So I have waited to write about the events of my weekend until I could organize my thoughts into something intelligible. Unfortunately for me, that hasn't happened yet so I decided what the heck I'll give it a go anyway.
So Saturday, I'm minding my happy little business. I go to Starbucks to get a latte and head off to mail some Christmas gifts at the UPS store. I pull into the parking spot and well....park. Turn off my car and was in the process of getting out of my car when WHAM! the guy getting into the mammoth of a truck parked next to me slams his door into the passenger side of my car.
As most of you know....I tend to let my Irish temper get the best of me at times. Well, this so happened to one of those moments. Since my door was already half open, I jump out of my car and run to the other side of my car (admiring the fantastic parking job on my part) I quickly notice a line of silver paint on my door. My car is blue...the truck is silver. Sooooo, I yelled! "HEY YOU HIT MY CAR"
His response?....shut his door and starts to back out of the parking spot.
At this point I should pause and add that really....the paint is not a big deal and can be removed without much effort. However, I wanted an apology. I wanted him to acknowledge what he had done and simply say "I'm sorry, I was careless" at which point I would have said something like "no harm, just be more careful" or "it's ok" and gone about my business of mailing Christmas presents.
No...he couldn't be bothered with the messy details of all that.
Now, no one can EVER say "the police are never around when you need them" because within seconds of him throwing his truck into reverse an off duty cop runs up and slaps his badge against the careless door openers window and forces him to pull forward.
Reluctantly, he does what he is told. My knight in shining armor Leon, then flashes his badge and ID at me so I know he is for real. His wife enters the scene quickly and introduces herself to me. Laura. They saw the whole thing as they were getting into their car. As it turns out, when the door hit my car my whole car shook. Luckily I have a tough car because there is no dent.
I talked to him for a minute told him what happened. Mind you the entire time Mr. door opener is sitting in his truck on the phone. However, he wasn't calling his lawyer, the police or his insurance company. NO! He was calling his buddies. Who were there quickly. He wouldn't talk to me or Leon. At that point Leon called the police. He was one guy...off duty and he said something wasn't right.
Enter 10 friends. Surrounding us. At which point the guy gets out of his truck. He says, while the recognizable smell of beer follows him, "I didn't hit your car." "You didn't see that." "You're lying." and my favorite. "You're trying to swindle me" Leon asks us both for license, registration and proof of insurance. I diligently oblige. Handing him all of that AND my military ID. Just in case. Door hitter, walked away. Not far, just over to his friends. "He repeats his rants about my not seeing him hit my car. It must have been someone else...blah blah blah. So I simply say, "ok, but we are parked at a shopping center, I'm sure there are video cameras here. We'll just ask the store if we can see them. The video will show who hit my car. He paused for a minute....letting it soak in. Then he said well I didn't mean to hit it. Leon asks him again for a license. Suddenly he can't speak English. Funny, Swindle isn't exactly and introductory word at language lab. Fine, whatever...enter the "translator"
Forgive me, but she was the poster child for white trash inbred. As it turns out...in two hours of conversation with Leon and another officer, she is a....um..professional "working girl?" And has been arrested for pimping out her 14 year old daughter. Why they were both arrested just a month ago!
Really, at this point I'm thinking "what the hell did I get myself into?"
Somewhere in the hours that passed it came about that the door guy didn't have a drivers license. Well, we could figure that one out. Nor did he have insurance. Another shock. The vin number had been removed from the truck and the out of date registration was for a man named Irving. Well, having lived in San Diego for many years, I am pretty sure a Hispanic guy who needs a "translator" isn't going to be named Irving. I was still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt...mostly because I was fearing for my life at this point.
So, enter Officer P. He knew exactly who he was. Had pulled him over not two weeks earlier. He didn't have a license then either. He let him go, but state law dictates you have to have one within a week or go to jail. Failure to have one twice and it's a felony. This made twice because even though I kind of ignored him when he asked if I was a witness to him driving without a license...Leon had seen him.
Next thing I knew, he had cuffs on him and was being placed in the backseat of the police car. So, I asked "what's going to happen to him?" "He's going to jail" Then I was asked if I will go to the court hearing...at which point I pretend to act as a concerned citizen and ask when. I'm told the 18 to which I quickly reply "can't I'll be out of town for the holidays"
Now, I don't like to lie. Especially to a police officer. But this guy is bad. His friends are bad and I was told in no uncertain terms by Leon to avoid that area for a few months and remove a sticker from that back of my car that is obvious so as not to draw attention to my car. Yes, he is a gang banger. His friends, 10 of whom had plenty of time to draw a sketch of me had they wanted, know exactly what I look like.
So yea...NO. I don't think I want to show up to court. I wasn't that mad to start and I was told by Officer P. that he was illegal and would most likely be deported. Well if that's not a reason to hate someone, I don't know what is! It turns out, they had 8 separate charges against him at that moment. More were sure to follow once they got him to the station and went over his record. Hitting my car wasn't one of them. Attempting to leave the scene was....but only one. 7 more had nothing to do with me.
Still I did feel bad. I didn't set out that morning to get anyone arrested. I certainly didn't intend on getting someone deported!
I am grateful that Leon was there. Had he decided to confront me alone this post could have a totally different ending. Nonetheless, I wish I could have a do-over. Take a Mulligan on this one.
Needless to say, I can no longer go to Barnes and Noble or Bed Bath and Beyond because they are in that parking lot. I had to remove a sticker that I love, two hours of my life are wasted that I can never get back, a Mexican gang wants to kill me. A prostitute wants to kill me and if I had just kept my mouth shut perhaps my father in law would have his Christmas present by now and I could have enjoyed my latte when it was warm.
