Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Are teletype machines still in use? If so, how is it used? From what I understand, it's like a typewriter/fax machine that receives communications from other police departments. Does a clerk have to input this into a computer to distribute it to patrol officers?

No. Teletypes went by the wayside before I left in 1998.

LOL, why do we still call a computer message a teletype? yeah, Im OLD....

LOL, why do we still call a computer message a teletype? yeah, Im OLD....

I remember the first ew'ing and ah'ing when we got our very first color copy machine....

Well, hell. When I started, we didn't even have handheld radios. When you were away from your car, youwere out of communication. We got the first ones in November 1974, I recall that well.

Our state still has dedicated printers that are hooked up to the statewide systems for police communication. This includes city, county, and state dispatches. Messages are done by computer and sent to other stations with a identifier such as Iff1. We call them teletypes still.

Ah! the memories. Around October 1969 I was assigned to Main Office Detectives and had to work around the clock. My rank at that time was Police Cadet. The Main office had the "Big' teletype." It was the noisiest thing you can imagine and about the size of a large corporate floor copier. The paper was multi-sheet and was fed from a box that was placed on the the floor, it was then was spooled onto a main spool by holes in the paper and sprockets on the feed reel.

One of my jobs was to watch this monster and tell the real Detective if there was anything important. We would receive local bulletins and in-house transfers and promotions. It would also have stolen cars, stolen property and just about anything else you could imagine. If I remember correctly this machine was a combination of transmitted information from local, state and federal authorities and we had to make a hard book for most topics. Many of the items being transmitted over the teletype had to be separated and placed into smaller loose leaf type books for others to see. This big noisy machine tried its' hardest to keep me awake on the midnight shifts. As soon as it stopped and you thought it would be quiet for a while, bang, there is goes again.

The real Detective had a special keyboard with his own password and he would constantly be on it checking requested items from the other squads. If a detective from another Squad wanted to check NCIC for lost or stolen items using a serial number this is where he would begin the search.l It could take a while in some cases but at the time this was hi-tech. I only say "Real Detective" because that is what I was reminded of every day I worked with him. He would say, " remember kid your the Cadet and I'm the real detective." I believe at one time the paper was very wide and cumbersome but it eventually changed.

I hope this helpf a little.

some places still use typewriters, so I'm not sure...

Luckily around here the most ancient equipment we have is dot-matrix printers for evidence. Everyone still says "draw a card" even though that's long-gone... just sounds better then "please enter a case number in the system"

Yeah, we had a bank of them in records division as well as one in each of the divisions, detectives, drugs, intelligence, etc. and each of the precincts.

Can you just imagine what a revolution that was to police work when they were invented?

Not unlike computers. When I started, records were kept on 3X5 index cards as were warrant cards. To make a check for wanted on the street, radio would plug us in to a loud speaker in records and a clerk would check the person by hand through the index cards. To check statewide and NCIC, they would teletype the request and we would wait for the response. Then records would phone radio and tell the dispatcher the results. They would teletype DMV for suspended and license checks. Obviously, you didn't do random checks just because you were bored.

About 1979, we started getting MDT's a few cars, not many though. It wasn't until the early 80's that all patrol cars had them. Before that, radio had computer terminals and we would go to a designated channel to make checks.

some places still use typewriters, so I'm not sure...


I fought tooth and nail to keep my IBM Selectric by my desk, they kept wanting to get rid of that. It was the only one left on the detective floor and I suspect it went out the day after I did. I still liked to type some of my shorter reports and memos rather than tie up clerical time and have to wait a day or so for it back.

When I first went to detectives, clerical personnel typed out dictated reports on them. They got word processors about 1983 or so. That was huge. Prior to that, if you needed to amend a report before it was turned in, it required the clerk to retype nearly the whole thing in some instances.

I am just thinking about the old Motorola radios that didn't work very well. Headquarters, during those days, had no idea who was talking to them until a car number was transmitted. I also remember those index cards where they had a full duty officer in that department just checking the cards upon request. They didn't have many civilian workers then.

Now that I think about it the large teletype was the big wide paper and the other smaller one was the one with multi color sheets. Looking back during the same time as the teletype we had , at that time, a quick telephone notification system. The Main Office Detective would be requested to contact certain groups of Detectives during a emergency or violent incident such as an airplane crash. Looking back this system was a joke. I had to go to a particular phone that had next to it a box of individual plastic cards with holes punched in them. Each card had a Detectives name on it and the holes represented his home phone number. You would take each card and slide it into a slot in the back and it would speed dial the number. You still had to wait and talk to him and then do the same with the next one.

