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Similar NJ Police story...Cop blew a gasket that he refused to take the road test. Gave him an assortment of tickets (including DUI) and impounded his car.

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Two things:

First, I call bullshit. NJ police ( and I am assuming most police ) cannot just impound your vehicle. They have to have sufficient reason for the impound, or the lawsuit is a pleasent paycheck for the inconvienience. They can't write a DUI if your friend blew under the limit; instead he was probably given a Careless Driving ticket -- they CAN and DO hand these out often when the pull someone over that they think has been drinking. Why? well they likely pulled your friend over because he was failing to stay in the lane, or otherwise driving erraticly and the CD ticket is the fall back if they blow under the limit and they can't provide evidence of other "influences" ( drugs etc ).

Second, why is it that these cops are always "blowing a gasket" at these people. I have never once had a cop be anything but professional, of course I am usually professional to them -- maybe that is the difference. Realize that they are really trying to do a job, and there is very little reason to give them a bunch of [censored] just because they are.

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It would be nice if it were always that simple, but it's not. I've bumped into really cool cops, and into real arseholes, as well as unethical ones. And I'm super polite and a white guy who pretty much looks and acts like Clark Kent. So you know that many other people are getting it worse.

Cops do have an Us vs. Them mentality, and Them is everyone who is not a cop, first of all. Even the best of them do. And for the record, I've had a few cop friends, and they don't disagree on that point. It's a big problem in the way they handle people. Cops have great power, and the ability to exercise it without much oversight at all. If cops didn't abuse power, they'd be the only people on the planet who didn't, from your mommy up to the priest and the president. It's human nature, and putting on a uniform doesn't change that. Heck, it makes it worse.

Believe it, there are plenty of cops who treat citizens like crap. Doesn't mean they are all scum, but the temptation to be a dirtbag is very high with them, and they are in a culture in which, like it or not, it is both fairly acceptable and likely to result in little to no repercussions.