I Have Lost Respect For Our Law Enforcement

[delSol_si]

Last night, I lost a lot of respect for police officers. I have been stopped before for my hookah, but the officer was very nice and polite to me and it was all good. This time, it was a complete different story.

My buddy came over to my dorm to smoke hookah with me. We both went down to a different dormitory where the smoking lounge was, had a decent session, then left to get in my car to go back to my dorm. Right when I get out the door, I see a cop car go past, I think nothing of it as most of the cops around here have no problem with hookahs. Then, he pulls back around and rolls his window down.

Him: "what do you have there?"
Me: "just a hookah"
him: "a what?"
me: "a hookah, its a middle eastern type of thing, we smoke shisha out of it"
Then I proceeded to unwrap both of my phunnel bowls and hand each one to him to smell. He give me a dirty look.
him: "you know what that is right?"
me: "ya its a hookah"
him: "no, you know what it looks like to me?"
me: "ya, I am guessing you think its a NHT device"
him: "exactly"
me: "I assure you its not. I don't smoke NHT, no NHT has ever been smoking in this"
him: give me another dirty look "well, I can consider that NHT paraphernalia and can take you in"
me: "well, its not"
him: "empty your pockets on my hood
so I set one of my phunnels on the stem of my hookah, the other on the tray (big mistake) and empty my pockets on the hood. All I had in my pockets was my wallet, two lighters (one Bic and one torch) carmex, cell phone, and keys. My buddy had the same minus the carmex and plus a couple pocket knives (he lives in the country, he is a diesel mechanic so he always carries them). While I am empty my pockets, he opens his door and hits my hookah, I catch the hookah, but my BRAND NEW phunnel hits the ground and breaks before I can do anything.
Him: "oops, did I break that?"
me: "yup, sure did"
him: "oh, oh well"
then he looks at my stuff and picks up my torch lighter (it was a naked lady torch lighter) and asks what it is. I tell him its just another lighter. Then he decides to pick up my carmex and twirl it around in his hands for a few minutes, never opens it, just looks all over it.

Finally, another cop pulls up and goes "hey, cool, looks like you found a hookah, what seems to be the problem?"
him: "making sure its not NHT paraphernalia"
other cop: "oh, well, I have seen a lot of those around, its probably not. There are some girls and some trouble over at the PIKE house, could you come with me and help me out?"
him to the other cop: "ok"

Him to us: "you know I could confiscate the hookah and take it in for testing"
me: "go for it, you can take it now if you would like"
him: "no, but you shouldn't be carrying it around campus, if I ever catch you doing it again, I will take it in and have it examined"
me: "ok, like I said, you can take it now if you would like"
him: "no, now get the hell out of here"


What a fucking prick. Treats me like dirt, even when I comply to EVERY fucking thing he requests, I am polite, explain everything to him, take the foil off my bowls without him even asking, and he is still a complete asshole! Not to mention he breaks my fucking brand new tangiers phunnel and doesn't even care. And I know, most of you are going to say I should have made him pay for it. I would have liked to, but the cop was a huge prick, and it was 1am and I didn't feel like going to jail that night. This prick was seriously about to take me in right then and there. Ya, I know he can't charge me with anything, but he CAN take me to jail for the night for suspicion until he has it checked out, or he could find some other reason. I figured it wasn't worth the 15 bucks plus shipping to deal with him any longer than I had to or to go to jail. I have been close to going to jail before(something that was NOT my fault, it was a wrong time wrong place kinda deal) and it wasn't fun.

So, now I am down to two broken phunnels. One is useable (the old brown one) and the new purple one, which I have only gotten to use like 4 times, is broken beyond repair. FML! I am considering giving hookah a rest for awhile, its just getting too expensive for me as I am still unemployed and I am having horrible luck lately, especially with hookah. I get sick after smoking every time now, and I have broken both of my phunnels in a matter of a couple weeks. Not to mention life is kicking my ass right now, nothing seems to be going right anymore. FML

[mattarios2]

wow, just wow.

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

what a prick..needs a good kicking to the nuts

[speel]

Small claims court perhaps? And the cop has no right to tell you to empty your pockets, you had a hookah there is nothing suspicious about a hookah, now if he smelled something on you thats different but you we're completely innocent and in the green, so you could possibly have a civil case ( i think ) for making you take out your stuff on the hood. I can't stand police with a power trip. But that's my 2 cents.

[Rani]

Well, I suppose you could file a complaint and a claim for damages but we all know that would bring more heat down on you whenever he saw you.