There are many pictures on INTERNET of police teletype machines. In the beginning of the old black and white "Superman" series the sounds off many teletype machines working at the Daily Planet could be heard in the background.

I am just thinking about the old Motorola radios that didn't work very well. Headquarters, during those days, had no idea who was talking to them until a car number was transmitted.

Also with those radios, you had to wait until they warmed up after you turned on the car key before you could receive or transmit. It wasn't too bad, but it was about 3 or more seconds and it could seem like a lifetime. Also, if the dispatcher was on the air, you could key your mike and he would never know it.

Another scary thing was we only had two radio channels for the whole city. The east side was on one and the west on another. Traffic guys were on the west side channel no matter what part of the city they were in. And you ran checks and everything else on the operational channel. Nothing like trying to call for backup and hearing some guy saying, "Check three for wanted, first subject, last name..........."

Those radios were a nightmare when you look back at them. We didn't have booster stations, we had one big@ss radio antenna on top of a hill in SW Portland and there were several dead spots in the city. In dispatch (which was all cops when I started), the guy answering the phone would fill out an IBM card and put it on a little belt conveyor that dropped it off in front of the dispatcher. And cops didn't always make the best dispatcher either. They were there for a variety of reasons, but none had to take any sort of test to qualify for the job. Some were great, but a lot were terrible.

We had what they called a "Quick Call" on our cars. Each was numbered and when you got out of the car for coffee, to eat or otherwise still be available, you gave the dispatcher the Quick Call number. If he needed you, he would hit the button and all your lights (including the bubble on top) would blink and the horn would start honking.

There were a few really old guys on when I started that walked beats, of course w/o radios. Every third or fourth telephone pole had a red light on top. If they needed you, the lights on the poles on your district would go on and you knew to use a call box to call in. The old timers used to show me their call box keys like it was a prized possession! And I guess it was.

I suspect it would scare the sh!t out of a lot of cops today if they had to work under those conditions, but we didn't know any better so it was just what was. But we didn't have any police that were 5 ft. nothing and 100 and nothing pounds either. At 6-2, about 185, I was about average size, maybe a little smaller. We had some huge Swedes who came from families of loggers working back then. I saw a picture of one lifting the rear wheels off the ground of a 1946 Ford car and he was no anomaly. We had lotsa Bensons, Lindholms, Johannsen, etc that could have used me for a lawn dart.

Were the same down here.



Be Safe.

The lonely foot patrol. We had the old "horse blanket" jackets made out of wool that would scratch your neck and weigh a ton when wet with snow. Put a raincoat over that and try to get you gun. Not going to happen. Those call boxes seemed like miles and miles away when you needed one right away. Once in a while my "car man" would come by and see if I was alive but it was against the rules for me to get in and warm up. The car man would get a complaint as well as the foot patrol officer. It didn't take long for the foot patrol cop to find a gas station bathroom with heat that would be left open over night. It was a great place to get warm for a few minutes before you trudged on.

I enjoy hearing these old stories. It's amazing how far Law Enforcement has come.

Now I will make fun of your age.

I was born in 1985. :biggrin5:

I was born in 1985. :biggrin5:

Please, Don't apologize there is still a little time for you to learn!:yesnod:

Just curious, how long do you have to work before retirement, 20-25 years?

I loved those coats, we called them reefers. You couldn't get to your gun very well, but they were sure warm. I took the patches off of mine and gave it to my daughter when she went away to college. She loved it too.

We only had two walking beats when I came on. Both were two man and both were downtown. One was the skid road area (where I got to work) and the other was another sleazy part of downtown near the Greyhound bus station. On the skid road beat, we were in and out of the bars all night long as we walked so we weren't out in the weather all that much. We took a car to the beat, but left it parked. If we were close to it when we arrested someone, we'd transport them to jail, otherwise we called "the wagon".

I'm glad I came on when I did so I could get a taste of the old time ways, but I'm glad it changed fairly soon afterwards.

