The area I grew up was known for partying in the summer. Tourists would wander around local neighborhoods drunk af and piss in people’s front lawns without a care. They’d drive drunk and our cops hyped up on everyone as a result. The very first time I was pulled over was in such an area, allegedly for running a red light (I turned right, which is legal. So the cop changed gears and said I didn’t stop fully before turning. This was before dash cams were standard, so it was his word vs mine.)

He asked me three fucking times, “Have you been drinking? ARE YOU SURE?” I was like 18, on my way to work, and had yet to even touch an alcoholic drink in my life. I’d say he went from 0 to 11, but that’d be generous. He initiated the situation already determined that I was a criminal. Add on, the local police department building was on the same street we stopped on, so a crowd of officers ended up standing around watching us. The guy might have been putting on a show for his buddies. It was such an aggressive experience that afterwards, I pulled over somewhere and cried.

I know, I got off lucky with those American cops. I can’t imagine how it would’ve gone if I’d had a darker skintone. ACAB, but especially cops in tourist areas. They clock in with a bone to pick and a quota to fill.