My children’s first interaction with the police was witnessing two officers get verbally upset at my refusal to provide them with my name while standing on my own property. Overall, it was a tough day for the kids.
The story begins innocuously enough. We rented a bounce house to have some fun, but the winds were too strong that day and the bounce house started floating away until it was ultimately stopped by our fence. When I called to get a refund, the company who rented it to us was not only unwilling to help out, but arrived upset that the bounce house had been ripped on my fence. Wanting to make a record of it, they called the local police.
Upon the arrival of the first county Sheriff, he kindly asked me what had happened. I told him that it blew away and that it was ridiculous that the police would even respond to such a situation. He agreed, but said that the bounce house company was alleging that I ripped it because I couldn’t get a refund. At that point, I told the officer this is a civil matter and I don’t want you or anyone else on my property. The officer complied and then asked for my name, my response was “no thanks.”
As I went inside my home, I would have thought that was the end of it, but unfortunately it wasn’t. My stomach dropped because a second police officer had arrived, so now I have two patrol cars in front of my house. This was a bit embarrassing because I’m sure some of my neighbors think they live next to a criminal now.
The police respected my wish for no one to come on the property by yelling at my house for me to come outside.
As I walked back towards the officers, it looked like the second one was some type of supervisor with a few stripes on his sleeve. He promptly demanded my personal information for his report, and I once again said no thank you.
Inspired by a few ACLU videos, and a pastor who used to record himself crossing some border checkpoints, I felt pretty confident I was in the right. I asked the officer what law I had broken, his response was that any prudent citizen would give him their info so that he could make a report. I simply responded by letting him know that I respect him as an individual, but I have zero intentions of having any official interaction with the police today while at my own home, especially as a result of a civil matter.
My children observed this entire incident, and I have to admit, having my children watching me gave me the courage to do the right thing…up to a certain point. The right thing being to stand my own ground as an independent man, but if the police had pulled out their handcuffs and demanded my name and license -boom- checkmate. What is worse, seeing your dad give the authorities his license, or seeing him dragged away in handcuffs and possibly pepper sprayed?
Luckily, the police ultimately left my house without further incident.
Both of my children were pretty awe struck, not knowing what just occurred; however, what they did learn that day is that you don’t have to take orders from the police. You don’t have to turn into a scared dog with your tail tucked between your legs. In fact, just the opposite. We should treat the police with the same respect we give other people. I have no intentions of going out of my way to upset them, but I also have no intention of going out of my way to surrender my own personal rights as a sovereign individual.
These lessons by example are a luxury because let’s face it, sometimes when you have babies sleeping in the back seat of your car or little hungry bellies waiting to eat, you simply don’t have time to be an activist. Especially if you are dealing with an irate police officer who doesn’t give a shit about the law.
– The Dissident Dad
For more info see this author’s bio.
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Great job! I applaud your courage!
Interesting story, and I have no problem with how Dad handled the PD….
…but I do have a problem with Dad asking for a refund. Did the rental contract specify refunds due to weather/act of God, or the renter’s own lack-of-common-sense (not securing the bounce house on a windy day, duh)? On what basis was a refund due to you, the renter? Or is Dad just the kind of person who habitually asks for a refund from every vendor he deals with?
While I may agree that the damage to the bounce house was not the renter’s fault here, I fail to see any basis for a refund. You rented, they delivered. The risk of strong wind is on the renter, not the rental company. Would you demand a refund if it had merely been a rainy day (not windy)? Please explain.
So let me get this straight. First he rents stuff, then breaks it by not looking after it properly, then refuses to compensate the owner but instead has the incredible nerve to ask for a refund (???? WTF ), and continues to make some sort of childish ‘stand’ by not saying his name to a police officer, which btw serves what purpose exactly? Well done, dad, you really showed them. Great example to your kids in how not to take responsibility for your own actions in life. Btw, what is your name? Al Bundy perhaps?
Dad has every right to ask for a refund. Do I feel he should get one? No, but he has every right to ask. Does he owe for damages? Well if he doesn’t deserve a refund due to an “act of God”, then by the same token he shouldn’t need to pay for damages done by an “act of God”. He also has every right to deny giving his personal info to and LEO as he stated, “it was a civil matter” and none of their business.
Central MN – I, too, have no problem with how DD dealt with the PD – a civil matter indeed.
But you seem to think it’s a-OK for DD to ask for a refund… why? on what basis? Just because he CAN ask for a refund, he SHOULD ask for one?
So both you and DD are the type of people who habitually ask for refunds… just because… no law against it, you figure, right?
That makes you and DD first-rate jagoffs whose accumulated bad karma causes far more trouble than the once-in-a-bluemoon refund you might snooker out of a vendor is worth…
what comes around goes around.
Indeed DD has no obligation to say his name nor to spend any time with a PO who wishes to make a report. But what, given the situation, which he created by being an obnoxious wanker, did he hope to achieve exactly? To stay anonymous, in front of his home address, and after filling out a rental contract and all that? Please. He himself admitted that in a different situation he wouldn’t have the guts refusing to comply with ‘the law’ ( of which i’m not overly fond of myself ) to prevent escalation. So to describe yourself as a dissident for what he ‘did’ is a tad overstretching it, I think.
DD, Dissident Dad? More like Douchebag Dad.
Yeah. I just read some of his stuff for the first time. I am not impressed at all. I got the impression he is more full of himself (crap) than insightful in any way, shape or form.