the conclusion Larry was busted for indecent exposure going potty outside. But now that I read it again, you can't really tell that's what I intended.

So, the joke was lame to begin with, then I executed it wrong.

This is why I don't quit my day job.
 
They acted like a bunch of high school kids. I was more mature than them. They never seatbelted me in (Where's Tommy?) He drove like an escaped maniac to the station. My hands were behind my back swelling up and turning blue. And I was being tossed right and left because my hands were useless lol. He ran red lights and took turns fast just to torque me. But I never said anything negative to him. In fact when he did undo my cuffs, I kind of joked and said, "Man you guys really do that good". I heard some comments between them like..."Aww man you arrested the drummer?" Then one lady officer said, "I don't know, the drummer who was playing when I was there sounded pretty good" So I said, "WADR ma'am, if I was up there it would have sounded better". They all laughed. As they wrote me up. They let me go early because they liked me, I didn't give them any bad attitude, and I joked with them.
 
They acted like a bunch of high school kids. I was more mature than them. They never seatbelted me in (Where's Tommy?) He drove like an escaped maniac to the station. My hands were behind my back swelling up and turning blue. And I was being tossed right and left because my hands were useless lol. He ran red lights and took turns fast just to torque me. But I never said anything negative to him. In fact when he did undo my cuffs, I kind of joked and said, "Man you guys really do that good". I heard some comments between them like..."Aww man you arrested the drummer?" Then one lady officer said, "I don't know, the drummer who was playing when I was there sounded pretty good" So I said, "WADR ma'am, if I was up there it would have sounded better". They all laughed. As they wrote me up. They let me go early because they liked me, I didn't give them any bad attitude, and I joked with them.

Quite a change of heart! :p
 
What were you doing just before they arrested you? You say you "can't say" what you were doing but that information is what the cops based their actions on. Also, if the police arrest you, it's not wise to scream or do anything to make their job more difficult. If they are acting outside of their authority, you will be vindicated more easily if you obey and cooperate.
 
When I read your first post and you commented that you went around back to do something you couldn't say I initially thought it was to go number 1.

Then I saw this:

"You should have seen them admiring the quality of their score that night. The one officer, after smelling it, (in front of about 3 other officers at the station) gave me a certain knowing smile and an eyebrow raise that only a person who has consumed it and appreciates it can make. I truly believe they kept it for themselves."

Obviously, I was wrong but if you stick with you going number 1 the above lines are quite funny. Well...it was to me anyway. Move along...nothing to see here.

Sorry 8Mile - just saw your similar response.
 
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When I read your first post and you commented that you went around back to do something you couldn't say I initially thought it was to go number 1.

Then I saw this:

"You should have seen them admiring the quality of their score that night. The one officer, after smelling it, (in front of about 3 other officers at the station) gave me a certain knowing smile and an eyebrow raise that only a person who has consumed it and appreciates it can make. I truly believe they kept it for themselves."

Obviously, I was wrong but if you stick with you going number 1 the above lines are quite funny. Well...it was to me anyway. Move along...nothing to see here.

Sorry 8Mile - just saw your similar response.

It is possible the police have received complaints from people about public drunkenness, obnoxious behavior, public urination and other things that reduce the quality of life in a neighborhood and that's why they were there.
 
Yea, they arrested an underage drinker there recently. I had to yell for my wife because I had a responsibility to inform her of the proceedings. I only had a window of maybe 5 seconds before I was in the back of the cruiser and stifled. And she was inside with loud music playing. So I had to act fast. I said nothing bad to the officer, I didn't resist walking while yelling. I was just yelling for my wife. Otherwise, she wouldn't have known what was happening and would have been worried sick. My antics forced them to notify her. She lent me credibility. They liked the fact that a 52 YO guy could bag a 34 YO wife. It worked for me. An upset female is always good for the cause lol. Plus she had a right to know that her husband was being arrested, they weren't going to notify her. That's just plain inconsiderate in my book.
My rights were never read to me. At no time was I ever informed of what I got arrested for, only at the very end did they tell me that I would get something in the mail. I went home with zero paperwork. Does exercising my 5th amendment rights, and a demand for right to counsel preclude me from having my rights read to me?

As far as being in public, it's a bar flanked by 2 auto body businesses then a tiny creek, then a 7-11 then a septa parking lot etc. On the other side it's the same thing, businesses for about a 1/4 mile. The train track is behind and above us, the bar is in front. What I'm saying is no residents could possibly be bothered by sight or sound there. He must have been sitting in the 7/11 with at least binoculars possibly with night vision to observe me. The 7/11 is probably 100 yards away from where I was.

If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't change a thing (well perhaps getting caught) because I was out in 2 hours with an easily winnable case..
 
Quite a change of heart! :p

Well, in the beginning they were hard guys but I won em over later. It's just a big game, I'm business to them. It's not as noble as cleaning up neighborhoods. I've found that you get more respect if you defend your rights than if you don't in those situations. They laugh at you and screw you worse for being stupid if you forfeit your rights. My human rights, notifying my wife, were being exercised as well. He crossed a line by threatening to not tell her, officer or not. I asked nicely first. He refused. So I exercised my freedom of speech.
 
Sorry to hear about that Larry. After the fact, got to laugh at their ability to ascertain quality. Just says it all really. You used the term "game". Well, that's it, right there, and, like any game, as long as you know the rules, you stand a fighting chance.

Of course, if this "bust" was described to justify the tax $ spent, then you are an evil scurge on society. Your business is obviously a front for underhand activities, otherwise, why would you be "forced" to moonlight on drums. I mean, c'mon, drums! It's not as if it's a real instrument.
 
Sorry that happened to you Larry. Damned inconvenient! They are supposed to leave us old guys alone. We know what we are doing! Go away! I hate being "In custody" It sucks. We earned the right to unwind for crying out loud. Handcuffs and rude behavior are not for drummers taking a break. Thats for drunk people fighting and such. Oh well.
Frankly I have given up doing or having anything that can cause me to loose my freedom for even a second. I developed an alergic reation to handcuffs and rude police early on. Frequent exposure will do that I guess.
 
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