Expelled!

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:19 pm

Expelled!

This is totally awesome, and must be read.

-Crissa

Fwib · Post by **Fwib** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:05 pm

Hilarious!

Count Arioch the 28th · Sat Mar 22, 2008 12:58 am

Quite amusing.

Draco_Argentum · Post by **Draco_Argentum** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:33 am

Heh, hope that wasn't an actual cop. Serious bullshit occurring if it was.

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:50 pm

Doesn't matter if it were.

Malls, Theaters are Private Property and you can be excluded from them. Most states allow this, even depend upon it. Also in many states some public areas have exclusion zones based upon rules of use - like parks, squares, libraries - or even whole neighborhoods.

For instance, downtown Salt Lake City - the streets - are owned by the Church of Latter Day Saints, and they can (and do) exclude passage by people who are in disfavor with the church.

Old town Los Angeles and Old town Portland used to have 'drig exclusion zone' status. Which meant police could choose to exclude or stop people based upon drug trafficking/use suspicion. (I'd even been stopped, for cutting through at 2am from taking someone home)

All approved by our courts.

-Crissa

Draco_Argentum · Post by **Draco_Argentum** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:53 am

Theres a pretty big problem if police are being used to keep some dude from seeing a movie. One its a waste of time, two its pretty obvious that someone has undue influence over the police. Since I'm sure you weren't disagreeing, whats your point?

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:56 am

Why would it be undue influence?

You're on my lawn. I don't have to hire thugs to remove you, I just call the police.

It's that simple. That's what they're for.

It was probably a mall cop, tho.

-Crissa

Absentminded_Wizard · Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:24 am

I think the whole question was about whether it was mall security or actual city police. I'd say it was probably the former and the author was loose with his terminology.

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:55 pm

The author specifically said he didn't know.

-Crissa

Absentminded_Wizard · Post by **Absentminded_Wizard** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:58 am

Okay, it turns out he does say that in the comments. Rereading the post, though, there's a good chance it was an actual cop. He threatened the guy with arrest if he tried to go in, and that's beyond a private security guard's authority.

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:38 am

If you've ever been hassled by mall cops, you'd know they like to threaten arrest, too.

-Crissa

Post by **fbmf** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:57 am

You've been harassed by a large enough sample to be considered representative of the rent-a-cop population?

Game On,
fbmf

Count Arioch the 28th · Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:03 am

I don't know about mall cops, but I know that Wal-mart employees will also threaten to arrest you needlessly.

Draco_Argentum · Post by **Draco_Argentum** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:08 am

The Scientologists are known to use off-duty cops for security.

"Why would it be undue influence? " Having a cop on hand to get rid of some guy trying to enter a movie theater to see a movie is rather different from calling the police and getting them to come and eject people who are on non-commercial premises.

JonSetanta · Post by **JonSetanta** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:17 pm

My usual line in response to bullshit arrest threats is "No." and then I wait. When they (the douchebag) stomp off in indignation to fetch help, I finish whatever activity I'm doing and change areas (or in the case of a camera'd area, leave). The tactic usually provides a good 2-3 minutes to finish.
But for movie watching, this isn't possible.
Must be a weird special circumstance to be banned, by producer request, specifically, from entering. I'd rather wait for the torrent anyway, though.

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:17 pm

Draco_Argentum wrote:Having a cop on hand to get rid of some guy trying to enter a movie theater to see a movie is rather different from calling the police and getting them to come and eject people who are on non-commercial premises.

Non-commercial? Why does it matter? What does this have to do with the (usually illegal) moonlighting of public officers?

Anyone can threaten to arrest or have you arrested. It's not illegal.

-Crissa

Count Arioch the 28th · Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:12 am

Crissa is correct. The burden of proving guilt isn't in the police's hands, it's in the court's hands. You can be arrested for nearly anything, it's just not likely to stick if you don't have evidence.

Absentminded_Wizard · Post by **Absentminded_Wizard** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:22 am

I'm not sure about the legality, but it would be unusual to have an actual on-duty police officer at the theater to keep out one person out of a movie, especially in a mall that would have its own private security guards to handle that stuff. The biggest complaint is that it would be a huge waste of taxpayer resources since having the officer at the mall keeps him from being in places where more serious issues may arise.

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:52 am

The mall is where serious issues arise. There are crowds of people. If there are not police, then the police are being irresponsible.

Private security is limited in actions it can legally take. But Arrest and Exclude are in their tools.

-Crissa

Sir Neil · Post by **Sir Neil** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:30 pm

Absentminded_Wizard wrote:The biggest complaint is that it would be a huge waste of taxpayer resources since having the officer at the mall keeps him from being in places where more serious issues may arise.

If he was an off duty officer, the mall paid for him to be there.

Draco_Argentum · Post by **Draco_Argentum** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:30 pm

Crissa wrote:er? What does this have to do with the (usually illegal) moonlighting of public officers?

Because its assumed that anyone can come onto commercial property to conduct business. They are within their rights to tell anyone to bugger off but its hardly trespass or worthy of police attention when its some guy trying to pay to see a movie with his family.

This is different from a private residence where its assumed that you aren't allowed in by default.

Really, you honestly think its not even slightly suspicious that a police officer is on hand to tell some dude that he can't watch a pro-creationist film?

Sir Neil · Post by **Sir Neil** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:31 pm

Draco_Argentum wrote:This is different from a private residence where its assumed that you aren't allowed in by default.

Not really. Public or not, when the owner* of the premises tells you you have to go, that's it -- you're done.

*"or other authorized person"

Really, you honestly think its not even slightly suspicious that a police officer is on hand to tell some dude that he can't watch a pro-creationist film?

No, not even slightly.

Count Arioch the 28th · Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:54 pm

I'm thinking Australian laws must be different than American laws in this respect.

SunTzuWarmaster · Post by **SunTzuWarmaster** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:41 pm

Are you kidding? There are ALWAYS police at the release night of films.

So far, I've seen police at every release night I've been to, including:
Spiderman, Star Wars, Matrix, etc.

Are you really surprised that a hotly debated movie has a police officer chilling there?

Really, large groups of people in enclosed spaces that are excited attract police. Most of the time they just stand around, their job description is pretty much "Stand around until it looks like crime is likely to occur or occuring. Prevent it or stop it, as needed."

Count Arioch the 28th · Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:10 am

The only movie I've seen on the first day of release was The Simpsons Movie, and they had cops watching the theaters. One threatened to kick some kid out for having his cell phone out. (I guess it's common knowledge that even moderately prices cell phones have cameras in them nowadays.)