One story on the radios, the main radio was a huge piece of equipment in the trunk of the car. Since it was all vacuum tubes, it got pretty hot back there. One night I was given a car with no cage (partition between the back and front, not all the cars had them) and arrested some guy that was a fighter. As soon as I put him in the back seat, he started to try to kick me so I put him in the trunk with the radio. It was about 90 degrees even that night and must have been 130 in that trunk. When I pulled him out at the jail, he was soaking wet with sweat and all the fight had gone out of him. That was my second IA complaint on the job.:coolgleamA:

Please, Don't apologize there is still a little time for you to learn!:yesnod:

Just curious, how long do you have to work before retirement, 20-25 years?

25 years, as long as my retirement plan stays the same. Starting out early in Law Enforcement has it's perks. It's been a hell of a learning curve even for someone that people considered "mature for their age" to do this. I started at 20, I'm 26 now. I'll be able to retire with a full pension that I can actually live off of, at age 45, and not work another day unless I want to (which I probably will).

I'll find something else fun to do for a little while.

I remember saying when I get my 20 I'm out of here here. Well, It didn't quite work that way and I really didn't mind the way it did work out. When that magical twenty was approaching I thought hell I can't leave I'm having to much fun and I just put two (twins) boys through college to get their masters degrees. Twenty turned to twenty five and I was still having fun. Many, many people asked me and other old timers when are you going to retire. I always answered, "When it's no more fun". Just about twenty-nine years in I started saying this is getting old (really me) and it's no more fun. I retired at thirty and so far have beat the system. When it is no more fun to go to work it is time to go on in your life there is plenty of time to do something enjoyable.
ps. Those radios in the trunk really took a beating -retdetsgt

I suspect it would scare the sh!t out of a lot of cops today if they had to work under those conditions, but we didn't know any better so it was just what was. But we didn't have any police that were 5 ft. nothing and 100 and nothing pounds either. At 6-2, about 185, I was about average size, maybe a little smaller. We had some huge Swedes who came from families of loggers working back then.

I don't know about scared sh!tliess, but it would definitely be a departure... we don't even pull traffic without calling in our location. You guys issued flares in case you needed help quick or did you just send a telegraph message?

I don't know about scared sh!tliess, but it would definitely be a departure... we don't even pull traffic without calling in our location. You guys issued flares in case you needed help quick or did you just send a telegraph message?

I think that Jim and ICU just depended on other officers to go look for them when their horses returned to stable riderless!

Back before we had hand held radios, but did drive cars, we used to hang the mike outside of the window in case we had to drag someone back to the car, reach up and yell for help. One night I got into a foot pursuit through a residential area and had a pretty good fight with the guy before I got him cuffed.

He kept kicking and trying to get away even though he was cuffed and there was no way I was going to try to drag him back several blocks to my car.

I did drag him up to a house which had some lights on inside and pounded on the door. They wouldn't open the door, even when I identified myself, but they did call the station like I asked. What a wonderful sound hearing sirens coming my way!

When I had about 6 months on, my FTO and I got a call on a burglary in progress. As we arrived, the bad guy ran out of the house and I started a foot chase. We went probably 10+ blocks and none of it down a sidewalk, all through back yards. My FTO, who was an older guy didn't even try to keep up. I finally caught him, got him cuffed and realized I was the only white face around and I had no idea where the hell I was. Not that it would have mattered, I guess because I didn't have a radio.

I walked him to a main street and a police car came by a minute later and they gave me and the suspect a ride to where my partner was.

Somebody had a horse? Damn

Somebody had a horse? Damn

Again, when I was new, I was talking to an old detective and asked him when he last worked uniform. He replied, "All I can remember was that you weren't supposed to put your foot on the running board of the car when you were talking to the driver.":yesnod:

I do have to say that many of the old guys I was around were WWII vets. It was a shame that I didn't learn much about their service until I read their obituary years later. Several survived Omaha Beach and a number were Marines fighting in Iwo Jima, Guadacanal and Okinawa.

The vast majority only had high school diplomas, although some didn't even have that. Yet they wrote excellent reports, spelled everything right w/o spell check and used proper grammar. They had no problem laying some @sswipe flat, but loved to stop and talk to little kids in restaurants and such. IMO, they were a cut above any generation of cops I've seen, including mine.

