"My Dog's Middle-of-the-Night Nature Call & A Question"

[444]

"........since I don't make a habit of doing things that will draw the attention of police ( other than traffic violations ), nor do I conduct myself like a criminal - I'm not highly concerned about being 'hassled'."

See, that is exactly the point. If someone else is calling the police on your for "acting suspcious" that is now drawing the attention of the police. You didn't do anything, but you have their attention never the less. No criminal conduct, just walking down the street.

If the police just started stopping people at random and patting them down, there would be an uproar like nothing ever seen in this country. But, if some civilian calls it in because he doesn't like your looks, the it is OK ?

 

[444]

Let me reiterate one thing. I said, and repeated, that I wasn't there. I don't know all the particulars. I definitely can see situations where there would be a cause for concern.
I grew up in a relatively rural area. I went to high school in a town where I knew every student in my high school. I knew where they lived, I knew where their dad worked, I knew their brother and sisters and I would have recognized their parents on the street. And I lived OUTSIDE of that town. I lived at the end of a dead end gravel road. I knew everyone that lived on that road. I knew where they worked, where they went on vacation, I knew what pet's they owned and their pet's name. If I saw someone outside that house in the middle of the night, I would have wondered what they were doing there. There is no where to go, there is no corner convience store on the way. There is nothing but woods on three sides of the house. Now I wouldn't call the police for a couple reasons; the biggest reason being is that the closest law enforcement agency that was responsible for that jurisdiction was over 10 miles away by country road. I doubt that they would show up, plus, again, it may just be someone taking a walk.

But in David's case, he knows his neighborhood. He knows his community. I wasn't there. It very well may have been a wise decision.