Law Enforcement in your area

Trollheart · 03-07-2021, 06:03 AM

Wow. That's tough. Makes being stopped for a DUI or expired licence or breaking a traffic light seem pretty reasonable in comparison. Did you ever have personal experience of this treatment, or is it anecdotal? Or widely known?

adidasss · 03-07-2021, 06:31 AM

Widely known and reported, but unfortunately I had a personal run-in with some immigration police when I (unbeknownst to me) breached a regulation: I changed my passport so had to transfer my visa to the new one, NO ONE told me I couldn't go out of the country until I did that and I had a business trip coming up which I went ahead with. When I came back to Malaysia they sent me to immigration where the officers proceeded to harangue and threaten me with deportation for about 10-15 minutes, repeatedly asking me why I had done this and if I wanted to ruin my life and be kicked out of the country, either to put the fear of God in me, or out of pure sadism. I was bewildered. I never experienced such helplessness in the face of power before. All I could do was listen and be extra contrite in the hopes they would show mercy. I understood there how dangerous it was to have ignorant and uneducated people in positions of authority. And also how unprotected I was.

I had this awareness also when I was living in Dubai, where the slightest transgression will get you deported.

It gave me a new appreciation of countries whose civil servants, police etc, may not be perfect, but are not beyond reproach and where you know exactly what your rights are.

~~jwb~~ · 03-07-2021, 09:43 AM

If you don't mind me asking... Why do you live there? You couldn't pay me enough to live in a strict Muslim country, especially you're an openly gay man.

adidasss · 03-07-2021, 10:13 AM

Yeah well, I guess I'm not principled enough to say no. And the money is good. And this kind of money I can only make living and working in these kinds of countries. So.

I mean it's not Saudi Arabia. I'd say no to that. Not because I think I'd be stoned to death but because my partner couldn't get a visa and we couldn't be together. Here he can come and go on a tourist visa so that's something. And the life is good, if you ignore all the bad things. It's actually much more relaxed than Dubai.

Anyway, sometimes you have to take a little crap to get what you want. And I want to retire as soon as possible...

~~jwb~~ · 03-07-2021, 10:27 AM

I hear that. Its not a matter of principle just.... I dunno I wouldn't feel like I could really live my life.

But I could see doing it for a couple years and racking up and then getting the **** out. Can you even date and **** without worrying about the police or is homosexuality just straight up banned?

adidasss · 03-07-2021, 08:21 PM

Well actually, there is plenty of very flaming gay people around, lots of trans people also and as far as I can tell, the police generally leave you alone as long as you're not doing something outrageous like an orgy. Apart from the politically motivated ones, those are the only cases I've heard about of people being prosecuted for gay sex. There is a gay club in the center of town which is generally allowed to operate, but then every now and then (mostly before or right after the election) they make a raid and arrest a bunch of people (either trans or muslim) and then let them off with a misdemeanor or something.

I personally don't date since I have a partner and we are monogamous, but when I was in Dubai it was a little tricky since I had a paranoia that someone might use the dating apps to trap and blackmail you or that maybe even the police could use them to track down gay people (I haven't heard of that happening but it was going through my mind).

On the other hand when I was in the Middle east I saw that even in Iran and Saudi their dating (app) scenes are thriving so...gay people adapt. What can you do?

For me the biggest impact on my life is that I don't go around touching or kissing my partner in public. But I rarely do that in the west anyway, for fear of a violent homophobic attack. At least in Croatia. I'm less concerned in Spain.

And also I don't criticize the government, judicial system or police in any public way since freedom of speech is absolutely not guaranteed.

BUT ASIDE FROM THAT...

**Janszoon** · 03-08-2021, 12:29 AM

In my experience, the police where I live are, at best, apathetic. At worst, they're corrupt, violent, or both.

The Batlord · 03-08-2021, 12:55 AM

Every time I see a cop they never where a mask. Today I saw three cops all standing next to each other for like an hour. No masks. Why the **** are we lorded over by mother****ing morons?

**Frownland** · 04-16-2021, 10:54 AM

The owner of a local coffee shop is a known KKK member who stormed the capital.

