Would you gain respect 4 someone JUST for smoking pot in front of a police car?

[they don't love you like i love you]

So Friday night I was at a show. The venue was in downtown Minneapolis and not too far from the Twins game that had just finished, so hordes of people were leaving and walking in front of the venue in Twins jerseys and caps and all that. Between bands I was out front hanging out with some people, some guy in one of the bands and a hot girl who came in with her friends who knew them. The hot girl pulled out a pipe and was inhaling and then to the guy was like "You want some?" He basically replied "Oh f**k yes I would love to smoke weed in front of the venue and with all these cops around." There was a police car visibly parked just across the street. And then he took a hit.

Of course there were literally hundreds of people walking around, probably thousands who would leave in all, the police had basically no priority besides crowd security, probably weren't paying attention to us at all, and even if they were had no way of knowing it was weed and not tobacco in the pipe and probably wouldn't be too concerned of finding out if it was. But still, to do that just to be able to say you can is f**king gutsy. So I told that girl and the guy they both had my utmost respect. I'm actually a little ashamed I was too afraid of the cop car to ask to join in, it wasn't like I was driving or anything. Those are greater people than I.

Also while playing the guy said between songs the next song was about caring about things other than money, as a friend of his had been offered a far more higher paying job than her current one...but it was also one that did random drug testing, meaning after taking it she couldn't smoke pot anymore. So he started screaming about "Don't let money rule your life!" A message I know many won't agree with, but one I have to give respect for stating. (Granted workplace drug tests are very rarely actually "random" and if they are they are stupid beyond words, no workplace gains anything from the costs of them and also potentially having to let good and productive employees go because they had a joint in their free time in the last 30 days...but his point was valid.)

[they don't love you like i love you]

"Took a hit," eh? He'd have taken a hit from me, that's what.

Oh so the police actually take notice because of a disturbance, and then you get arrested with assault charges? That's more than a little counter-productive I'd have to say.

[they don't love you like i love you]

So you would assault someone you saw jaywalking? (Something that is more likely to get a citation than smoking marijuana in that part of Minneapolis during that time.)

[Simfan34]

Of course not. The MPD is foolishly not enforcing its laws.

Also, pedestrian right of way means that jaywalking is a legal fiction.

[Vosem]

While there's nothing intrinsically wrong with smoking marijuana, it's pretty stupid to do it right in front of the police, imo. Lose respect.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I have nothing against pot, but this is one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard. It's like beating a child in front of a cop. No. I'd lose respect.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Well they did it specifically so they could claim they had smoked weed in front of the police, despite there also being an essentially negligible chance they would be arrested. So in that sense it's not very stupid. I wonder how often people leaving the game light up...the last time I was at a Twins game there was the smell of pot in one area.

[Redalgo]

No, I would lose respect for them. I also lose some of my respect for people who smoke at all. It is a dirty, nasty habit that pollutes the air and makes them generally unpleasant to hang out around. Part of it for me is also the disrespect shown toward police. They are just workers doing their jobs.

If you want to make a point about it, light up in front of city hall or in view of a local representative. Now if somebody did that, and was otherwise well-behaved, I would gain a little respect for them.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

No, it's a stupid thing to want to do.

I basically agree with Redalgo (except for the last paragraph, but that's another story).

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

BRTD, I thought you were above replacing words with numbers.

[they don't love you like i love you]

BRTD, I thought you were above replacing words with numbers.

The character limit in thread titles left me no other choice.

[Goldwater]

No, I don't see the point of disrespecting some who keep you safe just because you disagree with a law that he didn't make.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Is it worth mentioning the Minneapolis PD isn't too big on enforcing Minnesota's already pretty lax marijuana laws anyway? For awhile you could search arrest records on the city attorney's site, and the arrests for marijuana was significantly less than public urination, plus based on the reports I read pretty much everyone who had a marijuana arrest was also arrested for something else. I couldn't find any report in years where someone was busted for having a joint in their basement or carrying a dimebag or something. I mean it shouldn't come as a shock that major cities have higher priorities than busting potheads but in this case verifiable...

Yet another reason why that probably wasn't too risky. I have a feeling the attitude of both was simply that they wanted to take some hits during the show, and nothing to do with the police being around.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It's something a bored 15 year old would do...

[they don't love you like i love you]

It's something a bored 15 year old would do...

FYI since I was present at his birthday party show, I can say for a fact that one of the people involved is 32.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Yes, anybody who openly flaunts the fact that they don't obey the prohibition of marywanna gets a little respect from me. Would I ever smoke weed? No because I'm not a dumb.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

"Took a hit," eh? He'd have taken a hit from me, that's what.

Is this part of your act wherein you fellate a group of non-existent aristocrats or are you serious?

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I have nothing against pot, but this is one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard. It's like beating a child in front of a cop. No. I'd lose respect.

Except they aren't even comparable actions!

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I support the legalization of marijuana, but I don't see why I should respect you if you smoke it in front of a police car.

[SPC]

If you do it as an act of civil disobedience and are willing to accept the consequences of your actions (regardless of how unfair those consequences are), then I respect you. Otherwise, it just sounds like a stupid thing to do.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I don't have a particular respect for fools, so no.

[fezzyfestoon]

I don't think much of it. I've smoked in Times Square, it's not that big of a deal if you're not acting like an idiot about it or trying to make a point of it. Most things done for the sake of doing them don't impress me much.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Yet another thread that outs BRTD as a 14-year-old suburban kid.

[Torie]

It doesn't take much courage to do something in front of a cop that is legal does it?