My arrest story

[pzycoman]

Well iv told a few people small bits of my arrest story, so has Arch, so I decided to write the whole thing out and publish it online...

Part 1 - http://ministryofparanoia.com/2008/my-arrest-story/
Part 2 - http://ministryofparanoia.com/2008/my-arrest-story-part-deux/
Part 3 - http://ministryofparanoia.com/2008/my-arrest-story-part-three/

Havnt made it up. Havnt fluffed anything up.

Monty

 

[Arch]

Well, I have to say, it all makes me very depressed. I'm afraid wherever there is power to be had, some people will abuse it, and that's what this sounds like. But it makes a bit of a mockery of the concept of fighting wars for freedom...


Anyway, remember folks, don't wander through London if you happen to look slightly dusky...

 

[Aperitif]

Incredible.
Nothing anyone says can possibly counter the indignity of the situation you found yourself in p man - really don't know how to comment - terrible.
This cannot be the 'end of the matter'- can it?

 

[magnatom]

Bloody hell! !

What can I say? That is really really shocking. I almost want to ask you if you have exaggerated any of this as it sound so crazy (I'm sure you haven't!).

You have my sympathies and my respect. You dealt very well with the situation, much better than I am sure I would have.

 

[Globalti]

As with airport security muppets, most Police officers are too thick to be trusted to exercise any judgement so they are furnished with a rigid set of criteria, with which they can assess a person's likely level of danger to Society.

Might I ask what you were wearing when the first officer approached you?

 

[wafflycat]

Aye, sad times. Damn nasty times. Sadly it reminds me of another European country in the 1930s and I am deeply, deeply ashamed of my country at the moment.

 

[stephenb]

absolutely gobsmacked. get yourself a lawyer and give them hell.

 

[pzycoman]

Might I ask what you were wearing when the first officer approached you?

Plain white tshirt and jeans and trainers

 

[barq]

Good grief! That's just awful. In your position I'd have been incredibly scared and very angry. You've done the right thing publishing it online because people need to know that things like this are happening.

 

[Globalti]

Okay, presumably you are Asian? Do you by any chance have a big bushy beard? Any cap? Were you carrying a rucsac? What was it that made the copper suspicious? Was it just the fact that you had the temerity to ask him questions? Forgive my questions but I'm curious to know what triggered his paranoia.

 

[Arch]

All I can think of is all those old chaps who can say "I fought in the war so you could have freedom" - it's one of those stereotypes and young people sometimes treat it as a bit of a laugh, but isn't this exactly the sort of thing they meant?

Sickening.

From my cosy perspective, it's easy to say 'complain, make a fuss', but then you think, well, if I get marked out as a troublemaker, on this evidence, I'll never be able to go out without fear of being picked on. So I would quite understand pzycoman wanting to put it utterly behind him.

Whatever you do, pzyco, good luck.

 

[marinyork]

Shocking pzycoman. I hope you in no way think it was anything you did and the spying threat was just baseless.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

If you have the energy and determination, I would get a lawyer and challenge this as far as you can take it. However if you do, realise that you will get the absolute third degree in terms on intimidation. I might instead contact a newspaper like The Guardian and tell them your story. I know some good journalists there - if you PM me I can put you in touch. Again though, expect all sorts of shoot if you do... there is also Liberty, the human rights organisation - I know people there too.

I'll link your story to my university blog on surveillance issues: http://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/d.f.j.wood

 

[Kirstie]

That's f*cking unbelievable! I'd take legal advice and see how far you can get.

 

[Melvil]

There should be a word for the feeling you get when the forces of authority clamp down on your rights and freedoms for no good reason. The feeling of rage that has to be suppressed because you know that expressing it will make things 10 times as worse.

I got a good threatening by some armed police at stansted when I was taking some pictures of the interior architecture (I know, I'm into architecture photography, I'm sad! - But not a criminal). The police made me delete all the pictures on my memory card and then told me about all the jail time I could do if I carried on taking pictures. Grrrr!

But that is absolutely nothing compared to your horrible experience, Pzyco. I hope you get an apology at the very least.