My brother is a LEO, 2 uncles are LEOs, most of the guys I went to school with are LEOs, I know many of hte LEOs around where I live now (not well enough to get out of a ticket, mind you). Hell, I was almost a LEO (did the oral boards, then took a computer geek job instead - no shift work. I'd almost be retired now had I been a LEO... Sigh.).
I appreciate many of the LEOs out there, most of you are generally cool and are fulfilling honorable, hard, mentally challenging work. Early in his career, my sister and I worked very hard to keep my brother from becoming a total cynic - he does a very hard job, and this colors the world he sees, to the [sometimes strongly] negative. His buddies too. It's a tough job, especially the mental aspects.
Then there are the LEOs out there trying to save the world from themselvs by writing speeding tickets to those who aren't idiots, aren't a particular danger (yes, it's subjective, and many LEOs seem to agree, letting people off with a warning instead of a ticket once they realize they're alert, upstanding, etc.), etc.
I love the attitude a LEO I know has - cites everybody who fractures the law "Speeding's speeding", but the guy hammers down roads on the weekends on his bike, THEN gets out of any citations BECAUSE he's a LEO. Gee, wonder why some LEOs get a bad rep?
Then there are the Stouts of the world. Guy gets his own threads, and fellow LEOs don't seem to think highly of him either.
http://www.ocmoto.com/index.php?topic=15742.0
A LEO’s (LAPD) take on Stout:
Make no mistake about it. He is an exception to the rule. And make no mistakes about it: despite how horrific an accident scene and how many he may have seen, there is no excuse for such a poor attitude and discourteous manner
Stout met Darwin that day, and has no more sympathy from me than any other squid who went down (I empathize, but do not sympathize). Overriding your skills/abilities/bike is a definite oopsy (but is not unlikely to happen in a long riding career). In shirtsleeves though? WTF?
In rally racing, there are drivers who have rolled cars, and those who will. Motorcycle riding has its own corollary. This means my day will probably come since I plan on riding until I can't stand up without a walker, but I'll be wearing full gear when it does (making me a ground-meat-bag per my paramedic friends).
Last Sunday I did Angeles Crest, Mt Baldy, Arrowhead, Big Bear, and Idyllwild. Great ride, I thoroughly enjoyed it.