Things you might learn from watching American TV cop shows

[The Large One]

• Everyone only eats hot dogs
• All crimes are solved by working out that the main protagonist was left- not right-handed
• In the evening, they never turn the lights on in the office, apart from a desk lamp
• Women cops are uber-competitive against their male counterparts
• The villain doesn't shave for three days

 

[RexCathedra]

Going the other way, I have learned you do not wreck the Quattro.

And you do not want to know what I've learned from watching all the episodes of The Thin Blue Line.

 

[Mellotron]

Going the other way, I have learned you do not wreck the Quattro.

And you do not want to know what I've learned from watching all the episodes of The Thin Blue Line.

"If you cock up, it's my arse that's on the line! Your cock up, my arse!"

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

The chief officer is always, without fail, black.

 

[Mellotron]

Everyone always has less than 1 week to go until their retirement.

 

[Stoo82]

Police cars can explode at any moment.

 

[skipper734]

All cars and car doors are totally bullet proof. They're not!

 

[Perry Milkins]

Baddies are also referred to as Punks (not the Johnnie Rotten type) and whist being able to runn fast in pumps nad jeans can be caught up by a slightly overweight 'cop' in a lounge suit and brogues.

 

[Biscuit]

The word(s) 'Goddammit' is used at least three times an episode and is usually followed with 'We lost him/her'.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Cops are always partnered with someone who is, personality and appearance wise, diametrically opposite to them.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

In UK cop shows, the villainous ne'er do wells are referred to as "scrotes" rather than punks. And in any interview, the aforementioned scrote will say "no comment" to precisely two questions, before caving in pathetically and confessing all at the merest hint of "you did it didn't you?" from the Inspector (hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha) carrying out the interview.

 

[Biscuit]

Cops are always partnered with someone who is, personality and appearance wise, diametrically opposite to them.

The life-weary, 'haaard ass', 'doesn't play by the rules but always gets results' is ALWAYS partnered with the young, ambitious, 'Lets do this by the book' whipper-snapper.

 

[simmo]

• Everyone only eats hot dogs

Apart from the cops themselves whom eat donuts.

 

[Stoo82]

If a partner goes on holiday or is off ill, his replacement will die within a week.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

The life-weary, 'haaard ass', 'doesn't play by the rules but always gets results' is ALWAYS partnered with the young, ambitious, 'Lets do this by the book' whipper-snapper.

Absolutely, every precinct has a maverick veteran with domestic issues and a tendency to drink too much from a bottle of bourbon in his desk drawer. And a moustache.

 

[Gwylan]

The life-weary, 'haaard ass', 'doesn't play by the rules but always gets results' is ALWAYS partnered with the young, ambitious, 'Lets do this by the book' whipper-snapper.

Bit of an aside this, but that's one of the reasons The Wire was so good. Bunk and McNulty were not diametrically opposite, nor were Herc and Carver. That was a sign of a good show.

As for the OP.

Chases always start when a cop is eating lunch/drinking coffee
There'll always be a vegetable stall in the way in a car chase
Cops have to hand in their badge on a regular basis
City Hall always wants something (more cops on streets, more cops in schools, fewer cops somewhere else)

 

[Garage_Doors]

Police cars cannot go around corners with the tyres squealing,

All drivers without exception never use the handbrake when parking the car.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Female cops are, without fail, hot.

Most complex cases are solved in an afternoon.

All American cops are fair, reasonable and understanding.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

You can completely screw up a car by putting a banana in the tailpipe.

 

[simmo]

The life-weary, 'haaard ass', 'doesn't play by the rules but always gets results' is ALWAYS partnered with the young, ambitious, 'Lets do this by the book' whipper-snapper.

The hard ass is always asked for his badge by his black superior but still works on the job at hand to bring the villian(s) to justice with the help of his "by the book" whipper snapper, whom does so without the knowledge of his boss.