A Narrow Escape? Nah.
I was just stopped by cops for the first time! I was out using the Internet at 4AM and - purely by coincidence - was wearing mostly black: black BDU pants, a black ACU top, and my big brown desert Marine boots. To top it off, I was wearing a hat and had on my black photo gloves. Truly a suspicious sight indeed.
If I were going to commit a robbery, I certain wouldn't dress in all black. Would you?
On the other hand, I was out there for about an hour and I don't think I got a single mosquito bite. And I got to talk to the cops, who were surprisingly easy to understand.
One of them - of three! - triggered his siren (on accident?) about three blocks away, which gave me a bad feeling and I was thinking I should pack up, and I could've been out of there if I had hurried, but I think that would've just made things worse. So maybe the siren was on purpose to spook me if I were doing anything actually questionable? Dunno.
As it was, they came up and I think I might have greeted them before they said anything. I greet cops whenever I see them, so that's normal for me.
Anyway, they asked what I was doing, and I responded that I was using the Internet. I explained how it was close to my apartment, and my rather suspicious location (by a dumpster, in a dark corner!) was due to the relative low number of mosquitoes*. At some point, I explained that I was having trouble with the "Internet company" because my credit card is foreign, so the company says the numbers are wrong. I *think* they asked, but I might have just been too stressed and said it.
*For some reason, no matter how many times I talk about animals, I am completely unable to to use the iru verb form. I kept using aru which is the verb of existence for things that don't that don't move perceptibly, like plants and inanimate objects. Say, a chair.
I was patted down and they checked all but one of my pockets, which I thought was pretty weird; I was surprised they missed my only pocket that actually had stuff in it. I mean, one of my cargo pockets had my card wallet in it, and they had me pull out a couple of cards at random. Then he found my left-front pocket and apparently thought my changepurse was suspicious. I was so nervous at this point that I opened it to show him and managed to launch a $1 coin onto the ground.
Then he he checked my rear pockets, while saying something like "We're men, so it's okay". Strangely, they didn't check any of my jacket pockets, though I was careful to use those in front of them.
They also checked the pouch I keep my dictionary and insurance information in, and I guess checked my insurance to see if it was all in order. Presumably, they found the bandages I had stuffed in it.
*The reason this surprises me is because they were pretty thorough, so it seems odd that they would miss the one pocket that almost everyone would have. Also, in that pocket was my only vaguely dangerous object, a pen.
They didn't seem suspicious of my flashlight, though one of them got a little bit concerned when I reached to my waist to pull it out. I guess I could've as easily been drawing a weapon, though, and he would've been out of luck: anybody can shoot from the hip at 2m and get a solid hit, and none of them reacted enough to do anything about it, had it been a weapon.
My jacket had been covering the flashlight until that point, so I doubt it's the case that they knew what it was. They didn't check anything above the waist at all, thinking back on it.
They also searched my bag, though they didn't check the main compartment or any of the small ones, which seems odd. They checked the laptop section and two of the miscellaneous crap pockets. I have to wonder what they were thinking as they saw the what I was carrying with me.
In addition, they wanted to know what I was using the Internet for. I responded that I was checking my email and reading comics. They didn't think I could really be out here using the Internet, so I showed them that I had had my email and comics open and pointed to the balloon tooltip and translated for them. I think one of them said "Ah, it was Gmail!" at one point.
So while all of this was going on, one guy hung back out of reach and at a different angle and watched what his partner was doing, and a third guy checked my bicycle and foreigner registration information. I don't think the second guy ever said a word, and expect he may have been trying to go unnoticed, which would make sense.
I learned that the radios they have apparently have long enough cords to reach at least a meter in any direction. Never know when that might be useful. At least two had firearms or firearm-shaped things (but probably normal pistols) on their belts, but I never saw the third guy at an angle to be able to see. I expect they all had asps in addition, and beyond that, I didn't note anything about their equipment, as it was all in leather (I think) cases. Japanese police officers have their firearms on coiled tethers, by the way.
They escorted me home and hung around for a few minutes at least, and were still out there five minutes later when I went to check to see if I'd left anything in my bike. I want them to still be out there so I can maybe get a picture, and to see why they didn't search my jacket, but I don't think they are.
They're not, but it's been nearly an hour.
I asked right before I went inside the first time why there were three instead of two, like normal, and the guy that had been interacting with me the most responded that they usually work in groups, but they're sometimes on their own and sometimes in groups of up to four. As they were leaving, I apologized for causing trouble and thanked them for their hard work.
Even though it was stressful, it was fun and it's an experience I'm glad to have had. I should've asked more questions, though, as it's usually really hard to get cops to talk to me.
Well, for as long as this post has been, the entire thing probably didn't last fifteen minutes. And it's nearly 5:30AM, so I'm calling it a day.
[When I went to actually put this online, two cops walked by and I greeted them. I've never seen cops around here with the exception of the past 24 hours.]
If I were going to commit a robbery, I certain wouldn't dress in all black. Would you?
On the other hand, I was out there for about an hour and I don't think I got a single mosquito bite. And I got to talk to the cops, who were surprisingly easy to understand.
One of them - of three! - triggered his siren (on accident?) about three blocks away, which gave me a bad feeling and I was thinking I should pack up, and I could've been out of there if I had hurried, but I think that would've just made things worse. So maybe the siren was on purpose to spook me if I were doing anything actually questionable? Dunno.
