I'm generally not afraid of the police when they're not actively questioning me on suspicion of me having committed a crime. That has happened eight times. Six of the eight times, it was on suspicion of stealing my own bicycle, the relevant evidence being that I was a) not Japanese and b) riding a bicycle. One time, after the cops had called my bicycle's anti-theft registration number into HQ and received the radio report "That bike is registered to one Patrick McKenzie", I was accused of stealing Patrick McKenzie's bicycle and identity. [+]
Does this answer your questions?
[+] I realize this sounds like the kind of story an Irish storyteller would make up to prove a point and feel that I must add "I swear by all the saints, by my hope of heaven and my fear of hell, this did literally happen."
That seems incredibly scary to me. When something is that insane, what stops it from taking the next step of insanity? I'm sorry that it happened to you (let alone six times), and am glad you made it out ok.
I showed him a particular immigration document issued to me that he is not, strictly speaking, allowed to ask for prior to starting a custodial interrogation. He then started second guessing Immigration's decision to offer me a visa.
That was good news, since it convinced a colleague he was overstepping his authority. I was released 5 minutes later, with an admonition to lock up my bike properly to avoid the scourge of foreign bike thieves plaguing Ogaki.
Does this answer your questions?
[+] I realize this sounds like the kind of story an Irish storyteller would make up to prove a point and feel that I must add "I swear by all the saints, by my hope of heaven and my fear of hell, this did literally happen."