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 The Anti-Paradigm
      
Location: -HTX-
Gender: Male
Against the Flow
 |  |  | Re: Eluding Police
<Reply # 200 on 1/1/2011 7:37 AM >
|  | | | Posted by Bennet
I fully agree here. I wear a pair of inexpensive, but nice looking khakis. I usually wear a black raincoat over the top, it's actually pretty nice. So I look kind of well-to-do. The bonus is that if you're ever cornered and can't run, looking sharply dressed can actually get you out of a jam.
Today, I was exploring a building. The only way in was across a field, so I kind of jogged across and went in through a window. Not 5 minutes inside I hear "Police, come out with your hands up!". That window was the only way in or out so I was stuck. I just walked out and when the officer asked me what I was doing, I showed him the camera. He said, and I quote, "Well you definitely don't look like a crackhead. Just use more common sense next time and be careful."
I went from having a shotgun literally pointed in my face to a hand shake and joking about the weather in the span of 60 seconds because of the way I dressed. This is actually one time when I try to look as conformist/prep school as possible, because no one expects it. Security/police expect a scuzzy gang banger, when they see a well dressed photographer, they're usually so relieved they just tell you to leave.
That's just my experiences anyway.
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I met up with and went exploring with a friend once, who i told not to dress like a spy, but to wear darker muted color clothes (night UE) and dress like a well to do, normal pedestrian. He was like "I've got just the thing!"
He showed up in a fifty dollar black pinstripe suit (He's a joker..) and dress shoes. I looked at him and shook my head (D'oh!). Of course the first thing we did was get down and slide under a fence. I made sure I called him a jackass.
You can see him in parts of this video... http://www.youtube.../a/u/2/apQkpf8PkW4
Visit my photography and
UE Photo Journal:
www.antiparadigmproductions.com |
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AnAppleSnail
Location: Charlotte, NC
Gender: Male
ALL the flashlights!
| |  | | Re: Eluding Police
<Reply # 201 on 1/2/2011 12:45 AM >
| | | | This is more eluding arrest that evading police. By the time I realized that I'd heard them move a barricade for the cars to get through it was probably too late to run. On the one hand I probably could have made it, but on the other I'd have had to get to a particular corner of the building I was in and cross a construction site in time to get off that block, and that would have put me further into downtown.
For New Year's Eve, I had a crazy idea of taking pictures of downtown and the fireworks from a crane. My first thought was the high cranes - but that night they were surrounded by a moat of slow-moving traffic right on the fence I'd have to cross. No hi-vis and no chance to look official enough to get away with that.
On to another crane, further from downtown but with a pretty good line of sight to the show. Into the construction site and up the ladder, but a third of the way up my gut tells me "Tonight's not the night." So I decide to play it safe and go to the third option.
The third option is a new parking garage with the bottom deck in use and the top not yet finished. But it's 11 levels high and has acceptable line of sight, and it's 10 minutes to midnight. Up I go, the nice new staircase depressingly visible to the road. But playing it safe, I keep a sharp eye out for signs saying "Don't go up here." Nothing. The roof hatch is unlocked and open, so up I go. After the fireworks I head down the ladder. The top of the deck isn't in use, isn't even lit. My legs are beat from dashing across downtown, so I decide to stroll down the dark ramp instead of the stairs.
Two police cars come up the ramp. Shit. I wave once and then stand still. Two more come up after those two. Five cops in four cars. I'm too far from any of the stairways to do anything exciting, and it'd be a bad idea. In theory I'm in the clear anyway, so I stand still and try not to look sketchy. Too bad I'd taken off the local college hoodie.
You can always tell a freaked out officer when he won't let you hand him your ID. He asks "Do you have ID on you? Don't get it, just tell me yes or no." I tell him that my DL is in my wallet in my back right pocket, and he pulls it out. Maybe not legal, but I'm in a dark area with a bag and carpenter jeans.
Then the usual "Why are you here, what's in the bag, are you with a photo club?" Usually I don't bother with a camera bag, but I had further plans that night so I was carrying more things. They didn't find my drop key (Bent coat hanger, about hand length) and only asked about the lightbulbs once. After explaining that my hoodie and camera were in the bag, he unzipped it while it was on my bag and looked in it. Apparently they have major problems with taggers (Yet another reason not to carry Sharpies). I think that if I'd had anything more writey than a pen or pencil they would have taken more interest. As it was, one of the cops went up the roof ladder to see if I'd broken or marked anything, while another chatted with me a bit. They had me sit down so that they could loom a bit.
