Post by Police Moderator on Apr 8, 2013 5:33:05 GMT -5
Much ado, recently, in opinion pieces, news stories and social media postings, etc. has seemed to shed a bad light on some of our local youths.
In some cases, the attention is warranted, but I was recently reassured that the direction and moral compass of most of our young adults is understated, the exceptions over-generalized and the good deeds rarely reported, videoed or commented on.
While working an extra job (Yep, we all still have to work two and three extra jobs to make ends meet1), my partner, and me, grabbed a quick bite at a fine local establishment, downtown. The place was packed with high school students attending a conference, numerous post-high school young adults and the regulars. The place was packed and the wait staff was busy as hell, yet efficient and friendly.
I overheard a conversation (They may be responsible high school students, but nothing they say is lacking in volume when out of town sans Mom and Dad) from the table next to ours. The topic of conversation was the insultingly low tip a table of 8 adults (Looked like high school administrators along for a free road trip!) (They were leaving as we were seated.) I learned that these older adults left a whopping two dollar tip for the hardworking waitress who served 8 full course meals, kept tea glasses filled, cleaned up the mess and did an excellent service (If our service was any example.)
We ate our timely delivered, excellent and full portioned meal. As always, since street cops, nurses, short order cooks and wait staff are kindred in spirit, we left a 30% tip to help make up for the cheap bastards and refrained to the parking lot, 50 feet from the door and partook of some fine tobacco products.
The harried manager comes out and asks if we left a cash tip and we replied, "Yep, $8.00." He advised that a table of young adults had reported that, as soon as we left, a middle aged male subject moved from his booth to our table, grabbed the salt and pepper shakers, and the $8.00 and returned to his booth.
Now, I am pissed, not only is a drunk ass thief taking money I worked two or three jobs for and a waitress who was working her butt off for, my smoke break had been disturbed. And, if this was let go, the waitress would have a very low opinion of miserly tipping cops.
So, we go talk to dude, who for some unfathomable reason has two salt shakers and two pepper shakers on his table. And a cup of coffee, with half of it staining the napkin underneath. He denies taking any money, yet when getting out his ID we spy, in plain view, a five dollar bill and three ones in his wallet; which, circumstantially matches the exact denominations we left. Dude claims to be homeless yet he can afford an Otter Case for his I-Phone and a Lands End Back Pack.
When confronted with the young adult witnesses willingness to testify against him, the circumstantial evidence and a brilliantly delivered good-cop-bad-cop interview by the officers involved, confesses to taking the money and continues to mitigate his crime with some lame ass sob story about how poor and mistreated he has been his whole life.
The overworked waitress did not want to prosecute since she would have to take off work, at her own expense, to attend the 10 or 15 court appearances, delays and other related Court System BS when Dude had already apologized and given her her well earned money back.
Since it was probably only Dude's 16th or 17th theft offense, he might have been hammered, using the full weight, force and might of the Hamilton County Criminal Justice System, with a rehabilitative half-day of picking up trash..... And her $8.00 would be booked as evidence, until she was a grandmother.
So, Dude was issued a Criminal Trespass Warning, scraped up his remaining coins to pay for the coffee and, after a warrant check, was left to go upon his merry way. The waitress refused his offer of a $0.20 tip, on principle alone.
All that to say, this occurred within three miles of where most of our local shootings, stabbings and gang activity is occurring. It involved several groups of high school students who looked to have been from places like where most of our local shootings, stabbings and gang activity have occurred. It involved several young adults who saw something wrong and did something effective about it. It demonstrated that these young adults are actually contributing to their fellow humans and that a few High School Administrators are lousy tippers.
There were no task forces involved, no public money was spent (We were on an extra job, after all) and no Town Hall Meeting was in progress.
I feel better about the State of Our Youths, now. I'll sleep good today, as I prepare to carry that big ass mirror as I look into the abyss again, tonight, knowing that these kids are truly the rule and the thugs we read about, are the exception.
