I'm sure plenty of people have had negative experiences with British police. I know I have had a few such as when they have took my screaming brother out of me and my dads arms to hand him over to his abusive sociopath mother, just because she tells lies the kid was obviously stating weren't true.

I have plenty of reasons after dealing with her over the years to dislike police. But I don't think anyone here would really argue that on the whole, police here are generally really understanding compared to other countries. I've personally been pulled over by the police when I was 18 with friends, when we OBVIOUSLY had a tonne of weed in the car. There wasn't any way the guy didn't know from the smell that we had weed. But he just asked me if I was ok and seemed to check I wasn't driving high, then told me to drive safe and be on my way. No reason to make a young guys life suck just because there are quotas to fill. Plenty of encounters like that over my younger years.

Even in cases like with my brother and his lying mother, I think even if they didn't do a great job a couple times (some they did) they were always going for what they thought was the best thing to do at the time (aside from the odd asshole that's in every job).

Obviously this doesn't result in everyone being respectful of police, I just feel like more people here are more trusting and willing to cooperate with them because of this attitude though. I can't imagine living in a country where the police force and especially the ones that operate amongst traffic, seem largely designed and built up to screw you over rather than be an aid to the community. I'm really glad to have our police even if they aren't perfect.

I think guns probably don't help either. I know that both parties must have a much higher distrust and fear of each other in such encounters because of it, which makes seeing each other as two humans and not potential threats a lot harder. In Britain I think the worst case scenario would be me getting arrested and having a super light sentence or minor community service/fine. In America the threat of force from either side seems higher, whilst also carrying such crazy long prison time for minor offences that the people pulled over are almost justified in acting out if caught.