Dunno bout that, Guest.

My Dad was a cop. I think its easy to forget how much it isolates you from the general community. Dad was very suspicious of the norms of human contact. Friendship and normal warmth was something he lost the talent for. The day he retired, he found that the only people who had wanted to be his friends were no longer interested in even speaking to him.

To give him his due, he was aware of this at the time - and as I worshipped him, I wanted to be a cop like him, but he was having none of it.

One time I talked to to a couple of police women who were doing a talk for the kids in the school where I taught.

The life they described was unspeakable. Apparently their outer clothes are coated with spit after they have policed the average football match. The coats went straight in the shed, and then straight to the cleaners. I give a wry smile whenever I hear mudcatters say what a grand bunch of lads English football fans are.

The policewomen were ex-directory of course, but they have to change their numbers at least once a month - because of predatory and abusive callers.

I imagine you could multiply that by ten when you're a serving soldier in NI - after all, its not unknown for people to draw a round of a general acclamation on mudcat for the act of killing soldiers.

You may find thuggish unfriendly behaviour a total mystery Guest. I don't think it quite such a bottomless conundrum. It may be no fun dealing with police and the army, but I don't think it requires a great leap of imagination to see where they're coming from.

best wishes

al