(no subject)

[shadowkat]

Oh yay, it's started to rain which may kill the fireworks that were booming behind me. They got their window. Now, mother nature is making them stop.

Not to worry - we're supposed to have a thunderstorm soon.

I don't mind fire-works. I just prefer they stop at a reasonable time and not go all night.

Comments

[conuly]

I do mind fireworks, but in the interests of not being a total buzzkill I refrain from complaining until 12:01.

[shadowkat]

I agree - stop after 12 midnight. Some folks have to work tomorrow morning. (I don't but some do.)

Also, I would prefer they not do them just a few blocks away. Keep it to the water please? It's raining - and they are still doing them. No lights, just noise.

[conuly]

Blech. Every year I wonder if I ought to call the police or not. I mean, the cops are dangerous... but so are fireworks, actually, it's not like calling for loud music or just generally being annoying. But on the other other hand you can't just call 311, if you try they redirect you to the actual emergency line and I feel like that just ups the odds of an "officer-involved incident", so....

[shadowkat]

Not all cops are dangerous. (Depends, are you doing anything illegal or looking like you are? Then yes. Or are you in an ethnicity and/or disadvantaged minority group that is unfortunately and unfairly negatively profiled by the police - then probably.)

The media (social media, national, television, etc) has unfortunately painted the police in a very negative light. But my personal experiences have varied? A NYPD police officer at Atlantic Avenue Terminal actually gave me money to buy subway fare about fifteen years ago, when I'd left my wallet and subway pass at work. (I thought I'd lost both, but he advised that I wait to cancel everything until I was able to return to work to look - it most likely had fallen into a drawer there - he was absolutely right.) Very kind man. Meanwhile, when I was robbed about 20 years ago - the police that I called, treated it as if it were nothing, told it was probably kids, and were joking. And when I went to follow up at the local police station - they laughed it off. So varies? I have co-workers with cop husbands. Working in a transportation agency does make it difficult to generalize about human beings - I see everything.

Cops are individuals like everyone else. Some are abusive of their power, others aren't. It helps that I see them daily? So, I see them helping kids and old folks cross streets, checking bags, chatting on subways, etc.

There's about five different police forces in NYC that I see all the time. MTAPD - which I see every day and are on the subways, supported by NYPD, and I pass their headquarters daily. The Port Authority Police (see them as well every day - they are located in the Air Train Building, at JFK, at LaGuardia Airport, and basically all the ports into and out of NYC) and I see them daily kindly moving the homeless out of the Air Train Building, the State Police (they are the ones you see with big guns and camouflage (I see them at Atlantic Avenue Terminal any time there's a threat of terrorism or something along those lines), the NYPD (NYC Police) who are also on the subways, and of course local town or municipality police.

311? Is mainly for homeless issues or things that are nuisances or difficulties, which don't require immediate assistance (the homeless man who has been living in the subway station for a month isn't considered an immediate emergency). They take their time getting back to you.

911? Is for anything requiring immediate assistance. Fireworks going off illegally in the neighborhood for example.

(I've gotten emails on the difference.)

[conuly]

Sure, I definitely do not think all police are trigger-happy goons, and even the ones who are probably aren't just running around shooting people all the time - but I have no way to request somebody sensible and level-headed if I make a call, do I? "Hi, I'd like to report an emergency, and can you only send an officer who isn't a loser? Thanks!"

[shadowkat]

Why do you think cops are dangerous? Or losers? Personal experience? (Because that's one thing or the media? The media exaggerates.)

The majority are actually sensible - just remember it's an impossible and highly dangerous job. And lowly paid. Every day they put their lives at risk. If someone is acting out on the subway with a knife, a gun, etc - who's called? The police. They are on subways. People get in their faces. They have to pull people aside to check their bags.

It's a hard job. And they stand outside in the heat, and on platforms in the heat, cold, all weather.

Plus they get called to people's homes and they don't know what they'll find. And it has a high death rate.

[conuly]

Do you realize that I was present at the scene immediately after Eric Garner's murder?

[shadowkat]

No I didn't know that. I have no way of knowing that. That's why I asked if you had personal experience.

That was 2014, right?

I'm very sorry you had to witness that. So sorry. It's a horrible thing. Just as horrible as watching the George Floyd tape. Or any of the others. So horrible.

But again, not all cops are evil. Be careful of generalizing - I know it's tempting. I mean we all do it. But ...it leads to demonizing people based on a profession, or race or anything really. And people are more than one thing.

