I got pulled over for speeding on Saturday. 43 in a 30. (Full disclosure: I speed...a fair bit of the time). Cop was super friendly, gave a warning, we drove off.

I have never had an encounter with a police officer that was particularly scary. Only one ticket after being pulled over (guesstimate) 8-10 times in 30 years of driving. I’m a white lady, and, an old white lady, these days.

I have no perspective of what a scary encounter with an officer would be like. Even the cop who gave me a ticket was apologetic. I had my (then) little kids in the car and he was all “I can see you have your hands full!”

I have been pulled over for having a headlight out (same car, 3 times), and nothing. Very much “sorry to bother you, but your headlight is out”

Each time I have been pulled over, I know what I did, I know it was illegal, and, I am genuinely surprised when they let me skate. I am sure I would be genuinely pissed if they hadn’t, and hopefully motivated to do a better job at driving and/or auto maintenance/upkeep

(Side note: fucking “broken window policing” am I right? I drive w/ headlights on during the day (always, because I am nerdy like that) and got pulled over for a light out during the day? Where’s the safety issue? 3 other lights in front, all working fine. But I digress...)

The point of this thread is, what the fuck do I know about police being scary to some folks? Zero! I have no life experience there, whatsoever. That doesn’t mean I don’t believe people who haven’t had it as good as I have.

Beyond the overwhelming video evidence, I just, I dunno, *believe them*? I mean, if you live in the US and sincerely think we’re all equal in this, I don’t even know what to say, except “obliviousness must be so peaceful”.

Bottom line: Old white ladies have different experiences with police than other demographics. All our experiences should be the exactly the same. They should all be...like mine.

Or fuck, maybe mine should be like some black 25 year old guy pulled over for the same fucking thing I got pulled over for—how fast would reform happen if old white ladies were treated like they stole that nice car instead of having a job and a car payment?

If old white ladies got hauled out of their car and handcuffed/sent to jail for “resisting arrest” after failing to signal a lane change, how fucking fast would things change?

Anyway...if you are out tonight, asking these same questions to the authorities, I send you my peace. It’s all I’ve got, for this. Tomorrow I’ll start writing letters because, hey, old white lady constituant is listened to, for some fucking reason. Play to your strengths.