Have You Ever Been Profiled?

[steelslaver]

Who me? LOL. When I was young wild man I was profiled a few times. Lucky for me it was never while I was actually guilty.

Funny thing is every time I go into Canada I get send for the interview. Should have seen what happened when I lend the guy behind me in line my pen. Ended up with a disassembled pen and an long interview.

I have been stopped late at night for the booze check thing too. Figure its just part of late night driving. If it keeps some of the drunks off the road fine.

If cops didn't do a minimal bit of profiling it would be kinda stupid in my opinion. A check out is one thing, giving out tickets just because of appearances and dislikes is bogus though.

If the robbers and gang bangers are all 15-30 why waste time checking out 7o year old grandmas.

Somewhere in the world there has to be some common sense. Hopefully

 

[wuluf]

Yes, and not just by law enforcement. Been riding motorcycles almost 40 years, remember pulling into motel parking lots and seeing the "no vacancy" sign light up..

 

[BUFF]

As I was taught in the academy, to a prosecutor or judge, the difference between profiling and reasonable suspicion is articulation.

I get profiled by a local big and tall clothing store; they keep mailing me their catalogs.

 

[snubbyfan]

One fine day a few decades ago as I was hiking a paved rail/trail a police cruiser pulls up behind me. The officer gets out, draws his gun and yells at me to "Get on the ground now!"
You bet I did.
I was kneed in the back, handcuffed and not so gingerly placed in the back of the cruiser.
I was being accused of drug trafficking even though there were no drugs on me, in me or in my car.
Let's see now, brown skin, long black hair, earrings and tattoos.
Could it be that I was being profiled.

One fine day as I was visiting my mother. I brought my bicycle with me so I can ride around the old neighborhood like I did as a youngster.
As I passed a 4 way intersection, a cruiser pulls up behind me. Another in front and one from either side. All with lights on.
What the **** did I do to get pulled over by 4 police cruisers while riding a bicycle.
Let's see now, I've got dark skin and long black hair.
Could it be that I was being profiled?

One fine day as I was visiting my Mother, she asked me to take the trash down to the curb. "Sure." As I was walking back across the yard, I was stopped by a police cruiser and questioned.
Could it be that I was being profiled?

One fine day, my wife and I went to the art museum. I usta sculpt and airbrush. There was a metal detector there and they were letting people go on through.
Except me.
I was told to stand off to the side and searched.
Could it be..........

Sometimes I get really tired of getting harassed. Yeah I can wear clothes that cover my tattoos and I usually do. Since they stop at my shoulders, a t shirt works. But there's nothing I can do about my skin color or my facial features. No, I'm not going to cut my hair.

 

[Absalom]

I've been offered the senior discount at breakfast places several times without having to ask.

Does that count? I would call that profiling, although I didn't really mind ...

 

[bushmaster1313]

Awhile back I got profiled by a local government agency about a trip overseas

They said I was "A1," and based on my birthday awarded me a low number that sent me to the head of the line

Reason for the trip ended before I needed to board the plane

 

[Muss Muggins]

I've been offered the senior discount at breakfast places several times without having to ask.

Does that count? I would call that profiling, although I didn't really mind ...

Yeah, when I buy beer at Wal-Mart, the cash register display pops up with "Is Customer Under 40?" When the cashier clicks ahead without delay, I always ask "Just blew right by that, didn't ya'?"

 

[amazingflapjack]

"My wife is Chamorro, from Guam. We had been in Montana for about a week when she asked me why the owner of the local hardware store followed her around when she shopped there. She was shocked when I told her it was probably because they thought she was from the rez. In the years that followed she was often asked by tribal members - Navajos, Blackfeet, Apaches, Shoshone-Bannocks, Shoshone-Paiutes - what tribe she was from, and she always took it as an honor and compliment."

When I was in the Army at Ft. Gordon, there was a trooper from Guam we called "The Indian" because he really looked like one. He was a great guy, well liked, and when we were getting leave to go home before VN, they wanted to send the poor dude to Guam, and then make him come back to the states to turn around and fly to VN. Well, we lobbied the powers that were, and they finally just picked him up on the way through. I hope he did OK.
__________________

 

[Cyrano]

Never been profiled by the police. Partly, I think because I spent the yeas 22-42 in a US Army uniform.

Got profiled by the Border Patrol once, though. I lived in Connecticut and a friend and I hitchiked around the Gaspé Penninsula in Canada one summer. We were pretty scruffy looking; shirt and pants hadn"t been laundered in quite a while and our hiking boots were pretty dusty. We crossed back into the US at Limestone, Maine. He caught a bus for Buffalo, where he lived, and I caught one for Hartford.

A Border Patrol officer came on the bus and walked down the aisle. He stopped by me and asked: "Are you a US citizen?". I said : "Yes". Then he asked me to prove it. Just think: what do you have in your pocket right now that would prove you're a US citizen? I have a few things, like a Texas Licence to Carry, but that might take some explaining. But this was in 1954; he said: "Let's see your draft card". I pulled it out, and all was well. I asked him what was going on, and he told me that a lot of young Canadian guys came into Maine to pick potatoes. I guess with my clothes, I fit the profile. I still have my draft card, but I don't think I willl be called up any time soon.

