Every day of my life started with the morning TV news. Except this one morning in the summer of 1985. I woke up that morning to sound of BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. It came from one of the neighbor’s apartments. It sounded like someone was moving furniture. I went back to sleep. I woke up again to sirens. An ambulance pulled up to my building and I went to investigate. The noise I was awakened to earlier was my upstairs neighbor falling down a flight of stairs and breaking her leg. She asked me to help her track down her husband who had all the insurance information. The problem was that he was working a Swap Meet somewhere in Oxnard, an hour north of L.A. The EMT told me that they were taking her to Cedars-Sinai. I told her that would meet her at Cedars then I got into my car. I noticed cops all over the neighborhood but didn't think much of it. I'm driving west and I pass this one cop driving east he gives me a good look. I didn't give it much thought because I was in a hurry. Then lights started flashing and the sirens are going off. I pull over so the cop can pass me and he didn’t.
Over the loud speaker I hear, "Get out of the car and put your hands on your head". I do what he says and then ask, "Is there a problem officer?" “Oh yeah”, “You did a lot of things”, the cop said. It's 110 degrees outside and this cop wanted me to put my hands on the black hood of his squad car that was so hot. Egg frying hot. I cheated and just had my hands hover about half an inch over the hood. The cop started going through my pockets, then throwing its contents on the ground. He then noticed that my hands were not on the hood of the car. So standing behind me he grabbed my wrists and forced them on the hood of his car, of course when you touch something that hot you have an involuntary reaction and jerk back. I jerked back. “E-YOW!” And I knocked the cop over on his ass. He jumped back up and drew his gun and shouted, “I said put your hands on the hood!” Okay, flip them over when they’re done.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
great story Tony, thanks! I'm real glad they didn't shoot or tase you, just fried you. Cops can be jumpy, no doubt about it
2 - Temple Stark
That's excellent Tony. Not that you got fried egg hands and such - but just in the telling.
I recognized the West Wing quote, too. A particularly powerful episode where Leo ends up apologizing (badly) and ends it later with "Way to be back at your desk." Sadly, every time the police have pulled me over I've been guilty. Never had to get out of my car though. Just the speeding.
3 - DrPat
I had a similar experience in Chicago one night around midnight. A coincidence of denim jacket, last-car-in-the-rental-lot, and time of night had two cop cars bracket me on the edge of the highway.
The cop who walked up behind my car had his revolver drawn, and was walking sideways to present the smallest possible profile to desperado me.
I rolled down the window and asked (in an embarassingly squeaky voice), "Can I help you, Officer?" The gun went back in the holster and the backup cop got back in his car and rolled away.
They were looking for an escaped prisoner wearing a denim shirt, known to have stolen a car like the one I'd just rented. Fortunately for my freedom, the prisoner had a shaved head and a beard. The cops took one look at my opposite hirsute state, and waved me on my way...