Got stopped by cops today for no reason (probably because I'm an alien)

[DaveinJapan]

So, I thought I'd convey this story (it's happened many times over the years) because in a sort of visceral way I felt, to probably a millionth of a degree, how any non-white person traveling though Arizona might feel.

I was riding my bicycle. Legally. Not bothering anyone, not breaking any laws. And I passed by a couple of cops staked out on their moterbikes.

As I passed by and turned the corner, I had a funny feeling. I heard the motor coming up behind me and I knew I was being followed (for no valid reason).

I looked back, saw the cop, and stopped. He "kindly" asked me how I was (In English), and then proceeded to question me in Japanese. I told him I can't speak Japanese (in English), and he promptly radioed for help. In the meantime, he asked me several questions in Japanese (I attempted to "play dumb", since if I admitted I could speak SOME Japanese, that would've been a license for him to question me in Japanese (I'm conversational, but hardly fluent).

After his partner arrived (an officer who spoke a modicum of English, but very broken and hardly suitable for questioning), I was asked where I'd bought my bicycle...to back up a bit, I was first and foremost asked for my papers (which I produced). Anyway, they asked where I'd bought my bike (I explained, in English, that I'd bought it nearby). Then they asked me what my wife's name was (which is also "on my papers", so they already knew but they asked me to confirm several times anyway).

At this point, I asked them why, exactly, I had been detained. They told me it was because they were checking for stolen bikes. Why they selected ME, in particular, is puzzling (it's Japanese people who are known to steal bicycles by and large, so why go after the foreigners?). I was also asked what I do for a living (why do they need to know THAT?).

The final straw (and I was pressed for time, otherwise I'd have challenged them at every point as to the legality of what they were doing), was when the English speaker asked me "Can you give me your phone number, please?". I replied "Am I required to do so?". He didn't understand me, so I said "MUST I give you my phone number, by law?", and he said "Please?", and I said "I don't want to", and then he backed off, saying "sorry. sorry.".

In the meantime they'd radioed in my bike serial numbers or whatever, and when they got word back from the office, they said "you can go".

All in all, a very uncomfortable experience for a guy just trying to go along doing nothing wrong. And I didn't feel particularly put out, by any means. But I can certainly imagine this sort of "stop and check" deal can get very wrong very fast (I only wished I'd pressed them a bit further, since I'm well aware that Japan has less legal obligation to treat people fairly so I honestly want to know how far it could go HERE in order to understand how far it could go in America given similar circumstances.

The cops were very polite and I can hardly put this into the "bad experience" category, but still...I was stopped for no reason while I was doing nothing wrong, and why should that be okay?

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Should have made you homesick for America

[Ian David]

2. I'd stop an alien on a bicycle...

Oh, wait...

Nevermind.


Yeah, I'd be pissed if I were you.

[DaveinJapan]

4. LMFAO! :D nt

[DaveinJapan]

3. Hate to continue the "Pressed for Time" thing, but I was also pretty freaked out...

I don't want to imply that I didn't ask what I should've asked because I was pressed for time (though I surely was, I had to get to work and I'm far from rich these days!), but I was also fairly freaked out and intimidated for some reason (probably just my personal feelings of the day, in the past I've encountered officers in America and abroad and haven't felt so off-balance).

I don't know how it works in Japan compared to America, but if I'd had my head on straight I'd certainly have asked for their names and badge numbers (or the equivalent). It just didn't occur to me.

And I certainly wouldn't have used the info against the officers in any case. But I WOULD have liked to contact the city police department (I still might, though without names and numbers it's fairly irrelevant), to ask what their criteria, EXACTLY, is in stopping people. And why they might ask for someone's phone number, or proof of employment, or any of that sort of thing (seems like something you'd ask if an alien was suspected of being illegal, which I'm wondering about at the moment).

[havocmom]

7. And if the stopee is pressed for time, or under ANY kind of stress, they will be nervous

And a nervous stoppee can make for a nervous (or abusive, if there is any sort of predatory tendencies) stopper. Gee, the stopper (cop) might think the stoppee (you) were acting all suspicious and stuff. Cop's manner changes a bit, which makes the stoppee even more nervous.... or, potential for some nasty spiraling of reactions here.

[DaveinJapan]

11. No doubt.

I was actually well aware of the fact that, for some reason on that particular day, I felt nervous (I was actually shaking) for whatever reason.

In fact I was so conscious of it I had to tell myself "self, why are you nervous. you've done nothing wrong, you were stopped for no reason".

Come to think of it, I suppose my reading about all the Arizona stuff probably lead to at least some of my nervous feelings today (and why not!?).

There must be plenty of folks in and around Arizona that would feel the same way if they were detained (hell, I'm way out in Japan and STILL it worries me when I get detained!).

[Brickbat]

5. I was an undocumented worker when I lived in Russia.

It made life interesting. On the other hand, I was privileged enough that if I had been discovered and deported, it would have been only an inconvenience.