As it was, they came up and I think I might have greeted them before they said anything. I greet cops whenever I see them, so that's normal for me.
Anyway, they asked what I was doing, and I responded that I was using the Internet. I explained how it was close to my apartment, and my rather suspicious location (by a dumpster, in a dark corner!) was due to the relative low number of mosquitoes*. At some point, I explained that I was having trouble with the "Internet company" because my credit card is foreign, so the company says the numbers are wrong. I *think* they asked, but I might have just been too stressed and said it.
*For some reason, no matter how many times I talk about animals, I am completely unable to to use the iru verb form. I kept using aru which is the verb of existence for things that don't that don't move perceptibly, like plants and inanimate objects. Say, a chair.
I was patted down and they checked all but one of my pockets, which I thought was pretty weird; I was surprised they missed my only pocket that actually had stuff in it. I mean, one of my cargo pockets had my card wallet in it, and they had me pull out a couple of cards at random. Then he found my left-front pocket and apparently thought my changepurse was suspicious. I was so nervous at this point that I opened it to show him and managed to launch a $1 coin onto the ground.
Then he he checked my rear pockets, while saying something like "We're men, so it's okay". Strangely, they didn't check any of my jacket pockets, though I was careful to use those in front of them.
They also checked the pouch I keep my dictionary and insurance information in, and I guess checked my insurance to see if it was all in order. Presumably, they found the bandages I had stuffed in it.
*The reason this surprises me is because they were pretty thorough, so it seems odd that they would miss the one pocket that almost everyone would have. Also, in that pocket was my only vaguely dangerous object, a pen.
They didn't seem suspicious of my flashlight, though one of them got a little bit concerned when I reached to my waist to pull it out. I guess I could've as easily been drawing a weapon, though, and he would've been out of luck: anybody can shoot from the hip at 2m and get a solid hit, and none of them reacted enough to do anything about it, had it been a weapon.
My jacket had been covering the flashlight until that point, so I doubt it's the case that they knew what it was. They didn't check anything above the waist at all, thinking back on it.
They also searched my bag, though they didn't check the main compartment or any of the small ones, which seems odd. They checked the laptop section and two of the miscellaneous crap pockets. I have to wonder what they were thinking as they saw the what I was carrying with me.
In addition, they wanted to know what I was using the Internet for. I responded that I was checking my email and reading comics. They didn't think I could really be out here using the Internet, so I showed them that I had had my email and comics open and pointed to the balloon tooltip and translated for them. I think one of them said "Ah, it was Gmail!" at one point.
So while all of this was going on, one guy hung back out of reach and at a different angle and watched what his partner was doing, and a third guy checked my bicycle and foreigner registration information. I don't think the second guy ever said a word, and expect he may have been trying to go unnoticed, which would make sense.
I learned that the radios they have apparently have long enough cords to reach at least a meter in any direction. Never know when that might be useful. At least two had firearms or firearm-shaped things (but probably normal pistols) on their belts, but I never saw the third guy at an angle to be able to see. I expect they all had asps in addition, and beyond that, I didn't note anything about their equipment, as it was all in leather (I think) cases. Japanese police officers have their firearms on coiled tethers, by the way.
They escorted me home and hung around for a few minutes at least, and were still out there five minutes later when I went to check to see if I'd left anything in my bike. I want them to still be out there so I can maybe get a picture, and to see why they didn't search my jacket, but I don't think they are.
They're not, but it's been nearly an hour.
I asked right before I went inside the first time why there were three instead of two, like normal, and the guy that had been interacting with me the most responded that they usually work in groups, but they're sometimes on their own and sometimes in groups of up to four. As they were leaving, I apologized for causing trouble and thanked them for their hard work.
Even though it was stressful, it was fun and it's an experience I'm glad to have had. I should've asked more questions, though, as it's usually really hard to get cops to talk to me.
Well, for as long as this post has been, the entire thing probably didn't last fifteen minutes. And it's nearly 5:30AM, so I'm calling it a day.
[When I went to actually put this online, two cops walked by and I greeted them. I've never seen cops around here with the exception of the past 24 hours.]
posted by William at
8/13/2008 05:28:00 AM
8 Comments:
They are keeping an eye on the crazy foriegner
Wow...that sounds both stressful, and yet obviously interesting, too, as this is one of your longer posts other than those with tons of pictures. I'm glad you got to talk to them, cool that you understood them, and wow...um...kinda scary, all in all.
I think you just beat my getting pulled over on foot story, Will.
ha ha ha ha! I wish I was there... no really
being back home is just a little bit depressing.
No more crazy adventures like this one for a while... sigh
glad your still having a blast though!
Victory is mine! I've got you on that and foot-in-mouth; what's next?
I don't know, but I think I need to come to Japan. Apparently stuff over there just has more pwn.
hehe! I guess they looked at you and since you are their no.1 criminal stereotype,they had to search you, even for nothing else for the practice! But the "We're men, so it's okay" really take the price considering this is the country that other men grab your testicles to say Ganbatte, the "its OK" isn't very reassuring, hm! Take it this way, at least you have a story to tell!
I've got to hear these 'Pulled over on foot' story..
Anyway, I love the "Ah, Gmail!"
Ah, Google.
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