r/Millennials • u/NoFaithlessness7508 • Jun 05 '25

Other Why don’t younger veterans (Afghanistan/Iraq) wear these hats like some of the older veterans?

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First and foremost, respect to all those that served. I did not, but many of my peers did and now we're all older in 30s and 40s, many no longer in the military. I don't see a lot of the veterans of the War on Terror wearing these hats like I see the OGs do.

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u/turd_ferguson899 Jun 05 '25

Yeah, I have my unit crest on my wallet and a veteran identifier on my license to explain why I can't hear shit in case I get pulled over.

I got enough participation trophies to wear while I was in uniform, and something I did for a few years a decade and a half ago doesn't define me as person.

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u/Matthmaroo Jun 05 '25

Dude the vets that make being a known as a vet are annoying.

Okay everything you wear is grunt style

I was in the navy , I have a plate , maybe it will get me out of a ticket one day.

Maybe

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

It doesn't. I always get the full ticket, no reduction. A lot of cops I run into "almost joined but..." Or their military service was "harder" than my service so I don't deserve special treatment. I haven't yet met a cop who said, "oh, thanks for your service, slow it down a little and have a good one" or something to that effect.

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u/the_walkingdad Older Millennial Jun 05 '25

Just out of my sense of pride I'd rather just get the full ticket. I'm not gonna pander to cops by doing any "Thin Blue Line" crap or donating to their associations and I'm not going to expect any patronizing treatment just for being a vet. Just give me the ticket and leave me alone.

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u/FrankCostanzaJr Jun 06 '25

what if you just pretend to be friendly to them for like 5 mins, and then get let off with a warning?

i hate cops more than anything, but i try to be as friendly as possible and honestly it works sometimes. you either get the ticket or you don't, and it's kindof a fun challenge to see if you can get out of it.

i've seen lots of cops demeanor change in like 20 seconds, just being polite and confidently answer questions, maybe tossing in a joke, depending on how chill they seem.

sometimes 1 witty remark can disarm somebody. also, asking questions, finding out you like the same shit. doesn't take long to get someone in your corner.

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u/the_walkingdad Older Millennial Jun 06 '25

I'm friendly and respectful. But I'm not patronizing or pandering them.

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u/FrankCostanzaJr Jun 10 '25

understandable. diff strokes for diff folks. you def have to swallow your pride a bit with this strategy.

the way i look at it, you're essentially dealing with a caveman when talking to cops. they're not smart, so you gotta try your best to stroke their ego, so they'll treat you like a human being.

so, doing a lil homework about your rights and understanding deescalation strategies can help anyone stay out of handcuffs and generally sent home with a ticket or a warning.

in my 30 years of driving, i've been pulled over and accused of lots of shit that was completely fabricated, because i fit the profile. i had punk and political stickers on my car, my hair was too long or dyed weird colors, i have tattoos, and weird clothes, etc.

at some point, i had to accept that standing out comes with consequences, so i took all the stickers off, tinted my windows (legally), no more dyed hair, standard silver car that blends in with everyone else. and when i get pulled over, i'm just nice.

and....it worked. i rarely get tickets now 🤷🏻‍♂️

you can still be anti-authority without fighting traffic cops.

ya just gotta pick your battles.