Using Your Badge to Skip Playstation 3 Lines
from the protect-and-serve-yourself dept
Unless you camped out in front of a retail giant or shelled out ridiculous amounts of cash on eBay, you’ve yet to score a Playstation 3, and will probably have to wait until supply ramps up sometime next year. Launch day line insanity was well discussed, with countless instances of skullduggery kept in check by attentive local authorities. Or not: two police officers in Providence, Rhode Island didn’t want to wait in line with unshowered gamers and eBay sharks, so they had their store security buddies bump them to the front of the line on launch day. After customers complained, the two store security officers were let go, and the two cops (one of whom still insists he did nothing wrong) now face disciplinary action. Nobody is above the law when it comes to tickle-me-elmo style holiday retail madness. Besides, this time of year officers should be out arresting kids for opening presents early.
Comments on “Using Your Badge to Skip Playstation 3 Lines”
ThUg LuV
What, cops shouldn’t get discounts when they stay at hotels, eat at restaurants, buy houses in the suburbs? Few merchants will refuse to give a law enforcement discount. Soldiers, schoolteachers, and health care workers also get them.
Re: ThUg LuV
I have to wonder what sort of pathetic loser comes up with some of the stuff I see posted in this thread. If you are living in your parents basement playing video games and feeling bitter, put the games away, take a bath, and get out in the daylight. My wife is a health care worker – she has 6 years of college (Masters Degree), works long hard days, does not make 80k, never stole anything in her life, and if there is somewhere to sign up for those freebies, please let us know, because we haven’t gotten any so far. Perhaps instead of being envious of others, a few of you should review your life choices and remediate those decisions which were counter-productive. I have to wonder who has so few responsibilities in life that they can spend days waiting in line for a silly-ass video game console, and yet has enough money that they feel like spending hundreds of dollars on a child’s toy is a good financial decision. But that gets us back to the whole “parent’s basement” thing. L O S E R S.
ummm....
my dad’s a teacher and he certainly doesn’t get any discounts anywhere….
Re: ummm....
You mean your dad doesn’t go to his Asian pupils’ family restaurants, introduce himself as their kid’s teacher, and get the royal treatment? Or get special discounted housing inside the school district? Or Teacher’s Union rates on hotels? He should get with the program. Businesses are cheating customers anyway.
Re: Re: ummm....
You’re an idiot if you think school teachers get some kind of special treatment in this country. Far from it. Many of the teachers here in Washington State get paid near poverty levels – and that’s after being required to have a masters degree. That’s right 8 years in college to get spit on by our glorious public school system and bitched out by parents who don’t understand that ‘no child left behind’ and continuing school tax cuts are the reason their kids are stupid.
You really should think before you open that ass of a mouth again.
Re: Re: Re: ummm....
Yeah, nobody is forcing your dumb ass to teach in Washington State, or even to teach at a public system. Your degree isn’t that good or you would be teaching private. And if you hate teaching so much, why not grab another 4 years at that online university you like so much and get a papermill-generated PhD so you can teach trees to talk! Just a thought…
Re: Re: Re: ummm....
I didn’t really want to entangle myself into this lovely debate, but I just had to speak up on this high-class individual. If Washington States pay is so horrid, then who is stopping you from seeking employment elsewhere? A masters from a reputable school will swing you a job teaching in many other places than Washington. Now, if your master’s is from a papermill, as suggested earlier, then you deserve the low wages. I’ve no doubt that teachers aren’t paid what they deserve, but if you get a headache do you take aspirin, or just complain about it constantly. If you’re not willing to do something about your situation, then stop complaining.
typical
Its typical for cops and other members of civil services to do things like, this its not right, and makes you wonder more about what other corners they cut pulling strings to get arrests and funding. Most police departments have on their books regulations against getting discounts and such but they are for show and are largely ignored. Most of the time the cops expect discounts and preferential treatment because they are cops. Usually they get it. Im sorry, they chose to be cops and shouldnt get any special treatment for it. I hope the 2 of em get fired and have to be bestbuy security for the rest of time.
