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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Mild PMT or Responsible Challenge ... or neither?

25 replies

Jupe01 · 26/06/2012 12:10

In brief ... In Sports Direct store this morning stood in a queue patiently waiting for the sales assistant to change the till roll. Behind me are two parents with their respective pre-school children. All of us patiently waiting for the the two Police Officers at the front of the queue who are both apparently buying themselves flip flops. Now i must confess, that I was slightly wound up by the fact that they were in uniform buying flip flops at all notwithstanding that they could perhaps have been involved in important flip flop fraud investigation work. Maybe that is unreasonable - but I must confess that I was.

However I was completely incensed by the fact that they were both in full kit with tazer gun accoutrements i.e. thigh holsters, chest holsters and charger packs etc in a public store. Oh yes - very impressed I was (not!)

I seriously have no objection to Police Officers mingling with us mere mortals so as to normalise their community presence. However, walking around obviously carrying weapons in a public store where there are young children present? Like I said, I was incensed.

AIBU by challenging them on why they were doing this (perhaps a little tersely). Should I be refraining from contact with members of the public myself and locking myself in my bedroom until my period has passed?

OP posts:
PandaWatch · 26/06/2012 12:14

Could they have just come off duty and rather than having to get changed first popped into Sports Direct on their way back to the station? I'm not sure what proper procedure is as far as changing out of uniform goes

I'm sure they weren't trying to impress anyone with their tasers though!

WorraLiberty · 26/06/2012 12:16

You sound insane Lol

Did they at any point look likely to Tazer the kids?

I must admit I might have been tempted...

WorraLiberty · 26/06/2012 12:17

Oh I didn't read the bit where you said you challenged them.

What did they say?

TheVermiciousKnid · 26/06/2012 12:19

What did they say?

They probalby tazered her. OP had just enough time to post on MN before ... zzzzz. Wink

OP, it might be safer for everybody if you lock yourself in your bedroom for the next few days. Grin

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 26/06/2012 12:19

What on earth...........maybe...god forbid ...they were on a break???

Personally I dont think it does our kids any harm to see police armed with these sorts of things...maybe it will bring back some respect of fear of the police that there was when I was a kid and we gave a damn!

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 26/06/2012 12:20

Police officers are going to have to wear their Tazer accoutrements out in public, because if they need to use them, it's going to be there and then - they aren't going to have time to go back to the station and get them.

And maybe they were buying their flipflops during a coffee break.

I think you need to lay in a good supply of chocolate (or your alternative treat of choice), and stay at home watching wimbledon or mumsnetting until your period has passed.

FerrisBueller1972 · 26/06/2012 12:20

You challenged them? Really? Why.....? Ah yes. PMT. Please do lock yourself away until you are back to being reasonably rational Wink

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 26/06/2012 12:21

More to the point - where can I get me a Tazer? It would come in very useful for subduing gently disciplining my teenagers! [evil]Grin

Jupe01 · 26/06/2012 12:21

Ha ha - I felt insane!!! I don't normally suffer with PMT, but I am sure it must have had something to do with my reaction. I thought it was completely unnecessary - and intimidating! Lucky I checked with you guys then ... I was on the verge of ringing the station and complaining!

I am certain that they felt like tazering me after my terse outburst though ...

My husband is in the military and would never dream of wondering around in public with a weapon on show - or even the holster for one actually. I remain slightly miffed but duly chastised by my peers. I shall therefore remove myself to my room and not endanger the public forthwith until my period has safely passed ...

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 26/06/2012 12:26

Intimidating?

Police carrying weapons to protect us is intimidating?

Jeez, it makes me wonder how kids in Northern Ireland ever managed....

PandaWatch · 26/06/2012 12:28

What do you say to them?! When you say you have locked yourself away in a room, are you, in fact, in a prison cell OP?!

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 26/06/2012 12:28

Lucky they had their size of flipflops in stock or they might have lost it and tasered bystanders

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 26/06/2012 12:30

Your husband would carry his weapon in public if he were on duty, though, wouldn't he? On parade, or guarding the barracks entrance, or whatever? The police officers were on duty, hence needing their Tazers.

But don't worry about the insanity - I am pretty sure I lost my last marble some years ago, and am just fine how I am! Call it eccentricity, and revel in it!

MissFaversam · 26/06/2012 12:31

Get a grip OP Grin

MissKeithLemon · 26/06/2012 12:33

But Jupe01 - I would also be worried if someone in the military was walking around with their weapon - given we are not at war within the UK and its not a part of their everyday uniform anyway Confused

The Police on the other hand....

Jupe01 · 26/06/2012 12:33

Hmmmm - interesting! I don't think I am alone in finding weapons intimidating. And additionally, I genuinely don't think that exposure to individuals carrying lethal weapons has had a net positive effect on the children of NI (or any other country where this happens) in truth. Just sayin ...

OP posts:
Jupe01 · 26/06/2012 12:34

I said that my husband would never dream of it ... i.e. he would NEVER do it.

OP posts:
Quenelle · 26/06/2012 12:36

YANBU

Tazers and flip flops worn together are so last season.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 26/06/2012 12:39

So he wouldn't patrol with his weapon on the streets of Belfast? Or carry his weapon on parade if ordered to do so?

Jupe01 · 26/06/2012 12:41

If he were nipping off to buy flip flops on the streets of Belfast - or inadvertently stopping off for a football shirt while supposed to be on parade, I am certain he would make arrangements to cover up all obvious signs of both his uniform and any weapon - yes.

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 26/06/2012 12:45

Ok - you're right - he wouldn't be wearing his weapon whilst shopping in a sports store - sorry. But he might be wearing his weapon out in public if it was part of his duties, mightn't he?

MissKeithLemon · 26/06/2012 12:47

But it isn't his job to protect the public is it Hmm

Jupe01 · 26/06/2012 12:55

With the best will in the world, the Police Officers concerned were not 'protecting the public' when I saw them. They were buying flip flops - hopefully while they were on some break. It was wholly unnecessary therefore for them to be obviously carrying weapons at that time. I accept that Police Officers may indeed, from time to time, need to buy flip flops. But I say they should be mindful of how they present themselves to the general public, and that they should, where possible, avoid offending the sensitivities of the general public, particularly where there are likely to be children present.

OP posts:
lastnerve · 26/06/2012 13:03

try living in Mexico where masked police walk around with huge rifles or drive around in tanks. I hope its PMT.

MissKeithLemon · 26/06/2012 13:10

But the police are meant to be floating around in public, which means that they will at times be found in places such as shops and such like, and the weapons are part of their uniform.
Was only making the point that your comparison to your dh not carrying a weapon does not make any sense Jupe.

YABU

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