Guess which farm animal I always see in the shop when I walk by.

The Batlord · 04-16-2021, 11:06 AM

A chicken?

03-07-2021, 06:03 AM	#11 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Wow. That's tough. Makes being stopped for a DUI or expired licence or breaking a traffic light seem pretty reasonable in comparison. Did you ever have personal experience of this treatment, or is it anecdotal? Or widely known? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-07-2021, 06:31 AM	#12 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	Widely known and reported, but unfortunately I had a personal run-in with some immigration police when I (unbeknownst to me) breached a regulation: I changed my passport so had to transfer my visa to the new one, NO ONE told me I couldn't go out of the country until I did that and I had a business trip coming up which I went ahead with. When I came back to Malaysia they sent me to immigration where the officers proceeded to harangue and threaten me with deportation for about 10-15 minutes, repeatedly asking me why I had done this and if I wanted to ruin my life and be kicked out of the country, either to put the fear of God in me, or out of pure sadism. I was bewildered. I never experienced such helplessness in the face of power before. All I could do was listen and be extra contrite in the hopes they would show mercy. I understood there how dangerous it was to have ignorant and uneducated people in positions of authority. And also how unprotected I was. I had this awareness also when I was living in Dubai, where the slightest transgression will get you deported. It gave me a new appreciation of countries whose civil servants, police etc, may not be perfect, but are not beyond reproach and where you know exactly what your rights are. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

03-07-2021, 10:13 AM	#14 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	Yeah well, I guess I'm not principled enough to say no. And the money is good. And this kind of money I can only make living and working in these kinds of countries. So. I mean it's not Saudi Arabia. I'd say no to that. Not because I think I'd be stoned to death but because my partner couldn't get a visa and we couldn't be together. Here he can come and go on a tourist visa so that's something. And the life is good, if you ignore all the bad things. It's actually much more relaxed than Dubai. Anyway, sometimes you have to take a little crap to get what you want. And I want to retire as soon as possible... __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

03-07-2021, 08:21 PM	#16 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	Well actually, there is plenty of very flaming gay people around, lots of trans people also and as far as I can tell, the police generally leave you alone as long as you're not doing something outrageous like an orgy. Apart from the politically motivated ones, those are the only cases I've heard about of people being prosecuted for gay sex. There is a gay club in the center of town which is generally allowed to operate, but then every now and then (mostly before or right after the election) they make a raid and arrest a bunch of people (either trans or muslim) and then let them off with a misdemeanor or something. I personally don't date since I have a partner and we are monogamous, but when I was in Dubai it was a little tricky since I had a paranoia that someone might use the dating apps to trap and blackmail you or that maybe even the police could use them to track down gay people (I haven't heard of that happening but it was going through my mind). On the other hand when I was in the Middle east I saw that even in Iran and Saudi their dating (app) scenes are thriving so...gay people adapt. What can you do? For me the biggest impact on my life is that I don't go around touching or kissing my partner in public. But I rarely do that in the west anyway, for fear of a violent homophobic attack. At least in Croatia. I'm less concerned in Spain. And also I don't criticize the government, judicial system or police in any public way since freedom of speech is absolutely not guaranteed. BUT ASIDE FROM THAT... __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

03-08-2021, 12:29 AM	#17 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	In my experience, the police where I live are, at best, apathetic. At worst, they're corrupt, violent, or both. __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm

03-07-2021, 09:43 AM	#13 (permalink)
~~jwb~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 4,403	If you don't mind me asking... Why do you live there? You couldn't pay me enough to live in a strict Muslim country, especially you're an openly gay man.

03-07-2021, 10:27 AM	#15 (permalink)
~~jwb~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 4,403	I hear that. Its not a matter of principle just.... I dunno I wouldn't feel like I could really live my life. But I could see doing it for a couple years and racking up and then getting the ** out. Can you even date and ** without worrying about the police or is homosexuality just straight up banned?

04-16-2021, 10:54 AM	#19 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	The owner of a local coffee shop is a known KKK member who stormed the capital. Guess which farm animal I always see in the shop when I walk by. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x