Re: typical
I have read through all these comments and I am a bit shocked. I hear people complaining about law enforcement officers using some of the more “shady” perks of the job. Now, for all you software engineers and corporate dudes sitting there reading this, I’m sure you are comfortable with your 6 figure salary. The fact is, if you want cops to act like normal people, start paying them like normal people. Same with the military. They do some of the most dangerous jobs in America and all we can do is shit on them every Friday when they get their paychecks. Come on, wouldn’t you be bitching if you got shafted by the city/country? I would take advantage every time I got the chance…
Re: Re: typical
There are lots jobs that are much more dangerous and pay much less.
running red lights
I can’t count the number of times I have seen cops in Chicago flip on their lights for a couple seconds, just so they didn’t have to wait at the stop light. These kinds of abuses are not trivial, because they ingrain a sense of entitlement to break the rules that spills over into other areas of the law as well.
Re: running red lights
And you have no idea why…Yet you think they are abusing it, shut up until you know something.
Re: running red lights
Ummmm maybe they are on the way to a call that might be lifethreatening and could someday be at your house. Maybe when that happens they will wait for the green light next time
I’m in the military, so I can’t speak for the cops, but as far as discounts go they’re much appreciated since my paycheck is pretty slim. I don’t think it’s right for anyone to skip out on a line like this (mainly because I waited in line like everyone else for my Wii).
I joined the military to serve my country, not to get paid well, so when people can respect that and give us a burger tax free it’s pretty cool.
Re: Re:
appreciated but not expected thats the point
Who Cares
So a couple of cops bossed their way to the front of the line. We all know that they’re regretting it anyways. They’re probably saying “Damn, I shoulda got a Wii” right now.
Cops
“Typical”, maybe you can tell me where you got your facts from? Maybe you live where some police dept makes things like this typical. Don’t paint an entire profession with a broad brush. No matter what it is you do for a living, I’m sure someone can dig up crap about your profession. I was a cop/sgt/lt for 22 years in a dept with 35,000+ members. Unless you’re an idiot, you know which one. I would discipline any of my people I caught and be embarrassed at the same time. This stuff IS NOT typical and you smear an entire profession by insinuating.
“Cops expect discounts and preferential treatment”? You my friend are delusional and anti-police. My gut feeling is you’ve been afoul of the law more than once. Your entire post is spewed bullshit.
Re: Cops
Wow, you sound like a complete hyper sensative moron. If anything get mad at the people that disgrace your profession, not the people that point out the embarrasements. This just adds fuel to the flames. Law enforcement in this country is 90% good solid brave people doing a tough job, but the 10% that step ouit of line casue alot of discomfort, and the last thing any GOOD cop should EVER do is defend bad behavior.
And then to infer that someone that makes not of bad behavior must be a criminal really does make you look like one of the bad guys. Good cops are on the side of good, not the side of cops. Check yourself or recognize you’re not as good as you think you are.
Re: Re: Cops
HELL YEAH! i agree totally. you cannot deny that certain people abuse their power. to say that they don’t implies that your group of people are somehow perfect. good luck with that and all. the cops in my town do the same thing, flipping their lights on to run red lights. hell, i’ve had them follow me so close to my bumper i couldn’t even see their taillights. i even had one almost hit the front of my car while trying to get behind a fixed up honda just so he could pull him over for his window tint(he was a friend of mine, that’s how i know). i called 911 from a gas station to report the maniac and low and behold, FOUR OTHER COPS show up at the store asking the attendant for a description of the car and person making the call(i know this because i’m a regular there and the attendant told me about it the next night). so for the ones who actually still give a damn about doing the right thing, keep up the good work. all you other a**holes who still seem to enjoy good old fashion high school bullying can eat my d***!!!
Re: Cops
Cops acting immorally, or out-and-out breaking the law? It happens in my area all the time. My biggest beef with the cops in my area is their blatant disregard for traffic laws. And the hypocrites have the balls to pull me over for a busted tail light.
