Why You Shouldn't Get Your Police Training from Rom-Coms

[the G-man]

Cop Issues Speeding Ticket, Asks Driver for a Date and Is Sued

• A suburban Chicago police officer allegedly turned a $132 speeding ticket into a pick-up opportunity when he later tracked down the female driver and asked her out, saying the least he could do for the money he'd cost her was to treat her to dinner, according to a lawsuit the woman filed in federal court.
  
  Evagelina Paredes filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Chicago, accusing police officer Chris Collins of violating her privacy, according to the Associated Press. She alleges that after she was ticketed on Oct. 22, Collins searched for her address in the motor-vehicle database and left a handwritten note on the windshield of her car, which was parked outside her apartment, asking her out on a date....
  
  The scenario is not that far off from the "meet-cutes" of Hollywood romantic comedies. In the 2011 hit "Bridesmaids," Kirsten Wiig's character starts a relationship with the traffic cop who let her out of a ticket for a broken taillight.
  
  Arguably, it's a lot less "cute" when it happens in real-life.
  
  Paredes claims that the note caused her to "suffer great fear and anxiety."

Maybe the cop can implead Kristin Wiig and Judd Apatow for, I dunno, false advertising that this was a good idea or something.

 

[1001001]

Turn the guy down, sure.

But sue him? Seemed like a genuine gesture. Maybe not the smartest idea ever, but something that would carry criminal/civil liability?

That seems kind of harsh...

 

[auntiehill]

I think I'd be a little creeped out by some cop tracking me down like that; I'd go to the police and complain to his superiors, but I wouldn't sue.

 

[Owain Taggart]

I think it's the idea that he used information he was privy as a police officer for personal gain. I think the idea itself is rather creepy, especially when a police officer is supposed to keep the public safe. Suing him does seem rather harsh though.

 

[1001001]

Is there no room for the grand gesture in our culture anymore?

Knowing her address is no big deal (I assume it was on her license and registration?) Now if he pestered her, or in any way interfered with her life, etc. I could see that as an abuse of power. If he was following her, or coming to her house at all hours, emailing her after she told him to stop, etc....

But all he did was ask her out, apparently quite sincerely and sweetly.

Tell the guy you're not interested and move on. Maybe, maybe write as letter to his superiors if you're really freaked out for some reason. But you gotta ruin a man's career for this? I don't know, maybe there's more to the story but it seems an awfully severe reaction.

 

[the G-man]

We live in a world where a woman sued the producers of "Drive" because she thought it was an action movie, remember? Some people are extremely litigious

 

[Trekker4747]

Is there no room for the grand gesture in our culture anymore?

Knowing her address is no big deal (I assume it was on her license and registration?) Now if he pestered her, or in any way interfered with her life, etc. I could see that as an abuse of power. If he was following her, or coming to her house at all hours, emailing her after she told him to stop, etc....

But all he did was ask her out, apparently quite sincerely and sweetly.

Tell the guy you're not interested and move on. Maybe, maybe write as letter to his superiors if you're really freaked out for some reason. But you gotta ruin a man's career for this? I don't know, maybe there's more to the story but it seems an awfully severe reaction.

Pretty much as I see it. The woman could have simply said "no." And then if the cop persisted then you sue, but you don't just jump right to the lawsuit after one encounter.

Did he abuse his power as a cop? A bit, perhaps, and I can see the problem with this but it's not like he stalked her and harassed her. He looked up her address (something that could be done with a Google search or a phone book) and then went to ask her out. Big f'n deal.

 

[1001001]

Is there no room for the grand gesture in our culture anymore?

Knowing her address is no big deal (I assume it was on her license and registration?) Now if he pestered her, or in any way interfered with her life, etc. I could see that as an abuse of power. If he was following her, or coming to her house at all hours, emailing her after she told him to stop, etc....

But all he did was ask her out, apparently quite sincerely and sweetly.

Tell the guy you're not interested and move on. Maybe, maybe write as letter to his superiors if you're really freaked out for some reason. But you gotta ruin a man's career for this? I don't know, maybe there's more to the story but it seems an awfully severe reaction.

Pretty much as I see it. The woman could have simply said "no." And then if the cop persisted then you sue, but you don't just jump right to the lawsuit after one encounter.

Did he abuse his power as a cop? A bit, perhaps, and I can see the problem with this but it's not like he stalked her and harassed her. He looked up her address (something that could be done with a Google search or a phone book) and then went to ask her out. Big f'n deal.

That's what keeps me wondering if there's more to the story? Did he do something else?

 

[Kestra]

Is there no room for the grand gesture in our culture anymore?

Knowing her address is no big deal (I assume it was on her license and registration?) Now if he pestered her, or in any way interfered with her life, etc. I could see that as an abuse of power. If he was following her, or coming to her house at all hours, emailing her after she told him to stop, etc....

But all he did was ask her out, apparently quite sincerely and sweetly.

Tell the guy you're not interested and move on. Maybe, maybe write as letter to his superiors if you're really freaked out for some reason. But you gotta ruin a man's career for this? I don't know, maybe there's more to the story but it seems an awfully severe reaction.

It would feel like an invasion of privacy by someone who was abusing their authority. I'd definitely feel uncomfortable. Yes, her address would be on her license but that's not information most women would share in a chance social encounter. Does that make sense?

I don't really see any way for the cop to ask her out and have it be acceptable, honestly. Barring some unrelated encounter of course. That sucks when the guy just has good intentions but there are certain interactions that just don't lend themselves to an intro to a romantic relationship.

