My encounter with an Atlanta Police Officer

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

A hot day in Hotlanta. I could not LOOK more the tourist. iPod in place, fanny pack on hip ( shush. It’s my way. :smiley: ), wandering around looking UP at buildings and stopping to READ those bronze plaques that are embedded here and there in most major cities.

According to Google Maps, I was within walking distance from The High Museum. I’d been there once before and had an hour or two before a meeting I had to get to today.

Clearly for once, Google Maps had let me down. I got to the intersection all right but criminy, no High Museum. I started walking back to where I had started from and figured I’d ask a cop.

Me and cops. Oye god. However, there I was, in need of assistance of the boring touristy type and there was a Cop. I told him what I was looking for. We were about a block and a half from a MARTA station and he said, " I am not sure but come with me". We walked over, down into it where - as he knew we would- we found a kiosk with maps of Midtown and the MARTA system. Sure enough, I was a hell of a hike from the High Museum. He did point out some other places to visit, and I thanked him for taking the time to walk me there and get me the map.

Then he beat me senseless with his nightstick and threw me into a lockup.

:eek:

:cool: I jest. He was a nice guy and I went on my way, finding Midtown to be fairly boring as cities go, but with some nice bits. Walking around Centennial Olympics Park was great, people watching, seeing the kids dodge and dance with the water jets. A lovely day.

It was a completely pedestrian ( heh ) encounter. Remarkable only because pedestrian encounters with cops just out doing their job are never remarked upon.

Cartooniverse

#2

Ah, the exception that proves the rule.
Just Kidding :slight_smile:

#3

I trust you had your *Jawja-NewYawk * translation guide with you? He musta took pity on you. :stuck_out_tongue:

#4

How much of a joke is this?

Here in England, you can ask a (mostly unarmed) policeman for directions with no problem.

#5

yes, Midtown is enjoyable only for fans of Brutalist architecture.

But you would have seen at the kiosk that the High Museum has its own MARTA station - I wonder why you just didn’t hop on & be there in ten minutes?

Of course, If I were like you and had only an hour or two before my meeting, I wouldn’t have wanted to pay the $15 to get into the museum. But then I throw quarters around like they’re manhole covers.

#6

I would guess that it’s pretty much a joke from the word go. It’s just that you very rarely hear about the police unless someone is bitching about them.

#7

The last time I interacted with a cop I was in my home town for the first time in many years, and I saw a cop car cruise by. I looked at it for a bit because my dad had mentioned the cars had a spiffy new paint scheme. A few mintes later it pulled up next to me and stopped. The window opened and a voice called out, “Come over here… (pause wile I walk to the curb)… What the hell are you looking at?”. “The paint job”, I say. “Well, watch it.”, and he drove away.

The time before that was ouside my apartment building, as two or three of us were chatting on the stoop. Suddenly two cop cars pull up and cops leap out with guns drawn. They were after a guy who just happened to be walking by at the time, but one of the cops had his gun pointed right at my head. “What the fuck?”, I shouted. The cop looked sheepish and holstered his gun, and they drove away with their prisoner.

The time before that, I was at a neighbor dividing up several ounces of pot on the table. The door opened and a uniformed cop walked in. While I remained pretty much paralysed, he came over to the table, filled and lit a pipe, and we smoked it. It was my neighbor’s boyfriend, and turned out he was a very cool guy.

#8

I had what I thought were several strange encounters with the police last week. I was fortunate to have seats for the Kentucky Derby, in the Gold Room. It is a long story how I ended up sitting with the high rollers, but it was quite an experience. The Gold Room is on the top floor, with an amazing view of the entire track. My friend and I stood on the balcony for a while, just letting the idea that we would actually be able to see the entire race from this spot sink in.

I noticed a policeman was also on the balcony. ( I don’t know if there are always so many cops, or the Queen’s visit meant there were more than ususal). He was staring at us. I was sure he was trying find something that we were doing that we shouldn’t. Or something we should be doing that we weren’t. I knew it was silly because we were not doing anything wrong, but I just knew he was going to hassle us over something. He walks over to us, I brace myself.

