Text 9963, 50 rader
Skriven 2008-01-16 05:34:42 av Bob Ackley (1:300/3)
   Kommentar till text 9848 av Roger Nelson (1:3828/7)
Ärende: Myths
=============
Replying to a message of Roger Nelson to Ward Dossche:

 WD>> Since June 2003 when most likely a Fidonet sysop, probably an
 WD>> American Fidonet sysop, annonimously informed authorities I was a
 WD>> drugs courrier and tried to have me arrested upon arrival at Kennedy
 WD>> airport, I have my own perception of the constructive things the
 WD>> children of Fidonet get themselves involved in.

 RN> Hmn.  There has to be more to it than that, I think.  A citizen can't
 RN> just make an anonimous tip without some proof or without DEA
 RN> connections.

Uh, yes s/he can.  There are several anonymous tip lines you can turn in
your neighbors - and anybody else - on.  For drugs, for firearms possession,
for child abuse and pretty much for anything you can dream up to make their
lives miserable.  And they'll *never* find out who made the call, even if
you leave your name, address and phone number.  I went through that a 
couple of decades ago when I received a ticket for barking dogs (in the
day time) on account of an anonymous complaint from a 'neighbor.'  The city
would not tell me who the 'neighbor' was even though their records are
(supposed
to be) public, and I didn't have the money to hire a lawyer to sue them to find
out
(assuming, of course, that one of the local lawyers would take the case).

There was also a case in rural Cass County (NE) where two families were
feuding over something and one of them kept calling CPS to claim the children
in the other family were being abused.  And the sheriff and CPS dutifully
showed
up, confiscated the children and put them in foster care until the (baseless)
charges
were finally dismissed and the children returned.  All at considerable expense
and
stress to the parents of the children. This went through several cycles, and in
no
case would the county CPS finger the person(s) who filed the complaints, so no
action could be taken against them (slander, libel, false reporting, lying to a
police
officer, etc.).

Much more recently (within the past couple of years) there was a case (forgot
where) in which a toddler slipped out of the house without a diaper - or
anything
else - on.  S/he was outside all of five minutes before one of his/her siblings
brought her/him back inside.  A neighbor called 911 to report child abuse, the
cops showed up with a "social worker" and confiscated the children.  The mother
was busy and didn't even know the toddler had been outside.

--- FleetStreet 1.19+
 * Origin: Bob's Boneyard, Emerson, Iowa (1:300/3)