Podcasts - Sofanauts 35

[girliejones]

By sheer coincidence, I started catching up on Sofanauts yesterday and listened last night going home and this morning coming into work to Episode 35. This is the episode where Peter Watts talks about everything that happened when he tried to cross the border out of the US. It is an unbelievably compelling account. I had goosebumps for most of the

Comments

[girliejones]

It reminded me of an incident recently where I got pulled over by police for the very first time and I was asked to stand on the side of the road whilst one cop was talking to me but the second cop opened my car door and startin touching things and looking around. I was not warned this would happen, nor explained why - he did not speak to me but the other cop - and I was made to feel like I couldn't react and be like "hey why are you touching my stuff."

Mostly though, I just kept my head down. It's my instinct.

[maharetr]

God. The whole thing with Peter Watts sounds horrifying. Thanks for the link.

I'm reasonably sure that they can't search your car, though, without reasonable cause and informing you first. This is possibly based on assumption on my part, because they need a warrant to be able to legally search your home, don't they?

[girliejones]

Nobody *needs* anything, if the system is not functioning "the way it should".

[girliejones]

Did you mean *my* car, here in Perth? They both searched it and did so without telling me they would first.

[maharetr]

Sorry, yes, I meant your car.

Hmm, if the laws in WA are anything like Queensland's (and I can't see why not) they were within their rights to do so according to This forum thread which includes a PDF for QLD law (page 42).

Even more creeped out now...

[girliejones]

Yup - we have less rights than we think we do and we only have them if those in power decide to allow us to keep them

[anonymous]

You are the one in power. You want cops to search suspicious cars

[girliejones]

But being pulled over for one thing and therefore looking suspicious for *anything else* does not follow. And even IF I do look suspicious - I was on my way to work - they *STILL* must treat me like a person. Having power and then wielding it like an arsehole are not one and the same thing.

It's not laws I have a problem with, it's the interpretation and enforcement of them, especially of undue force, by people with very low IQs and very low tolerance and high violent tendencies.

For example, Watts was sprayed with pepper spray which makes you congested and full of snot and the cop told him that if he snotted on him, he would have him for assault. That is *not ok* and I will never defend that over some supposed threat in increasing lawlessness or whatever.

[anonymous]

You're right, it's not OK. Law enforcement is like war in that it requires a level of desensitisation to other people's humanity. Smart people might join the force as idealists but end up mentally traumatised and soon realise they can get more money doing something else. People who enjoy intimidating others are getting paid in other ways than money so they don't care about poor remuneration. I don't really see a solution.

Thoraiya