new thread
There was an item on TV news about the latest wave of murders in DC, and in the back of one of the shots there appeared to be a DC cop with a ponytail! I've never seen one in RL.
I know the NYPD now allows male buns (!) and DC does protect 'hair style' in the DC Human Rights Act, although I thought that cops were exempt(?).
Is this a trend towards long haired cops?
I've seen this before, but it was always someone working undercover and playing the whole part; never a regular cop. Maybe he got pulled off drug enforcement for a few days, maybe not.
Whatever, the public appearance of one long haired cop means the taboo is broken. I see so many long haired men around me, everywhere I go, that I am continually surprised that there are inhibitions and prohibitions elsewhere.
Two illustrations. I recently lunched for the 2nd time in an upscale chain, and this time was waited on my a handsome, late 20s with wedding band, and shoulder length blond hair in a low tail. He was 1/3 of the waiters or bussers with long hair. On the way out I said, "Enviable hair," and he smiled ans said, "Thank you."
Friday evening I did some comparitive shopping at electronic stores for raw DVD discs, and an external drive suitable for video editing, minimally 200 GB. I found some good buys at $199. for 500 GB, but I also found high discrepancy in the prices at four different national chains. One clearly had be best buy on the hard drives and one on the disks.
However, the single check out clerk at Office Max, at less than prime time for video shopping, smiled as I came in and I observed that his hair was in a bun. So was mine. I was running out of time, and now regret that I did not compliment him on his appearance, and that I did not have the opportunity to ask him if it were company policy that he wear his hair up. Next time I will take time.
We are experienceing a cultural transition in our society, the meaning of which is not always nor universally conscious. I believe it means there is an emergence of a large cohort of men, many vigorously heterosexual, who see long hair as a way of affirmation of the equality of men and women, an expression of person freedom, and an affirmation that disagreements should be settled verbally and not physically. I also think there is a distinct, but overlapping, cohort of men who think, unconsciously perhaps, maybe feel is a better word, that bi-lateral earring express a similar set of affirmations.
I think he message is free to be me, and you are free to be you.
Please, I do not need to be reminded of the exceptions.
He was in a regular uniform shirt. The ponytail wasn't very long, but umistakeable.
As it happened, that particular clip was used in the preview to the news, and so I waited until they showed the whole item, and there he was again. He was only in camera for a brief glimpse, but they showed him twice.
I've seen long haired cops in DC before - they werer undercover tho. Years ago a guy stolle a purse out of the store where I was working in Georgetown. A fellow cleck and I took off after the guy - my friend was a runner so he kept up with the guy while I went for the cops - an undercover cop saw me and said get in the car and we drove after them. The crook was finally cornered - of the 6 cops who showed up one one was in a regulation uniform - the others where driving the rattiest cars you have ever seen and all had various lengths of hair and long beards - I was stunned by their looks and frankly by the number of them. The uniformed cop took over and the others just seemed to melt away.
Just one of those moments.
This guy had a regulation shirt and tie, and nothing on his head. There was a squad car in the shot, but no way of telling if it was his. He didn't have a beard.
Wow, I never knew the NYPD allowed long hair! That's cool, I live in NYC and I've never seen that.
Apparently they only allow it in a bun. I guess they think a ponytail or loose hair gives bad guys something to grab. A lot of guys wouldn't want to wear a bun, and if it is too short for a bun how do you grow it without being thrown off the force?
All the cops (RCMP and city police) in Nova Scotia pretty well have military style haircuts, think it may be a requirement for the job here. I don't know about undercovers, though.
Cops are basically fascists. But in all reallity I guess they have to be to do their jobs.
Policing has become ecsesivley violent in recent years( here in the US) along with their hair getting to where they completely shave their heads now. Getting pulled over is now a rather frightening experience with the drawn guns and all the yelling.
They see the general public as the enemy now.
The cops in Maryland, DC and Virginia are unfailingly polite when they stop me. I guess from that PoV I live in the right part of the country. The 'Cops' TV show is frightening. There are a lot of cities where they show cops who seem to be out of control.
However, all the cops I've seen around here have short hair (excluding the women). That's why I was so suprised to see a male DC cop on TV with a ponytail.