Thursday, February 25, 2016

The Roof Hopper



Though still several blocks away, I hear the sirens and can see the flashing lights of a half dozen police cars.


It's just past midnight on a cool February evening and I'm on my way home from the airport when I hear the news that some crazed, possibly drug addled or mentally unstable fool is roof hopping in my part of town. A skinny, young white dude in a baseball cap and no better sense than an potted plant has managed to wake every dog, set every parent's heart to hammering and terrorize an entire neighborhood. He evades the police long enough to cross the park but is cornered and captured not long after. For a potential one man crime wave, it's pretty disappointing but things pick up quickly when a neighborhood alert is posted on social media. In no time, it devolves into a war of words and zip codes. - the righteous, the racists, the honestly concerned citizens all have something to contribute - and no one wastes any time being shy. The next day I read that the poor dimwitted fool is a six time convicted felon and everyone demands to know why he is out and sprinting across roof tops. When his booking photo is inevitably published, the picture is indeed as sad and pathetic as you'd expect. Nonetheless, social media rejoices. The threat is over and if anyone is thinking about tar and feathers or riding him out of town on a rail, they think better of mentioning it.


It's all enough to make me think that not all the crazies are trotting across rooftops.










  

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