Do you draw police officers, security guards to you?

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Cops always think I’m on drugs. I hate it.

Cops don‘t even look at me most of the time, and I often have that stoned look that so many people on the spectrum seem to have aswell.

Yes, I get this often, especially from store security guards. If I can get straight in, know exactly where the thing I want is, and straight out again, I'm usually OK. But if there's any on-the-hoof decision making involved because I need to compare items or they don't have what I originally wanted, I almost always get shadowed by security. There are also a couple of stores that I no longer shop in because I was always singled out the moment I came in the door, and had them insist that I leave my bag with the security guard - how they think I would sneak things into a rucksack on my back without anyone noticing is anyone's guess! A few times, I've had purchase of alcohol refused because I'm "obviously" already under the influence due to my poor co-ordination and trouble interacting.

I've been stopped by the police many times in the early hours of the morning. If I've been out late drinking at a friend's house, I always walk home if it's at all possible; even if I have the money for a taxi, I hate being trapped inside a vehicle with a chatty driver and I enjoy walking at night. Touch wood, it's always gone OK so far; I just comply with their requests without making a fuss, and I carry a "Autism Alert" card (available in the UK from the NAS) in my wallet just in case they think I'm behaving oddly, though I've never felt the need to show it yet.

You're a really calm and virtuous guy, Trogluddite. I'm sorry you have to go through this harassment.

That's when I look the dodgiest ( I believe ) as I'm walking backwards and forwards picking up items , reading the entire label of items , then checking the alternative , then going back to the original , step back , look confused , repeat several times for what seems like an eternity then inevitably make the wrong choice ( according to my GF )
If I didn't have a shopping list I'd be scuppered. I've started wearing my mp3 player when shopping which has made a huge difference.

Thanks, kraftie. I have to be honest, though; what looks like "calm" on the outside is very often just inaction brought on by bewilderment!

No I don’t have that problem.

Depending on my mood. I am either looking a bit aggressive or I look vulnerable whatever they don’t notice me.

Oh my God I sure do. I'm glad others have noticed it. This is the kind of thing I notice but if I talk about it I'm "paranoid." My guess is that like other NTs, police officers target us because of our atypical body language. After all, their job is to notice anything or anyone out of the ordinary. It sucks because I'm not doing anything wrong just by having weird body language.

I don't think I generally stand out or look particularly like a potential criminal, but security guards at my university have approached me multiple times and it was not much fun.

Sometimes it has been because I am alone in a place that they think is unusual, such as sitting outside, waiting for a taxi after being in the lab late at night, or being in my building at the weekends. Apparently I looked "lost" on one of the weekend incidents (outside the lab I work in!) and I suppose I was pacing when I was waiting for the taxi.

So in my case it's mostly due to things I choose to do. Things like difficulty making eye contact and being slow in responding probably added to the suspiciousness though.

I have some stories involving various police , which I will attempt to summarize here . I was out walking when a sheriff cruiser drove by . For some reason the deputy's German Shepard dog barked at me , so he turned the car around and questioned me . But after finding out that I lived near by , he let me go on my way . Another time , while my mother and I were staying with , and caring for my grandfather , I was out taking a stroll , and just my luck some state trooper whom lived in the area saw me and stopped to question me , because he did not recognize me he said . After answering that I was staying off and on with my grandfather , and did not know for how long , he had to go on his way , as he had no grounds to take me into custody . The last , and scariest experience involving law enforcement personnel , was when I was out at night , looking up at passing aircraft . A sheriff deputy's vehicle , which at first I had not even realized was police , because it was black in color , so it blended in with the dark of the night , shined a spotlight right into my face , then yelled at me in a fierce tone of voice to come over to him . But he wouldn't tell me why , when I asked . So I ran to the house , screaming that I did nothing wrong , that he had the wrong person , and that I was just going to get my dad . Later , after my dad returned from talking with the deputy , he told me that the deputy was responding to a call pertaining to automatic gunfire . Now as to security guards , I have not ever had run ins with them . However I have tended to seemingly attract the attention of sales associates for whatever reasons . I try to go out of my way not to seem suspicious , but perhaps my acting entirely opposite to how a shoplifter is thought to behave makes me stand out as looking unusual , as ironic as that might be .