Being witness to a petty crime is kind of crappy. Over the summer I saw some kids take a stop sign near my house. I didn't get a very good description of the people, and I only got a partial license plate number. And I'm horrible with knowing car makes and models. But I still called the police station so that they could report it and replace the stop sign. I gave all the information on the phone. Then they sent an officer to my house to get a written report. She stood on my porch while I filled it out. Then she looked up a possible license plate match in her car computer to see if I recognized the driver. (Which I didn't since I couldn't see the driver very well. It was dusk.) But as I was looking into her car, I finally realized what it looks like to have a police car sitting outside your house. It looks like I am the criminal.
She finally left. Phew, that's over with! I could finally get on with my simple life. Ten minutes later the officer calls me. There is a car that matches my description sitting in a nearby church parking lot. She wonders if I can drive up with her to see if it's the one I saw. Sure, I can. Then she lets me know that I'll have to sit in the back seat since her computer is all set up on her front passenger seat. Uhh, okay. So she gets back to my house, I go out, and she opens the back seat for me. As I get in the back seat, I see the neighbor kids watching, jaws dropped to the ground. The door closes. We drive off. What? This is not what I envisioned when I called in this little misdemeanor. We drive up a few streets and see the car she's talking about. It's not the one. So she brings me back. There are no handles on the inside of the back seat so she has to come and let me out. The kids are no longer outside but a different neighbor is bringing out her garbage. Hi! Just out for a friendly drive in the back of a police car!
A few days later I got a message from a different officer saying that he has a couple questions for me, will I please call him. I thought I was done with all this! Things came up (plus I didn't want to) so I didn't call him back. So he called again about a week later and left another message. Now I feel like I'm in trouble! All for a little stop sign. I know, why didn't I just call him back? Cause I didn't want to okay! I gave all of the information I knew two times already.
So now I'm on the lam from the coppers for absolutely no reason at all.
8 comments:
Good to know! I'll never report anything "petty" in our little area :).
This must be protocol though because I had a similar situation when I lived in Salt Lake. I saw a mini van pull up to a 7-11 dumpster. A guy got out wearing a USPS uniform. He dumped two huge bins of mail into the dumpster! I was horrified wondering if it was my mailman dumping my mail into it! So I called the police. Went through the same thing as you except I sat in the front of the cop car :) And in Sugarhouse, no one notices.
Oh my goodness Lindsey! I hope it all works out for you. And all for a stop sign. I've seen a few run OVER but I've never seen one stolen before. Kids can be soo stupid sometimes!
Thats too bad, what a hassle. RE; your friends comment...dumping mail must be pretty common (my bro's friend was/is a mailman and admitted to him that he's dumped mail. Gives "Lost in the Mail" a whole new meaning. We really know what happens to all of it.
Vera - that's terrible about your bro's friend! The one I reported they investigated and it turned out the guy was dumping his own mail that he'd been saving but he got in trouble for doing it while wearing the USPS uniform.
They sound lonely. I bet they found the guy and they just want to hang out.
Best story I have read all week! I laughed all the way through. This doesn't sound like a crime that merits a three week long investigation! No wonder the investigation for that missing lady is taking so long.
Hahahaha! That's pretty funny Linds. Made me laugh.
Serves you right for trying to be a good citizen. The next time they call you should be like, "Ok, it was ME, alright?? It was me!!! Just.. come arrest me and let's be done with it."
Post a Comment