This irks me, but perhaps it shouldn't?

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
08/23/2019 at 14:50 • Filed to: None

This Tahoe belongs to the School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned to my boys’ middle school. He’s parked on the median in the parking lot so he can be in the shade. He has his own spot right in front of the door but, like most Texans, he’s willing to park far away in the shade and walk.

The SRO’s unused parking space

The other reason he parks on the median is that he can. If I were to park there, I don’t think the school or the cops would be quite so forgiving. I’ve had dealings with the SRO, and he’s a really nice guy. I wouldn’t want his job. So I guess I can give him a bit of slack on the parking. Still, I’m not sure he’s setting the best example.

When I have symphony concerts, we park in a garage across from the hall and there is an off-duty Austin school district officer who makes sure we get across the street safely. I don’t remember which show it was, but I said to him as I crossed, “This is a really great show. You’d probably like it. I can get you some comps if you want to come.” He laughed and said, “I don’t need a ticket. I’m a cop! I can just walk right in.”

DISCUSSION (56)

MrSnrub > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:00

You can’t expect cops to obey the laws they enforce, that’s socialism. “ Rules for thee but not for me.”

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:00

Kinja'd!!!

Chariotoflove > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:01

I fully believe the majority of cops are good people at heart, or at least start out that way. But when there is nobody to hold you accountable for your actions, human nature is to start to do what you can get away with. They’ve shown that in sociological research. Once in a while, a person will show the strength of character to do what they should though no one is watching, but it’s sadly all too rare.

Spanfeller is a twat > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:05

Are there no shaded spots? Maybe the SRO could ask for a shaded spot.

dogisbadob > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:06

Do they have Dunkin Donuts down there? :p

What if someone else parked in that space lol

Censored > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:07

Is it possibly for visibility. At our schools, the SSO’s will be the first vehicle you see when turning towards the school. I realize that there is the shade added benefit, but the spot in the lot simply doesn’t look very visible.

RutRut > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:08

Is he sitting in the car during entrance/exit periods? I could see wanting to be able to see from the car and not being boxed in I guess.

ttyymmnn > Censored
08/23/2019 at 15:08

That’s possible. It is prominently located at the entrance to the school, and is the first thing you see. Good point. The assigned spot on the lot is not visible at all.

benjrblant > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:10

something something to serve and protect. and that’s citizens, not yourself.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:10

Given my experience with school parking lots at any level below college, you can park where ever the hell you feel like, and nobody will say a damn thing ... so long as you’re not in the fire lane.

Ash78, voting early and often > Censored
08/23/2019 at 15:10

Yep, our elementary SRO parks front and center, and his office/cube is directly inside the school. Two levels of minor deterrence.

Our church also parks an officer right out front.

It’s sad the world has come to that, but the compliments outweigh the critiques by about 10:1.

Ash78, voting early and often > Spanfeller is a twat
08/23/2019 at 15:11

Very little of the US has shaded spots, as a general rule (overhead roofing) . I’ve only ever seen them in widespread use in Arizona and parts of Southern California.

Chariotoflove > dogisbadob
08/23/2019 at 15:11

Dough nuts are everywhere around the South, but not DD. One just opened up on the North side, and I am ecstatic.

Svend > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:11

He laughed and said, “I don’t need a ticket. I’m a cop! I can just walk right in.

Lol. The same with ambulance crews.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:14

And, probably like every resource officer I’ve ever met, he’s a really nice guy... who’s just a little off. Like, you can’t really explain it, but he’s just not quite right.

Longtime Lurker > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:24

Maybe the Tahoe wouldn't get so hot if it was painted a lighter color like idk white maybe /s

CB > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:27

Visibility and not getting boxed in are both good reasons to park there. He may have also cleared it with the school. If he's just doing it for the shade, he's a bit of a knob.

M.T. Blake > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:37

Looks like a great place to let everyone know he’s there.

Plus, it’s private property, and red zones are for law enforcement too.

Just Jeepin' > Chariotoflove
08/23/2019 at 15:52

Oh, no, you can’t be serious. The presence of DD immediately lowers the average quality of donuts.

Dear heavens, in Boston they’re so prevalent it’s almost impossible to find a fresh donut anywhere, or at least was when I lived there. Some DD locations had them tru cked in, no baking on-site. Deplorable.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 15:54

I would park right next to him. I don’t care how nice of a guy he is, he’s not above the law. If he ticketed me, I'd raise hell to get him ticketed as well. But is there even a specific law saying you can't park there?

Spanfeller is a twat > Ash78, voting early and often
08/23/2019 at 15:59

That’s odd. But it happens here too. Specially in cities with more relaxed zoning laws.

