"Hello...this is the police." WHAT?!??!

[Jester]

So yesterday I had one of my odder experiences.

After getting off work, I was walking to my friend Photo Dude's house for a drink and to discuss a project, I was drinking a beer (in downtown Key West, you CAN walk around with drinks in plastic cups), and I was talking on the phone to Nurse Betty. While all this was going on, my call waiting clicked. I looked to see who it was, and it was a number I didn't recognize, but it was a local Key West number, and one that looked rather businesslike (ending in 1000). So on a whim, I told Nurse Betty to hang on, and I took the call.

JESTER: "Hello?"
FEMALE VOICE: "Yes, is this [Jester]?"
JESTER: "Yeeessss....."
FEMALE VOICE: "This is the Key West Police Department."
JESTER: "Ooookkkaaaay......how may I help you?"
FEMALE VOICE: "Do you own a blue Chevy Blazer?"
JESTER: (now worried) "Yes.....why?!?!?"
FEMALE VOICE: "We need it moved. The water company needs to do some work, and they don't want to damage your truck."
JESTER: (only hearing about half of this, and now starting to thoroughly freak out) "Holy shit! Oh...crap. Where the hell did I park my truck?"
FEMALE VOICE: "The corner of William and Eaton."
JESTER: "Okay, I am en route."

I was only two blocks away! So I got back on with Nurse Betty, told her I had to go, there was a police matter, I wasn't in trouble, but I had to GO. Got off the phone, swilled the beer down quickly (as liberal as they are here about booze, showing up to move your truck with a beer in your hand is probably not a good idea), and took off. When I got a block away, I saw the police car with lights flashing at the end of the block, and took off RUNNING the last block. As I come up on the scene, I see much water under my truck, and water company sawhorses blocking in my truck on either side.

JESTER: "I'M THE OWNER OF THE TRUCK!"
FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: "He's on the way."
JESTER: "No, that's me!"
FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: "Oh, it's YOUR truck."
JESTER: "Yes! Is it okay? Is my truck damaged?!?!?!?"
FEMALE POLICE OFFICER: "It's fine. I didn't want to tow it because it's legally parked."
JESTER: "Okay, I'm here now. Do you need me to move it?"
WATER COMPANY DUDE: "Yes. We need to work on the main, and we didn't want to damage your truck."
JESTER: "That makes two of us! The truck's okay?"
WATER COMPANY DUDE: "Yeah, it's fine."
JESTER: "Okay then, just move your sawhorses, and I'll get it moved straightaway."

He unblocked the truck, I got in, fired up the trusty Jestermobile, and pulled out....then backed up to pull even with the cop and water guy, rolled down the passenger window, and asked, "By the way, now that my heart attack is done, what exactly happened?" Water company dude: "A water main broke."

Ah. Wow. I saw my truck's life flash before my eyes. Cathy (my truck) may not be perfect, but she IS my baby!

I just think of the extraordinary timing that all this entailed. What if it had happened earlier in the day, when I was at work and I don't answer phones, and can't leave The Bar anyways? What if they had towed it? What if I had hit the bars and was hammered with no intention of driving? What if it had happened later in the day and the water actually DID do damage to the truck before anyone noticed anything?

I know the police are not perfect, and in this town their reputation is not always the best, sometimes warranted, but I have never been so grateful for the police running my plates as I was yesterday!

And thus did the Jestermobile live to ride another day.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I'm not a big drinker, but I did enjoy the novelty of being able to walk around downtown with my chocolaty frosty goodness from Fat Tuesday.

Glad the truck's OK. Most places probably would have just towed it out of the way.

[Slytovhand]

Way cool!

Gonna send a 'thank you' to the local coppers? After all, we've got threads about how much complaints they cop, a compliment might go down well! (and you might make some friends...)

[Jester]

Gonna send a 'thank you' to the local coppers? After all, we've got threads about how much complaints they cop, a compliment might go down well! (and you might make some friends...)

If I had thought to get the cop's name, I probably would have. Since I didn't, probably not. KWPD is somewhat corrupt, and I would want the compliment to go to the female police officer herself, not being claimed by some incompetent corrupt good ole boy sergeant.

[SG15Z]

Wow, if I got a call from the police my heart would be pounding so fast, and my mind would play through every possible reason they're calling. And when I get to my car I would thank them endlessly. I paid a lot for my car and don't feel like paying for water damage any time soon.

[Andara Bledin]

Am I the only one that is amused by the fact that you couldn't remember where you had parked?

^-.-^

[protege]

In that case, it's *definitely* a good idea he didn't show up with beer in hand

[Jester]

Wow, if I got a call from the police my heart would be pounding so fast, and my mind would play through every possible reason they're calling.

That is exactly what happened. In two different ways.

First, when she identified herself as being with KWPD, my first thought was, "Is this about my ex-girlfriend, That Vile Woman?" Since, you know, she was such a piece of work, and is a convicted felon now because of some of the shit she pulled.

Then, when they brought up my truck, I thought, "Holy shit! Did someone run into it?"

Oddly, though I may not always be Mr. Straight and Narrow, I never once thought that I may have done something wrong that they were looking into.

Am I the only one that is amused by the fact that you couldn't remember where you had parked?

Oh, I am quite amused. It's very funny.....AFTER the fact. At the time, it was pure panic!

[Sandman]

When I worked at Staples the police department specifically asked that associates not be paged up there by name EXCEPT when they are asked specifically because they have been helping them.

Guess what happened???

Yep.. good scare I had!

[fireheart]

One question: you name your truck? I thought the only thing guys named was....I'll walk away now.

[SG15Z]

Am I the only one that is amused by the fact that you couldn't remember where you had parked?

^-.-^

I know I was!

One question: you name your truck? I thought the only thing guys named was....I'll walk away now.

No a lot of guys name their cars/bikes/golf clubs/etc. I don't though, I don't see the point. Not even...you know gets a name. But that's just me.

[Jester]

One question: you name your truck? I thought the only thing guys named was....I'll walk away now.

Yes, I name my truck. I named the previous truck as well. Hell, a while back we had a whole thread on the naming (or not naming) of vehicles.

My current truck is Cathy. Her predecessor was Babs. My bicycle is Amanda. What of it?

Oh, by the way....I have never named that. Since you brought it up.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

One question: you name your truck? I thought the only thing guys named was....I'll walk away now.

Believe it or not, quite a few people have names for their vehicles.

For example: Mom's old, beat up 1978 Ford truck is called Big Red and our Toytoa Corolla is Bonnie Blue.

And the naming isn't limited to just vehicles. . . my laptop's name is Gypsy.

Oh, and Jester - glad Cathy's okay. And the heart attack took how many years off your life?

[ottid]

My friends family name all of their cars.

She dropped her car off at the mechanics she said something like "I'll be back to pick him up in a couple of hours." The mechanic looked at her funny "Oh, my family names all of our cars, his name is Dobby" as in the House Elf.

[Andara Bledin]

It's actually really common for people to name their conveyances.

After we've had it a little longer than 2 weeks, we've gotta figure out what our latest car is named.

The last one was Good Ol' Gert (she was named that before we got her). I've also had the Be Excellent, the Ladybug (not a good idea to name a car after something that flies...), the Boobyprize (it was free, and it fit our roadtrip crew), and the Bucket (doesn't everybody, at some point, have a hunk o' junk that just keeps on running?).

^-.-^