FIGHT THE POWER
"Hey Tai, the cops got two car loads of your friends pulled over just this side of town." says Sparrow, a local for the summer, as he walks into the tipi field.
It was Friday evening just before sundown and I had been waiting on these folks to show up to party with all day. I had smoked a joint or three of some grass I had grown, a quart of home brew that I had brewed and was feeling good enough that this just pissed me off. "What are they hassling them over?" I asked Sparrow.
"Shit man," he says, "I sure the fuck didn't stop to see."
I tell everyone that I'm going to check this out and will be back shortly. I jump in my ‘47’ Chevy school bus, get it going and head for town 15 miles away. I drive until I see my friends and a couple cop cars pulled to the side of the road. Everyone just seems to be standing around. I pull up and hop out.
I go right up to the oldest looking cop and say, "Who’s in charge here?”
He looks at me then says, "Who are you?"
I tell him my name and that I’m a local resident. I see one of the cops that I've had dealings with before and tell the older cop that the younger one has checked me out before and knows who I am.
He walks over to the younger cop and point at me and the younger cop says, "Yeah, I know him." not very friendly either.
But I don't care and say again, "So, what's happening? These are friends of mine up from the City to visit me for the weekend and I want to know why you pulled them over."
The older cop says "If it was any of your business then I’d tell you but..."
I brake in with, "Okay, what's your name, rank, badge number and the name of your superior." whipping out a pen and small notebook that I always carry.
The younger cop says "Look, this is just a routine traffic stop and there's no need for you to get involved."
I look him straight in the eyes and say, "I already am involved. And unless you can give me a good reason as to why you are harassing my friends then I guess I'll just have to go see the Chief bright and early Monday morning." Something I had done before when the younger cop had stopped me for no reason.
The older cop says, "The one driving the Dodge does not have a valid California drivers license." He points to New York Mike. "He only has a New York license and we're checking it out."
"So" I say, "Why is the other car stopped?"
"Well" he says, "It’s was obvious they're together and we wanted to make sure that they aren't doing anything illegal."
I yell over to the group of freeks asking, "How long have they kept you guys here?"
"Almost an hour." they holler back.
I turn back to the cops and say, "That's plenty of time for you to check them out. If you're going to ticket them then do it otherwise you've got no legal right to keep them here so we're leaving."
The older cop says, "You don't tell us what to do, boy!" He stares at me.
I stare right back then I say, "Then arrest me and take me to jail right now."
The younger cop says, "Wait a minute." and takes the older cop aside and talks to him for a few minutes. The older one look disgusted then walks away.
The younger one comes back over to me and says, "Okay, you and your friends can leave, but I don't want you bothering the Chief about this, you understand?"
I say that I understand perfectly.
My friends and me get into our vehicles and leave. We drive to the tipi field and party the night away.