Mini Truckers and the Police

Police. POLICE. COPS. Interesting how your eyes narrowed and you began to shake your head as you creatively combined every four letter word into a chain that summed up how you really felt about COPS.

As mini truckers, we always feel like we're dodging cops. Cops are bad. Cops are only out to roll ya. Cops lurk behind every corner, waiting to red tag your pride and joy. Cops suck. Cops hate us and we hate them. I think you get what I'm saying. We've all been there.

BUT, the bottom line is that that thinking will get you nowhere. Fighting cops will not work out so well for you in the long run. The only loser will be you. They have guns and you don't. (Don't use your guns against cops? Anyway...) They have powers that you don't. You will not be the hero for burning down a police station because you got a ticket for no front license plate.

So, if you can't fight them, you might as well join them. Instead of hiding and running and creating a gap, be the one to approach them. Sounds crazy, right? How in the world do you do this?

One way is to work with the police by volunteering or working at a police station. There are tons of opportunities. This will give you a different look at police and police work. I worked at a police station. If you can see it all from their point of view, you will be able to understand where they're coming from. Hopefully.

Another way is to report vandalism and suspicious activities to the police. Yup, that means you calling the police! "Hello police, there's a car with a broken window, just to let you guys know, better check it out... yeah, I have that blue lowered truck... ok yeah you're welcome... my phone number is..." Don't call 911 for this; use the station's number. This is you protecting your neighborhood and letting the police know that you're not afraid to talk to them.

Another way is to report to the police when YOU have been victimized. (Check out this blog in the meantime!) Let's not forget that mini truckers are sometimes victims, just like everyone else. Don't let your illegal truck overshadow when you've been victimized. "Yeah, I would call the police, but I'm afraid I'll just get in trouble for my truck, even though I'm calling them because X was done against me." Call them! Call them every time! Make them come out and meet you! Your truck was keyed. Call the police. Your truck was broken into. Call the police. Your clear corners, worth $60 off Ebay, were stolen. Report it. Your truck was keyed again 2 days later. Call the police again. Keep bugging the police. They like murder cases and chases and such, but they also need to take EVERYTHING seriously, and if it's a big deal to you, it needs to be a big deal to them. And, when you report this "trivial stuff," you might actually help them notice a pattern of this happening in the neighborhood. If noone reports it, they aren't aware. You may never get the response you want from them, but you can at least make it an inconvenience. Ask to talk to someone else at the station. Explain how you feel about how they're handling the situation. It's a two way street. Cops like to question us and inconvenience us, but we shouldn't be too intimidated to ask the same of them. They are people, just like you and me.
 
ALSO, in doing this, you might strike up a conversation about who knows what! Sometimes they'll want to see your truck and hear about it. If nothing else, they'll have the name and face behind your ghetto ride, which will be to your advantage. Here's another thing to think about. After you've called the police and they actually show up at your house, for example, everyone who passes your house now sees a cop car out front. You better believe they will wonder why. And maybe it's just me, but I sure wouldn't mess with the kid who had cops in front of his house earlier.