February 28, 2004

The Cheery Blue Line

Here's something strange I found out about Australia.

Their police officers are *nice*. Well-mannered. Even friendly.

I was getting a lift from my friend Mike on Friday night, and as we were stopped in traffic at the heart of downtown, just opposite Flinders Station, his cell phone rang. He answered it and hadn't gotten more than a few sentences out when a fresh-faced, young (so young he actually looked like a little boy playing dress-up, even despite the wedding ring he wore), blond police officer popped up in his window. "Hi there. Do you have a good reason to be on the phone?" Mike didn't, of course, so we negotiated pulling over around the corner where we'd wait for the cop and his partner.

Mike stopped the car and proceeded to look for his wallet. I nervously kicked the beer bottle sixpack carton under my seat, along with the bottle tops and can opener (we were both sober, so I knew they were relics from another occasion, but didn't know if the police would make such a distinction). Mike's wallet was proving elusive, and by this time the cops had come over to the car. "I'm sorry, I can't find my wallet, officer, I'm still looking for it."

Going on my own experiences with both New York's and Chicago's Finest, this was where I expected Mike to be asked to step out of the car and get ready for a pat-down and some serious attitude from the cop. What did he say instead?

"Ah, no worries, mate."

Yes, I'm serious. He even smiled. Mike eventually found his wallet and gave over his license, and I listened unbelievingly as the officer used the phrase "no worries" at least five more times in the conversation. He asked again if Mike had had a good reason to be on the phone, checked out Mike's license and rego (that's Aussie for "registration"), in filled in the necessary forms. "Sorry, but you might be getting a fine in the mail for this."

Have you ever heard of a cop being apologetic about having to give you a ticket?

After he gave Mike back his license, he sent us on our way with a wave and a "No worries, mate, have a good one"!

Mike thanked him. And since he's Australian, too, I think he actually meant it.

Posted by wildsoda at February 28, 2004 01:32 PM
Comments

See this is exactly the sort of thing I love about Oz.

Aussies seem to have this wonderful attitude to life. Basically it seems that they have stumbled upon the theory that life just doesn't need to be made any harder than it already is.

I think it may come from living in a country where it seems every possible creature can kill you. Should you manage to avoid the wildlife then the harsh climate is more than happy to carry on!

I also love the fact that they have no worries about eating both creatures on their national crest.

The world needs more aussies!

Posted by: Nomadic* at March 2, 2004 07:31 AM

Well, I also feel compelled to point out that both myself and the driver of the car were white, and that Australian police do have a pretty horrible track record of abuse against Aboriginal people. In fact, there was a riot in Sydney recently over the death of a young Aboriginal boy who was being chased by cops and fell to his death, impaled on a fence.

But I've also had crappy experiences with cops in Chicago and NYC as a white female, so I was still struck by the complete lack of obnoxious attitude on the part of the Aussie cops that stopped us.

Posted by: wildsoda at March 2, 2004 01:01 PM