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 16:08

All I’m noticing is that half the cars pictured are black which seems like a really poor choice of color for Texas. As someone who had 2 black cars, 1 with a black interior like the Tahoe, I personally don’t blame him for trying to find any shade that he can. Sure it’s bending the rules, but I’d give him a pass because that’s a tough job.

Chariotoflove > Just Jeepin'
08/23/2019 at 16:08

You’ll be scandalized by this then. We have two doughnut shops around the block that we can walk to on saturday mornings that bake there own fresh . They over frost their doughnuts to my taste, like almost all doughnuts I’ve had in Dallas. They put me into a sugar coma after one or two.

Last time I went Chicago, I found a DD near my hotel. I bought a dozen and ate them all myself (not at one sitting). I was in heaven. I love DD.

Sovande > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 16:08

I've said it before, fuck the police.

Censored > Ash78, voting early and often
08/23/2019 at 16:13

Exactly on both. We have 2 officers that attend our church and both drive their squad cars and park at or near the entrance. U sually one of them shows up in uniform and is on the welcome committee in the lobby. It really is sad that we have come to this, but I’m thankful for the men and women who take the absolute thankless job of being an officer.

ranwhenparked > Just Jeepin'
08/23/2019 at 16:34

Ive always been perplexed by the fact that the largest and most successful doughnut chain makes the worst doughnuts you can buy.

Its like if Dominos were the largest pizza chain.

Just Jeepin' > Chariotoflove
08/23/2019 at 16:39

It’s like I don’t know you at all.

Just Jeepin' > ranwhenparked
08/23/2019 at 16:41

In fairness I do like the new Dominos. DD is just abysmal.

ttyymmnn > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
08/23/2019 at 17:12

That would be illegal.

Unless you’re a cop.

ttyymmnn > Spanfeller is a twat
08/23/2019 at 17:13

There are a few, but not in the front lot.

ttyymmnn > Chariotoflove
08/23/2019 at 17:13

I can think of a couple DDs in Austin. But Krispy Kreme is closer.

ttyymmnn > RutRut
08/23/2019 at 17:15

Not sitting in his car, but he was outside at dismissal, standing with the teacher who tries to enforce the right turn only exit.

ttyymmnn > benjrblant
08/23/2019 at 17:15

After reading a few of the comments here, I’m inclined to think that he is parked in a conspicuous place to announce the fact that there is an officer on campus. That alone could act as a deterrent to somebody with bad intentions.

ttyymmnn > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)
08/23/2019 at 17:17

I had a long talk with him when my son got caught up in a perceived threat to the school. My son was the one making the threat, but it was somebody in his circle of friends. He actually seemed like a real straight shooter, so to speak. Very squared away. The kids all like him.

ttyymmnn > Longtime Lurker
08/23/2019 at 17:18

Doesn’t look menacing enough in white. Remember, US cop cars are meant to be intimidating, not necessarily visible.

ttyymmnn > CB
08/23/2019 at 17:18

I’m beginning to lean in favor of the former, not the latter.

ttyymmnn > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
08/23/2019 at 17:19

But is there even a specific law saying you can’t park there?

Probably not. He’s not in the fire lane either.

ttyymmnn > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
08/23/2019 at 17:20

I can’t explain all the black cars, but I’m leaning towards the explanation that he’s there for visibility, and the shade is an added perk.

TheRealBicycleBuck > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 17:26

Parking there is not good for the tree. The souls is getting compacted and the roots are getting crushed. Eventually, that side of the tree will die. Being an Austinite, you’d think he would know this.

wafflesnfalafel > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 18:10

sets a sh!tty example... two thumbs down.

Chariotoflove > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 18:36

DD>KK, but it’s all relative, after all. I’m not turning down a doughnut either way.

Chariotoflove > Just Jeepin'
08/23/2019 at 18:38

Is this the end of us now? I knew it was too good to last.

< Sob>

Chariotoflove > Chariotoflove
08/23/2019 at 18:39

Note post editing period: *their, not there. I hate when those get mixed up.

Longtime Lurker > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 18:59

Yes intimidate those children until they feel safe.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 19:03

There may be an aspect of because he can, but it probably has a lot to do with visibility. A lot of policing boils down to “see and be seen.” There’s a deterrent effect. The shade is probably a nice bonus, too.

On a related note, SRO’s in middle school are a new concept to me. Back in my day of the middle school in the 90's, there were no SRO’s until you got to high school.

ttyymmnn > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
08/23/2019 at 19:15

I’m leaning towards the explanation of high visibility. And that’s fine.

