Hassled by a DEM CO

[Nebe]

Piemma, remember hte last time someone harrased you on that rock?

[JohnR]

He was also likely young, right? The younger guys tend to be a little more aggressive and show a little less tact. Striking the right balance on these things comes with experience, right? I bet we all have a bit more tact then we did when we were 25. The older and more experienced officers like to have the upland spots as they are more, I dunno, comfortable positions than pulling the 2 am watch in the surf.

The positive thing was that the guy was there in the first place. Too many complain that they are never around in the dead of the night and now they are listening to us and going out. That is really a good thing when you think about it. The Rec community has been asking for it and now they are responding a bit.

What I would have done is strike up a little conversation with the guy and give him a little insight into what and why we are getting soaked by the surf at 2am in the morning. It will help him understand more about surfcasters in general and likely make him more respectful of surf anglers and understand our position better. Instead of us being included with the littering masses of jackasses, maybe he would not lump us as a group in with the rif-raff like the partying teens and such....

[Backbeach Jake]

You're absolutely correct JohnR. After all he is "Our" guy. He is protecting our pastime and it's up to us to "Train" him. I use train for lack of a better word. He'll learn with experience the difference between poachers and surfmen. If we do it right , he'll also thank God that it's one of us on the wee hour patrols and not some drunken, littering, poaching, bottle breaking , stoned,vandalizing jerks. In time he'll realize that we who are sportsmen are ultimately those who hired him to protect our interests in the surf. If he learns respect, fairness, and interest, then he will develope a mutual respect with the law abiding types. We'll get FROM him what we give TO him.

[FormerUser]

Jake's got it right.

[Karl F]

John and BBJ

[piemma]

All of the positive points are well taken. I would have been more cordial to the officer if he hadn't been so arrogant.
Now on to the "broken glass story". You guys will love this one.
Last summer RIROCKHOUND and I are fishing one of the Avenues in Narragnasett. It's midnight or 1AM and we are crawling rocks. Waders, Korkers, the whole bit. We decide to go somewhere else and climb out of the rocks. Suddenly we run into more Narragnasett cops than you would see at a riot. Seems that one of the rich land owners around the Avenues called the police and reported "people breaking bottles" on the rocks. So Bryan and I are walking toward the cops and this lady officer looks at us and starts laughing. She says, "Scuff your feet". Remember we are wearing Korkers. "It's their Korkers" she tells the other officers. By now the other police officers are laughing and shaking their heads. They apologized for bothering us and wished us a good night.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Eben

Piemma, remember hte last time someone harrased you on that rock?

Some crazy who blows glass....

[Joe]

What are you doing?
So much for the deductive reasoning powers of those who elect to join law enforcement.

In addition to your garden variety sexual exhibitionists & partiers - I've been able to immediately discern that the people I've happened upon in the dark were:
Santeria Pratitioners
Wiccans
Nocturnal Sculpters
Druid Drummers
Deer Poachers
Fish Poachers
Thiefs
Homeless Campers