I personally give preferential treatment to uniformed officers. They are willing to carry out a needed task which I am not. It’s my choice to do so, just as it is their choice to be police officers.
Fire
Well as a member of the Fire Dept the only special perk i’ve ever gotten was getting to use the Employees only restroom on the way back from an out of state wildfire assignment. To the owner of that small store on highway 10, I still thank you very much!
Re: Fire
I don’t go to strip clubs much, but the couple I have been to only charge half the cover for fire fighters and no cover for military people. And they both get treated pretty well by the girls after you get inside. You should check that out. 🙂
Re: Fire
Hey your forgetting the advantages with women. Women love firefighters.
The cops should have been comped their PS3s.
Firefighter == Hard to buy your own lunch
I’m a volunteer firefighter – and Lt. actually. When we have coverage details is one of the few times I ever walk around in a uniform with a badge. Usually, it’s street clothes and turnout gear over the top.
When I am in uniform, it is embarrassingly difficult to buy my own lunch. Especially when you consider that my “real” job as a consultant, business owner, and application developer gives me a higher income by a long way than these people who really just want to say thank you.
The other night we saved a home a few feet from a 3 story barn and woodshop that was fully involved when we got there. The family sleeping in their house that night is really all the thanks I could ask.
Wow, it’s not just nerds reading this board. I’m impressed.
Yeah, nurses make $80k/yr with a community college education. They can also make money on the side from pocketing pills at the hospital — police never give a shit about prescription drugs. It’s standard practice for 36 hours to be counted as 40. Night shift nurses who aren’t in ER’s can expect to spend the night reading a paperback.
(But of course, that’s if you can stand getting covered in blood and shit, horny patients who molest you, arrogant doctors, and spending shifts with wacko nurses who have extensive mental problems.)
i have a playstation 3 20gb for sale
Personally I believe Police, Firemen, military and teachers get perks. Police, firemen and the military put their lives in danger to help and protect us. Yes to serve but they don’t have to. Teachers develop us and for near 12 years mold us to adult hood. What is a free dough nut or a cut inline worth when your house is burning and the guy who did it is outside with a gun shooting at you. 🙂
Cops by Lieutenant
i live in the chicago metro area and work in a restaraunt. and here it is typica.l the chief of the local constabulary comes in once a week for lunch, the first time i served him i brought a check (i know how impudent) he then talked to a manager and got it comped for what reason i dont know so i asked my boss and he said “they never pay”. i then looked in the books (civil conduct something or other) for that particular town and read that they arent to take discounts or favors on the grounds of their civil service. “I would discipline any of my people I caught and be embarrassed at the same time.” good, how many did you actually catch? and what percent do you think that is of the total? im talking about the cops that walk into 7-11 grab a bag of chips and a soda and just walk out with a wave. that is unacceptable and theft as far as im concerned i know “its so they treat us right if we call” but shouldnt they anyway? im sorry to say that it is typical, if you open your eyes. I understand that police and fire personal put their life on the line everytime they go to work but that is the choice they made. The citizens they are supposed to be serving (it is called civil service for a reason) shouldn’t have to give them special treatment just to ensure that they do what they are SUPPOSED to do.To assume i have run afoul of the law is typically police thinking if someone were to god forbid disagree with a police official they are automatically criminal also im not smearing an entire profession i am simply pointing out that the average person notices when they have to pay for coffee and the cop behind doesnt. If your not that cop and you paid for every cup of coffee or cheeseburger you got while in uniform then i commend you if your one of the rest get off your high horse and realize i didnt ask you to be a cop you chose it
numbers
I was a cop/sgt/lt for 22 years in a dept with 35,000+ members. Unless you’re an idiot, you know which one.
nice of you to assume that your little corner of the world is the only one with a large police force 35,000+
london?
iraq?
new york?
