https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3M_nvQht7-c

If I really wanted to be persnickety, I’d say “you can’t drive without ice cream” is a mandate to drive without due care and attention. But that would be churlish. My main complaint: I don’t want to be “lit up” by armed law enforcement agents for any reason whatsoever, ever. OK, maybe if they were warning me about an approaching tornado. But especially not in areas near our southern border where counterfeit cops have pulled over unsuspecting motorists (perhaps mistaking them for drug mules). Question: what if they were filming this and inadvertently pulled over someone who’d committed an armed robbery or some other egregious felony? Probable cause that.

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56 COMMENTS

  2. Well, a Drumstick™ definitely beats a traffic ticket, but I sure as frell would not be happy to have my valuable time and tax dollars wasted like this. You want good PR? Set up a chili cookoff with a dunk tank.

    • Or stop selling out to the politicians as tax collectors, and while you may have to go along with the War on Some Drugs to stay employed, you could at least stop pretending you agree with it.

    • Lighten up a little, jeez. Cops doing something nice on a quiet afternoon is a waste of your tax dollars? What, you’d rather have them investigating doughnut shops or executing no knock raids?

      • Did I not give an alternate option for building good PR that DOESN’T waste the time of people quite possibly on their way to something important that has nothing whatsoever to do with BS like no-knocks? If I am late to work because some cop wants to pull me over and pat me on the back not being a screwup or for PR reasons, I think I have cause to be justifiably irritated with the trouble and inconvenience they have inflicted upon me.

        Like I stated initially, if you want to build an improved relationship in the community, don’t force yourself on the people when it happens to be convenient to YOU. Set up an event where they can come to you on THEIR time, at THEIR convenience.

        • Well, if the cops are on the clock anyway, and their beat is dead quiet and there aren’t even any barking dogs, would you rather they loiter at the donut shop or hand out ice cream? All this bitching about wasting your oh so valuable time – geez, is five minutes of your time going to make you short for the rent or something? And you’re not supposed to be working in your car anyway, you’re supposed to be driving it. And if you’re already late for work, please kwitcherbellyachin;, because the only one to blame for that is you.

          Even as a libertarian, I admit that there is still a need for cops. But isn’t it nice when they don’t have to arrest anybody or anything? Once , when I was down on my luck, I panhandled. When the cops would stop me and stuff, I always wished them a nice work-free day. 😉

  3. Ice Cream pull-over! Wow! I wish I had a do-over with a few pull-overs I had in my day. I would substitute ice cream for them all! Even a bottle of cold water would have been fine! Even a warning would have sufficed! Ha.

    • Why a bottle of cold water? I’m pretty sure you got hosed on at least one of those traffic stops.

      • That was my lame attempt at humor: referencing the 180 mile stretch of highway along which Wall Drugs put up their legendary signs as you near Sturgis. “Free Ice Water!”

        • Count yourself really young. When I was a kid, those billboards were coast to coast, not 180 miles. And not just on that highway, I saw them as far south as GA. And when I was stationed at Rapid City when I was 34, it was a “must see” pretty quickly. After all those signs and all those years, it was really disappointingly normal. But we had to take all visitors for about 5 years.

          BTW, story was that waaaaay back, the road was so lonely that a glass of cold water was a really popular advertisement.

  4. A local department tried something similar years ago.
    They would pull you over for an overt act of kindness or correct driving and give you a dollar.
    There were so many people pissed off over wasting their time, they stopped the practice real fast.

  6. Point taken, but LOL! at the video. On a serious note, I think if they actually did some this for real, it would go a long way to see they are part of the community and not just “following the law”

    I was lit up on mothers day. My offense? Going 30mph on a 25mph zone. I was let go with a warning, and without joking, a stern talking to including breaking my balls and keeping me on the side of the road for over 15min.

    Given the option of the ice cream or the waste of my time, I rather have the ice cream and a talk.

    But I guess the PD did their job, I now have my GPS set to bark at me if I am 2 miles over the speed limit just so I do not have to interact with any more cops. Given the length of time of the stop, I have no doubt he ran a check to see about my permit and my guns.

  9. The comments here and most peoples reactions should show most cops have a serious PR problem, especially with law abiding citizens who resent the double standard cops get, the warrant less invasions and cops crappy attitude.

    Cops get painted by a broad brush. 40 years ago everyone would have laughed at this. Not so anymore.

    Oh and I forgot MRAPS. Wait til the communities find out maintenance and repair costs and how many times they are legitimately used (excluding parades).

  11. Does anyone know if this is real, or just actors for a commercial?
    If it’s real, I’d be pissed that they’re wasting tax dollars. If there’s no crime for the cops to fight, then they should reduce the size of the police force and cut taxes.

    • I imagine in that small town they only have the two sheriffs and the one police car. Can’t reduce any farther than that…

      Lighten up, Jason!

    • Crime? In Wall, SD? First a criminal would have to find the place. Then, oh let me think, Jaywalk? Spit on the sidewalk? I betcha there is no outdoor area in town where you could not find a safe direction to fire a .308.

  13. This is a dumba$$ idea. About 5 years ago, we had a chief who wanted us to pull people over for wearing their seatbelts. We were supposed to give them a little award ribbon and thank them for following the law. It remains one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard of. Needless to say, I did not participate. Very few did, and the “program” was summarily sh!tcanned.

    • I could be wrong, but doesn’t someone have to either have been witnessed committing a traffic violation or be suspected in a crime to legally be pulled over? I guess they might figure no one would complain if they were given a ribbon and a slap on the back, but still.

      • The vehicular rules that allow for a ‘traffic stop’ (pull to the right upon approach of emergency vehicle) are such that there’s actually some question if, sans ANY enforcement action, it would trigger the sort of detention that would require a level of evidence. If you pull over and stop to allow a police car to go by, are you detained? In fact in many places you don’t even have to legally pull over until the police car is using a siren (not that I’m recommending this).

        Anyway, I’m all for having a community like its police officers but this whole thing is a bad idea…

    • I don’t think it was fake, those drivers did not appear to be acting, unless they are really good.

  15. We talk all the time about the massive disconnect between the police and the people, and how that coupled with the militarization of LE is making for trouble. This county sheriff does a little lighthearted outreach with the local community in what seems a quiet town and everyone shits the bed. Can’t win…

    • Because they’re wasting people’s time, people who actually work and pay taxes, which pay for these “officers”.

    • It’s not lighthearted outreach, it’s advertising for an English ice cream company.

  16. Did any of these drivers have dogs in their cars and are the dogs still alive?

    Just checking.

  17. I’d have to agree with Mr. Farago. I don’t want to be stopped at all. When I was 18, and had just gotten my car, an officer stopped me. It was my first ever traffic stop, and I had left my wallet at my girlfriends house. I told this to the officer, and gave him my SS# and DL# as proof of identity. It wasn’t good enough. He took me straight to jail, and I spent the night there. He literally encarcerated me for driving without my license. I had insurance on me at the time, still not good enough. It was rather traumatic for me, being my first time. That was 15 years ago, but even now, whenever I get pulled over for anything, as soon as those flashing lights kick on, fight or fight reflexes kick in, and my heart rate rises, my blood pressure goes up, and whatever other uncomfortable chemical reactions kick in. I hate it. It won’t go away.

  18. No ice cream cone is worth the stress of a traffic stop. Isn’t there an unsolved crime these guys could be working to solve? If I want my tax dollars to pay for entertainment I will vote to subsidize a sports arena, zoo, circus, etc. Not at all cool.

  20. When I was city prosecutor, an ice cream shop proposed that cops could stop people for GOOD driving and give them a coupon for free ice cream at their store. Besides using our cops for advertising. We didn’t think people would appreciate the entire hassle. Our office nixed it.
    Nice video though.

  21. This has jack shit to do with guns and I suspect it’s another RF post with a sneaky and underhanded anti-LEO agenda behind it.

  22. Plumas County California has a population of about 20,000. The ad was shot in the town of Quincy, the County seat, which has a population of 1800. Main Street is a state highway, and it is the only way in or out of town. Plumas is mostly mountainous, and its principal industries have been logging, mining, and tourism (hunting and fishing, Lake Almanor) along with summer cattle range.

  23. I’d have been pretty pissed if stopped to film an advertisement.
    I’d have been livid to find out the cops while on the clock were using their police powers to film said commercial.

    Even when being “nice” they’re still abusing powers and behaving unethically.

    You want to make a commercial? Get a couple of actors and a parking lot. Don’t waste my time or make light of police powers that are routinely used to frame, beat, murder and steal.

  25. Everyone is complaining about being pulled over and being pissed because they had awful experiences with cops. I think giving an ice cream cone could do a lot to change peoples perspective on police officers. I dream that I someday live in a country where the government employee’s treat me the same way they would want to be treated. It all starts with a decision when you wake up. Do I treat others with kindness or do I live my life for myself. Everyday I try to make someones day….it could be as easy as letting the mom with two kids and a lot on her plate go in front of you at a checkout or it could be saying “thank you, casher’s name and I sincerely hope you have a great rest of the day. Little things add-up. Over the years I’ve made a lot of friends….when they find out that I carry a pistol and a spare mag they can’t believe it. Most common response is…but your a really nice guy. To which I say we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men.

    • Sorry, but there is a huge difference between a random act of kindness, and a waste of people’s time.

      Cops pulling someone over, freaking them the hell out, prompting them to start digging around in the glovebox for registration and insurance, dreading the thought of paying hundreds of dollars for some fine or having to waste time in court, only for the cop to walk up and act like he’s doing you a favor handing you some icecream while you’ve got places to be(I don’t just drive around for the fun of it. If I’m driving somewhere, it’s because I need or want to be somewhere) is stupid.

      There are plenty of stories of cops going out of their way to do kind things, those are great. The cop that gave a kid a bed so he had a place to sleep at home was cool. Cop giving boots to someone who he thought was homeless and needed them was cool(even though later it turns out the guy didn’t need ’em, but that’s not the point). Even the act of giving a kid a stuffed animal to try and calm them down after a traumatic event is something they don’t have to do, but do anyway.

      This on the other hand? This is garbage.

    • “Do I treat others with kindness or do I live my life for myself.”

      That’s what’s called a false dichotomy.

      I live my life for myself. I have to. Putting others before myself diminishes me, and doesn’t really do squat for them that they shouldn’t have already done for themselves anyway.

      I treat others with kindness (1) because I am a kind person, and (2) because it makes it easier for me to do the above, i.e. live my life for myself.

          • Well, I certainly can’t gripe about being referred to as a pothead, the way I go around and advertise it. I’m in the People’s Democratic Republic of TaxiMexifornicatya, which has medicinal, so I’m only a criminal at the federal level, and an unconstitutional law isn’t a law anyway.

            The federal war on (some) drugs is unconstitutional because “Throw people into iron cages for smoking dried flowers” is NOT one of the 18 Enumerated Powers.

            But back to Earth, thanks for the compliment! I rather consider myself somewhat articulate, and can get flowery when I’m under the influence of flowers, so mission accomplished! 🙂

    • Random acts of kindness do not typically involve people with the training, attitude, and the qualified immunity to kill you without consequence.

      The gun in the belly part of the “traffic stop” (i.e. the significant threat of aggressive violence by the sheriff inherent in such a traffic stop) is a crucial difference.

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