The most random thing...

The most random thing happened to me today. It was actually a series of random events. I was driving home from 'Sauga and decided it was time for McDonalds. I've been craving it for about a week and it was pouring, I had no radio, and I had a headache and decided "Hey, Let's Eat"

So I got a Cheeseburger Happy Meal (Sidenote: I love that McDonalds doesn't make you be a kid to eat their happy meal. I got a cool toy, a pint sized burger, fries and pop and felt that although I was eating McDonalds.. it was a small amount. So that was good)

When you come out of the drivethru you can either a) go to the gas station or b) get back on the highway. There is really no spot that is designated for eating purposes (its a drivethru so I guess they figure people don't want to sit and eat.) So I notice this blue car sitting at the other end of the parking lot -- there are no spots there but there is a tire pump thing and I decide "hey, I'll go join this car and eat my lunch"

So I get over there and realize its an unmarked OPP car (I'm saying it was unmarked.. I'm not sure.. but I didn't notice lights or a sign on the car so it must've been). So I feel really awkward now. Like, this isn't a parking spot (there aren't any no parking signs) but its not a non-parking spot, and hes just chilling in his police rain jacket (It was really pouring so I guess he was there in case of accidents along that stretch of the 401).

So I fiddle in my purse for a second and I'm cleaning up my car a little.. (random things to do!) and for some reason I decide I don't want to eat my meal in front of this police officer. I would have felt very very awkward (it was okay before though when I thought the car was just another person by themselves eating their burger). So I start to just back up after like 30 seconds of sitting there.

And he honks at me. OH SHIT... was my first thought. I look over and he asks me to roll down my window (makes that motion.. and really, who doesn't listen to a police officer). I was terrified.. like he's going to make me feel bad for sitting here, etc etc.

He just asked if I was okay.

I replied that I wanted to make sure I had my epipen (quick thinking there slugger) and he asked if I was feeling okay or if I was having an allergic reaction (logical response on the part of the officer) and then just told me to have a good day.

For some reason, the fatherly concern this officer had for me made me tear up was I was driving back down the highway. He saw me alone, fiddling with things in my car (Cause I didn't want to eat my burger in front of him) and asked if I was alright.

I think we have a really bad tendency to stereotype all Police Officers. We love firefighters and EMT's because they arrive when we need them... but sometimes police officers arrive when we don't want to see them (I'm not speaking from experience -- just the fact that they are around to arrest criminals would lend logic to this point).

This officer is probably a father, or a husband, and is just a good person trying to do what's right. Although we often hear more about bad police officers than bad firefighters or bad EMT's the bottom line is they are all just people.

There are good people in this world, and there are bad people. Sometimes the bad people get to masquerade as the good people... and sometimes the good people get a bad reputation because of it.