We didn’t even have a cop in high school. Then again, I graduated in 1984, and mass shootings weren’t a thing back then. We rarely even had fights, and it was a big, multiracial school.

coqui70 > CB
08/23/2019 at 20:46

If you’re from Texas you should understand why shade is good. If you’re not let me explain how the inside of any vehicle under the hot Texas sun becomes a steaming sauna of hellish magnitude where your skin starts to blister the moment it touches any plastic or metal surface.

I am blessed to work in a place that offers covered parking, and even then the inside of the vehicle is hot in the afternoons.

CB > coqui70
08/23/2019 at 21:03

To add, a hot car sucks, but getting in wearing pants, boots, 30 pounds of gear, including a bullet proof vest, sucks even worse since none of it breathes and gets very hot very fast.

coqui70 > CB
08/23/2019 at 21:15

Yessir.

subexpression > ttyymmnn
08/23/2019 at 23:01

I say it should irk you. I t shows the students that cops do n’t have to follow rules, and today there seems to be a real problem with that mindset in law enforcement. He has the opportunity to show students that he and the badge he wears genuinely deserve respect, and part of that is holding yourself to a higher standard than you expect from others . If the assigned parking spot isn’t right, find a spot that is and work with the school to have it marked .

Disclaimer: I didn’t have a school officer until most of the way through high school , and the main thing he was known for was staring at the teenage girls in a way that made the faculty uncomfortable . I wasn’t exactly left with a positive impression . I also don’t think kids growing up surrounded by police is a recipe for a better future , especially since teachers sometimes find it a little too tempting to push regular discipline problems to their resource officers .

ttyymmnn > subexpression
08/23/2019 at 23:46

I agree, but I’m also tending to believe the explanation that he parks there for visibility, so anybody who comes to the main entrance knows there’s an officer on campus.

Gerry197 > ttyymmnn
08/24/2019 at 15:41

I think it’s for viability , parking in his actual spot it would just blend in. You see that you have an officer their with his vehicle on the median.

I see LEOs do this all the time even without shade.

BigBlock440 > Ash78, voting early and often
08/26/2019 at 15:52

Like the security/alarm stickers in the windows or yard, the stickers are more of a deterrence than the actual security system.

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > ttyymmnn
08/26/2019 at 15:57

I mean, context is typically key, right? In a vacuum the aspect of walking in cause they’re a cop should be a warning flag everywhere - it definitely sends the message opposite of “I’m one of you. ”

But to be honest these people get shot at a lot and while I don’t support the bad cops being protected by the good cops (or the bad cops threatening the ones trying to be good cops) I’ll give em a privileged parking space especially if there might be a point to it.

There are perks to any job with a meaningful amount of authority. This is a thing that happens and I only really give a shit if the perk allows them to get away with something that hurts someone else. A landlord friend of mine had a cop tenant who trashed the place and they lost tens of thousands.

That median thing by comparison barely registers. If both supporters and detractors can’t understand context, we’ll never get anywhere as a society - and sometimes it shows.

functionoverfashion > ttyymmnn
08/27/2019 at 09:51

There’s a 15-minute space (two of them) in the staff parking lot closest to the University Police office where I work. All summer, parking rules are pretty much not enforced because there’s more than enough parking, but I noticed a particular truck parking often in the 15-minute spaces, all day. No one else does this. Sometimes people park there for a few hours, one day - maybe they had something heavy to bring into work, and forgot, or maybe it was pouring rain when they got to work and just said, well, one time I’ll do this. I’ve parked there for more than 15 minutes before, but probably only twice ever.

This guy was doing it a LOT, and one day, I noticed that it’s one of the officers, because of course it is. I didn’t say anything because, again, summer, and I often park far away from my office for various reasons, one being I don’t dislike walking, not to mention it’s part of my job to walk all over the place anyway. Where he parks is not my problem.

But opening week, when students are all over the place, lots are all full , and in fact, many people need to utilize those exact spaces to get parking passes from UPD , I notice this guy still parking there like it’s his personal parking space - hey, it’s always open, whaddya know?

But y ou know what? The police dept. doesn’t really have good parking at all , and if they want their officers to have a space nearby for when they come in / leave at weird hours, FINE. Just change the signs to say UPD Parking Only. But that’s not what the sign says.

I mentioned it to the chief in passing (I just said “there’s a black F250 ...” ) , and he said “thanks I’ll look into it” and I know he knew exactly who it was.

He hasn’t parked there since.

ttyymmnn > functionoverfashion
08/27/2019 at 09:53

He hasn’t parked there since.

Mission accomplished. Well played.