And it seems the wisest, oldest and strongest of the old timer bunch was always named "Sully". If you asked someone what his real name was, most would say, "Sully" that is his name. Big bad Sully, who could put down a resisting defendant with one punch, was always the jolly Santa Claus during Christmas with kids on his lap as he listened to dreams of toys and new puppies. Afterward he would down a couple of Irish whiskeys, give out a big burp, and scratch his Christmas bxxxs.

Yup, we had a Sully. He was a captain when I came on. He had about the same reputation though when he was younger.

We also had big Swede who walked the beat on skid row. I was working with him one night and I saw him bring his hand up from his belt buckle and backhand a big French sailor one night. The sailor went flat on his back and was rummy for several minutes. I would have had to have had a baseball bat to do that and he did it with a backhand! I know I stood there with my mouth open for a while. I don't think Joe Louis could have done that.

He would fill out a booking slip, give it to a drunk and tell the drunk to head down to jail and turn himself in. And they would! The jailers were used to taking the elevator down and finding a drunk standing there alone with a booking slip in his hand.

He always came to work wearing a coat, tie and Fedora and then would change into his uniform.

I had a drunk (he was walking sort of) come up to me while I was on foot patrol and wanted me to write a note to his wife telling her not to yell at him when he got home and he insisted I was to tell her I was a cop so she would listen. I scribbled something on a piece of memo paper and sent him two or three houses down the block to his house. No body got locked up for public intox in those days where I worked.

We had a city ordinance called "Drunk on the street" that we enforced. Skid road winos were would be routinely given a 30 suspended sentence and then the next day when they were arrested, they were given 30 day in jail. That gave them time to sober up, eat some decent food, etc. for a while. The ordinance was repealed in about 1972. The result was a bunch of dead bodies for a couple of months on skid road. A good many of them died. I can still remember the faces, if not the names of about a dozen that died from alcohol poisoning, the DT's, or just plain exposure. A whole segment of society went away that quick.

Most were harmless and they worked as trustees doing work around the police station. It was kinda sad to me to see them die like that.

We have state public intoxication law, but hardly anyone is ever arrested for it. We have a detox facility where we take drunks, but they are only held until they sober up.

I was in special squads in the 70's but I believe that uniform had to call an ambulance and take the dunks to the hospital for evaluation. They wouldn't even do that until there were numerous complaints around the railroad station or outside a local bar. The hospitals weren't happy about that change because most didn't have any medical insurance and of course many didn't want to be there. I have no idea what the policy is now. I would imagine it is public intox. and off to jail.

Yeah we don't have anything of the sorts here. If your just drunk in public, then there is no crime.

I remember the bail for drunk in public was $50 and drunk in auto was $100. Prior to 1972, Oregon's criminal laws was a hodge podge that was a mess. Instead of just theft, we had larceny from an auto, larceny from a store, larceny from residential yard, etc. At that time the legislature wrote the Oregon Revised Statutes which simplified them and reduced the number by about half or better. About that time, they decided that just being drunk wasn't a crime and created the public intoxication law. One of the elements of that though is creating a disturbance, which few of the old winos used to do.

One of the biggest pain the the butt things about processing a prisoner was to make sure you had the damn carbon paper in the right way or your arrest sheet would have printing on the wrong side of the sheet. When that happened you would have to do the whole thing over. It sounds like an easy thing to do correctly but first you had to find a piece of carbon paper that was only used two or three times. Then you had a good piece.

It sounds like a simple enough thing to do but when you had an irate prisoner high on heroin or acid screaming in your face and moving your desk with his handcuffed hand (which was attached to a loop on the desk) it was a chore. It was , I think, early seventies when they went to the triple sheet press hard to go through sheets. Whatever its' called.

Carbonless paper was a pretty cool invention, that's for sure. Oddly enough, we had them on traffic citations before we had them for a lot of other things.

Sure, priorities, tickets make them money. Have you ever heard of dog census? We had to that when I first got on. Because the county could make a lot of money off of dog licenses they would have perfectly abled bodied Police Officers go door to door and ring the bell on each residence/ business that may have a dog. When the owner answered the door the officer would ask if they have any dogs and if so how many and whether or not they were male or female. All this would be recorded on a "dog census form". If nobody answered the door and the cop could hear the dogs barking he recorded their presence and basically guessed on the sex. This whole system was changed rather quickly but the ramifications were mixed. Many people thought it a waste of money but others loved it because they could tell the cop all their problems. Many tips came from this door to door activity. I believe the neighborhood security divisions were set up not to long afterward.