it would make sense for you to be from new york the mentality that newyork is the only city in existance does seem to pervade there
cops would work for free…its all about the power. it makes their little weenies hard…
no subject on this one these people choose the profession there are no secrets that cops get paid 1/10 what they should but thats tax cuts at work as with school teachers i agree whole heartedly with Anonymous Coward no child left behind was a campaign ad and nothing more but another big issue with the school system is the lowest common denominator ideal the thought that a curiculum should be slowed or changed just so every kid in the class can understand it it counter productive some kids are stupid that how it is was and always will be why do the bright talented kids have to suffer because baby extra chromosome in the back doesnt get it thats where these inteligent criminals come from being bored or singled out for beaing to smart
IE when i was in high school i failed algebra 1 not because i didnt know the material or cause i failed the tests but because i didnt take notes (which werent graded or handed in) i was actually told i failed “because i didnt have to work as hard as the rest of the class” and instead of recognizing i had a talent for math i failed and got dropped in a remedial class which i ended up teaching after a semester because the football coach that taught the class didnt understand it
Re: Re:
My point: Put up the money for civil services or shut up about the perks they get…They earn them, especially when your wife is raped or your child murdered…
Re: Re: Re:
“They earn them, especially when your wife is raped or your child murdered…”
Ummm… wouldn’t that be when they weren’t doing their job?
Look, it’s simple. Offer civil service people discounts/free stuff if you think they deserve it. Then fire the cops that harass a place because it doesn’t give them stuff. Fire the cops that treat it like a “protection fund” (i.e. extortion).
If a cop runs a red light, get his car number and call it in. Hell, check your local state laws about citizen’s arrest. I had a friend actually follow a cop and “pulled him over” (not sure exactly how he managed it) and insisted on getting another officer/superior out there to resolve the matter. It turned out that the cop did illegally run the red-light (no extenuating circumstances) and he got a ticket. And this is in a town that’s run through with a horrible “good ‘ol boy’s network”. Go figure.
There is right and wrong on both sides of the arguments here. The bottom line is that Mr. Police early on is right: you can’t paint all police with a negative brush. But he’s wrong in that you can’t paint them all with a good brush either. So bust the ones that fuck up. And do what the law is supposed to do… punish them hard enough that it deters others from repeating the mistake. No slaps on the wrist.
Personal opinion here… but if you are in the position of defending and enforcing the law, and you break that law, you should be punished more, substantially more, than a regular citizen that committed the same crime.
Get rid of the bad cops and you’ll have good cops that deserve a free donut.
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Crap… forgot part of what I wanted to say on #41. I got distracted.
And besides… they are earning their paychecks by doing their jobs.
Being a police officer, soldier, firefighter doesn’t make you a hero or a saint. Being a good police officer, soldier, firefighter and defending the people you are supposed to defend… that makes you a person doing your job. Defending people without regard to your own well-being… that makes you a hero.
It’s not the badge… it’s what you do with it.
I GIVE them the perks.
As a guy who’s been a coffee shop manager and college student for a few years, I can say that I deliberately give police officers free *anything* pretty much any chance I get. The reason is simple and pragmatic: I want them in my store. If there’s an officer standing and talking to me or having lunch at my shop, I’m 99.9% sure that I won’t get robbed and that my customers will be ensured a good experience. The same thing goes for EMTs — safety for my customers and myself is increased when they’re in my store. I do it for firefighters, too, when they’re on-shift. I recognize the sacrifices they make (family life, potential for life-altering disaster, etc.) every time they leave their house for 24- to 72-hour shifts, and I appreciate it.
I don’t advocate abuse or expectation, but I think those of you who are clearly just anti-authority should seriously re-evaluate the benefits you enjoy in your society.
as i said before do they expect it or do you offer?
there is a difference but on that note you are contributing to it the more you offer the more the guy down the street runs into the expectation shit if you hit every store on your beat you could never go shopping at that rate
Re:typical
“The fact is, if you want cops to act like normal people, start paying them like normal people.” Well Fearless 360 owener its not my fault they got picked on in high school so decided to join the police force to “get back” at everyone who treated them wrongly. In my experience (and yes I have had some run ins with the law and also worked at a gas station WHILE I ATTENDED COLLEGE) out of every 5 cops there is 1 good one, 2 lazy ones, and 2 awful wretches of humanity. I don’t see people who work at Burger King full time producing your cheeseburgers asking for free perks or asking to be treated better than average citizens because they work for low wages. I also live in a city where the police have had more than their fair share of contriversy (hello Milwaukee) which may have tainted me more than a little.
