TSA: Coming to a highway near you. - The Something Awful Forums

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Doppelganger: Oct 11, 2002; Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Do they actually drive that thing with a goddamn ladder hanging in front of the windshield?

# ? Mar 5, 2012 01:29

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# ? May 18, 2013 12:11

Cthulu Carl: Apr 16, 2006; Your words are as empty as your cereal bowl. I am the Vanguard of your Hanzo steel's destruction. This exchange is over...

Doppelganger posted:

Do they actually drive that thing with a goddamn ladder hanging in front of the windshield?

They need the ladder ready to deploy at a moment's notice after they plow into oncoming traffic or run off the road on Lombard Street so their "operators" can get out safely.

That's why it's called a "rescue" vehicle!

# ? Mar 5, 2012 01:34

Doppelganger: Oct 11, 2002; Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

I just want to know what that thing can do that a firetruck can't, other than turn a sharper corner.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 01:37

Cthulu Carl: Apr 16, 2006; Your words are as empty as your cereal bowl. I am the Vanguard of your Hanzo steel's destruction. This exchange is over...

It can justify and additional $X on next year's budget, for one.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 01:38

Rah!: Feb 21, 2006

Cthulu Carl posted:

They need the ladder ready to deploy at a moment's notice after they plow into oncoming traffic or run off the road on Lombard Street so their "operators" can get out safely.

That's why it's called a "rescue" vehicle!

I like to think the ladder juts out in front like that so they can ram people off the road while using the lights/sirens to help clear traffic on the way to Starbucks, with possible decapitation involved for extra excitement. I actually saw this happen once (The lights/sirens on the way to starbucks part, not the "ram and decapitate them with an APC" part)

# ? Mar 5, 2012 01:43

The Bible: May 8, 2010

Rah! posted:

Yeah, pretty much. Not every police department has one, but plenty do. Here's more evidence, aside form all those pictures posted so far: The San Francisco Police Department has one of these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvis_...n_APC#Operators

Here it is in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlyk...&feature=relmfu

The SFPD also has one of these APCs, though it isn't 6-wheeled:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenco_BearCat

Oh come on, those vehicles are clearly meant for rescue operations. I mean, they even have "Rescue" spraypainted right on them.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 04:24

Jiro Kage: Aug 6, 2003; PICKLE SURPRISE!

a handful of dust posted:

Ah, ok. I never paid attention to their badges or anything.

It's kind of funny to be sitting in a train car full of sleepy commuters on their way to work and see one of these clowns walking by decked out in BDUs, combat boots and tactical vest. Dudes had AR-15s and pistols in low-ride holsters, with extra mags strapped everywhere.

Basically like this:

I wonder if they realize how stupid they look?

That's not the TSA or a VIPR team.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 05:29

herbaceous backson: Mar 10, 2009; a thousand smackeroos

Jiro Kage posted:

That's not the TSA or a VIPR team.

I know, that was kind of the point. You see regular cops on trains all the time, it doesn't really seem like there's a security hole that needs to be plugged by a bunch of poorly trained rent-a-cops.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 06:43

GAY RETARD: Jan 13, 2010; she creeps me out,
she crept me in again

Trap Star posted:

every pot seller has a loaded shotgun beside him at all times

A little late, but most of the time that is true.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 06:58

FellowAmerican: Oct 2, 2007; I'm too busy philosophizing to get up

I find that the people who fly the least are the ones that complain the most.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 07:05

Skyworks: Oct 2, 2010; by angerbutt

The Bible posted:

Oh come on, those vehicles are clearly meant for rescue operations. I mean, they even have "Rescue" spraypainted right on them.

Our local police bought one of those BearCat things last year and on Sunday some kids robbed an old lady with a firearm at the local train station and that thing turned up with a bunch of tooled up dudes.

To be fair when we walked past they were standing in groups smoking, so not sure what the point was really.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 07:21

feld: Feb 11, 2008; Out of nowhere its....

FELDSPAR

Skyworks posted:

Our local police bought one of those BearCat things last year and on Sunday some kids robbed an old lady with a firearm at the local train station and that thing turned up with a bunch of tooled up dudes.

To be fair when we walked past they were standing in groups smoking, so not sure what the point was really.

If they don't drive it the odometer will never say funny words!

# ? Mar 5, 2012 14:03

Robawesome: Jul 22, 2005

GAY RETARD posted:

A little late, but most of the time that is true.

No, it isn't. Most drug dealers aren't willing to murder police to protect their stash, and if anything the reason they have weapons is to protect against robberies, another nice by-product of the black market nature of the substance.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 14:22

Earwicker: Jan 6, 2003

I seriously doubt anyone here has any kind of realistic data on what "most pot dealers" own weapons-wise or what their mentality on using weapons is.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 14:34

Cage Kicker: Feb 20, 2009; End of the fiscal year, bitch.
MP's got time to order pens for year year, hooah?

SKILCRAFT KREW Reppin' Quality Blind Made

Earwicker posted:

I seriously doubt anyone here has any kind of realistic data on what "most pot dealers" own weapons-wise or what their mentality on using weapons is.

