You're all a bunch of crooks

[wheel]

How many here have either a criminal record, or have had similiar brushes with the law?

[topr8]

... obviously no-one in their right mind who could possibly be traced either by their username or any post they've made here would answer that question in the affirmative.

[londrum]

well i've been in prison loads of times, but i've always managed to escape. last time i climbed up the chimney

[tangor]

Interesting question. Expect no answers as this is not an employment forum where background has to be revealed under penalty of law. However, I'm more interested in the purpose for asking the question at Webmasterworld.

[wheel]

Just random nonsense on a Friday. I saw this question asked on a professional forum once, and was surprised at the number of positive responses. I figured I was the only one that'd landed in front of a judge when I was young and foolish.

Plus, there's no way that all the aggressive, super bright entrepreneurs around here got through their impulsive youth days without some scrapes along the way.

[jecasc]

I never got caught.

[lawman]

Other than minor traffic violations, I received first offender treatment for a crime when I was 19. In my state, successful completion of first offender probation results in no adjudication of guilt. That made it possible for me to go to law school some 17 years later (convicted felons cannot get a license to practice law so getting into law school would be close to impossible).

[Swanny007]

I went to prison on more than a few occasions. I worked for the prison system though LOL. I've seen the inside so I know to be good and stay the hell out!

[wheel]

Yeah, I can't practice what I do if I have a criminal record. Despite getting convicted at 16, I've never really been sure what my status is, not a criminal record for sure.

[cmendla]

The problem with the byzantine US tax system and tons of regulations is that it is almost impossible to go through a day without committing a 'crime'

[Quadrille]

I've only killed 15 spammers, so I'm way below the radar. Mind you, a desk officer tipped me off to keep my score below 100 "because then they get antsy"

[Demaestro]

When I was 16 I got busted for smoking pot, I am 37 now and it was my only arrest, except they let me off for a first offence and for being a polite young.

Also in Canada they don't want to ruin your life over a doobie so it isn't that big a deal here, but back then it was a bit of a bigger deal.

[buckworks]

I've been inside more than one jail, but only as a visitor.

[johnhh]

I watched the whole of "Prison Break", just in case I could pick up some tips that may be useful ... one day.

[incrediBILL]

How many here have either a criminal record, or have had similiar brushes with the law?

This would be like walking up to someone on the street and loudly asking "Hey! Still kick the dog?", it's a no-win scenario question.

[lawman]

There are those who've been caught and those who ain't. ;)

I'm not proud of my past, but I'm not ashamed either. It was on the front page of a small town paper and there are those who still remember. Many 19 year olds do dumb stuff. I told my kids about it so they wouldn't hear it from anyone else. If anyone ever brought it up to them, they never told me. I discuss it with anyone who asks. It is what it is. FWIW, what was a felony then is a misdemeanor now.

[rocknbil]

I'll step up. Had troubles when I was a kid, no prison time. Since I turned 19, I've had a total of one speeding ticket, one seat belt violation (I was pulling from the curb and putting the f****ing thing ON) and a "pink" light ticket (uhh, it was Memorial Day Weekend, smart move!)

It's not the good things that happen to you that make you who you are, it's how you deal with the bad ones.

[mhansen]

I've been in a little trouble back in my late teen years. It was mainly a vandalism thing, we broke into a home and sprayed paint, ketchup, and well... many and other things everywhere. After they piled up every charge that fit the bill... The person (aka victim - who knew my parents) gave me the choice of joining the US Military and they would drop all charges, or well... they would press charges, and send me to jail. I spent the next 4 years in the USAF - and feel it was the best thing that ever happened to me!

I was back home for my fathers funeral 3 years ago and made a point to find the person and thank him for forcing my hand 29 years ago.

Nowadays... the worst I do is speed, and occasionally get creative on my taxes.

[Rugles]

gave me the choice of joining the US Military and they would drop all charges

I have always questioned the wisdom of doing that.

It seems like it can lead to a lot of trouble because you take a low level crook and then teach them how to kill people efficiently and without emotion. Seems really risky to me.

[wheel]

Not in any case I've ever seen (which granted, isn't many). It's the discipline, camaraderie and rigour that straightens out wayward young men.

