Assholes can indeed get their way, because they aren't bound by the same kind of morals many of us may have. I see it here at work, where I have personally been the victim several times, and also with my kids in school. My son is just too nice and won't "take what is his" when the opportunity is there. If someone is handing out prizes or candy, all the other kids push their way to the front and scratch and claw, why he stands back and gets upset that he isn't getting anything. Same thing happens in line for playground equipment. I am trying to teach him to be assertive, without being a jerk, like some of the kids are. If grows up to be like this, he will get pushed around as an adult too.
I was also the victim of a corrupt cop, who pulled me over thinking I was a teenager in high school, so he was going to teach me to respect authority. This is common practice in his police department and well documented. Supposedly they think it helps teach the young drivers to respect the police. Let’s just say it has the opposite affect. So anyway, knowing I hadn’t done anything illegal, I politely asked why I was being pulled over and he just screamed at me to hand over my license or I was going to jail. This was in front of my parent’s house, so by now my parents and some of the neighbors were outside as witnesses. I again politely said, “But sir, I don’t understand what I did wrong!” He yells at me again, reaches for his gun, then throws me up against my car, handcuffs me, and throws me into his squad car. This all took less than 60 seconds. When my parents came down to from the porch to the top of the driveway, he grabs his gun and puts his hand up and tells them to stay right there. He calls for back-up, saying he had a “hot one here”, and then talks to my parents. During said conversation, he was very surprised when my Mom pointed out I was 24 and in graduate school at UVa. He said he thought I was 16 or 17. So he comes back to the car and writes me a ticket saying he paced me doing 43 in a 25 and gave me a reckless driving citation, which was complete bullshit. Part of my OCD/Anal shit is about strict adherence to using turn signals, obeying stop signs and minding 25 and 35 mph zones. He gets me out of the car, and still handcuffed, I refuse to sign the ticket. He threatens to throw me in jail for the night, so I reluctantly signed. He un-handcuffed me and let me go, but it gets worse. In court, he said I was speeding through the neighborhood, swerving around, and a bunch of kids were out playing to boot. He also said my Mom threatened him and came down to his car and pounded her fists on the window screaming to let me go. All of it lies!!!!!!! So I ask the judge to let my parent’s come up and counter his claims and they did. The judge looked like he might be swayed to what was the truth, but ultimately said he didn’t believe the cop, but that I must have done something wrong, so he lowered it to an improper driving citation, which ended up costing me about $1,200 or so from the fine and increase in insurance over five years. I almost hired a lawyer, but all three I talked to refused to help me when they heard which cop wrote me the ticket, saying he comes up with such outrageous stuff that they are never able to counter it and get their clients off.
Another legal experience was with a judge, whom I was challenging a parking ticket with. When I first challenged it, the cop who wrote the ticket wasn’t there, so he made me come back a month later. I lived 2-1/2 hours away. Out of principle, I came back, and my then girlfriend came with me. I explained what the circumstances were, and how the part of the road I was parked at did not have the temporary one day construction no parking signs displayed, like there were further down the road. I provided pictures, and my girlfriend testified as well to back me up. The judge simply turned to the cop and said, “Was his car parked there, and were there signs?” Of course, the cop says yes. So he turns back to me and my girlfriend and goes off on me for wasting his time, the cop’s time, and then made several sexist remarks about my girlfriend and declares me guilty. You know what his name was? Judge Lawless!!! Fitting…I think!
