Some advice would be helpful here

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divinefaith

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Yesterday as I was taking public transport I noticed two security officers act impolitely and intimidating towards a passenger as they were checking for tickets. I found this behaviour really offensive and I’m definite that it is not appropriate conduct for the officers.

I was really angry and spoke to my friend about what had happened and within the next few hours he made a complaint explaining to the transport office what I had said to him but he claimed to be a direct witness to the event.

While I think its fair to make a complaint about this I dont feel its right that my friend was dishonest in saying that he was a witness when I know he wasnt.

The issue will now be under investigation but I am unsure as to what I should do. I would like to make a complaint myself but feel that I am obligated to speak up and say my friend was not actually a witness. Would I have to do this or should I let it go and ignore making a complaint altogether seeing my friend already did it?

Thanks guys.
 
divinefaith said:
The issue will now be under investigation but I am unsure as to what I should do. I would like to make a complaint myself but feel that I am obligated to speak up and say my friend was not actually a witness. Would I have to do this or should I let it go and ignore making a complaint altogether seeing my friend already did it?
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If the complaint was reasonably accurate based on your observations, let it go. Do not turn in your friend for claiming to be an eyewitness; if they need more information and ask for it, that may end up being discovered anyway. I don’t see how calling it to their attention can cause any good.

What is important is that those in charge look into rude behavior on the part of officials who can easily intimidate the passengers due to the very clothes they are wearing. People in positions of authority have to watch this carefully, and too often don’t. Whether your friend did wrong by claiming to be a witness I can’t tell you. I know that a couple times when I was intimidated by people in positions of power, others have come in and “helped me” fight my case by acting as if it were against them. It wasn’t like they were lying; it was about helping me and teaching me to stand up for myself. It isn’t about your friend having a glass house; it’s about standing up to institutional bullying.

Alan
 
AlanFromWichita said:
; if they need more information and ask for it, that may end up being discovered anyway.
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Yes, its under investigation and I assume they will look at surveillance video. They dont take the words of witnesses lightly but they do look into more and more evidence.
 
I still think it could be unethical that this incident was reported based on a false witness.
 
divinefaith said:
I still think it could be unethical that this incident was reported based on a false witness.
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Unethical, perhaps, on the part of the alleged “witness.” But the facts of the report are what they are, unless they were also made-up, which the OP didn’t mention.

So from the officials’ point of view, they had it coming. I hate to see bullies get away with being bullies. Especially when they use their uniforms to do it. In fact, I think it’s usually a good idea for “ordinary” people who don’t want to raise red flags for themselves – such as due to fear of retaliation, which may be legitimate concern – to have a way to make an anonymous complaint – it can still be taken seriously.

Personally, I would not say I saw something when I didn’t and sign my name to it. There have been maybe a few times when I let someone think I was someone else, but those were very specific situations. Like when I called into an unhelpful “customer service” who wouldn’t help my pastor with an issue, I called on his behalf and they asked me for the account information, and then assumed I was the pastor – I didn’t tell them otherwise; they needed to hear what I had to tell them. 😉

Alan
 
I hope that this does not sound judgmental but I find the OP interesting for what is of concern and what is not.

The reason that you have this problem in the first place is because you you gossiped. You told you friend what you witnessed, which was a mere sliver of time in the day/week/life of the officers (and the passenger’s) involved. I will not judge what you saw or how you interpreted it since I was not there, but many times things are not what they appear.
In telling another about it, you could very well be maligning another person’s character.

As you said above, the Transit office does not simply take witness testimony at face value but investigates further. One cannot say the same for people who here tell of such things.

Unfortunately we are all guilty of such things (I have plenty of planks in my eyes) but I wanted to mention this as an observation to us all.

Ideally, if you were angered (as you say) then you should have kept quiet about the matter to your friend and then reported it yourself as soon as possible. Then there would be nothing for you to be fretting about now.

