Last night I drove the Jeep to the Exxon Tigermart that is across the street from our apartment complex. Two girls pulled into the spot next to me. They got out of their truck as I exited the Jeep. I left the Jeep running. As I was walking to the door, a policeman exited the store. He said to me: “Hey dude, don’t leave your vehicle running.”
“Why?” I asked defensively.
“Because some transient could come up and take your vehicle.” the officer retorted.
Have you ever noticed that law enforcement officers like to use the word vehicle. They prefer to say vehicle instead of car, truck, van, motorcycle or a skateboard being pulled by a group of squirrels. I wonder if they talk like that at home. “Diane, Bobby and Rebecca, step out of the vehicle, we are at the park now.”
Anyway, I thought about raising a stink but I really didn’t want the officer to come over and talk to me. You see, I had just had a glass of wine and was afraid that the officer might smell alcohol on me. I know that I wasn’t legally intoxicated, it’s just that I had just had a glass of wine at the apartment (right across the street) and I could still taste it in my mouth. I really didn’t want to be subjected to a field sobriety test in front of a very busy Tigermart. I really hate making a fool of myself unintentionally.
I went into Tigermart and made my purchase. One of the girls that had gotten out of the truck next to me called from across the store: “I’m glad that cop made you turn your car off, I was going to steal it!”
I responded: “Yeah, because we live in the ghetto.” I said that jokingly because we live in a nice area. I do understand that a transient can be lurking anywhere and it is good practice to take your keys with you.