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Key West - April 22, 2005 - My Lucky Day
There were four friends who had each requested an "1/8th".
I try never to carry more than one bag at a time, but against my better
judgement I put one inside the beak of my hat and the other three in my pocket.
As I turned to ride my bike up Duval St. a woman police officer from across
the street called to me to stop and waved me toward her. I looked around as
though she was maybe signaling someone else, ignored her, and continued up Duval
St.
I'd gone up a block or so and saw a friend drinking out in front of "Ricks"
so I stopped to say hello.
As we were talking, a heavy-set, bald cop ran by us going up Duval. I told my
friend I'd better get going because this cop may be after me.
As I got on my bicycle to leave, the woman cop came up behind me. The bald
cop came at me from the other direction. I lifted my bicycle back up on to the
pavement, the rear wheel going directly on top of the lady cop's foot.
"Sorry," I said to her. "I didn't mean to do that."
The bald policeman got right in my face and said, "Do you know who I am?"
"No", I said, "I don't".
"I'm the guy keeping drugs off the street", he said.
I asked, "Am I under arrest?"
"No, I just want to ask you some questions. Are you carring any drugs?"
I said nothing.
He looked me sraight in the eye and said, "If you give me what you have,
right now, I'll just put it in evidence and let you go."
I looked at him in disbelief.
The woman officer then said to me, "Take off your hat".
I knew immediately that someone had informed on me, since only the people I'd
been dealing with knew that I carried my weed in my hat.
I took off my hat and placed it upside-down on the seat of my bike.
She said, "What's up under the beak?"
I reached in and pulled out the bag so it could be seen.
At this time another police officer, a leutenant in uniform, joined the other
two officers standing in front of me.
The bald officer then asked me to show him what was in my pocket as he
pointed to my right pocket. I pulled out my money, but not my keys. He nodded
and I put the cash back.
"Where do you live?"
"I live with a lady friend on a boat above Stock Island," I answered, as what
I said was being written down.
"What is the name of the boat?"
"I really never noticed," I answered.
"What's in your other pocket?"
Damn, I thought, I'm in big trouble. I reached into my left pocket and tried
to get hold of my ID without any of the three bags but couldn't without snagging
one of them. I held out my hand with the ID and one of the bags. Now, both bags
were placed side by side on the seat of my bicycle.
"Let me see some ID," ordered the bald cop.
I handed him my Veterans ID. He got on his radio and gave out the
information.
We stood there for a little longer as the officers spoke together.
"You could write me a ticket if you wish," I told the bald officer. "I was
ticketed a few years ago and showed up for court."
"This is not a ticketable offence. You have two bags."
"I know that the two bags together weigh less than 20 grams."
"That doesn't matter. You have two bags and that means we've got
you for 'possesion with intent to sell' "
I stood there for a few minutes while the police talked to each other
quietly and got information back from their radio communications. I expected to see a
paddy wagon or a squad car come to take me to jail.
"You can go", the officer said.
Immediately, I got on my bike as he said to me, "You need to find another
way to make a living."
Thank goodness this officer was honest. He had said he would let me go if I
gave him my pot.
I rode away with the remaining two bags in my pocket!
THE happy END
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