My run-in with a cop

Thursday night at about 11:00 PM I returned to the apartment that I am staying at, having spent a late night working at Fuller. There is no parking in this city. I had to drive for forever, up and down the streets, looking for a spot.

Finally a spot opened up. It was on the other side of the street, and a car was behind me. I zipped in as quickly as I could, got out, went inside and went to bed.

On Friday morning when I got up and went to the car, I saw that there was a cop beside the car. He asked me if I knew whose car this belonged to. I said it was my rental car. He said it was parked the wrong way. I told him my story, how it was late, I was tired, etc. Then he said, "So you were drunk, and you parked on the wrong side. You left the lights on."

I said, no, the lights were flashing because I was hitting the find button on my keyring, trying to figure out which of the 15 white cars on the street was my rental car. I said I was a D.Min. student taking a class at Fuller, and that I was from Missouri and not used to this parking problem. (You know it is bad when even Denny's offers Valet parking!). He said, They have laws in Missouri, don't they? I said yes. I then apologized repeatedly, and he let me go.

Wow--talk about assuming the worst! Why do cops always assume people are drunk? That is the second time in my life that has happened. I guess it is easy to get jaded in that line of work. Thought you might find that story interesting.