Perhaps some Police Departments require a lack of humour in its recruits but I’ve heard of one Police Department in Australia that states in Operation Orders for major public events that all Police on duty at the stated event, “will maintain good humour.”
Generally in my experience you can rely on country coppers to have a sense of humour, even if it’s a bit warped.
Back to topic. Two problems, the first is that once photos/video hits the national media showing Police at an incident potentially risking public safety they usually can’t just walk away with issuing a verbal caution. We all have line managers and upper management and a whole bunch of snivelling/sneering grunters in-between, the same as the Police. The attending police know that there will be a please explain waiting for them when they get back to the station requiring 5 phone calls to various levels of management and a police report justifying why they were seen laughing (read maintaining good humour) with the offender whilst Mrs Jones (hard working taxpayer) had to drag her 5 kids out of the way of the lethal contraption that was once an aircraft.
This brings me to my second point. My opening line would be something like, “Hey, the village just called up, they’ve lost their idiot, they want you to come back.” I don’t know of any pilots that would be comfortable taxing an aircraft? on a Friday afternoon in a town with a population of over 4,000. Every time I’ve been on an airport apron where there have been unusual pedestrian activity most aircraft, big and small err on the side of caution and usually stop. As pilots we like known, predictable activity. Taxing down a street in town is nearly the opposite of this.
I think acts to endanger life is a little high in the choices of offences, but like most things these days by the time its finalised it will have been plea bargained down to double parking and a fine for failing to maintain vehicle standards.
Pilots are paid by customers to fly planes. Police are paid by tax payers to maintain public safety.
Mish A