They kept looking at the mud on my boots, but never asked about it. I would have honestly said that I got it from hiking (in the construction site) but lied about where I was hiking. Given the trail mix bars and water in my bag, it'd be easy to say that the bag and boots are my day hike kit, etc.
Turns out that this parking garage belongs to the Capitol Police, so one of the cops there gets to radio home to decide whether or not to press charges. They don't, but I'd have fought it if they did, since I walked off the sidewalk past no "go away" signs and hadn't caused any damage.
So:
If you can't run, be polite.
Admit to nothing extra.
Don't have things that could be called vandalism/graffiti/b&e tools
When all else fails, actually be innocent ;)
Achievement Unlocked
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Ducit lumine
Location: savannah, GA
Gender: Male
| | Re: Eluding Police
<Reply # 202 on 3/2/2011 8:54 PM >
| | | | Eluding the man is pretty important in a legally questionable hobby. Iv'e been called on once and thats just because i climbed a water tower before it was completely dark (rookie move i know, thats because i was in fact a rookie at the time) lol For me the best way to avoid the coppers is to have an escape plan at all times before i need one. Scanners are useful but like someone said earlier, it provides a false sense of security at times, besides you have to become familiar with that 10-code language. Personally this is this is what i do to prepare: find the most obvious point around the building that a police cruiser would pull up to. (like the front) then park about three blocks opposite of that side. (ex. Parking lot to building in NORTH face of building, you park 3 blocks SOUTH face of building.) That way if you have to run, you don't run PAST the guy. or to a side that he can see the direction your running too. Also when parking, try not to use the lot of a store thats closed for the night that has no cars in it. Its closed, there shouldn't be cars there. I usually try to find a car lot or something that isn't fenced up, or a auto body shop, that way you look like another customer that left their car there over night. Also park with easy access to a main highway. That way, when your in your car you easily blend. As always try to scope the route from the inside of the building back to your car BEFORE you have to use it. That way you can run hopefully without a flashlight. (cant be too ninja with a flashlight shaking around as you run.) A lot of it is common sense. Have a story before hand, be ready to ditch things before hand, have an escape route before hand. preparation preparation preparation. At least thats my method.
"And at the end of all our exploring, will be to arrive where we started... and know the place for the first time." - T.S. Eliot |
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hydrotherapy
  
Clever Girl
Location: Circle of Least Confusion
RPS is inside all of us
| | | Re: Eluding Police
<Reply # 203 on 3/2/2011 9:39 PM >
| | | | I need to stop ever reading this forum.
Get down, girl, go 'head, get down. |
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gneithamer1
Location: Boston, MA
Gender: Male
| | Re: Eluding Police
<Reply # 204 on 3/16/2011 4:10 AM >
| | | | Put this on and then you'll be safe.
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The Anti-Paradigm
Location: -HTX-
Gender: Male
Against the Flow
| | | Re: Eluding Police
<Reply # 205 on 3/17/2011 4:01 PM >
| | | |
IS that a Plastic grocery bag? if so i put one on once without cutting holes in it, and... lets just say it wasn't too fun.
Visit my photography and
UE Photo Journal:
www.antiparadigmproductions.com |
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gneithamer1
Location: Boston, MA
Gender: Male
| | Re: Eluding Police
<Reply # 206 on 3/24/2011 6:32 PM >
| | | | Posted by The Anti-Paradigm
IS that a Plastic grocery bag? if so i put one on once without cutting holes in it, and... lets just say it wasn't too fun.
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Guess it's safe to say you're not a Legend of Zelda fan. 
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barefootpoetry
Location: PA
Gender: Female
| | | Re: Eluding Police
<Reply # 207 on 3/26/2011 2:47 PM >
| | | | Posted by AnAppleSnail
If you can't run, be polite.
Admit to nothing extra.
Don't have things that could be called vandalism/graffiti/b&e tools
When all else fails, actually be innocent ;)
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Good advice. Being super-duper Miss Manners kiss-ass polite to cops has gotten me out of scrapes (non-UE related so far) many a time. Of course, maybe it also helps that I am a cute petite girl and I don't really look very dangerous when I am holding a camera. ;)
She who hesitates, sees bulldozers. |
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