This is something I thought would be on Slashdot, not here. (rolls eyes)
I don’t see what the problem is, this kind of stuff happens here in Rhode Island all the time! This is one of the only states that people try the absurd and if they get away with it, everyone does it and nobody gets in trouble (ie, running red lights, bribing politicians, etc)
teachers pay
teachers do get paid what they deserve, exactly what they deserve. That is the way our economy works.
If you as a teacher think you are better off working a different job (or a 2nd job all summer long) then do so. The problem with teaching is that it is very easy to be a teacher and so you are always able to find people to do the job. If teachers started leaving the profession for other jobs then society (similar to the board of directors of a company) would decide if it would rather pay more to retain high quality teachers, or pay less and allow the quality of educaiton to suffer.
Welcome to econ 101: supply & demand. You have a large supply of possible teachers, the pay will be low. Look at mechanics, plumbers, and other trade jobs, they can charge high hourly rates because most people don’t want to do that job. Changing the oil in a car, or fixing a leaky pipe are not particully difficult tasks, but not many people want to do them, therefore the supply is limited and the cost goes up.
I agree it’s more difficult to be a good teacher and unfortunatley we as a society don’t reward good teachers as we should. As a teacher if you go beyond what is required of you and become a good/great teacher, that is you own choice, and you know exactly how you will be compensated because of your union contract. The decision to take the extra effort if yours alone.
(sorry for being off topic of the original post)
civil discounts
I like #28’s reasoning for giving discount/free products/services to police/fire/emt ect. It is not because they provide a service positive to society (a lot of people do) but because his business is better off. That’s what a businessman should be concerned with.
Personally i think a discount is more appropriate than free, not only does it still say ‘thanks’ to whoever, but its not as obvious to other customers. Stores give discounts to seniors just for being old, so why not give a discount to someone who provides a service?
I have no problem if a store owner wants to offer a discount to a civil worker, however, the civil worker must decide to accept or refuse the discount.
cops pay
The problem I have with all of this is the cops here in the medium size town I live in here in Texas do make decent wages and they still get all the freebies, almost all the food places give the cops free meals here and our cops start out at $33,000 a year and let us not forget that these cops chose their profesion, nobody forced them to become police officers.
I NEVER MET A COP I LIKED.
These are the idiots...
…who think they are above others. They’ll give out speeding tickets in the name of “public safety” then when they get behind the wheel of their own car, somehow its ok for THEM to speed. Right.
Good God the ignorance
The ignorance in this forum is blowing my mind today. It is almost painful.
The subject was a PO cut in line to get a PS3. That person deserves to be punished. A cop getting a free cup of coffee, that is up to the shop owner. I mean if he wants to lose 2 cents to keep a cop in his store or familiar with his store that is up to him. I think most business owners are more than willing to give an officer, firefighter and free meal and free cup of coffee. Two reasons, one the officer will remember him and second the officer will become more familiar with the area and the local. This argument of a cop doesn’t deserve anything, it ain’t up to you, so who cares!!!
Teachers. They are way underpaid, and to those of you say that is what economics would solve. Obviously you just want to sound smart. When teachers are subsidized by the gov’t it is already proof that economics are working in this segment. The gov’t also sets standards in school’s which then again effects the economics and brings in outside factors. Teachers are underpaid, because nobody wants to do it. There is a higher demand for trashman. And to say to the guy in WA state to move, where is he/she going to move that pays teachers well or even fair.
Give a cop a cup of coffee, but not a PS3.
Come on people.
Re: Good God the ignorance
To Unknowledgeable Geek:
At least you recognize that you are unknowledgable.
