JAILED?

Ok. I realize the irony in this whole thing. After complaining that I felt that I was "jailed" in at home, I had a lovely evening out with a good friend and a week old boy with that new baby smell. Heaven! (and no I'm not talking about the poopy diaper smell!!!!!) That's how my evening started. It ended with 45 minutes in the back of a police cruiser.

I've never before had occasion to sit in the back of a police cruiser. I never realized how little room they afford you back there. I suppose the tighter someone is crushed in, the less likely they would be able to cause any significant problems. I honestly don't know how in the world they squeeze anyone of generous proportions into that little itty bitty space. The problem wasn't getting in so much as it was getting out. I suppose that's the whole point. Once you're in, you aren't meant to get out so easily. Which is why you also can't open the door from the inside, even when you are allowed to leave. The cop has to physically release you.

I witnessed a mugging. At the time, we didn't realize that was what was occuring. I thought just a couple of crazy teenagers messing about on the sidewalk. Tripping over the snowbank, running and jumping in a van.

"hmmm, crazy kid! He just left his girlfriend standing at the side of the road! Maybe they had a fight!?"
"oh, look! She's running out into the middle of the street to .... ? Look at his license plate?!!!!!!!!!!"
"D'OH!!!!"

We were a block away at least and they were just sillouettes moving quietly under the light.

I stopped on my way back from walking my friend to the corner and asked if she was ok. I had a blackberry thrown at my ear. This was my second first time event of the evening. I had never before used one of these wretched creatures. I felt like I was speaking to a calculator!

"This is 911 dispatch, would you......blah, blah, blah......and please remain on the scene until the police arrive. They may want to take your statement."

They did and they did. I could see on his screen in the front of his car the woman's name, address, and that she had been held up at knife point after just coming out from a bank machine.

After writing my info and then being subsequently interviewed, all in the darkend back of teh vehicle without my reading glasses might I add, the officer took my id which happend to be my driver's license and swipped it into the computer. Yikes! Good think I didn't have any outstanding warrants or anything. I was a sitting duck!

Anyhow, he thanked me, uncaged me and laughed with me as I fumbled my way out of the back of the car. I tucked my purse into my jacket and pensively walked the last few blocks to my car.

The only thing I really saw was perhaps the colour and shape of the vehicle the mugger was driving. It differed from the description of that of the woman making the claim. It seems though, that my description turned out to be the one that was probably right. I guess there was a purpose in my being there after all. And no, I don't mean that now I won' t go out so late in that area alone, Mr. Perp. It just means that next time I'll make sure that my purse is tucked into my jacket, and that I don't go to a bank machine that late at night!