And the USAF isn't a bunch of men with guns trained to run screaming across fields and kill other people. Not quite how it works. Controllers, schedulers, aircraft maintenance, there's a lot of beauracracy and management in the forces, etc.

I worked on an airforce base (not US) for about a year when I was younger, and I don't think I met anyone who fit the description of trained killer. OK, airborne, but that's where they put the crazies anyway. Other than that, it's almost an office job.

[edited by: wheel at 9:26 pm (utc) on Nov 28, 2011]

[mhansen]

It seems like it can lead to a lot of trouble because you take a low level crook and then teach them how to kill people efficiently and without emotion. Seems really risky to me.

I can definitely see the parallel... In my case, it went the other way. I got dragged out of the punk years and forced into being a man, when I really wasn't ready for it. I'm grateful every year.

[Rugles]

Ya, I know all that and I do know somebody close to me who claims the same thing. I can certainly see the benefit of the military teaching people to be good citizens.

However, if somebody is already prone to not caring about others (their victims), then you show them how to kill or maim humans without letting emotion get in the way(obviously depends on which military and which branch) I think that can be a danger to society.

McVeigh comes to mind.

[lucy24]

And the USAF isn't a bunch of men with guns trained to run screaming across fields and kill other people. Not quite how it works. Controllers, schedulers, aircraft maintenance, there's a lot of beauracracy and management in the forces, etc.

I've seen the USAF recommended as the branch you should go for if you have to go somewhere, because #1 unlike the other branches of the service, it's the officers who go into danger while the enlisted men stay safe on base, and #2 the food is better.

Don't look at me. I'm just repeating what I've been told.

Then again, it was an ex-USAF friend whose most abiding thought about her drill sergeant was "You kiss your mother with that mouth?!" which I think means that some things are the same in all branches.

[phranque]

i shot a man in reno just to watch him die

[Rugles]

You should put that to music!

[incrediBILL]

I never really had a brush with the law, maybe a slight comb-over though.

It's easier to get away with stuff if you have a doctor's note.

[wheel]

I never really had a brush with the law, maybe a slight comb-over though.

If there was anyone here that I'd have tagged with 'youthful brushes with the law', it'd have been you. It seems to be highly correlated with strong minded independent types.

[incrediBILL]

If there was anyone here that I'd have tagged with 'youthful brushes with the law', it'd have been you.

Sorry to disappoint.

As a youth I was just the mild-mannered honor student bookworm nerd that transitioned into a computer nerd in the late 70s. You don't find too many members of the National Honor Society of High School Students regularly on the police blotter. Besides, Mom was on the City Council where I lived and I knew all the cops personally.

It took a few adult years, moving to the big city, and quite a bit of beer catalyst before I metamorphed out of that nerd chrysalis and emerged as the extroverted techno-babbling computer geek I am today.

Heck, never even ran afoul of the law until my first speeding ticket for 15mph over the speed limit when I was 20.

... they didn't catch me doing 150 mph on I-29 in Missouri ...

... nor did the highway patrol catch me when I blasted past him doing over 100 mph, and he really tried, as I took the next exit ramp and ditched the car behind an abandoned building as I watch him drive by oblivious of my deception ...

Like I said, more like comb-overs than actual brushes :)

P.S. I had a serious muscle car at the time and felt the need for speed!

[lawman]

What kind of muscle car did an extreme speeding, officer eluding criminal drive?

[incrediBILL]

It had a 455 in it, all you need to know ;)

What happened is I caught him off guard. He had to slam on the brakes and back up to get on the ramp I took. I was watching him burn rubber backing up as I was peeling out at the top of the ramp.

By the time he was on the rural road, I had already ditched the car and watched him go screaming down the road with lights blazing. Luckily for me, it was a curvy road and he couldn't see more than the next curve, lots of trees on both sides, he had no clue where I was and just kept going assuming I was right in front of him.

FWIW, I quit speeding so much after that narrow escape, too harrowing.

... until I moved to California!

Almost got caught doing about 120mph in CA, driving another car with a 455 - I have issues with those things, but I was in a pack of about a dozen cars doing the same and a CHP screamed up behind us and just picked off the Porsche and let the rest of us go.

Been going a bit slower ever since.