Man stopped and searched by police ‘for wearing several layers despite warm weather’

25 comments
  1. Worth mentioning how offended officers and their fans get when you point out that things like facial recognition are an issue because the police can’t be trusted to use the technology sensibly.

    This is a prime example of *why*. When “I stopped you because you’re wearing a coat, and *I personally* think it’s too warm for that.” is so plainly an absurd reason for contact at all, they know they’ll get called out for it.

    Set up a facial recognition van though, and you can stop whoever you like because “Computer said so.” or “You looked like you were covering your face.” or “It seems like you were trying to avoid the camera.”

    How many times have we seen these scenarios play out? How many times has the result been “We’ll do better.” and then failing to ever do better?

  2. British people can be weird, the instant there’s some sun some people think it’s t-shirt time. It’s still March FFS.

  3. Police stopped me in the underground. It was shortly after 7/7 so there was a lot of police activity at the time. I was coming out of the tube. He asked if I minded being searched, I said “no”.

    I did mind though because I had a stash of drugs in my bag inc MDMA, speed, coke and ketamine. I also had an open bottle of red wine. I just kept my cool though, I am as far away from looking like a terrorist as you can imagine.

    He had a look through, didn’t find anything and wasn’t bothered about the wine. He gave me the copy of the search form which is quite a good souvenir of a memorable day as I was on my way to see my online girlfriend for the first time (never met in person before). That was 2005 and we are still together. Sometimes we pull out the search form and have a good chuckle. Plod, I ask you.

    I’m drink and drug free now btw and have been for a long time.

  4. This is that weird time of year where at 7am it’s 0°C and in the afternoon it hits 15°C.

    I used to walk to work and had to leave in the morning, so naturally I’d wear more layers.

  5. > Another posted: “That is utterly ridiculous. What is wrong with the police that they would question someone wearing a coat? Why do the police get so much wrong these days? Is it because we have a government which gets everything wrong? I wonder.”

    The police *always* got stuff wrong. It’s just that people are starting to pay attention to the injustices.

  6. Clearly they’ve been watching Hot Fuzz. Remember Mr Treacher? Why has he got that big coat on? Can’t cold, why the extra layer? Maybe he’s trying to hide something.

  7. Just going to point out that being unusually dressed such as this is considered suspicious in all anti terror training.

  8. It would be a lot easier if they just said “look we stopped him because he’s black.”

    At least it would be believable. Seriously though how hard is it not to be a piece of shit?

  9. I mean in all fairness I was on the underground during the height of summer, must have been 30c above ground even hotter under. And a guy walked on with a giant winter coat, which certainly put me on edge.

  10. In the words of big nasty when talkibg stop and search.. .. if its a super hot day and uou see someone wearing a big puffer jacker f*cking stop him…

  11. >Man stopped and searched by police ‘for wearing several layers despite warm weather’

    Add a beanie hat and that sounds like me. What? It isn’t exactly warm. Doesn’t matter that I’m white.

    Oh, that happened.

  12. How the fuck did I know the man would be black?

    The Met just out there every day bring like the South Park police force.

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