What would you do?

Fisrt, I'd wonder what the neighbours were doing as they all know who I am. Then, I would show my ID and utility bills for my house, in my name, to prove I lived there. Though this is unlikely to happen as I have 3 keyholders who all live locally and could come round and let me in lol

I'd be thankful that the police were quick to respond to a possibly burglary. I'd prove to them I lived there and then thank them for coming by to make sure everything was okay. Next time it might really be burglars, I'd want them to be quick to come out the next time when it isn't me trying to get in my own house.

All my neighbors know me, so this wouldn't be an issue in the first place. But I would identify myself calmly and civily. I would thank the officer for his concern and for his duty. I would thank who ever called them for looking out for my home.
Now, if the cop were acting out of line, I would assert myself politely and eventualy take it up with Cheif Gardner and the select board. Bad cops don't generaly last long in my town, we just don't tolerate that kind of thing here.

I'd pull out my ID...show the officer I had the right to be there..and thank him for doing his job.

why do you ask? Isn't that what everyone would do?

Well I would start ranting and raving, so I could get myself arrested. Oh wait I am not a Harvard professor and have no reason to act like a mad man, or in my case mad woman.
What I would most likely have done is try to explain to the police officer that this was my house, and apparently I have misplaced my keys. If the cop wanted proof I would try to proved him with whatever proof that I could of my residence at this house.

I would be happy to find out that my neighbors care about me enough to call the cops if they think my house is getting broken in to. It would be good to know that the police were quick enough in response to get there while I am still trying to get in. Then I would show them my ID and explain to them that I live there.

I'd feel violated. I'd curse the officer and get arrested.

I know this because it has happened to me. It's not what I think I'd do now, but it is how I handled a similar situation.

When I was 19, a snot-nosed punk who thought the world owed me much more than I was willing to give, I went to visit my uncle at my grandmother's house. He was a bit off his rocker from Nam, but he always had solid advice. It was one of those days...

Anyway, no one answered the door, and in that part of town, free from a lot of crime and bums like me from my side of town, the key was in one of those fake rocks beside the porch. So, I opened the door, walked in, sat down and watched TV.

The neighbors didn't recognize me, called it in, and the cops arrived.

They were extremely forceful, demanding I step outside and produce ID. Well, my response was, "FU, buddy."

After a few more of those, I was sprayed with pepper and cuffed. I was never formally charged, as in locked up, but I was arrested and taken to the station.

If I had to do it all over again, at that age, I would have locked the front door after walking in, or maybe went upstairs. I don't think I would have treated the cops any differently -- not at that point in my life. Not at that stage of mental development. Not a bit differently, because, as far as I was concerned, the police didn't deserve respect from me. They were violating me.

I can perfectly understand where Gates is coming from in many respects. The only difference I can see is that I'm white, the arresting officer was white, and I had no cry of racism.

The person I am today knows how to handle it differently. But that's because I've allowed my mindset to evolve. I've learned much more. I've stepped outside of the bubble I thought was America and ventured deep into what I now know it to be. That may still leave my blinded to many things, but when it comes to police, I know to respect them and not to prejudge.

Someone with Gates' education, at his age, shouldn't be where I was at 19. Reactionaries shouldn't be involved with the shaping of minds -- they should working to remold theirs.

I know it's extremely hard to do, but sometimes you have to put on the other person's shoes, even as they're still walking toward you. It's not how I thought as a young punk, but after realizing my attitude got me nowhere but down, I changed.

I think, maybe, if I had a solid scapegoat like racism or bigotry, I wouldn't have changed. I would remain the victim simply because I'd be treated like one when I stomped my feet and raised my voice.

I personally would go to my neighbors house and get my key from my neighbor to get into my house. Then I would go home, and go to bed. If the police showed up I would show them my ID, and if they didn't believe me then I would tell them to get off of my property, and get a warrant for my arrest. But, I am a white person who has never been arrested, nor my people discriminated and arrested for no reason. So I don't fear the police, but how many on here know what someone else would do?

I'd be very glad that the driver was there to help me. When the police arrived, I might honestly have felt a little cranky that a neighbor called them when I know I live there, but I would have shown my ID and thanked them for coming out. I would admit that it probably looked like I was breaking in to someone else. Who knows if I would grumble a bit, being tired and having this disruption but I am sure I would not show my irritation to the police officer, because that's just a stupid move. You don't try to irritate the police, that's just stupid. Later, when I had time to calm down and rest up, I would be glad to know that the neighbors were keeping an eye out and it might make me feel more secure when I had to go away again.
I might even thank her after a meal and a good night's rest. But probably not that night, because I would still be a little cranky.

Well I'm a girl, so I would probably be upset that someone thought I was a guy. lol. Well I would be real upset at the neighbors and real annoyed at the police, but I would just show them my ID and it would be over with.