Sofaspud Wrote:As a result, cops -- both by inclination and by training -- try to ensure that they are the only person in control of any given situation they find themselves in. -Any- resistance to this control -- even something as seemingly innocent as a question -- is potentially a threat. It's precisely how things escalate -- a question is not a request for information, it's a protest against the control of the situation and immediately sets a cops nerves on edge.
I'm less than convinced of this reasoning. To me it looks like the person asking the question (if it's an actual question, which in a lot of the examples you're describing it's really not) is giving power to the person they're asking by the sheer fact that they're dependent on the other person for the answer.
Regardless, I do believe that people have a basic right to know what the hell is going on. A person who cannot answer basic questions as to what the hell is going on should not be in a position where they can cause other people to need to ask those questions.
-Morgan.