My Dad was a NYPD officer for 20 years. And I was thinking of him as I read an item from Chicago about police there suspending a 14 year veteran for demanding free coffee and baked goods from a half dozen Starbucks in the city. The allegation is that this officer didn't just say "give me a coffee!". She "screamed, flashed her badge, handcuffs, or gun" at the Starbucks clerks.
I remember my Dad taking me to work only once, and walking with him on his "beat". Through my "son" eyes, the shopkeepers didn't need to see a badge or gun or cuffs to provide coffee for him or candy for me. They did it automatically, and I went home thinking that my Dad was about the most popular guy in the city. Did the store owners expect something in return? Of course. When they had trouble, Dad would probably go an extra mile to assist. But it worked both ways. Had Dad been abusive to storekeepers, do you think they would be watching his back?
The most Popular Posts of the past seven days.
Aug 8, 2008
Free Coffee, Officer?
My Dad was a NYPD officer for 20 years. And I was thinking of him as I read an item from Chicago about police there suspending a 14 year veteran for demanding free coffee and baked goods from a half dozen Starbucks in the city. The allegation is that this officer didn't just say "give me a coffee!". She "screamed, flashed her badge, handcuffs, or gun" at the Starbucks clerks.
I remember my Dad taking me to work only once, and walking with him on his "beat". Through my "son" eyes, the shopkeepers didn't need to see a badge or gun or cuffs to provide coffee for him or candy for me. They did it automatically, and I went home thinking that my Dad was about the most popular guy in the city. Did the store owners expect something in return? Of course. When they had trouble, Dad would probably go an extra mile to assist. But it worked both ways. Had Dad been abusive to storekeepers, do you think they would be watching his back?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment