After being in a relationship with a police officer for almost a year and a half, let me tell you the top five reasons to avoid dating a cop.

1. They’re nosey.

Imagine having someone constantly wanting to know who it was that gave you a dirty look from across the room or asking when you’re going to be home. Cops are programmed to know all details of every situation, and your life and relationship will be no different from other situations.

2. They’re overprotective.

When they’ve seen the bad side of so many people and dealt with a lot of bad guys, they’re a little less willing to let you go places by yourself and they’ll hold you back when you offer help to someone who says they need help looking for their lost dog. If someone looks at you sideways, they get defensive. If someone physically hurts you, they fight back. They know what people are capable of, and they won’t take/let you take any chances in jeopardizing the safety of someone they love.

3. They drive like maniacs.

All that driving in a cruiser and rushing to emergencies makes them think they’re a NASCAR driver, and it carries over in their civilian driving habits. Bring a barf bag in the car if you get motion sickness.

4. They’re good at making enemies.

They have a target on their back, and that means that you do, too. People will hate your significant other for doing things like giving them a speeding ticket (how dare they protect you!) or tossing them in jail for assault (how dare they not let you beat someone in a drunken rage!), so you’ll have awkward encounters when you’re out to dinner and run into someone they’ve dealt with. I read an example from a police wife that said her husband sometimes sneaks out the back door when they’re at dinner because he doesn’t want anyone to know his family. Imagine that, sticking her with the bill like that!

5. They cause a lot of anxiety.

Imagine your loved one being two hours late coming home and not even calling to tell you why. Imagine getting a text that says they’re going to a call with an armed suspect. Imagine sleeping when they’re out on the streets, working a midnight shift. Imagine hearing rumors of a cop being shot at and immediately assuming the worst, and there’s nothing that can be done to calm this kind of anxiety.

So should you date a cop? Only if you want to date one of the bravest and kindest people in the world. Law enforcement officers see people at their absolute worst, but still find a way to love the world they live in and protect and serve, no matter what. Every day, my police officer goes to work knowing that he might have to save someone on that day. What he doesn’t know is that he saves me every day of my life, and I couldn’t be more thankful for him and his brothers and sisters in blue.