• The KillerFrogs

OT:The Texas Rangers...the real ones

Hoosierfrog

Tier 1
Several years ago my dog ran off into the MOPAC switching yards in Spring, Tx. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to be there and that was confirmed when a guy in a white Stetson, starched white button down Oxford shirt, boots and jeans and a fancy 1911A .45 in a holster walked up. Must’ve been 6’4” and had a little round Texas Ranger badge on and asked what my business was being in the train yard. Very serious, but professional. He told me to get my dog and git. Said he was looking for someone I probably didn’t want to meet. It was the first and last time I came a across a Ranger. Have to admit I was kind of impressed.
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainme...e-legend-of-the-texas-rangers-continues-today
 
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Salfrog

Tier 1
The jewelry company that I work for make the badges for the Texas Rangers, and have been for over 30 years. I get to interact with them quite a bit when they come in to pick up their badges. They are intimidating looking when they come in, but are some really nice men & women.

There is one that is about the same height you described, maybe a little taller, that is African American and has some great stories that he shares from time to time, and loves to tell jokes. Extremely nice gentleman, and also very intimidating when you first see him.
 
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Hoosierfrog

Tier 1
The jewelry company that I work for make the badges for the Texas Rangers, and have been for nearly 30 years. I get to interact with them quite a bit when they come in to pick up their badges. They are intimidating looking when they come in, but are some really nice men & women.

There is one that is about the same height you described, maybe a little taller, that is African American and has some great stories that he shares from time to time, and loves to tell jokes. Extremely nice gentleman, and also very intimidating when you first see him.

Yeah, the guy I came across didn’t appear to someone to debate his wishes that I leave!
 

Frog92

Active Member
Had one that I knew growing up in small town West(ish) TX. Great man, and one you did not want to be in his crosshairs.
 

Paul in uhh

Active Member
Never met a ranger myself. A girl in my friend HS circle was the daughter of an FBI agent. He was a bit stale but fit the type like I imagined. I assume he had a file on everyone his daughter knew.
 

Paint It Purple

Active Member
My life-long best friend was a Special Agent In Charge DEA for about 30 years. His opinion of the Rangers upper echelon is that they are incompetent and corrupt. He feels the same way about the FBI, but the opinion goes deeper into their regular ranks than just the upper command.
 

BrewingFrog

Was I supposed to type something here?
My life-long best friend was a Special Agent In Charge DEA for about 30 years. His opinion of the Rangers upper echelon is that they are incompetent and corrupt. He feels the same way about the FBI, but the opinion goes deeper into their regular ranks than just the upper command.
Concur with the Rangers. I had always considered them to be incorruptible, apolitical, and interested in facts alone.

In my old town, there was a crooked Official. He had various crooked henchmen, some with badges, working for him. His scheme was to pile bureaucracy onto developers, and offer a way to get rid of them "for a small consideration." He did real well. Pay the man, and your project goes forward. Don't pay the man, and you'll be in Permit Hell. Some people got damned fed up with this, and with the reluctance of local Law Enforcement to do a damned thing. Complaints were made that evidently reached the right ears.

One fine day, a Ranger showed up in town. He carefully went about, gathering evidence, talking to the right people, looking at the developments and hearing about what was happening. Then, he left, and everybody held their breath.

Two weeks later, the crooked Official was back in business. It trickled back that he had a friend, too, and that friend spoke to some other people in Austin, and the Rangers let it drop.

I seriously doubt that the Ranger that came to town would have allowed that to happen. He knew without any doubt whatsoever that there was pay-to-play going on. But, he took orders from elsewhere, and he evidently obeyed them.

To the poor schmucks in town who weren't on the take, and did things the right way (that would be 95% of the Town), it was a complete slap in the face.

Screw it.
 

Westsider

Full Member
In my old town, there was a crooked Official. He had various crooked henchmen, some with badges, working for him. His scheme was to pile bureaucracy onto developers, and offer a way to get rid of them "for a small consideration." He did real well. Pay the man, and your project goes forward.

Screw it.

Mayor Othal Brand. McAllen, TX? Biggest crook I ever dealt with. And that’s saying a lot.
 

Ron Swanson

Full Member
From the article...

“Since the inception of the Texas Rangers in 1823, the valiant law enforcement agency has adapted with the times, developing a more modern operation. Today its legacy has grown to one of the most effective investigative law enforcement agencies in the world. When Stephen F. Austin hired ten experienced frontiersmen to "range" over the territory of Texas, there were only approximately 700 people across the area....”

I’m descended from 2 of the 10 original members in the above-referenced group... Captain Abner Kuykendall and his son Captain Gibson Kuykendall (one of Gibson’s brothers was a 3rd member, Robert or William, I can’t remember).

I just named my son after Gibson. It’s his great great great great great grandfather.
 

OICU812

Active Member
Several years ago my dog ran off into the MOPAC switching yards in Spring, Tx. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to be there and that was confirmed when a guy in a white Stetson, starched white button down Oxford shirt, boots and jeans and a fancy 1911A .45 in a holster walked up. Must’ve been 6’4” and had a little round Texas Ranger badge on and asked what my business was being in the train yard. Very serious, but professional. He told me to get my dog and git. Said he was looking for someone I probably didn’t want to meet. It was the first and last time I came a across a Ranger. Have to admit I was kind of impressed.
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainme...e-legend-of-the-texas-rangers-continues-today

I've known several over the years, some mediocre but most are elite. First time I ever met one as a young prosecutor, he was in my (small rural) county kicking rocks on an unsolved murder case from 100 miles away.
We stood outside my office and visited for about 15 minutes, and after 10, I was ready to confess even though I'd never heard of any of 'em. Spent the last 5 minutes of it trying not to look guilty as hell.
 
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