The weird stuff

It can stop happening any time soon.

This wasn't so bad-weird, it was just weird. When I went to pick up the van for the field trip this afternoon, I noticed one of the local cops (not one of the university cops, whom I would expect to be there) parked in the lot, and he was just removing those gloves that police wear when dealing with evidence (which I had previously only seen on Law and Order).

I thought, "Uh-oh. I hope there wasn't any trouble. I hope he didn't have to arrest anyone."

I went and got my van, and as I was preparing to back out, the cop ran over and flagged me down.

"Ma'am? If you don't mind, I want to be sure this van is clear."

"Come again?"

"I need to check to be sure we removed the pot from this van. We were doing a K-9 training exercise."

Oh. Okay. Well, yes, of course I would like for you to make sure there is no pot hidden in the van I am taking out.

He checked around the outside (I guess they did not actually open the vans), opened the flap over the gas tank, and I saw him pull out a small black bag the size and shape of a coin purse. I laughed through the open window: "That would have been bad if I had been stopped!" and he kind of laughed, too.

I mean, yes, I have the reputation of being the straightest of straight arrows, and the most right-angled of squares (and I admit I'm somewhat proud of that rep), but still,  that's not an interrogation I'd want to be on the wrong side of:

(Through tears): "Honestly, sir, I don't know how that got there. I just picked up the van at Motor Pool at 1:15. I didn't even check the gas tank!" Because that sounds hinky even to me.

I mean, yeah, a call to the cops would probably turn up a very embarrassed officer and an apology to me (there's probably some value in being friends with the police chaplain and being a good neighbor to a couple of cops), but still.

Also, I admit I cringed a bit to think the local constabulatory was using our motor pool vans to play Hunt-the-Weed given some of the alleged extracurricular activities some of our alleged sports stars have been involved in the past couple years.