I'm sorry you're going through tough times and this incident obviously won't help. Try to remember it's part of the cycle of things and that you're going to be back up there with things going your way soon. Keeping a good attitude as tough as it can be will bring the good times back faster I think. People are always talking about how prayer, or wicca, and all kinds of assorted mystical "stuff" working but I think they wonk only because they change our internal attitude and so we start doing the things to bring the positive back into our lives. Do whatever works for you to work the attitude angle and keep your chin up.

'Rani

[Hippo_Master]

Gotta find out that guys badge number.

Or you can cocktail his car... Just a thought!

[JDHarding]

What a dipshit cop. Why were you treating him so nicely? I woulda told him to fuck off. You weren't doing anything illegal. Shoulda told the other cop that this cop was on some power trip, and over-reacting, not to mention broke your phunnel, and should pay you back however much you spent on it. Immedietly. Or face going to court, in which case it'll look bad for the whole police department if he did, plus he could lose his job.

[hookah hippie]

sounds like a bad experience bummer about your phunnel

I would let it go not worth the hassle in my opinion

[Woodsytheowl]

sounds like a bad experience bummer about your phunnel

I would let it go not worth the hassle in my opinion

I would disagree. Letting him get away with destroying your property would be a mistake. That whole encounter sounds corrupt and letting him break your shit is unacceptable. Regardless of how much a phunnel costs, I think the principle of it would be enough for me to do sometihng about it.

[r1v3th3ad]

ya I've been down that rough road...showed the campus cops what I was smoking and everything...was threatened with a disorderly conduct and told to never bring my hookah back to campus.
I took it up with the head of campus police, I would suggest the same for you...that is bullshit how he abused his authority

[Crys]

firebomb his car mafia style.....that'll teach him

[FactorE]

just think positive bro, sorry to hear that. sometimes when things like this happen, you just gotta take a step back and move on. not worth it to keep this in mind.

[BBKakes]

Taking a break from hookah if you've been smoking alot is always a good idea. Although you have every right to smoke hookah as long as there is no NHT involved, I wouldn't give the cops an excuse. I'd get a case or a gym bag to carry it around in from now on. It sucks that you have to carry your rig around covertly, but at least you'll avoid incidents like that from ever happening again.

[foibled again]

I sent you a pm. Hopefully it cheers ya up a bit.

[ilikemyusername]

you left out the part where you called him a dildo.

[Stuie]

What a loss, that is a beautiful phunnel. What a loss.

Prick Cops ruin everything.

[omgitsjimmy]

never ever talk with law enforcement officers unless you are being detained. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik

[Tom1]

never ever talk with law enforcement officers unless you are being detained.

That's a good way to get yourself detained.

A broken phunnel REEKS of corruption.

[Chreees]

As I told you in the chat man, I'd do something about it. Sucks he broke your phunnel, and I'd definitely wouldn't let it go. Go talk to the head of the department, tell him how the cop treated you, and that he broke your property.

[omgitsjimmy]

never ever talk with law enforcement officers unless you are being detained.

That's a good way to get yourself detained.

A broken phunnel REEKS of corruption.

if you watch the video, it tells you exactly why. People died for us to use the rights given in the constitution and I'm going to use it

[Brandon`]

He had no right to make you empty your pockets, you should of told him to go fuck himself. A cop has no right to search you without a warrant, even if he has probable cause, there is no way he can search you or make you empty or pockets without you being under arrest. File a complaint, It's not a big deal but I guarentee he will do something similar to someone else unless you take this further.

[JOE]

this is a bummer man, i would not settle for it. i would file a complaint/ claim. i have had a run-in like this while camping with the ranger police, they searched my car. my bags. unfoiled my freshly packed bowl. burnt himself (i laughed). and assumed we had NHT the whole time. needless to say nothing of mine was broken, but i was not a happy camper. (no pun) if they had broken something i would have definately followed up.

[Amn_sinclair]

that really blows man. U are just havin bad luck but dont give up

[Dr. B]

pick your battles homie

[Tom1]

if you watch the video, it tells you exactly why. People died for us to use the rights given in the constitution and I'm going to use it

I sit through enough lectures, no thanks.

I have nothing to hide, I'm not a criminal, I don't look like a criminal, I respect police and they respect me in return.

I hope the whole 'rebel against authority' thing works out for you.

you should of told him to go fuck himself.

That's disorderly conduct, you would be getting a free ride to jail.

this is a bummer man, i would not settle for it. i would file a complaint/ claim.

I agree with Joe/everyone else that said to file a complaint. Arguing with the cop on the spot will usually get you nowhere.

Talk to the captain/sergeant in person and be as friendly as possible, pretty much the same thing as filing a complaint but much more effective.