Nope, the silliest thing I ever had to do was be crossing guard. Once a year, Portland has the Rose Festival and the US Navy comes up the Columbia river to spawn. The ships are docked along the river sea wall and there used to be a street running close to it. (It was covered over later and made into a park) They used to put new cops at several points as crossing guards for people to cross the street to visit the ships. I was married at the time, but a lot of single cops got some good phone numbers from the young girls visiting the Navy ships.

I got into Narcotics from being on a school crossing! I was assigned a school crossing where I was supposed to be helping high school kids cross a very quiet side street. Why I was there I will never know but when I though nobody was looking I kicked a telephone pole in frustration. I was thinking, I went through all those months at the academy just to cross a bunch of older kids that don't cross where I am anyway. This isn't cop stuff, I thought. Well about thirty- five minutes after kicking the pole a marked car came up to and the operator said to me he was taking over my crossing and told me the inspector wanted to see me. I went to the inspectors office and he came right out and said he saw me kick the pole and wanted to know why I did it. I told him that I didn't think this was a good use of my capabilities trying to cross kids that would cross fifteen feet away from you. He said "Fine, do you want to go to the "Narcotics Squad" I said sure and within that week I was out of uniform and in narcotics. That lasted 10 years and then another 18 in Electronics Surveillance all from kicking a pole. Now there is a big waiting list to get into squads like that. All from a school crossing (of course I did a few really good things in between).

I got into Narcotics from being on a school crossing! I was assigned a school crossing where I was supposed to be helping high school kids cross a very quiet side street. Why I was there I will never know but when I though nobody was looking I kicked a telephone pole in frustration. I was thinking, I went through all those months at the academy just to cross a bunch of older kids that don't cross where I am anyway. This isn't cop stuff, I thought. Well about thirty- five minutes after kicking the pole a marked car came up to and the operator said to me he was taking over my crossing and told me the inspector wanted to see me. I went to the inspectors office and he came right out and said he saw me kick the pole and wanted to know why I did it. I told him that I didn't think this was a good use of my capabilities trying to cross kids that would cross fifteen feet away from you. He said "Fine, do you want to go to the "Narcotics Squad" I said sure and within that week I was out of uniform and in narcotics. That lasted 10 years and then another 18 in Electronics Surveillance all from kicking a pole. Now there is a big waiting list to get into squads like that. All from a school crossing (of course I did a few really good things in between).

if you kicked a kid, would they have made you chief?

Nah! I just think each precinct had to come up with one candidate to go to narcotics. Between a couple of arrests I made and the pole incident I guess he thought I might want to go. He was laughing about the pole so I really dont think that was the whole reason.

Nah! I just think each precinct had to come up with one candidate to go to narcotics. Between a couple of arrests I made and the pole incident I guess he thought I might want to go. He was laughing about the pole so I really dont think that was the whole reason.

Ha, the fact you called it "narcotics" just dated you! When I first started, the sex crimes unit in detectives was called, "morals". Thank God they changed that.

The fact you were selected is something else that changed. Now, they post assignment openings and people apply. I went to vice for a while when I had about three years on and I was selected. The opening was never published. That was funny too. I walked in the first day and the Sgt. gave me about 200 bucks. I asked him what I was supposed to do and he said, "Go out and try to pick up women". I replied that I could do that and knew right away this was going to be my dream job! You have to realize that this was in the early 70's and the sexual revolution was in full swing. I'd get sent to a hotel bar where the manager was complaining about hookers being in the bar. I'd get there and usually most of the single women there weren't working, just there to get laid...... I only lasted about 10 months though before I started getting this feeling of impending doom. I knew if I stayed, I was going to get into serious trouble.

Actually, that gut feeling played out in a different way. Some of the narcotics guys, who we shared the office with was just starting to write phony warrants and plant drugs on people. Since the vice guys sometimes helped them on search warrants, a few of them were suspected, but cleared. Leaving when I did saved me from a lot of grief. One of the dope guys ended up in prison, but a half a dozen were fired. The DA gave most immunity from prosecution if they would tell him which cases were bad so he could try to repari the damage.

Narcotics and Vice were housed together during my time also. They would put all of us in the crappiest offices and locations you could imagine. Either the heat didn't work or it wouldn't stop pumping it out. The radiators were the biggest cast iron things I have seen yet.

