Maybe there is a cool philly cop?

**aw537** · October 5th, 2011, 10:45 PM

So with all the bad press Philly PD is getting lately (if you read my thread in the open carry section, i do not disagree, but have not experienced it), i was surprised about my experience today. I was at a car wash in west philly getting my jeep cleaned. as i was pulling up to the wash bay i noticed a philly cop step out of a toyota avalon. "weird" i though to myself, but then i noticed his shirt was untucked and tucked behind his sidearm (full size glock).

so after he goes inside and i pull up, get my ticket, etc, i am watching my car go through the watch (weird i know, but for some reason i have to stare in half amazement) the cop comes and stands next to me to do the same thing. the machine stops for a second and he says "of course it stops at mine" and he chuckled a bit. i laughed too and said "it always seems that way doesnt it". i was curious abouthow casual he was in his dress (untucked shirt, sneakers, yet issue shirt, badge, and pants) so i said ".40 or .45?", something i had actually always wondered. he said "excuse me?". so i replied, looking at his gun "do they issue you forties or forty-fives?". completely calmly and with a sense of approval he said "oh, the veterans get to choose either, but rookies get .45s these days. soon enough, we'lll all be carrying shotguns" followed by a little laugh". I said "with the way things are these days, ive considered it myself" with a smile. He chuckled a bit and i told him how NYC cops had Sig Sauers, he said wow they are are expensive. we bid each other good day and that was it.

Now, im not saying this is reflective of all philly cops but he was one cool guy. kind of made my day.

anyway, thought id share. hope everyone is strapped, safe, and doing well.

**BimmerJon** · October 5th, 2011, 10:59 PM

I guess it's just sad when "normal" is unexpected and causes us to be impressed

**ruggerio** · October 5th, 2011, 11:15 PM

Originally Posted by aw537

So with all the bad press Philly PD is getting lately (if you read my thread in the open carry section, i do not disagree, but have not experienced it), i was surprised about my experience today. I was at a car wash in west philly getting my jeep cleaned. as i was pulling up to the wash bay i noticed a philly cop step out of a toyota avalon. "weird" i though to myself, but then i noticed his shirt was untucked and tucked behind his sidearm (full size glock).

so after he goes inside and i pull up, get my ticket, etc, i am watching my car go through the watch (weird i know, but for some reason i have to stare in half amazement) the cop comes and stands next to me to do the same thing. the machine stops for a second and he says "of course it stops at mine" and he chuckled a bit. i laughed too and said "it always seems that way doesnt it". i was curious abouthow casual he was in his dress (untucked shirt, sneakers, yet issue shirt, badge, and pants) so i said ".40 or .45?", something i had actually always wondered. he said "excuse me?". so i replied, looking at his gun "do they issue you forties or forty-fives?". completely calmly and with a sense of approval he said "oh, the veterans get to choose either, but rookies get .45s these days. soon enough, we'lll all be carrying shotguns" followed by a little laugh". I said "with the way things are these days, ive considered it myself" with a smile. He chuckled a bit and i told him how NYC cops had Sig Sauers, he said wow they are are expensive. we bid each other good day and that was it.

Now, im not saying this is reflective of all philly cops but he was one cool guy. kind of made my day.

anyway, thought id share. hope everyone is strapped, safe, and doing well.

im one to bash the bogeys with the best of them. bad cops are not bad, they are fucking horrendous, not just bad.

i think the guy you ran into is more the rule rather then the exception. just as the just and sound go by unnoticed and un recognized.

i think that holds true for most cops. ie: regular joes just trying to keep the house sound and fed.

we all know the story of that guy who built 1000 bridges and sucked one.....

we , rhetorically speaking, are never noticed for the bad we don't do.

**mythaeus** · October 6th, 2011, 12:11 PM

Of the 8 or so encounters I had with Philly cops, all except one were good. The only one involved gun was the one that wasn't "good", but not terribly bad. He just demanded my LTCF because I was "made" going into the Phillies game. All other encounters were pleasant and courteous. I even invited a couple of them into my house because they were re-working a crime scene outside. In return invited me to come to the crime lab building because I told them I was interested in real life forensics.

Al

**ROCK-IT3** · October 6th, 2011, 08:43 PM

A few questions:

1- Were you carrying, and how? (OC or CC)
2- Do you know if he noticed? if so, how, and did he mention it?

**aw537** · October 6th, 2011, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by ROCK-IT3

A few questions:

1- Were you carrying, and how? (OC or CC)
2- Do you know if he noticed? if so, how, and did he mention it?

I was carrying concealed and, no, i do not think he noticed. i was not concealing too well though, P2000 H&K under a lightweight tshirt. not a problem though. guess he liked my new jeep enough to overlook it lol

**ROCK-IT3** · October 7th, 2011, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by aw537

I was carrying concealed and, no, i do not think he noticed. i was not concealing too well though, P2000 H&K under a lightweight tshirt. not a problem though. guess he liked my new jeep enough to overlook it lol

You have me a bit confused here. Most people on this forum who are not fond of Philly cops feel that way because of the way some of them treat law abiding citizens in regards to carrying firearms openly (and concealed), and the willingness of some of them to violate a citizens rights guaranteed by the US and PA Constitutions, and also codified by state laws. I don't know if anyone here really thinks all Philly cops are evil, or that we might not be able to get along with them in settings other than official interactions, or that they don't know how to smile, laugh, and joke around with people they don't know. However, I have some serious doubts that your conversation with him would have gone the way it did had he seen you open carrying at the car wash. It is not the norm for Philly cops to say nothing when they see a citizen carrying a firearm, so it is apparent that he did not see yours. Had he seen it, you may have posted something entirely different.

**Philadelphia** · October 7th, 2011, 07:03 PM

In my line of work I deal with a lot of Philly Cops and a great majority are ordinary, hard working people trying to do a good job and the right thing same as everyone else.

It only takes a few to royally screw it all up and a huge problem is a sort of culture of relativism that is, I think, impossible to avoid in any type of position of power. Another issue is the training that intently focuses on the dangers of the job and basically indoctrinates cops to view the citizenry as a type of enemy without a whole lot of balance.

The best cops are sort of like Sheriff Andy Griffith in personality but with the skills of Rambo. It's a tough combination to find.

**Storm88000** · October 10th, 2011, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by mythaeus

He just demanded my LTCF because I was "made" going into the Phillies game.

LOL - I can imagine that. You know I really believed, at least before I educated myself on everything, that if you were found to have a firearm at the entrance to something such as a Phillies game you'd be arrested or something. Now I realize it's somewhere in the middle.

**ripthejacker** · October 28th, 2011, 01:27 AM

I work in the 18th district, south west philly and most of the PPD guys are very cool people. So far nothing bad to say about ppd...but I cringe like everyone else when one gets busted for doing something stupid and it's all over the news.