A CLASSIC TALE: First encounter with the police

August 24, 2007 - Friday

My first encounter with the police Current mood: optimistic A man wrote the following Letter to the Editor in our city's newspaper last night: Pay attention to crosswalks 8/29/2007 As someone who is proud to be a Minnesotan and hail from Rochester, I have to point out one area where "Minnesota Nice" falls flat on its face. Unfortunately, this is not some minor issue, but a major traffic law infringement that endangers lives. It is the law to stop for pedestrians in marked crosswalks. It is not something we do only when we are feeling nice. It is not something we can forget about when we are driving while distracted by cell phones, radio's, etc. As has happened many times in the past, tonight I went for a bike ride with two of my children on bikes (ages 7 and 4) and my 18-month-old in a bike trailer. To get out of my neighborhood I must cross Viola Road at Parkwood Hills Drive. This marked crosswalk has recently had flashing yellow lights installed for when pedestrians want to cross. Tonight we pressed the button and waited as 10-12 cars passed, oblivious to the family waiting to cross in a marked, and signed crosswalk with lights flashing. This would not happen in most areas in this country, where crosswalks are respected and enforced. Crosswalks are a critical element of pedestrian safety in Rochester, and are important to many of our quality of life. _______ I suited up, drove to the crosswalk and saw how dangerous it is. Cars are coming over a hill at a good clip and into a residential zone. The crosswalk is new and people aren't used to it yet. I decided to be a crossing guard for awhile. I had a cheap flasher on my arm. I helped a few people cross and got some stares, waves, nods, and a car of honking, waving and smiling people who I think had also read the letter to the editor and knew EXACTLY what I was doing there. It was more than an hour before the first police car arrived. The cop was cool, but wary. He asked what was in my pouch, and I told him it was my cell phone (it was, of course). I do have a great respect for the police. Unlike some of our superheroic bretheren, I see the cops in our town as nothing but heroes. And harder-working than we are. We just do this when we get a chance. They asked what I was doing and why I was dressed like this. I explained to them that this was a dangerous crosswalk and I was helping people cross the street. I cited the letter to the editor. I asked them if they had ever heard of Real-Life Superheroes and they said that they hadn't. They said that I was drawing attention to myself and sort of freaking people out. I think I (might have) said something about drawing attention to the crosswalk was the whole idea. I told them that the mud from my boots was from helping out at Stockton, and that the cops there thought I was a kook too, until I started hauling in cases of bottled water and bottles of bleach and bags of food. I mentioned as much of my other in-costume charitable work that I could remember (yes, I was nervous.) - Ronald McDonald House, Channel One, Salvation Army, Paws N Claws, the homeless under the bridge in Kutzky Park - and they suggested that I probably should stick to that. I didn't have the presence of mind/humility/bravado to tell them that I had run out of spending money helping out with the floods and that this was a free cause. I told them that I KNEW this is nutty. They were reasonable, suspicious and respectful all at the same time. One cop suggested that there were better ways to make people aware of the crosswalk like writing my City Councilperson... and when I sort of grimaced, he sort of did, too. I said that they should look around on the Web for Real-Life Superheroes and they asked if I had a website I said yes and the one joked, "Cover your names, Boys." We ended on a good note (heck, the whole thing was a good note in my book.) I told them that I refer to myself as Geist and they suggested that I be careful crossing while getting back to my vehicle. -Funny! In the end, it's exactly what I wanted. The police know I'm out there helping people. I think they know that I'm not a total nut and that I have half a brain in my head. There's an awareness and I'll certainly be talked about and if they get a few laughs out of it, good for them. They need it. Geist out.