DWTK - Police around the world

[devolved]

"Police around the world" is the title to an awesome bio-pic about the rock band "The Police".... but thats got nothing to do with my question. Just putting that out there...

Anyway - been looking at some pictures online following the Olympic Torch route around the UK. Included in this is lots of pix of the police generally having a good time and enjoying the moment.

Example A:

policehigh5.jpg

A policeman 'High 5'ing" the crowd as he rides past.

I can't remember/imagine our local WA Police doing this, as they usually seem miserable or have one hand on their pistol.

Where has been the best/worst police force you have come across both nationally & internationally? Are UK 'bobbies' really that laid back?

Example B:

policeicecream.jpg

[Desmo]

UK police are (were?) brilliant. There was a mutual respect for each other and it was always a bit of a game, you could have a laugh with a Bobby and expect the same in return.
You would usually be treated fairly if you passed the arsehole test.

[shan]

The police in Mozambique where happy enough , once people paid they took the gun out of theire faces and had a good laugh.
AK 47 , its 7.62 mm of fun for all

[Old frt]

PNG police are awesome, when I was up there a 'rascal' had been shot by an expat Aussie defending himself in the mountain ranges surrounding Port Moreseby.

Guy reported it to police feeling a little apprehensive about his immediate future.

Police took notes then screwed them up and filed their own report stating cause of death as snakebite.

Their reason? Less paperwork.

[imitch]

Got a ticket and stopped several times from police in sweden, pretending you dont speak the language doesnt help at all.. every bastard there speaks english anyway and raises questions about why you have a swedish passport and a van full of alcohol :/

Police in latvia were by far the most scary, carrying M4s and they looked like they were itching to use them .. Didnt see anyone get up in there grill ever

[51 New West]

Got a ticket in Prague for not being able to read "Jedním způsobem, ne vstupu kromě autobusy, taxíky a nouzovou vozidel". In the Czech Republic you pay your fine on the spot or you walk. Australian passport and not being multilingual was no excuse.

German Police detained me at the side of the road 3 times for having red coloured license plates, 15 to 30 minutes each time. They were issued by the French Govt to vehicles leased directly from Peugeot/Renault on a subsidised scheme to stimulate the French car manufacturing industry. The German Police were very polite but explained nothing each time. When we were told "Thank you for your co-operation" the third time my girlfriend asked what the problem was as this kept happening. The 4th time we got pulled over we weren't detained cos she told them off.

Kenyan Police man impromtu toll gates. They see a tourist vehicle, they pull it over, get paid by the driver - Welcome to Kenya, enjoy your stay

[andymac]

Had some interesting experiences with UK and Dutch police - mostly positive.

Never had a speeding ticket despite being pulled over a few times, just the lecture and 'please mind how you go sir'

[Skut]

I guess police would be the product of their society and the current situation. Travelling through South and Central America the most tooled-up and aggressive I witnessed were in Costa Rica; I remember sitting in some diner watching a skinny old guy walk by the window with what was obviously a machete wrapped in newspaper ... a few moments later he was marched back in handcuffs surrounded by cops. Whilst being driven around by a distant cousin, we were pulled over for a license check - sub-machine guns and assault rifles all over the place (keep in mind, Costa Rica has no standing army, so the police seem to arm-up in compensation) I never saw a cop in Panama, but most hotels had guys with shot-guns or SMGs out the front.
My biggest cop surprise was in Sri Lanka at the age of 14 (just as the Tamil bombings of police stations was the go) The Sinhalese are so laid back; I was completely caught out when walking back to our (me and my father) guest-house. We did not realise it was within the perimeter of a police station. So I stroll up to a guy in uniform holding a shot-gun, he says "Halt!" I laugh because I think he is making a joke (because the Sinhalese do that, and no-one really says Halt) and keep walking... then he does the whole Hollywood 'pump-action' scene and points the gun right at my face.

My favourite cops were in Buenos Aires, as most seemed to women looking tough and hot at the same time

[PBF]

The cops that were escorting Jimmy Barnes seemed to have a pretty relaxed attitude to speeding.....

[mekon]

The cops that were escorting Jimmy Barnes seemed to have a pretty relaxed attitude to speeding.....

haha yeah fines and court costs and 6 month ban. Good to see the same treatment. Wonder if Jimmy will pay their fines.

[Waikikablukar]

I thought we had bad cops, then went to China. I wouldn't fuck around there.

