Cop Motto

"Protect and Serve" is painted on the doors of police cars in many places.  I guess it is San Diego city that has that.  I don't know about the others or what is on highway patrol.

But how many times when I encountered or observed police were they protecting, or serving?  Not often.  I usually see them hiding, trying catch someone on a traffic violation so they write tickets.   At times they do protect people.  Those are generally the same instances in which their behavior qualifies as serving, I think.

A more accurate motto would be, "Mop Up and Disturb".  Most of the time, when you deal with a cop, it is after a crime was committed, violent or otherwise.  They are mopping up the mess.  Or they are disturbing you, maybe at a roadblock, or when you are minding your own business at an overlook on Sunrise Highway.

Just another example of how we accept language that is way off the mark.