so there i was, “escorting” 40 first graders on a bike ride around the quiet streets of a suburban town from the east end of montreal! there were 8 other parents, two teachers and, tagging along, were 4 police officers from the spvm. (i must be honest here… the police force has never been my favourite people. let’s just say i have my own issues about the law, how it is enforced and who enforces it. still, in the past 15 years, the police has tried to soften their image by developing neighbourhood police station (police de quartier). the main goal was to bring the police closer to the citizens it is supposed to protect. a lot of BS if you ask me but then again i should not put all police officers in the same basket. anyway, back to my story…) my role was to make sure no kid was left behind. so, i was the last one in the line, encouraging this slower kid: “Allez, cocotte, t’es capable. on donne un grand coup de pédale! ». the police woman biking next to me tilted her head and looked my way. and well, in a moment of total craziness, i said to the police woman “je parlais à la p’tite!” and i laughed. i thought i was being soooo funny. still today, thinking back on it, i think it was the funniest thing ever! but apparently, this police woman didn’t agree… nope… she gave me half a smile (that probably meant “esti qu’t’es conne!”) and mechanically went back to her serious and unfriendly look.
while we were all at the park, having a snack before heading back to school, i observed the four police officers. i thought it was too bad they didn’t socialize with the parents/teachers and mostly the kids. the cops were standing next to theirs bikes, in the middle of the pathway (blocking other cyclists!) and simply talking among themselves. and, although there was nothing “wrong” with their attitude or demeanour, i figure that the least they could have done was to be a little bit more involved and friendly with the citizens they are bound to protect. it’s as if they were drilled to be distant and unsociable! i understand that, when facing a criminal, smiling is not the way to go but in a setting that involves kids, where their help was appreciated, i thought their social skills needed a lot of work (especially for a the neighbourhood police team!).
telling this story to a friend, i realised that my comment was probably misinterpreted for a macho/lesbian come-on (which was not my intention at all!). straight police woman probably get that type of comment all the time and i must admit it must be quite a drag after a while. there are many stereotypes concerning police woman, and well, even i have my own preconceived notions about them. but in all honesty, my comment was meant to be quite innocent. i have never been attracted to women in ‘uniforms” as it is often said but i do wonder if it is just another stereotype about lesbians. so here’s a poll for you (to the right of your screen) and no need to worry; it is anonymous. :)
Ally L.