Tanzanian Police were great, smile, wave and dont bribe them the first time and you wont get stopped again. (speaking a little kiswahili by then helped)

Singapore police are nowhere near as strict as people make you believe.

American cops are usually a good laugh too (unless you are black )

[ripper1199]

I like that

[Gippo]

Bermudian Police

Gippo was riding home on a random day in Hamilton, which is the main drag of Bermuda. He was seeking parts for the 100cc Yamaha Grand Axis he was riding as its clutch was slipping.

Being the middle of the day, the roads were deserted as locals were all at work and the tourists by that time of day were at the south side beaches.

Gippo decides he cant be fucked going around the block to go home so decides to ride up a one way street the wrong way.

He gets three quarters the way up the road when a police car rounds the corner causing Gippo to E-stop. The rear wheel locks up and Gippo fishtails up to the front end of the Police car.

Gippo was raised in Perth and thinks hes about to be pineappled so hard that his arse will never be the same again. He casually rides up to the window as the Policeman winds down his window and says:

"Yep I think this is a one way street" expecting to be asked to get off the bike.

After a lengthy pause and an unusual glance:

"Oh oh, I thought I was goin de wrong way" says the cop, "have a nice day".

Gippo smiles, rides around the car and continues up the one way street thinking what a fucking awesome place.

(Next Chapter: Bermudian Police, the liberating feeling of riding home pissed and no one giving a shit")

[Mo-Fo]

The Italian / Swiss border police have no sense of humour. I cracked a funny and they just stared at me holding their assault rifles like I was stupid.

Probably because they don't speak English.

[Munkers]

In Germany in early 1982 I had just been posted to Soest, the nearest town to the Mohne dam of Dam Busters fame, My ex wife and I were in the car doing a Sunday drive out to the dam, we got lost, anyhow, we drove around and came across a green and white VW Passat police car, so I stopped and got out to ask the cops directions, to the Mohne dam, to which one of the cops replied, straight ahead about 4 kms and you will see the dam on the left, your forefathers had no trouble finding it so neither should you. Then he cracked up laughing at his Teutonic whit.

[Samuelg]

This is only for road coppers:
American Highway cop- Cool but no idea if they can fine you when you have foreign driver licence
NZ cools- Cool but strict, will listen and then make you pay a fine.
PNG cops- Cool and wouldn't bother unless there a way to make money.
Malay cops- Cool and don't want your money.
Indo cops- Cool and will make problem go away for money.
Perth cops- Tool's don't listen don't care and take all your money.

[Desmo]

The Italian / Swiss border police have no sense of humour. I cracked a funny and they just stared at me holding their assault rifles like I was stupid.

Probably because they don't speak English.

I did a trip to Italy and some of our boys decided it would be a great idea to overtake and race through the Mont Blanc tunnel.
They were all arrested and given extremely large fines and a hard time by the Swiss nazis.
Conversely, the Italian cops were awesome.
A one way street meant you could only go up it one way, the way you chose to ride, traffic lights were more of a guideline and when we filtered to the front of a traffic jam on the motorway, we all stopped at the front and looked sheepish, not wanting to be done for splitting.
The cops motioned us all past the traffic jam whilst pulling the universal 'fists above head' sign for a wheelie.
Those who did, obliged.
I love Italy.

[Old frt]

My dad was a bobby in the UK in the early 60's.
He was dismissed from the force after 3 years on the grounds he wasn't belligerent enough.
I was quite proud of him for that and grateful for his gentle nature on many occasions when I tested his patience to the limits.

[Hamster]

Never had a problem with English coppers. Was stopped a couple of times for brisk cornering speeds in country lanes and each time they had a chat and just said try not to put it in a ditch please.
The French police I don't like. I was arrested in Metz after walking past a van with 3 police in at 2am. They accused me of not stopping after they ordered me to, but they had said nothing. I was taken to the station and stripped to my boxers before being chucked in a cell to await a full cavity search. At 8 am, after leaving me to sweat (shiver actually, i was freezing) about the impending cavity search, they chucked my clothes at me and told me to piss off. Recounting this story to a mate at work, he tells me that his dad is the equivalent of a chief constable for his region and that if I do anything bar murder I just need to give him a shout and his dad can get me off. And therein is another thing I didn't like about the French police. They thought nothing about erasing speeding fines, parking tickets etc for mates/friends of friends. In my book, if the police aren't straight and honest then what hope is there? This was 20 years ago so don't know what it's like now.

[Captain Starfish]

French police. You are a pom. Surprised?