As with you, when I first got into Narcotics they would start you off with a "bank", cash to use for buys. You had better have that cash if any of the bosses needed it to put together for a big buy. The bosses kept meticulous records and I am glad to say during my time there I saw absolutely no corruption. I am glad you were able to leave when you did. We used to have an automatic forced rotation to avoid any problems but later learned it took to long to train new people all the time.

It is kind of interesting when you are on a case at a local hotel sitting at the bar and one of your neighbors walks in with a woman that is not his wife. He doesn't want you to see him and you don't want him to blow your case and see you. The whole situation is extremely comical looking back afterwards.

We had crappy offices too. But at that time, the main police station we used was built in 1904.

We had lousy supervision and some of the narcs had been there for more than a decade. The supervision was the problem though. As soon as I saw the lack of accountability, I knew that if I had ever been honest in my life, I better be now. I kept a detailed record of every dime of city money I spent. About 10 years later when I went back as a Sgt., you can bet I knew every case everyone of my people was working and was constantly updated on them. We had a much better system for accounting for paying snitches too by then. In the early 70's, everything was just too lax.

Non uniform assignments have always been a bit of a sore point where I worked. The same people seem to always go from one plum assignment to another. One guy I knew worked 25 years and only did one year in uniform. And he wasn't very good at anything he did. Other really competent cops couldn't get out of uniform no matter what they put in for.

I picked up a lot of dirt on other cops working vice too. I kept a separate notebook for that though. You never know who you may be working for someday and that info will come in handy.

You mentioned before about putting the position out for all to see and apply and I meant to mention that we started doing the same thing, I'm guessing, around the middle seventies.

Long time ago I spoke to one of the nicest and well liked uniform officers I have ever met. A really nice friendly guy. He did his whole career (which was very, very long) in uniform and loved it. He never took a sergeants test and did not want to be a Detective. He loved his post and the people that he grew to know and care about. There is not many people like this guy. He got all sorts of rewards and parties from the PD and the local people from his post. Do you remember having any particular guy like this?

Long time ago I spoke to one of the nicest and well liked uniform officers I have ever met. A really nice friendly guy. He did his whole career (which was very, very long) in uniform and loved it. He never took a sergeants test and did not want to be a Detective. He loved his post and the people that he grew to know and care about. There is not many people like this guy. He got all sorts of rewards and parties from the PD and the local people from his post. Do you remember having any particular guy like this?

Oh, yeah. I know a number of guys like that. My best friend is one. He and I worked as partners in our ghetto in the mid 70's for a couple of years and then they teamed us up again in a poor white trash neighborhood. That was an honor because that was always an area that had been one man cars. We worked so well together that they found we could do more and better work together than in separate cars.

He did his 30 years and never worked anything but uniform patrol, never put in for anything else. I tried to get him to take the detective test (it's a promotion here) and he wasn't interested. He's the only other retired cop I see much, we still have lunch together at least once a week.

Thats great that you guys still see each other. I keep in touch with a couple of my old partners and I find it amazing how I can remember certain stupid details of funny situations we were in and my partners can remember everyones name including the bad guys. One partner in particular will start by saying "remember when we chased so and so on the expressway." He remembers the guys name and address and what he was wearing. I remember the siren didn't work, I forgot my gun in the office, and he didn't have handcuff keys. When the stories start between the two of us I guess eventually the whole thing gets remembered. The good times. I really think his memory is a lot better than mine.

It's too bad that two man cars are pretty much history now. Although most of our cars were one man, in some areas we still had partners where the crime rate was high and a lot of potential violence. With the sorry communication systems, it would have been just too dangerous to send one person most of the time.

I had several good partners, but Dave was the best ever. We seemed to think alike and could anticipate each other's moves. We also had the same sense of humor. The fact we both liked street people and could banter with them was also a big asset. I admit some of our antics wouldn't be tolerated for a moment today, but even the command smiled at some of our crime fighting techniques...... We only worked together for a total of about 3 years, but we've both had young cops come up to us and ask about stories they heard about and some of them hadn't been born when that happened.