Nobody has presented anything really concrete in here except "Guns and tanks are scary and I'm mad that the cops have some."

# ? Mar 5, 2012 14:46

Earwicker: Jan 6, 2003

Cage Kicker posted:

Nobody has presented anything really concrete in here except "Guns and tanks are scary and I'm mad that the cops have some."

a handful of dust posted:

The militarization of police is definitely a thing in the US, it's not just hippies scared of guns or whatever:

http://www.theatlantic.com/national...-police/248047/
http://www.theatlantic.com/national...-happen/248828/

If you have access to JSTOR or something, a bunch of scholarly stuff has been written about it too, and not much of it is positive.

Here's an interesting bit about the social effects of police militarization:

If the police want to increasingly use APC's and other military gear, the burden should be on them to prove to the population that this is necessary and beneficial. Not the other way around.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 14:49

Cage Kicker: Feb 20, 2009; End of the fiscal year, bitch.
MP's got time to order pens for year year, hooah?

SKILCRAFT KREW Reppin' Quality Blind Made

Earwicker posted:

http://www.theatlantic.com/national...-police/248047/

I especially liked this part:

The point here is not to suggest that police officers in the field should not take advantage of every tactic or piece of equipment that makes them safer as they carry out their often challenging and strenuous duties. Nor do I mean to suggest that a police officer, once trained in military tactics, will now seek to kill civilians. It is far too easy for Monday-morning quarterbacks to unfairly second-guess the way police officers perform their jobs while they are out on the streets waging what must, at times, feel like a war.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 14:55

Atmus: Mar 8, 2002

My city (Aurora Colorado) banded together with a few other smaller cities and got an APC. The official justification for it was something about the ability to bust through exterior walls to rescue kids in case of another Columbine-style attack. While that sounds good I guess, I can't help but wonder just how well that would go, since the news coverage immediately after the attack mentioned that most of the children were up against those exterior walls with makeshift barricades out of tables and such.

As far as I know, the APC has only been outside its hangar for the photo op in the paper, and when they taught someone how to drive it. I think the only real benefit from it though, is that they had an excuse to not tear down the building they store it in, as the PD took over part of an Air Force base that closed down some years ago.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 15:01

CADPAT: Jul 23, 2004; For the men
to my left and right!

Skyworks posted:

Our local police bought one of those BearCat things last year and on Sunday some kids robbed an old lady with a firearm at the local train station and that thing turned up with a bunch of tooled up dudes.

I was told the general procedure in my area is to activate SWAT if there's the potential of someone using a firearm (ie: a domestic call where there are firearms in the house, armed robberies, etc...). They get brought on scene in case things go sideways, so they don't have to take 30 minutes to grab their gear and drive out if a meth head starts shooting at people during a routine call. My understanding is most of the time they don't have to do anything and do a lot of smoking and joking. It's a "just in case" thing.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 15:07

withak: Jan 15, 2003; F != m * a

a handful of dust posted:

I know, that was kind of the point. You see regular cops on trains all the time, it doesn't really seem like there's a security hole that needs to be plugged by a bunch of poorly trained rent-a-cops.

BART PD exists because back in the 70s when the system was built people in the suburbs were terrified that ~~minorities~~criminals would be using BART to commute out to their idyllic villages to commit crimes so there had to be a law enforcement agency that could cross jurisdictions when necessary. These days the crime commutes in to the city from the suburbs like everyone else though.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 15:11

5er: Jun 1, 2000

Earwicker posted:

I seriously doubt anyone here has any kind of realistic data on what "most pot dealers" own weapons-wise or what their mentality on using weapons is.

Of the 'most pot dealers' I know, I once saw one pretend to use a spent bong like a shotgun. Chik-chik, POW you're hosed up dude! Those crazy potheads, I can totally see why we have all these laws.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 17:33

babies havin rabies: Feb 24, 2006

Speaking from experience, small time drug dealer's attitudes toward weapons are as variable as the general public's.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 19:03

Capn Beeb: Jun 29, 2003; Can it be fired with a massive erection?

Cardiovorax posted:

That's almost kind of awesome again. "APC? We don't need any of that pussy poo poo, just bolt a bit o' them thar steel scrap to the ol' Bronco and call it a day. "

It kind of is, but we have no use for it at all. If I were to walk out my back door, through the yard, and through the trees behind the house, I'd be looking at the police station. To get to me in case I needed cops for whatever reason would take them roughly 15-20 minutes. The shortest route to me is about 1/8th of a mile.

When the gun shop down the street from me was "robbed" (inside job by the owner's son to make a competing shop's break in look less suspicious) it took them 22 minutes to travel 2207 feet. From the station to the shop was a left, a right, another right, and you're there.

Our police force is a loving joke. Hell, we rent an officer from a nearby town to enforce traffic laws on school days. We have zero need for an uparmored vehicle.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 19:46

thelightguy: Feb 6, 2007; Well there's your problem.

babies havin rabies posted:

Speaking from experience, small time drug dealer's attitudes toward weapons are as variable as the general public's.

I know more white supremacists with weapons than drug dealers.

# ? Mar 5, 2012 19:56

VendaGoat: Nov 1, 2005; _{just bad poster}