Stopped by police

GG · 7th February 08, 01:24 PM

A few weeks ago I was in Sweden, wearing one of my kilts. It was for the second time within a couple of months.
People didn’t seem to bother at all. But, when crossing a square a dark blue and white painted Volvo XC90 police car was slowly moving in the opposite direction. When it was about two meters from me the car stopped and the driver rolled down the window.

“I see you are wearing a kilt; it’s a little bit uncommon” the policeman said.
“Uncommon” might be the polite interpretation. He talked to me in Swedish and although our languages are rather closely related I didn’t know the exact meaning of the word he was using but it might be closer to “weird”.

“Is something special going on today?” he continued.

“At least nothing I know of”.
“OK, just curious.”

I certainly was taken by surprise. However, before I could ask him about his legal rights to obviously question what I was wearing the car continued its way across the square. Seeing it disappearing I considered whether I should find a police station and complain about him. But after a couple of minutes I came to the conclusion that it probably would be nothing but a waste of time.
I did feel insulted and I still do.

This accident shall in no way keep me from again wearing a kilt in Sweden, as it should not any of you. Having seen several policemen and –women in Sweden and them having seen me and without any of them showing any interest or suspicion regarding my unquestionable decent and proper way of dressing I have chosen to consider this one an exception.

Any of you having had similar experiences?

Greg

www.dress2kilt.eu

**cacunn** · 7th February 08, 01:40 PM

I would give the officer the benefit of the doubt. He was probably asking more from personal interest than official. He just had the benefit of being able to stop in the middle of road to ask the question. Who is going to give a police office a ticket, even though I have seen some that I thing should be ticketed.

Remember police are people too.

**Makeitstop** · 7th February 08, 01:45 PM

Having only the loose translation, and not knowing the tone, I can't really say this with any confidence, but the way you describe it it sounds more like curiosity on his part than anything else.

I've had plenty of experiences with cops, but never while kilted. Generally I find most cops to be decent human beings, and I've only met a few who were less than polite, friendly and respectful to anyone who wasn't breaking the law. Granted, most haven't been warm and cuddly either, but that's to be expected.

But there are jerks out there, as in any profession.

**gilmore** · 7th February 08, 02:19 PM

I am a bit surprised he spoke to you at all. I have not spent much time in Sweden, but my experience there is that the only people who speak to me on the streets are other foreigners. I suspect that Swedes feel that they must know each other for a few years before they engage in conversation in public. They are so reserved that they make the English look like overly excited, gesticulating Italians.

**Tommie** · 7th February 08, 02:24 PM

Humm.Perhaps he had never seen someone in person wearing a kilt before and was just curious,or maybe he wanted a closer look.
I have had several people come up a say they had never seen anyone actually wearing a kilt out in public before,and was just more curious as to why than anything else.

As for Cops:
Not long ago I was watching Cops ( TV show in US if your not from here)and a call came in from dispatch that some guy in a skirt had exposed himself to a lady.
The two officers (a male and female) came up on the guy and sure enough he was wearing a pleated skirt.When they asked him what he did,he explained that he only bent over to tie his shoe and did'nt know the lady was walking behind him.
The male cop told him to show him how he tied his shoe-an he bent over in place of stooping down an all became clear.
Well I guess they believed it was an accident,and the female cop even showed him how to stoop down in a skirt,but than told him if he was going to wear a skirt to at least wear underwear,and they went on thier way.
Not once did either cop even ask why he was wearing a skirt.
However I doubt theres not much the cops in the US have'nt seen before.

**Bugbear** · 7th February 08, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by Tommie

Humm.Perhaps he had never seen someone in person wearing a kilt before and was just curious,or maybe he wanted a closer look.
I have had several people come up a say they had never seen anyone actually wearing a kilt out in public before,and was just more curious as to why than anything else.

As for Cops:
Not long ago I was watching Cops ( TV show in US if your not from here)and a call came in from dispatch that some guy in a skirt had exposed himself to a lady.
The two officers (a male and female) came up on the guy and sure enough he was wearing a pleated skirt.When they asked him what he did,he explained that he only bent over to tie his shoe and did'nt know the lady was walking behind him.
The male cop told him to show him how he tied his shoe-an he bent over in place of stooping down an all became clear.
Well I guess they believed it was an accident,and the female cop even showed him how to stoop down in a skirt,but than told him if he was going to wear a skirt to at least wear underwear,and they went on thier way.
Not once did either cop even ask why he was wearing a skirt.
However I doubt theres not much the cops in the US have'nt seen before.

Tommie, I remember that on Cops. That guy said he was going to become a singer and they made him sing: not so good. I think they also took his dirk... In fact I think that was a little bit of what it was all about; the guy was in a park of some sort and tossing his dirk up in the air to get it to stick in the ground...

Why did I just remember that from way back in the nineties?

**Moosedog** · 7th February 08, 02:12 PM

Given your description I probably would have just chalked it up to curiosity, he was interested in what might be going on...police are supposed to do that.

Moosedog

**Chef** · 7th February 08, 02:38 PM

it was probably just curiosity, but he may have been checking that you were not with a group of Scots on a pre-marriage bender.

**Tommie** · 7th February 08, 03:05 PM

Ted I think that must have been a different one.
This was on sidewalk in the city,and I believe more recent.Not sure.
Does sound similiar though.
I think the Cops show should be listed under humor because it is pretty funny at times

**Bugbear** · 7th February 08, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by Tommie

Ted I think that must have been a different one.
This was on sidewalk in the city,and I believe more recent.Not sure.
Does sound similiar though.

I think the Cops show should be listed under humor because it is pretty funny at times.

Maybe so, LOL!, it might have happened twice, once every ten years. What you described sounds very much like what I wached, though. I really don't watch TV anymore, so I wouldn't have seen what you were watching. I think it's just that the world is weird...
Take care Tommie.