Taiwan 2024 - Museum Grounds, Entrance Gate / In a Police Car #2

After spending some time with the Calla lilies we went with Chenjean's brother to this museum, but found it closed.  No matter...there were plenty of good photographic opportunities.

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The second time I ended up in a police car also happened in the wee hours of the morning, though this time it was in the front seat as opposed to being caged in the back.

It was almost 1:00 a.m. and I was going home from a friend's apartment.  It was cold outside, so I hunkered down for the two-mile walk.  I hadn't gone far - about a quarter-mile - when I noticed a police car parked in a small parking lot to the right.  I was a little inebriated and underage, so did my best to walk by without attracting any undue attention.  That became a moot point, however, because when I got close it was obvious that the officer was asleep!  His engine was running, but he was slouched over in the driver's seat with his head resting against the window.

I thought OK, don't have to worry about him, so walked on.

A little further down the road another police car pulled up alongside and asked me what I was doing out so late.  I was 15 years old at the time but probably looked about twelve, so wasn't surprised at the question.  I answered simply that I was at a friend's place and was heading home, and had Mom's permission to be out.  I mentioned something else, though.  Told him that down the road there was a police car running with the officer sleeping inside.  The cop's eyebrows shot up and he said thanks, speeding off in that direction.

About five minutes later the second cop came back to where I was walking, and offered me a ride home!  I didn't think of it at the time but, as the officer explained it to me, depending on which way the wind was blowing, the officer may not have been asleep at all, but unconscious or dead due to CO poisoning!  That's why he sped off the way he did.  Turns out the officer was OK - just sleeping one the job - but in appreciation he said to hop in the front seat so there I was, riding in the front seat of this Orange police car making small talk with my new friend.

But it didn't last long, and we didn't make it all the way home after all.  We were going down 16th street about five blocks from Chapman (where we lived) when a light flashed on the dash and a loud tone sounded.  Immediately the officer turned on his overheads, said something on the radio, and gunned the accelerator.  Evidently this he did reflexively.  Then, remembering that he had a passenger, he glanced at me and jammed on the brakes, explaining that he had an urgent call and, sorry, but he had to let me out.  I told him thanks, got out, and watched as he flew down the wide empty street with the pretty red and blue lights on (but no siren).

Walking the remaining three blocks home, I was frankly a little disappointed that the adventure came so close to getting even more interesting, but was cut short by his realization that I, a civilian, was in the front seat with him.  Looked in the newspaper the next day but didn't see anything spectacular, so thankfully whatever happened must not have been that serious.