I'm not certain about the whole legal aspect, and I don't think I would sue because I don't really see a reason to, but I definitely would find his actions inappropriate and uncomfortable.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Is there no room for the grand gesture in our culture anymore?

Knowing her address is no big deal (I assume it was on her license and registration?) Now if he pestered her, or in any way interfered with her life, etc. I could see that as an abuse of power. If he was following her, or coming to her house at all hours, emailing her after she told him to stop, etc....

But all he did was ask her out, apparently quite sincerely and sweetly.

Tell the guy you're not interested and move on. Maybe, maybe write as letter to his superiors if you're really freaked out for some reason. But you gotta ruin a man's career for this? I don't know, maybe there's more to the story but it seems an awfully severe reaction.

It would feel like an invasion of privacy by someone who was abusing their authority. I'd definitely feel uncomfortable. Yes, her address would be on her license but that's not information most women would share in a chance social encounter. Does that make sense?

I don't really see any way for the cop to ask her out and have it be acceptable, honestly. Barring some unrelated encounter of course. That sucks when the guy just has good intentions but there are certain interactions that just don't lend themselves to an intro to a romantic relationship.

I'm not certain about the whole legal aspect, and I don't think I would sue because I don't really see a reason to, but I definitely would find his actions inappropriate and uncomfortable.

Yep, exactly the way I see it. There could very well be an added reason on top of that that as to why she sued him, but I just feel any use of information obtained during a job and used for personal gain crosses a line. Information gotten during a job should stay with the job. A bit similar to a doctor keeping his patients confidential, you would never want a doctor to visit a patient's house and ask them out unless you knew them well beforehand. Now, if the cop were off-duty and met her again by chance elsewhere other than her home and asked her out, I wouldn't see a problem. It's the idea that the cop used information he was privy to for usage of his job that makes it iffy. It's not as if the guy found a wallet and decided to return it, but went out of his way using information from his job to find her.

 

[davejames]

I don't know... sounds kind of stalkerish to me. Maybe it's not worth sueing over, but it's still pretty creepy and over the line.

I mean, this isn't some cutesy Katherine Heigl movie. In real life getting pulled over by a cop is a very scary and intimidating thing, and the last thing you want is one driving to your house and leaving a freakin love note on your car.

 

[Broccoli]

Hmmm...all interesting insights. Personally, I think it boils down to: "The fucker gave me a speeding ticket! Damn cops! I'm going to fuck that dipshit over now!"

 

[Bob Karo]

Inappropriate? Sure. It's a bit creepy and it wouldn't be wrong for her to make a complaint to his agency's IA division. However, I don't see any real damage done for her to seek compensation.

 

[scotpens]

Could be worse. At least the cop didn’t get his police training from this movie.

 

[the G-man]

Could be worse. At least the cop didn’t get his police training from this movie.

Or this one.

... Yes, her address would be on her license but ....

That is one thing that seems strange about the story. He allegedly wrote her the ticket and then used the DMV database to find her address? In New York, at least, the address is gets printed right on the ticket. Once she handed over her license he would have it. So why would he have had to look her up later?

 

[1001001]

Is there no room for the grand gesture in our culture anymore?

Knowing her address is no big deal (I assume it was on her license and registration?) Now if he pestered her, or in any way interfered with her life, etc. I could see that as an abuse of power. If he was following her, or coming to her house at all hours, emailing her after she told him to stop, etc....

But all he did was ask her out, apparently quite sincerely and sweetly.

Tell the guy you're not interested and move on. Maybe, maybe write as letter to his superiors if you're really freaked out for some reason. But you gotta ruin a man's career for this? I don't know, maybe there's more to the story but it seems an awfully severe reaction.

It would feel like an invasion of privacy by someone who was abusing their authority. I'd definitely feel uncomfortable. Yes, her address would be on her license but that's not information most women would share in a chance social encounter. Does that make sense?

I don't really see any way for the cop to ask her out and have it be acceptable, honestly. Barring some unrelated encounter of course. That sucks when the guy just has good intentions but there are certain interactions that just don't lend themselves to an intro to a romantic relationship.

I'm not certain about the whole legal aspect, and I don't think I would sue because I don't really see a reason to, but I definitely would find his actions inappropriate and uncomfortable.

I understand your point. I get it.

Have you ever met someone and wondered "what if"? Have you ever looked back in regret on the time you didn't even try? I don't know...I guess I understand. Maybe I just wish that things were different, not so dangerous and suspicious.

There is no magic left in the universe. Only lawsuits.

 

[clint g]

She probably want even offended, she just saw a meal ticket. This is an easy way to get money. She probably sued the city a well and I bet they settle

 

[Owain Taggart]

Could be worse. At least the cop didn’t get his police training from this movie.

I thought maybe this was going to be a link to the Police Academy movies

 

[Samurai8472]

We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took you to all those Police Academy movies? For fun? Well, I didn't hear anybody laughin', did you?

-- Homer Simpson

"When Marge first joined the police academy, I thought it was going to be fun and exiting, like that movie Spaceballs, but instead it was sad and depressing, like that movie Police Academy"

-- Homer Simpson

 

[Kestra]

I understand your point. I get it.

Have you ever met someone and wondered "what if"? Have you ever looked back in regret on the time you didn't even try? I don't know...I guess I understand. Maybe I just wish that things were different, not so dangerous and suspicious.

There is no magic left in the universe. Only lawsuits.

You're asking the wrong person. My regrets pretty much are all about things I've done, not things I didn't do. I tend to go with my heart and not my head. Not to start a whole thing, but I think it's trickier ground for guys in general, because their actions are more likely to be interpreted as threatening or inappropriate.