Reader A: Well, see, in most states in the Union, the presence of a police
officer in an intersection trumps a traffic signal. This has been on the
driver’s licence test in every state I’ve ever lived in, and the D. of C.,
too. (Unfortunately, the one about how a dysfunctional traffic signal works
as a four-way stop wasn’t.) One is supposed to wait for a wave-on from the
officer before proceeding, light or no light. So the cop probably just
figured that everybody knows that.
Reader B: [After telling me a ghastly personal story about the arrogance
and irresponsibility of Long Island police.] That tiny proportion of
applicants who make it through the arcane testing and training system to
become LI police officers are made for life and accountable to no one, and
they know it. And it shows.
On A: Fair enough–but why did he have to be SO UNSPEAKABLY RUDE? On B:
I’ve known a more than average number of cops in my time, though more city
than suburban. Most were decent sorts. Still, power corrupts–and power
plus a job for life with a 6-figure salary after (I think) 5 years,
retirement at 40-something on some huge, inflation-indexed proportion of
your final salary, corrupts a lot. There are some people who should not be
given a uniform and a gun, and I feel pretty sure I just met one of those
people.