While it might be possible to snag up an old boot or two while fishing, no one would have expected a landmine to be the catch of the day. Wildy enough, what appeared to be a TM-46 mine is what a group of magnet-fishing anglers discovered in a river in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In a 2021 YouTube video that resurfaced on Reddit, those recording the footage called the police about the discovery, only to receive a rather sour response.
“You’re taking our resources away from the city of Fond du Lac every single time you guys do this,” the female officer scolded the fishers after inspecting the deteriorated landmine. Naturally, the officer was doubtful that what they found was a real explosive, so the group of anglers suggested she call in the bomb squad. “But the bomb squad has a lot of things they gotta do,” the policewoman argued. Needless to say, plenty of comments both on Reddit and the original YouTube video heavily criticize the officer for her negative behavior.
“Well, I had no idea that Fond du Lac bomb squad was so busy,” sarcastically remarked a top commenter. “Wisconsin police at their finest aka dumb” another individual ridiculed. “Literally none of you are busy,” says another, with dozens of others remarking how the female officer and the rest of the police force are likely slacking about. “And to think our taxes pay for these a**holes to be the way they are 🙄,” moans a fourth. Hundreds of more comments go on to berate the officer for how irresponsible and dismissive she was about the danger of the fished-up landmine.
The majority of the YouTube video’s comments are no different. “The female cop couldn’t be more rude. She checked her watch constantly and rolled her eyes way too often,” comments a viewer. “The female police officer needs more training, or another job,” seconds another. “What a disgrace to have an officer like that,” chimes in a third. It’s not hard to imagine that plenty of other viewers jump on the bandwagon of ridiculing the policewoman.
While there is some discussion to be had about the professionalism of the officer’s behavior regarding the landmine report, one commenter makes a solid point, not about the police but about the YouTubers who filmed the video. Going by the name Outdoor Influencer, the group who runs the channel fishes up oddities “so they can call the police, start a scene, and generate YouTube content.” “That’s why the police are annoyed,” argues the commenter. If you browse the channel’s many thumbnails, it’s pretty easy to see how police officers are commonly used as ‘content bait’ for the videos.
That all said, maybe the Wisconsin officer had a point when she said that resources are being wasted on such YouTube videos. Of course, she could have taken the danger of a landmine more seriously, but it’s not hard to see why someone being used as content bait for a viral video would have been less cooperative.
