So traumatic that I’ve crossposted this to both my journal and to fathom. But I’m freaked out by it so I have to. Apologies in advance.
So I decided to go to one of my surgery support group meetings for the first time in ages. (I have a…uh…personality conflict with one of the people so I’ve not gone, but it turns out she doesn’t go anymore so I’m gonna start going again.)
Rob wasn’t home from work yet, so I drove to his office and dropped off Dominic, then drove to go to the restaurant that the meeting was at. It is in the Reston Town Center, which is very close to Rob’s work. It is on the wrong side, however, from the way I’m used to going. I knew there was a back road into it, but didn’t know which one it was. I think I passed it.
So I got to a light and turned left, hoping that went through. It turned out to just go into an office building. So I turned around and went back the way I came on the main road, because I knew I’d missed the proper street.
I got to another light and figured what the hell, I’ll see if this one goes through. This light was very close to the other one and the light was green so I just zipped in. It turned so I couldn’t see where it went until I had already made the turn… but when I got to the bend I saw that there was a big gate and guards. Ok, I’ll turn around. But then I made my fatal mistake. I figured hey… there are four guys standing there–I can see now that they are cops. I’ll just ask them if they know what road goes through. So I pull the car to the side and get out.
Bad move.
All four jump up and start screaming at me to get back in my car. I start backing up toward my car and call out “I just want to know how to get to the Town Center…” but they keep screaming at me. Now they have their hands on their guns and they’re jogging toward me.
I’m at my car, getting in, and I say again “sorry! I am just trying to figure out which street goes through to the town center!” but they are still coming at me, still shouting. They tell me to get in my car and turn off the engine.
I do.
Now a fifth guy with a big rifle comes running over. He stands about 15 feet from my car looking all menacing, holding his rifle. All the other guys still have their hands on their guns, but at least they haven’t drawn them. They surround my car.
They start asking me what I’m doing. I tell them that I was just trying to find a street that went through to Reston Town Center. They take my ID and then they ask me where I’m going. I say… Reston Town Center. They ask me who I am meeting. I tell them it’s my weight loss support group. They ask me whose car it is. I say it’s my husband’s (he is the one who usually drives it)… they keep asking me questions… the same questions over and over… where was I born… who was I meeting…
They asked me if I knew my registration was expired. They wanted to see my registration but I couldn’t find it. I don’t usually drive the car, I drive the van. Again with the questions… who am I going to meet… where was I going… where was I coming from and where did I live? Where was I born?
They told me I was tresspassing on federal property, and apparently there were signs but I didn’t see them so I don’t know. I was maybe 100 feet onto the property… I mean the driveway was pretty damned short (I couldn’t tell that when I turned because it curves).
They kept me for about 20 minutes, interrogating me. Two other guys came out and asked the same questions. They all kept their hands on their guns, and the rifle guy just stood there staring at me. About 10 minutes into it I was crying.
They finally let me go, and I got to the restaurant. I was still crying. It took me probably another 20 minutes to stop shaking.
The actual support group was great though–everyone was very nice. After dinner we walked over to Starbucks and got coffee and sat outside talking for a long time. At one point a guy walked by and we stopped talking for a moment. He stopped and said “I’m just walking by! You don’t need to stop talking” He seemed nice (he also seemed very gay, but maybe that’s just me) and was just teasing us. We joked back with him and said he could sit with us. He laughed and kept going. A while later he walked by again and said hi and we pulled out a chair and sat with us for 5 minutes or so. He seemed really nice.
I’m going to try to go next week.