I had a former boss who was in the twin towers during 9/11, she barely made it out with her life - and she hates Muslims and is Islamphobic because she equates them with 9/11, and went alt-right. Since the people who targeted the towers happened to be Muslim (a fringe group) then of course all Muslims were evil. Kind of similar to - since cops beat up and murdered Eric Garner, all cops are evil. Do not fall into that mental mind trap. A couple of bad apples don't mean all the apples are bad.

[conuly]

And I never said that all cops are evil. I said that they're dangerous. Any human person who carries a weapon is dangerous. The system of policing in our country does not make the police less dangerous.

A couple of bad apples don't mean all the apples are bad.

Well, yes, it literally does. That's the expression - one bad apple spoils the barrel, which it will do in real life. An overripe or bruised apple releases a lot of ethylene gas, which will then spoil all the rest of the fruit nearby very rapidly. That's actually why you can ripen bananas by putting them in a paper bag with an apple (or without the apple if you must) - the bag will contain the gas, causing them to ripen faster.

Or, to bring this back to real life, when you have a system where the "bad cops" are not drummed out immediately after being caught but instead are allowed to do redo after redo after redo of sensitivity training - training often being run by the very people it's supposed to catch, and when there is very little actual accountability to the police if they do commit murder, when they rarely get fired, or tried, or convicted no matter how blatant their actions were or how indefensible, then there's no way of knowing which ones are the bad ones or not, because the bad ones can act with impunity and their bad behavior and bad attitudes will contaminate the rest.

The good ones and the bad ones all wear the same uniform, and there's no way of telling what you're gonna get.

[shadowkat]

You replied too quickly - I was still trying to clarify the post.

But you are missing the point that I am trying to make?

Yes, anyone carrying a weapon is dangerous - but we also live in a society in which literally anyone can carry a weapon.

A policeman is licensed to carry one in the service of their job and must do so within certain parameters. There are serious consequences if they abuse it.

I'd caution not to generalize. It could prevent you from seeking help in a time of crisis from someone who is equipped to aid you.

[conuly]

There are serious consequences if they abuse it.

Those consequences don't happen on a reliable basis. If they did then we wouldn't have to worry about bad cops at all - they'd shape up or get kicked out.

I'd caution not to generalize.

I'd caution you not to do the same thing. You don't want to seek help from the wrong person. (And really, most of the time I find that I don't need to seek help from the police. There's usually another solution.)

[shadowkat]

This is an apology. You are correct, I was wrong to respond and tell you what to do or feel. And I am deeply sorry.

I didn't experience what you have and do not have the right to comment on it at all.

I am sorry. I should have been kinder and listened.

[conuly]

To be fair, I think I, at least, would be a lot less cranky if it was a lot less hot. I freaking hate this weather, don't you?

[shadowkat]

Oh, yes, I hate it too. It's why I replaced the A/C and have a tower fan. I can't abide hot weather. And in NYC? With the humidity? Arrgh.

I took two days off from work - and spent them inside, along with most of the weekend, in the A/C (which is cranked up) because I can't handle this weather.

Also horrible on the sinuses. Been battling headaches for the last two days.

I think we were both cranky. ;-) (And of course the Supreme Court Ruling from hell that happened on Wed, did not help.)

[conuly]

I am trying very hard to pretend I live in some other universe with a different Supreme Court, please do not burst my bubble just yet.

[conuly]

(And I hope your headaches get better real fast.)

[shadowkat]

No worries. I've been working hard to not think about it, myself.

Good news? France and the UK went left.

Also headache is gone - thank you to the film "The Storied Life of AJ Fickery" on Hulu - I cried, and it released all the sinus congestion and pent up tension.

[conuly]

Although if you don't, that is great for you and I am actually happy for you :)

[yourlibrarian]

I'd just as soon the fireworks stop altogether. I was encouraged by a news report yesterday AM that more municipalities are moving to drone shows instead. Definitely better for the environment and for people.

In our area official fireworks shows are going from Wednesday to Sunday in different cities, partly due to weather issues yesterday. However after a morning of showers it cleared up and between 8 and 11 people were shooting fireworks off continuously (and unofficially). It sounded like a gunfight punctuated by mortar rounds.

[shadowkat]

It's stopped here somewhere around midnight for me, but other people heard it until 2 AM, and had to give their dogs a tranquilizer.

I've not heard any today. Not sure about tonight.

People are woefully self-involved. And if we call them out on it - they get defensive about it.