Peace
James
 
I spoke to my friend because he has more knowledge about these issues than me. He’s been thru similar experiences with ppl who bullied him. I dont consider this gossiping at all.
 
divinefaith said:
I still think it could be unethical that this incident was reported based on a false witness.
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wait, you witnessed severely inappropriate behavior against innocent persons, and did not report it, yet you are concerned about the ethics of the person who did report it? aren’t your priorities out of order?
 
divinefaith said:
I spoke to my friend because he has more knowledge about these issues than me. He’s been thru similar experiences with ppl who bullied him. I dont consider this gossiping at all.
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Fair enough. when you discussed this with your friend, did you discuss whether you should report it?

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
Fair enough. when you discussed this with your friend, did you discuss whether you should report it?
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Yes, we both thought it was a good idea to complain. I had to go to work within the next few minutes so he just told me to leave it up to himself. He didnt say he would make the complaint (and I didnt know he would) but he decided to do it because he is much more knowledgeable and assertive than I am.
 
divinefaith said:
Yes, we both thought it was a good idea to complain. I had to go to work within the next few minutes so he just told me to leave it up to himself. He didnt say he would make the complaint (and I didnt know he would) but he decided to do it because he is much more knowledgeable and assertive than I am.
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Well then it sounds as though there was a bit of misunderstanding between you over his intent. It now appears his intent was not to deceive, but rather to spare you any discomfort of making the report yourself.

Peace
James
 
puzzleannie said:
wait, you witnessed severely inappropriate behavior against innocent persons, and did not report it, yet you are concerned about the ethics of the person who did report it? aren’t your priorities out of order?
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I’m glad he stepped up against what was happening. But at the same time I would feel a little bad if the officers were to get into trouble. Only because the witness phone call they got was based on the dishonesty that he was a witness when he wasnt. Wouldnt that be unjust?
 
divinefaith said:
I’m glad he stepped up against what was happening. But at the same time I would feel a little bad if the officers were to get into trouble. Only because the witness phone call they got was based on the dishonesty that he was a witness when he wasnt. Wouldnt that be unjust?
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No, it wouldn’t IMO. If the officers were actually abusing their power and acting like that, then they got what they deserved. Whether there is something dishonest about saying he was a witness when he wasn’t, is a different question. If the facts in the complaint were made-up as well, then I’d see a big problem with that.

Alan
 
divinefaith said:
I’m glad he stepped up against what was happening. But at the same time I would feel a little bad if the officers were to get into trouble. Only because the witness phone call they got was based on the dishonesty that he was a witness when he wasnt. Wouldnt that be unjust?
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If your friend had called and said, "My friend told me that he saw …such and so…, then it becomes second hand - “hearsay” and probably would not be acted upon.
However, you said earlier that you and your friend talked about reporting it and he said to leave it up to him (because he is more assertive than you).

I suggest that your best course at this time would be to talk to your friend about this and why it troubles you.

Peace
James
 
divinefaith said:
I’m glad he stepped up against what was happening. But at the same time I would feel a little bad if the officers were to get into trouble. Only because the witness phone call they got was based on the dishonesty that he was a witness when he wasnt. Wouldnt that be unjust?
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unjust is railing against your friend who did the right thing, while you did nothing and therefore approved the abuse
 
All of this is based on poor communication. Your friend should not have made the report without asking you if you thought it was a good idea or if you were going to file the report. He took initiative to do this when you might have had a growth opportunity in assertiveness. I can understand why you called him, for his opinion and feedback, but if you never discussed HIM calling in the report, he should have left you to decide for yourself if you wanted to do it.

What do you do now…hmmm…If you also report it, the authorities might give it too much weight, and think “Well, at least 2 people reported this so it must be rather serious.” On the other hand, if his report was not anonymous, and they do question him about it, his story may have holes and lead to a lack of credibility. If he is honest and states that he filed the report on behalf of you, chances are good that the report will then be thrown out as hearsay. Your friend really should not have filed the report in the first place. Now you have a pretty tangled mess.

I’d be inclined to leave things as they are. If you do decide to file another report, you need to explain why the other report was filed. That may reduce your credibility in the long term.
 
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