The majority of us have experienced (at one point or another in our lives) the sudden fear and panic instilled by those blue and red lights flashing behind our car. Most of us let out a huge sigh of relief when they pull over the car next to us or just speed by as soon as we move to the right lane.
I’m at the point where I panic as soon as a police car even gets near me let alone flashes their lights at me. As soon as I see that familiar-shaped car I slow down (regardless of what speed I’m going) and move as far away as possible hoping to escape unscathed and ticket-less. I could be doing nothing wrong yet my panicked mind runs through countless scenarios of what laws I could be breaking: maybe my light is out maybe I’ll get a ticket for driving one over the speed limit … he could pull me over FOR ANYTHING. It’s irrational but I know I’m not alone in this fear. No one that I know actually likes to have a cop driving behind them. Some students resort to posting Facebook statuses alerting their friends “Cop near Geoffrey’s be warned.” So why do we break into a sweat at the sight of a police car?
It could just be the psychological fear that comes with authority. Those in power have the ability to punish us and cause (emotional) pain. As much as authority keeps us safe they can also issue severe negative consequences. Pain punishment and consequences aren’t exactly my idea of happiness and good times. It is the same fear that comes with a test: the fear of underperforming when we are being watched and graded on performance. Not all of us perform well under pressure.
Perhaps though there is another reason for this nerve-tightening fear. It is as simple as distrust. People distrust the police and possibly for good reason. On my daily 10-minute commute to Pepperdine I usually see or pass around three cops. I thank them for pulling over unsafe drivers but I have found myself starting to resent the collective “police” for their misuse of the law. After seeing one too many police cars run red lights make one too many illegal u-turns at Cross-Creek turn on their lights just to pass a car and frequently speed for no apparent reason I am growing disillusioned. I have yet to get a ticket but the day I do my temptation is to resent it thinking that the cop who issued it probably got away with breaking the same law I did. And my tax dollars paid them for it. How can I trust that I will be treated fairly when they are treating the law unfairly?
Our reaction to this fear should be two-fold. First to those in authority (aka the police) uphold the law. Those in positions of power are held to an even higher standard since they lose all credibility to enforce laws if they themselves do not respect them. The public eye can be ruthless and unforgiving at times but that comes with the job. They cannot expect respect if they do not respect taxpayers and abuse their power. Trust will not come if they are acting in a way that warrants distrust.
The second reaction belongs to the common driver. Do not generalize. The phrase “All cops are corrupt” is unfair untrue and overused. Just because a few cops seem to showcase a corrupt tendency towards the law does not mean that every cop is that way and we can’t let one police man or woman flavor the entire pot. Choose to believe that there are law-abiding police out there and that they are doing their job: ensuring our safety. Trust that if you aren’t making a mistake you won’t get pulled over. Lastly respect their position because they are doing a service for you.
In an ideal world based on mutual trust and accountability instead of panicking I should rest a little easier the next time I see those infamous blue and red lights. Recently I tested out my hypothesis. Instead of immediately switching lanes when a police car zoomed up behind me I calmly maintained my speed and continued driving. Yes I was slightly paranoid and I don’t doubt he checked my license plate but I managed to turn left at John Tyler Drive without incident. I arrived at school satisfied and panic free. I can’t say the same about the police car though. Someone should probably tell him that you’re supposed to turn left when driving in the left-hand turn lane.