Turning the tables...

Usually, I have lots of stories, so I decided to turn the tables and tell you all about some of the stories I've heard on the unit from people passing through the Hotel.

I don't check for veracity, but I do enjoy a good story, true or not. And no, I'm not going to tell you about the stuff they tell us to get drugs. (The ER nurses like my classmate Q. get a new one of those every day.)

Police stories:

Dim bulb

In some professions, people developed a heightened sense of awareness of things. Police officers are trained to be highly alert, but some of the scenarios Good Cop (he called himself that when he roomed with another former cop--Bad Cop) told me about were just crazy.

GC was out on patrol one night and noticed a guy had his license plate light out (an infraction that would win a ticket in his town). Once GC got to the window and took the guy's license he said, "I didn't do it."

GC said something about the way he said that wasn't right. He asked again, and the guy says the same thing and "I didn't rob that liquor store."

GC asks Mr. Chatty to step out of the car. GC proceeds to cuff and stuff him. Before he knew it, the call came out on the radio about the robbery. GC calls his coworker back and asks him if he wants him to bring Mr. Chatty back by the liquor store (about 4 blocks away). Coworker says "come on over." Meanwhile, Mr. Chatty keeps talking...

Mr. Chatty is identified as the perpetrator by the store owner, and off he went to the police station and booking.

Get it straight

GC pulls over a man for speeding. Mr. Lam is apologetic and GC says, "I almost let him go. Just seemed like a really nice guy."

But Mr. Lam was not a nice guy. He was a fugitive wanted on federal warrants for murder. The warrants were 16 years old.

So how did GC figure out Mr. Lam wasn't who he said  he was? Well, if you give a bogus drivers' license to a police officer, make sure you sign the same name that's on the drivers' license you give to the officer. If you sign your real name (not your alias), someone, like GC, might figure you out.