[havocmom]

6. thanks for sharing that, Dave. Now, I ask readers to consider some changes in the details

Consider:

Instead of in some community, imagine that this happened on a stretch of road out away from anybody, you know, like the many Arizona state and county roads crossing the desert between communities. How would that impact the potential differences in the event? Few, if any, other people around as witnesses.

Instead of a couple of Japanese cops, imagine one or two bigger American cops, perhaps of the redneck, borderline winger, persuasion and mindset. Hell, let's throw in the possibility that the bigger US cops also listen to Beck, Rush, and various culturally famous, alleged Christian personalities who preach fire, brimstone, and hate instead of peace and love. And remember, it's a lonely stretch of road where nobody is watching except the turkey vulture gliding on the thermals over head.

Instead of Dave on a bicycle, imagine you are Rosa in a less than reliable car and you are on you way to check on your mother and father who were born in Arizona, as were your grandparents and great grandparents. But imagine your family spoke Spanish in the home where you grew up and your English has a subtle, lovely remnant of the cadence and tone of the first language you heard as a child.

All you have on you is your driver's license. And one of the big cops suggests it looks counterfeit.

How do those changes in the details make you feel. I am guessing Dave wants us to use our imagination and stretch our empathy to what others might well be experiencing, today, in America.

[blondeatlast]

10. And throw in the still all-too-fresh memories of the Chandler Roundup

I know you remember, but for those who don't, see link below) and maybe then, at last, you can get the problem.

Warning: This link is anti-Janet Napolitano with good reason--she still was a way better gov than we have now): http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2008/12/another_reason_janet_napolitan.php

[havocmom]

12. Yep,

And I remember more than a couple rapes/murders done by law enforcement from various agencies out in isolated areas. Sadly, it happens on both sides of the borders, predators not limited by nation of birth. It's a scary place and a cop might have to shoot me to get me to stop before we reached a populated place where I would then 'show papers'.

[DaveinJapan]

14. Regarding your changes in the details...you make an excellent point!

"I am guessing Dave wants us to use our imagination and stretch our empathy to what others might well be experiencing, today, in America."

You guessed correctly!

[no limit]

8. Are you required to have your papers when just riding a bike?

I wouldn't want to give them shit, even if I had ID on me.

[DaveinJapan]

13. Papers are legally required at all times for all non-Japanese. nt

[no limit]

15. Oh, so this wasn't in the states. Makes a bit more sense now. Sorry :)

[DaveinJapan]

16. No need for apologies!

I'm well aware of how things can be in America, so the reason I wrote this was to illustrate the "foreigner" situation in other places (I'm quite accustomed to it here, but if it happened to me or ANYONE I care about in America, I'd be far more concerned to say the least!).

I live as an outsider in Japan and I'm okay with that. When in Rome, and etc...

But I can certainly empathize, at least a bit, with people who might go through something like this "in the land of the free", MY home, which I believe should be welcoming to all and fair to all and certainly NOT a profiling sort of nation like Japan obviously is.

I hope that America can at least do better than THAT!

[gratuitous]

9. How rude!

The least they could've done is Tasered you when you turned all non-cooperative and belligerent by violently refusing to give your phone number (at least, that's how the report would read). Sounds like the U.S. needs to send some advisors over to Japan to teach them proper procedure for dealing with balky suspects.

[NeedleCast]

17. Looking at this from the POs perspective

When I was a kid we had a local police officer who was a neighbor. At the time I was thinking of becoming a cop and went on several "ride-alongs" with him. There were occasions when something would go out on the police scanner that was somewhat vague..."blue pickup truck seen leaving scene of possible warehouse break in in (nearby location)" for example. Seconds later a blue pick up drives by loaded with junk in the back, so we pulled it over. Turned out to be a lady moving some stuff to storage. The office explained why he pulled her over and she had no issues with it.

Sounds like the language barrier might have prevented them from giving you a more reasonable explanation than just randomly stopping you.

[DaveinJapan]

18. There was no language barrier issue, I understood everything they said completely...

Though I didn't reply to them in Japanese, they spoke Japanese to me considerably and I understood every word. When I asked in English "why am I being stopped" their reply (in Japanese) was "we're stopping to check your bike to see if it's stolen".

Now, if there was suddenly an "all points bulletin" on one particular stolen bicycle, perhaps you might be right, but I sincerely doubt it.

[Festivito]

19. They've got your name address and telephone number at the local Koban anyway.

They were just verifying that the papers were really yours and that you did claim the bike was yours and what papers you might have or that you faked.

Here if your bike matches the description of one just stolen, they can stop you here also, even without a Bush interpretation of the Constitution.

Just not used to our American street-beat police being as thorough, competent and knowledgeable as Japan's street-beat police.

[havocmom]

20. kick for the night shift

[HEyHEY]

21. Imagine if you were Korean! I live in China, same shit here.

You get let off the hook on a lot of things. But, at the same time you get unfair treatment alot.