Police

For most of us, our first encounter with the police, is a traffic ticket.  My first one was for passing some old fart going about 10 miles per hour, in a no-passing zone, not noticing that the motorcycle behind me had blue lights in the faring. I deserved it, I paid it, I vowed to be more patient. Living in DC, and driving very little, I have become much more patient.  Or maybe it is just the mellowing of approaching old age.  

Back in my days working for home builders, I was frequently the one that discovered and reported construction site theft.  I recall being rattled the first time.  There was the time the alarm system in the office went off in the middle of the night, I lived nearby and heard it.  I pulled some pants on, called the police and drove the quarter mile to the office.  When I pulled up the police were standing inside looking out.  I said the most logical thing, if I am going to find someone here at 2:00 in the morning, you are the person I want to find.  I proceeded to get read the riot act, one of my colleagues had left the door unlocked, the police were checking the building, grabbed a door handle, the door opened and set off the alarm.  He was not happy!  

Another time when that alarm went off, I went back there and staggering around in then briefest of brief underwear was a neighbor of mine, a local radio personality, so drunk he could barely stand up.  I drove him to his house, getting him out of sight before the police arrived.  He said he was trying to get into the office to see if we had beer in the refrigerator.  I saved him from an arrest for drunk and disorderly.  When I filed the police report, I didn't tell the officers that I had found a drunk celebrity trying to get in before they got there.  The doors were locked, nothing disturbed, just a false alarm.  I don't think I have ever told anyone about that, it happened in 1983 - I only owned that house about 16 months.  

What is your police story?