Law-Enforcement Agents in Recession Time
The heart of rabbit is pounding hard as she cruises along the bushes to get home. With every single step, she knows that any moment she can be trapped. This forest is full of wolves. Hungry, angry, devastated wolves waiting for her tender flesh. Wolves already salivating at the thought of jumping at her and seeing the extreme of fright in her eyes. But despite all this, all this fear and paralyzing ansgt, she has to go on. Simply because life goes on...and she has to live right here in forest.
The story is a simple metaphor for police cars cruising the streets of Los Angeles nowadays. I am not sure if it is the state deficit or the global recession that has put the pressure on them. Turning them into non-human predators scanning every single movement of cars to find a reason to turn on their blinding roof lights and chase the poor captive.
And they are never short of excuses, reasons to stop you and give you a ticket. Whatever you say, however you try is like talking to a wall. Sometimes I feel talking to a wall makes more sense as you do not expect the least of intelligence that you would be anticipating from these so-called human police force.
Yesterday, it was a gorgeous day with the sun shining in a clear sky after a rainy night. A beautiful day to spend at Farmer's market with a friend to chit chat and buy some fresh veggies. As I strap the seat belt of my little baby girl, I feel excited for the fresh weather and the fine morning. Saturday was kind of a gloomy day with some rain. Although I love rain but nowadays that I work full time and have 48 hours of fun limit with my baby, I do hope for a better weather on weekend.
Anyhow, as I started, I figured it would be a nice idea to double check where we meet with my friend. So, with my lovely headset on, I make a quick phone call and we confirm where to meet around 11 AM. I hang up and a few minutes later I arrive behind the red light. I think to myself let's check the time and I look at my cell phone which shows 11:58... Surpisedly I take a look at my car clock which shows a 10:55. I am wondering in my head what is going on, when I notice the light has turned green and I need to go. I move on and just a second later I notice a police car beside me that suddenly shifts lanes and places itself right behind me. Next thing I know are the bright lights sending threatening signals my way.
I stop and a bulky white guy created just to ruin my day and perhaps the day of a few hundred other people in his life time comes to my window.
Officer: Insurance and driver license, M'me.
I pull my stuff together asking:
I: Why have you stopped me?
Officer: You were talking on the phone.
I: I was not...
His words are so shocking that I forget that I am wearing my beautiful headset and it is none of his business even if I was talking on my cell phone!
He gets my stuff and disappears... My little girl starts crying. As I see no action from him but standing by the wall, I turn to his side and open the window...Then I see his partner busy scibbling...what could be a potential, aweful ticket for no reason!
I: Officer, are you writing me a ticket?
Trying my best to control my voice and making it sound normal not annoyed!
Officer: Close the window, M'me.
I: But I did not do anything wrong!!!!!!
He looks away. The person who is supposed to be enforcing the law in the city is giving me a ticket for merely looking at my phone!!!!
I: Officer, here is my phone; you can see that I was not talking.
Officer: You were looking at it, impeding the traffic...
I am like big deal! Since when looking at your phone is a crime? Plus haven't you experienced a dozen times people who are distracted at the turn of the light and you need to honk your horn not to miss the light? Another plus: there was no traffic...it was a Sunday and street was clear by all means...
Partner officer who I guess might be in training comes forward with the ticket. My baby is crying so frantically and I am so frustrated by this unfairness that my heart is pounding... it's a rabbit trapped by the wolves...
I shake my Smart Phone in his face.
I: Officer, this is a smart phone( stressing the word smart by all means!), it has a log of all my calls, texts, activities, etc. You can see I was not using my phone; I was just looking at it as I was wondering about the correct time...
He simply ignores me and my request for him to look at my phone. Perhaps he thinks that my phone might bite him? Or may be he is afraid that he can not make his quota of the day for giving tickets and make the government richer? I don't know...All I know is that he hands me the pen to sign.
Officer: M'me I could have given you a ticket for moving violation but I did not.
I: I just moved on when it was green.
Officer: But you had a delay...
My baby screams. I sign the freaking ticket.
I get out of my car to unbuckle my baby and hold her and calm her down. She has had a good doze of fear on our day off. I look straight at the two so-called officers as they pull away. The one who gave me the ticket diverts his gaze, trying to avoid my offended, piercing look.
They leave and I am left with the thought of how unfair they were. To add salt to my wound as I resume driving to farmer's market, there is a jeep in front of me with the driver holding his bulky phone to his ear, talking. He talks and talks as we pass through 3-4-5 lights and no body stops him.
Now, I know why he and so many law breakers get away with it because the law-enforcement is after giving tickets for nonsense reasons to elevate the government financial gap not really enforcing the law...
posted by Kathy at 10:46 AM
|
0 comments