 

[DeathGrip]

56 and have about 20 inches of long mostly black hair.

I seldom have problems. I don't give anyone a reason.

The last time I got picked I was coming home from work on a Friday night and didn't signal leaving a store with no reason to signal.

Yes there was a bar there and I was driving an old truck.

He caught up with me in front of my house and I got out and shouted to my wife who was on the front porch, "Honey I'm home and I brought a friend."

He was all pro like and checked me for alcohol and such then asked me if I had any weapon.

I said "no,, oops,,, I have a salt knife on the front seat. His eyes got big and I explained that I used that little knife to open salt bags for water softeners. not assault.

 

[rwsmith]

Profiled all the time....

When we were teenagers....all the time. I can't say that I was badly treated, just treated suspiciously too often. ANYTHING was cause to walk the chalk line.

Nice story.

In college we had 'longish' hair, not very, just over the collar. We dressed decently and looked nothing like hoods, casual but not hippy or preppie. A friend, his girlfriend and I walked to a nearby china shop because she wanted to get something for a friend. We were about to enter the store when three old biddies (my own profiling) came out of the store, took one look at us and one said very loudly, "HOLD ON TO YOUR PURSES, GIRLS".

 

[twodog max]

I don't think so but who knows. Flying since 9/11 I have been pulled out for special attention a couple times and I guarantee I am not even remotely dangerous looking unless this country is attacked by old men. Once was on a late flight out of Madison Wisconsin and there were exactly two people on the plane outside of the crew. Me and the guy on the business trip with. For gosh sakes get a reality check here.
Here is a story that chaps me. About a year and half ago I got pulled over for expired license. Guilty as could be. DMV had not updated all my info after moving and left off my truck. Who really looks at their tags. Anyway what chaps me is I live in a county where every weekend hundreds to sometimes thousands of un licensed off road vehicles come to and ride. These vehicles are all over public highways paved and gravel. They are never looked at twice or even once. I bet most are not insured and almost all have a cooler in the back but I am certain it is lemonade and the woods and trails are full of beer cans left by someone else. How about applying the law equally?

 

[Marshwheeling]

When we were teenagers....all the time. I can't say that I was badly treated, just treated suspiciously too often. ANYTHING was cause to walk the chalk line.

".

"You walk it. I'm drunk."

 

[Bozz10mm]

Hmmm. Old white guy with short gray hair driving a white Ford Expedition. I haven't been profiled by the cops for a while.

 

[Tom S.]

No, I'm not going to cut my hair.

I don't have to cut mine - it left on it's own accord.

 

[Old TexMex]

Years ago after my divorce, the only thing she wanted was the broom which had just been overhauled, I went thru the I'm not dating, don't want a woman thing.

A couple I dated profiled my car, furniture and wanted to know all about my job, salary et. I did not date them a 2nd time, afraid they might water board me into a quick marriage......

You're tellin Noah about the flood, my brother!

 

[cndrdk]

Haven't been over there in a while, but when crossing the border between Juarez and El Paso, always state your nationality as "American" not "Texan".

 

[rog8732]

The catch word "profile", which now has such a terrible meaning when combined with police work; was once considered good observation skills and proper use of a cops time.

It was just mentally placing an individual in a classification that history indicated might be a wrong-doer.
I expect it once was part of a cops formal teaching, and if not formal, then at least learned at the side of his peers.

As has been pointed out; we all profile to one degree or another, and in turn are profiled by others.
If you are making a late night withdrawal from the A T M, and four guys wearing hoodies walk towards you; and you say you would not do a little profiling; I suspect you may have told a fib.

 

[BE Mike]

Back during the Clinton years, Janet Reno put out a flyer to help spot suspected home grown terrorists. Among other things it stated middle aged, conservative, white male, military background, interest in guns, etc. When I read it, I looked around the room and most everyone in the room fit the profile. We were all Border Patrol Aircraft Pilots.

 

[the ringo kid]

Here's a funny one.

In 1994 I took my wife to Hawaii for a couple of weeks as it was someplace she always wanted to go.

On the return, we had to go through the agricultural inspection area to ensure that certain plants / fruits etc would not be departing along with us.

I don't recall now if the agricultural official saw my firearm or noticed the paperwork accompanying my airline ticket but he questioned whether I was armed. I told him I was, showed my ID and he had already seen the authorization for me to board the aircraft with a weapon.

A few minutes later, I'm sitting in the boarding area with the missus and I see a couple of Honolulu's finest walking around, obviously looking for someone. I wait a couple minutes then walk over and ask them if they are looking for a man with a gun. They look at me like how did I know that? I tell them that I'm the one they're looking for and go through the process of showing ID etc. They laughed it off saying that the agricultural guy just had too much time on his hands and wanted to feel important.

You gotta wonder about some folks.

Where's Steve McGarrett when he's needed?