We have a retired officers association. I'm a paying member because they send out a phone and address book every year of retirees and notify us when someone dies, but I never go to any of the events (other than funerals). For a while I went to a monthly lunch thing where about 20 guys got together. To be honest, I got tired of it pretty quick. Of course it was all war stories and frankly, a lot of what I heard I knew to be BS, I was there when it happened or heard about it right afterwards. Then I realized I really didn't like some of them even when we worked around each other.....:biggrin5:

I did the same thing and joined the Retired Officers' Association here where I live. I also payed my dues and went to about three meetings. This particular association was made of mostly local retired police officers and I felt a bit like an outcast. They were all nice and friendly but like you said more and more were going to the hospital and many were dying, some came to the meeting with oxygen tanks and in wheel chairs. God Bless them, but it is very depressing thinking this is where I am going to be in a couple of years. I haven't gone to anymore meetings but they still send me emails about their meetings, deaths, and upcoming events.

On another matter, did you get your motorcycle license endorsement from the PD when you got on. I never drove a motorcycle before and they told me I had to qualify on a three wheeled Harley Davidson that if I remember right had and automatic transmission somewhere on the front. It had a little storage compartment in the back. I couldn't believe it was even considered a motorcycle. After the Harley it was a Rabbit scooter and Cushman and then we got our endorsement. That Harley was really cool and worth big bucks now. I don't believe the old teletypes are worth anything.

[QUOTE=icu650;1150810]more and more were going to the hospital and many were dying, some came to the meeting with oxygen tanks and in wheel chairs. God Bless them, but it is very depressing thinking this is where I am going to be in a couple of years.
I apologize if I offended anyone with this remark it was insensitive and selfish. It was an observation that I should have kept to myself. These people were happy to make it to the meetings.

On another matter, did you get your motorcycle license endorsement from the PD when you got on. I never drove a motorcycle before and they told me I had to qualify on a three wheeled Harley Davidson that if I remember right had and automatic transmission somewhere on the front. It had a little storage compartment in the back. I couldn't believe it was even considered a motorcycle. After the Harley it was a Rabbit scooter and Cushman and then we got our endorsement. That Harley was really cool and worth big bucks now. I don't believe the old teletypes are worth anything.

I don't know how much longer our retired association will last. It's run by guys in their late 70's and 80's. Only a couple of my generation are very active in it. As I said, I only joined to get the info on deaths, serious illnesses, etc. I've never been to a meeting.

I never rode city bikes. Our bikes are all assigned to traffic and I hated working that. Writing tickets was boring to me as well as investigating wrecks. We had 3 wheelers when I came on, they wrote parking tickets outside the downtown area. Now meter people do all that.

lordmanji‎,

Did we answer your question somewhere along the line here, or did we loose you?

lordmanji‎,

Did we answer your question somewhere along the line here, or did we loose you?

I 'preciate the question. It was a nice chat!

I enjoyed the chat as well. Memories. Now, back to the now

I also enjoyed "watching" the chat. You two are a few years ahead of me, though. I only listened to the chatter of the teletype for three years or so. Used to love to get some of the punchouts and put them in guys defroster vents when they left their car unlocked!

lordmanji‎,

Did we answer your question somewhere along the line here, or did we loose you?

Yes, the information has been very helpful. The posts seemed to take on a life of their own (and was just as interesting) so I wanted to let it run its course before thanking everybody. Thanks for sharing.

I only read the first few posts about old radios which reminded me of some of our cars equipped with repeaters. Since the city is all hills and buildings and our repeaters were basic line-of-sight devices they sucked...marginally better than call boxes. (And for the record I'm only joking about them, I never saw a call box.)

Edit: Oh and now I just read this page and see we're back to the "now." Sorry about that.

pfffft, old guys.. **rolls eyes**.

:biggrin5:

pfffft, YOUNG guys.. **rolls eyes**.

pfffft, YOUNG guys.. **rolls eyes**.

We are the future...

We are the future...

That's NOT reassuring!:skep:



:biggrinsanta:

Remember, no matter where you work there is always going to be old guys that have already got burnt doing the same thing your about to do. Some will tell you first not to do it others will watch you do it because they think you won't listen anyway.

We are the future...

We old guys created the present (better or worse) for you young'ins to create that future. ;)

We are the future...

Thank God the retirement light at the end of the tunnel is
getting bigger as I type.:smilielol5:

One of these days, I am going to be like Walter (Jeff Dunham character)
I am going to have the door greeter job at Walmart.

Hi, welcome to walmart, now get your **** and get out!:smilielol5:

That hurts my heart.