1Other than using her taxpayer funded salary, office equipment and supplies to work an 'extra job' does Missy Crutchfield work an extra job to make ends meet?
In some cases, the attention is warranted, but I was recently reassured that the direction and moral compass of most of our young adults is understated, the exceptions over-generalized and the good deeds rarely reported, videoed or commented on.
While working an extra job (Yep, we all still have to work two and three extra jobs to make ends meet1), my partner, and me, grabbed a quick bite at a fine local establishment, downtown. The place was packed with high school students attending a conference, numerous post-high school young adults and the regulars. The place was packed and the wait staff was busy as hell, yet efficient and friendly.
I overheard a conversation (They may be responsible high school students, but nothing they say is lacking in volume when out of town sans Mom and Dad) from the table next to ours. The topic of conversation was the insultingly low tip a table of 8 adults (Looked like high school administrators along for a free road trip!) (They were leaving as we were seated.) I learned that these older adults left a whopping two dollar tip for the hardworking waitress who served 8 full course meals, kept tea glasses filled, cleaned up the mess and did an excellent service (If our service was any example.)
We ate our timely delivered, excellent and full portioned meal. As always, since street cops, nurses, short order cooks and wait staff are kindred in spirit, we left a 30% tip to help make up for the cheap bastards and refrained to the parking lot, 50 feet from the door and partook of some fine tobacco products.
The harried manager comes out and asks if we left a cash tip and we replied, "Yep, $8.00." He advised that a table of young adults had reported that, as soon as we left, a middle aged male subject moved from his booth to our table, grabbed the salt and pepper shakers, and the $8.00 and returned to his booth.
Now, I am pissed, not only is a drunk ass thief taking money I worked two or three jobs for and a waitress who was working her butt off for, my smoke break had been disturbed. And, if this was let go, the waitress would have a very low opinion of miserly tipping cops.
So, we go talk to dude, who for some unfathomable reason has two salt shakers and two pepper shakers on his table. And a cup of coffee, with half of it staining the napkin underneath. He denies taking any money, yet when getting out his ID we spy, in plain view, a five dollar bill and three ones in his wallet; which, circumstantially matches the exact denominations we left. Dude claims to be homeless yet he can afford an Otter Case for his I-Phone and a Lands End Back Pack.
When confronted with the young adult witnesses willingness to testify against him, the circumstantial evidence and a brilliantly delivered good-cop-bad-cop interview by the officers involved, confesses to taking the money and continues to mitigate his crime with some lame ass sob story about how poor and mistreated he has been his whole life.
The overworked waitress did not want to prosecute since she would have to take off work, at her own expense, to attend the 10 or 15 court appearances, delays and other related Court System BS when Dude had already apologized and given her her well earned money back.
Since it was probably only Dude's 16th or 17th theft offense, he might have been hammered, using the full weight, force and might of the Hamilton County Criminal Justice System, with a rehabilitative half-day of picking up trash..... And her $8.00 would be booked as evidence, until she was a grandmother.
So, Dude was issued a Criminal Trespass Warning, scraped up his remaining coins to pay for the coffee and, after a warrant check, was left to go upon his merry way. The waitress refused his offer of a $0.20 tip, on principle alone.
All that to say, this occurred within three miles of where most of our local shootings, stabbings and gang activity is occurring. It involved several groups of high school students who looked to have been from places like where most of our local shootings, stabbings and gang activity have occurred. It involved several young adults who saw something wrong and did something effective about it. It demonstrated that these young adults are actually contributing to their fellow humans and that a few High School Administrators are lousy tippers.
There were no task forces involved, no public money was spent (We were on an extra job, after all) and no Town Hall Meeting was in progress.
I feel better about the State of Our Youths, now. I'll sleep good today, as I prepare to carry that big ass mirror as I look into the abyss again, tonight, knowing that these kids are truly the rule and the thugs we read about, are the exception.
1Other than using her taxpayer funded salary, office equipment and supplies to work an 'extra job' does Missy Crutchfield work an extra job to make ends meet?
