Life In A Small Town
Our scene: A Midwestern small town medical supply store, earlier this morning. Our heroine sitting on a shower bench, entertaining wee Sara while waiting for her close friend to finish a transaction. In swaggers a young police officer in full regalia, radio spurting intelligible phrases and garbled street names.
Officer: "Is Wayne Worker here?"
Shop Lady: "Wayne? I don't know. Let me see."
Officer waits, pacing officially, while Shop Lady goes in back....
Shop Lady: (Concerned but trying not to seem so.) "No. Wayne's off on a delivery. He won't be back until around noon."
Officer: "OK, then. Would you just tell him his car lights are on. Thanks."
Shop Lady: (Clearly relieved) "Well, sure, I'll just call him."
Officer: (Cracking nice, big, cheesy grin) "Have a good day." Exits main entrance.
Call me jaded but that just would not happen in a city, would it? Here, we know many of the town's officers. A couple are spouses of teachers I know. One is my partner's son. One is my former assistant's son. One lived up the street. And on and on and on. It's rather nice to know that the cop car you see really does have your back.
Officer: "Is Wayne Worker here?"
Shop Lady: "Wayne? I don't know. Let me see."
Officer waits, pacing officially, while Shop Lady goes in back....
Shop Lady: (Concerned but trying not to seem so.) "No. Wayne's off on a delivery. He won't be back until around noon."
Officer: "OK, then. Would you just tell him his car lights are on. Thanks."
Shop Lady: (Clearly relieved) "Well, sure, I'll just call him."
Officer: (Cracking nice, big, cheesy grin) "Have a good day." Exits main entrance.
Call me jaded but that just would not happen in a city, would it? Here, we know many of the town's officers. A couple are spouses of teachers I know. One is my partner's son. One is my former assistant's son. One lived up the street. And on and on and on. It's rather nice to know that the cop car you see really does have your back.
Labels: The Life Rural
posted by Diana at 4:22 PM
9 Comments:
I live in that very town. Just a Michigan version.
Oh, and the officers are usually arrogant thick-necked good ol' boys rather than kindhearted local officers, but, there are similarities.
No, I really can't see that happening in Saint Paul. It's kind of nice, knowing that this happened. Not that I'm going to move to a small town or anything because Nature kind of scares me.
yeah, that doesn't happen in Dallas. I grew up in a small town called Prosper, where I could totally see that scenario playing out. But move in 30 miles to the city, and no dice.
Blake
Gerah- That's cool that your town is somewhat similar given that it is rather bigger. You know, for such a small town, the officers mostly are not good ol' boys, just nice men and women.
Dana- Nature should scare you. It scares me.
Blake- Well hi, there! I grew up mostly in Portland, OR, where for years the cops had the reputation of being racist assholes. A few years before we left, they got a new police chief, Chief Moose, who really turned things around. Last I heard, he left to go to Philly? DC? Somewhere large and East Coast. The leadership really can set the culture of the whole police force.
Around here, the cops are more likely to shoot you in the back or beat the shit out of you than tell you your lights are on. Especially if you are not white. Racist assholes!
Wasn't Moose the one that nabbed the sniper guy or something to do with that??
Anyways that wouldn't happen here in NYC.
They'd tell you your lights where there, but nothing else lol
Teri- There you go. Such a shame, isn't it.
Babs- Yup. Chief Charles Moose. You have an amazing memory, there, chica!
Things are still kind of up and down with the Portland Police. For awhile they had a guy, (Kroker, or Kroeger) and he was somewhat controversial. Now we have Foxworth and he seems better. You are lucky. The cop shop around the corner from my workplace (not a nice neighborhood) The police never walk the streets so there are drug deals aplenty. Plus, most of the time I see them they are in their squad cars eating.
Stacy- It always makes me giggle when people conform to stereotypes. Boy, you'd think they'd be out on the pavement in force in that neighborhood.
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