I agree that it’s not up to me if the cop deserves to be offered a free cup of coffee or whatever, but it is up to me if he chooses to except the handout. In many areas there are laws against that type of handout. As a taxpayer, I pay him/her to do a job (enforce laws). Therefore unless the officer issues himself a ticket (or whatever the appropriate penalty is) for accepting the free cup of coffee, then he/she is not doing the job I am paying him to-do.
Moving on to teachers, you say nobody wants to be a teacher, and so they are underpaid. That is complety wrong. When noone is willing to do a job, the price an organization will pay goes up. However with teaching a lot of people can/will do the job, so it would be irresponsible to pay them more. The only way teacher pay will go up is if we as a society are willing to pay a premium for better/more qualified teachers.
Your final comment about giving the cop a cup of coffee but not a PS3 contradicts what you say earlier about it being OK to give something for free to get the cop in the area. Best Buy (or whatever store) received the benefit of having cops onhand for the release of the PS3. I would have no problem with the practice if it were legal, and I do not believe that it crosses into the rehlm of civil disobedience.
Re: Re: Good God the ignorance
You are not aloud to accept a free cup of coffee??
You live in the US???
Re: Re: Re: Good God the ignorance
If the law says that a police officer cannot accept gratuity in any form, then no, he cannot accept a free cup of coffee. It’s up to his conscience and the interpretation of law as to whether that cup of coffee is a gratuity or just a nice convenience store clerk. But I will say that if it’s not gratuity, there had better be someone else walking out of that store with free coffee too. Otherwise, it’s a gratuity.
And what does living in America have to do with it?
Cops
To DTatum…What you imply is exactly what I said. I would get mad at bad behavior…as I have happened to discipline many subordinates for such…and I’m not defending bad behavior, I said I’m embarrassed by it. And…I didn’t call him a criminal; I merely stated that to have such a lousy report with police, he must’ve run afoul of the law. There’s a difference.
Brew City’s comment shows what assholes we have to deal with out there you can understand “how sensitive” a P.O. can be. Regarding his remarks, I probably already had my Masters before he set foot in college.
I won’t be revisiting the thread, so fire away. I see a majority of techies love to spew venom from the safety of their keyboards.
Wow!!!!! I can’t believe you people!!!! This subject is about a L.E.O. who used his badge to cut in line to get a PS3, which is wrong, and you people complain about cops getting discounts or free cups of coffee?? A free cup of COFFEE!! Get a life!! Where are you when a cop has to take a life to save another and then gets sued in Federal court for wrongful death or police brutality???? I have a college degree and CHOSE this profession to help people who need help, not listen to those of you who are mad because we get a little ol cup of coffee. Those who complain about cops shouldn’t unless they have experienced a day in the shoes of a cop. Go down to your local police station and ask to go on the “ride along program” and ride with a cop for a night, then come back and post your rant until then shut your pie hole. I don’t come to your work and complain about the perks you get and how you do your job.
Re: (Comment #51)
Ricky,
Wow. What a enthusiastic, yet completely shallow response. Did you not bother reading the posts above yours? If you had, you would have noticed that a few of us weren’t talking about coffee (except as an example) but about abuse of authority. It’s not the coffee we have a problem with. It’s the expectation of the free coffee just because you wear the badge.
Stop being so dramatic and literal.
As I said in an earlier post, it’s not the badge that gives you status as a hero, it’s what you do with that badge. Same goes with entitlement. You don’t earn my respect for wearing that badge. You earn it by being a good cop.
I’ll stop being critical of abusive and corrupt police officers when I stop seeing them.
You can come bitch about my job all you want. But I don’t go around to convenience stores saying “Hey, I sell insurance. Give me some coffee.”
So?
The cops got to the front of the line, so what? They won’t have as much time to play anyways, they will be too busy protecting you ungrateful little women. I am in the Marine Corps and I know that the few offers of appreciation shown to those who serve are symbols of public support. The things would have gone on eBay if someone else had gotten them, and that would just make some loser a lot of money ripping someone off.
Out.