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Ride along Etiquette

17K views 41 replies 21 participants last post by  mayhem988 
#1 ·
I have recently come upon an opportunity to do a ride along with my local PD through their Citizen Police Academy. I'm curious if officers have any opinions on ride along etiquette. Should I just sit and be quite? Should I not ask too many questions? Should I attempt to make conversation? What kind of things do you like/dislike a ride along to do.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I would hate to disrespect or annoy the officer who takes me for the ride.
 
#28 ·
I had a high school kid ask me (on a ride-a-long) if I kept the beer that was confiscated from high school kids....... try and ask intelligent questions.....
You mean that's not done anymore? I'm pretty sure that was SOP when I was a teenager, when my friends and I watched our beer disappear into the trunks of a cruiser or two. And in my early years (long, long ago) "on the job" in MA (early 1970's), I even heard rumors that such things were still going on, though, of course, I have no independent knowledge or recollection of such events having actually transpired. Oh, how times have changed.

---------- Post added at 21:30 ---------- Previous post was at 21:21 ----------

Whenever I have a ride along, I take them to the dirtiest alleys, the most gang infested, and the worst section of the area I can find.......
Hey, LA Copper, we didn't have a choice, did we? Those were the ONLY kinds of areas we had (mine were FPK and LNX, in South Central L.A.)!!
 
#29 ·
I haven't read every post so apologies if my suggestions have already been mentioned. Here are my suggestions for an informative and memorable ride along.

-Break wind often (we don't call it farting on the job...we're professionals). Nothing breaks up the monotany of a shared laugh over imminent methane death.

-Open the window and make a siren noise "RRRRRrrrrrrrrr!!!!" to any pedestrian you observe. This will convey that the PD is tolerant and easygoing. In the interest of accuracy don't forget to mix in a "Baaap, Baap" noise for the airhorn.

-Ask to hold the officer's sidearm during the ridealong. This will visibly demonstrate the trusting partnership between the police and the community they serve.

-Make as many donut related references or jokes as possible...it never gets old and is sure to evoke a hearty laugh with each and every mention.
 
G
#34 ·
I once had a kid show up in bloused BDU's and a t-shirt that said police...later to find out he also had cuffs in his pocket.
He wouldn't have gotten in my cruiser dressed like that.

I tell my ridealongs ahead of time to dress comfortably, but I had a British cop show up dressed to the nines, looking like he was headed out for High Tea with the Queen. That was an interesting night.
 
#35 ·
Its been 13 years since my last ride-along....looking forward to my next trip to LA!
 
#39 ·
He wouldn't have gotten in my cruiser dressed like that.

I tell my ridealongs ahead of time to dress comfortably, but I had a British cop show up dressed to the nines, looking like he was headed out for High Tea with the Queen. That was an interesting night.
He was quickly turned on his way.
He then came back a week later in normal clothes but with an ANSZI jacket. We had a bad Mva and my supervisor made him turn cars around....he thought he was god the kid was on cloud 9.
Hes in the hiring process as a special in a municipality out this way god help us.
 
#41 ·
I took a ride-along with me over the summer. It wasn't too shabby having a certain LAPD Sgt. covering my ass.
 
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