Shortly after Chris got out of the Marine Corps, he was a roadside mechanic and I began my love affair with dispatching at Huge PD. Back then, I would come home and regale Chris with fascinating stories from my day. Back then, they were all exciting and unique to both him and me. Don't get me wrong, he still loves to hear about my day and my stories, but now he is a bit more seasoned. A bit jaded if you will. 9 times out of 10 his stories top mine all to heck. My stories no longer shock, appal or amaze him. But, back then, I would write down notes, all day long, reminding myself of calls I wanted to share with him. I would drive home, excited to tell him about my day. It was all so new and interesting for both of us. So here is an actual transcript of a conversation that took place in the 5150 household about 5 years ago. Completely accurate....(to the best of my memory):
Me: You would not believe what happened today!
Chris: What? [He has always been a man of few words.]
Me: You know that guy on the news? The Pale Face Bandit?
Chris: Ummm...
Me: You know! That guy who wears white stage make up, a brown wig and has been going around robbing all the banks in Huge City?
Chris: [A bit distracted] Oh, yeah that sounds familiar.
Me: Well, today he robbed the Huge PD bank, and this time, the teller put a dye pack in the money bag.
Chris: Oh yeah? How'd that work out?
Me: [Getting excited, trying to draw him in to my story] Well, he stole the money, drove off in a blue car, and then the dye pack went off. The dye went everywhere!
Chris: [Finally I have his full attention] Wow.
Me: Yeah, some witnesses saw everything. That dye pack? Well, it just exploded! All that blue ink went off all over his clothes and hands!
Chris: [Catching my excitement] No way, really?
Me: And his face! It exploded in his face!
Chris: Whoa, that is nuts!
Me: No, wait, wait, I got carried away, I don't know why I just said that. Let me start over. He got away, and then they caught him, because a dye pack exploded and got on his hands and clothes. Not his face, I am sorry I totally made that part up.
Chris: Wait. You made that part up?
Me: Yeah, I was just telling you what happened and I was imagining it all, and in my head I was seeing the dye pack explode in his face, but that part I made up. Sorry.
Chris: [Laughing] You just totally lied.
Me: No I didn't, it was an embellishment. To make the story more exciting. Besides, maybe it did go off in his face, I don't know...
Chris: You lied. You made something up. Period. Besides the story was exciting enough without making stuff up.
Me: Whatever. Po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe....
Chris: Liar.... Anything else you want to fess up to, about adding to the story?
Me: No.....Oh, well, I said the ink was blue, but I don't really know. I guess it could have been red or green... And I'm not sure what color the gettaway car was...heck he could have been on foot, or.....Wait...Where are you going?
Chris: [Walking away] Come talk to me when you are ready to tell the truth.
*****
And so, to this day Chris and my close friends, whom I have shared this story with ALWAYS ask me, "Is that a "dye pack" or did it really happen that way???" When I share an outrageous story. Sigh. That's what I get for trying to be an master story teller.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Our dispatchers go to the other extreme: denial. Once, in a car pursuit of two armed robbery suspects, who had shot a witness and carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint, the dipacther told me (while I'm chasing these guys at a 120 MPH), "Suspects MAY be armed!" Um, duh. Women are funny. ;o)
Post a Comment