It's been a while since my friendly neighborhood policemen checked up on me so I wasn't too shocked at my 2:30am wake up knock. First off he couldn't figure out which window I was going to answer, so he kept walking around the car. I pulled back the curtains and answered my front drivers side window. Nothing wakes me up like a flashlight shining in my eyes and nothing freaks a cop out like a smiling blonde in what looks like Ravi Shankar's tour bus.
The popo was very nice and gave me the usual questions looking progressively more confused as I answered them.
Popo: You alone in there?
Me: Yep! This isn't really big enough for two people.
Popo: How long have you been staying here?
Me: On and off for... a while.
Popo: Don't you get cold?
Me: Nope. The inside temp stays around 45 even on cold nights.
Popo: Really?
Me: Yeah, I've insulated.
Popo: hu, Do you have any income?
Me: I go to school full time and work at the college year round.
Popo: oh. Have you thought of getting a permanent place?
Me: I had one but rent is expensive!
Popo: Tell me a about it. You have a phone in there?
Me: Yeah
Popo: Well, give us a call if you have any trouble here.
Me: You bet.
A darn civil conversation if you ask me. He immediately drove over to another parked squad car, probably giving them the low down on the crazy chick in the Jetta. This is only the second time a cop has woken me up while in this lot, so I really can't complain, but it took me until 4am to fall back to sleep. So much for sleeping in.
Popo: You alone in there?
Me: Yep! This isn't really big enough for two people.
Popo: How long have you been staying here?
Me: On and off for... a while.
Popo: Don't you get cold?
Me: Nope. The inside temp stays around 45 even on cold nights.
Popo: Really?
Me: Yeah, I've insulated.
Popo: hu, Do you have any income?
Me: I go to school full time and work at the college year round.
Popo: oh. Have you thought of getting a permanent place?
Me: I had one but rent is expensive!
Popo: Tell me a about it. You have a phone in there?
Me: Yeah
Popo: Well, give us a call if you have any trouble here.
Me: You bet.
A darn civil conversation if you ask me. He immediately drove over to another parked squad car, probably giving them the low down on the crazy chick in the Jetta. This is only the second time a cop has woken me up while in this lot, so I really can't complain, but it took me until 4am to fall back to sleep. So much for sleeping in.
That is extraordinarily civil. It may work to your benefit to have civil cops know your story; maybe they will hassle you less. It may not hurt that you are young and cute (cynical, but I've been there (young and cute) and left through the back door).
ReplyDeleteI was thinking just like the Duck. Young and pretty doesn't hurt but also saying your in college full time and working.... well he probably been there done that.
ReplyDelete45?!
ReplyDeleteSteven, It's amazing how toasty a small space can stay with just body heat. The car is slip in half with curtains so the area is even smaller. The coldest it have ever been in there was high 20s and that was in the middle of the night.
ReplyDeleteI kinda wish it was that cheap for ME to talk to the popo. It costed me $920.00 on Jan 7 to talk to one. lol. Nice way to start the new year. Maybe my boss will pay it. Anyway, so it must be legal to sleep in a car then, hey Ashley? I suppose it all depends where you're parked I guess. That just reminded me of a time when my younger brother and I decided to set up a tent on a school playground one night while we were passing through the city of Red Deer, Alberta. We did'nt get to sleep in either. No fines or anything, but we had to be on our merry little way promptly. That was quite a long time ago, but I'll just bet the circumstances would be alot more costly now. You would have maybe gotten away with it, but we sure did'nt.
ReplyDeleteThat one brought back some memories. Talking to the popos never cost me and/or my brothers money, but we were often asked to move along. Fining us would not have helped; we had no money. When I was on my own in cars, those visits were very few, but when more people were in the car, visits were multiplied.
ReplyDeleteCalvin, I've never understood why cops think fining someone who lives in a car is a productive idea. When I was in Seaside Oregon a few years they would fine people $500 for vagrancy. If they had $500 laying around they would be "vagrants".
ReplyDeleteThere's not much like police knocking you up (in the British sense, not the American) at 2 am to get the adrenaline going. BTDT.
ReplyDelete