Blunt Instrument

Steve Duin's column in the paper this morning was talking about the level of respect and fear between the police and the populace. These two lines got me going:

The average police officer and the average citizen are still on the same side.
Most of us believe that, I trust. It's why we approach police when we need help.

Once upon a time I heard someone say that "the law is a blunt instrument". Because of that you only go to police as a matter of last resort. Any encounter with them is as likely to be detrimental as helpful. My experience with the police has never been positive, or if there ever was a positive experience it is more than outweighed by the negative. My solution is to avoid them as much as possible. Keep a low profile, don't do anything that will make you stand out. (This blog would be an exception, if anyone ever read it.) So does that mean I am afraid? Or is it just that I have been cowed enough to keep me from making serious trouble? Or maybe it just means I am all-growed up.