“I noticed you taking pictures of the great view. If you would like me to take a picture of you and your friend with that view in the background, I would be happy to do it.”

I couldn’t speak. I felt very guilty I had assumed the worst about him. We said yes, thanked him, and now have a great picture to remember our day, thanks to a very thoughtful policeman.

Later we went out to a large balcony area that both overlooks the paddock and the track. We were taking pictures of the unique perspective we had of being level with the Twin Spires. Another policeman approaches. He also offers to snap a shot of the group of us with The Spires in the background. I was blown away.

Later we went to the fourth floor balcony. As I approached the door, a policeman looked me in the eye and said, “I am so sorry to have to ask this of you, but I am required to look in all the ladies’ bags. I know you have already been searched coming in the gate, and before getting on the elevator, but this is a high security area, and I will need to look in your purse before you can go out there. Again I apologize.” (The fourth floor is where the Queen had her seats, so that floor really was locked down tightly)

I was shocked he was so polite about it. I openned my purse, he took a quick glance, and then openned the door for me to go outside.

A very small thing, but it really added to my enjoyment of the day. Even though I can understand the reason for it, all that extra security could have been a real annoyance. But they were all so nice and pleasant the many encounters with them were not a negative at all.

So I think I feel like the OP, and just wanted to share my nice experience with the cops at the Derby, since those things are not often mentioned.

And I know this is straying from the topic, but here are some shots of the view I mentioned.

The finish line:

The track and Winner’s Circle:

And what a friend most appreciated about our top floor view: :eek:

#9

:dubious: You mean you went to Hotlanta and DIDN’T let anyone know?? You must be scared of us suth-nuhs :stuck_out_tongue:

#10

Heeeeee. Your sig line says “Garden Spot of the South”. I figured you were in Tupelo.

:smiley:

No fear of Suhthunuhs. Honest. Next time, next time…

I shot the Triple Crown for a few years for ABC Sports. The security was insanely tight both years, and there were no queens about that day. I thought the venue was tight, but going through the check-out to walk ONTO the actual track just before the race? That was a whole other deal. We had to do that the day before, meet with security, etc. etc. I have no horse experience ( I believe it’s called "horse sense? :stuck_out_tongue: ), and so I got a quick lecture on what colors I may or may not wear, what to do if one of them panics. Turns out, the second year I shot it, at the Preakness, a horse DID get spooked and canter sideways towards me. I just stopped moving, and let the horse come in close before it walked past. Freaked me out.

#11

I ran into a cop in the D.C. Metro today. Actually, I ran into whole crowds of cops – turns out there’s 25,000 in town for the annual memorial service to honor their fallen comrades. I said to my husband, “There must be a cop convention!” as we looked at cops from about six different states – all wearing their police badges hanging around their necks, which looked kinda odd over their tourist clothes – and a very nice young cop from Ohio explained it to me. I’ve never felt so safe on the Metro.

#12

Dude, I was AT the High Museum today! I coulda given you a ride!

#13

Great pictures. Especially the last two. :smiley:

#14

I was hoping you would say he beat you with a doughnut rather than a nightstick. Now THAT’S comedy!

#15

Reeallllyyyyy? I’ll be in DC on Thursday. Think they’ll still be there? :wink:

#16

Police Week is May 13 - May 19. Welcome to DC.

#17

I asked a policeman in Peoria, IL for directions to a downtown hotel late one night and he gave me a police escort (no lights and sirens, just “Follow me, I’m going that way” :slight_smile: ).

#18

A police officer was really nice to me yesterday, too. But then again, he’s my step-dad. :smiley:

#19

Glad you had a good experience, Cartooniverse. Police officers are nice to me all the time. I work in a courthouse and have almost gotten used to being surrounded by uniformed men and women with guns. Still impresses my young sons when they visit me, though!

#20

Arrrrgggggggg !!! ( Exasperated Pirate, you have a call on Line 4. )

Well? What did I miss? Nice art?

Oh. Man. That’s not funny. Now, if it’d been a long hard glazed cruller, well…

:stuck_out_tongue: