Monkey and I were driving home from a very nice Groundhog Day party last night (it was about 3:30 AM, actually), and we got pulled over by the police. I thought it was a routine DWI check until I realized it was all plainclothes policemen-about 5 of them, surrounding the car--and they asked us both to step out of the car and show ID.

They separated us and started their questioning. Cop-show cliches began to materialize instantly. I asked, "What is this about?" and the Bad Cop snapped, "I ask the questions, not you!" When I looked over at Monkey with an incredulous smile, the cop growled, "Hey, wipe that smile off your face, it's gonna be a loooong morning."

Eventually after grilling us both about what we did that night, and where we were, and who we were with, they let us go.

Turns out that someone had shot the glass out of a bus shelter in the neighborhood we had been in for the party, and as we circled the block about a zillion times looking for a parking space, someone got our license plate number and reported it. Our car is old and beat-up, and Monkey is rather dark and stubbly (read: ethnic-lookin') and this was a very nice 'hood, so I guess we fit some sort of profile. The coppers staked us out all night!

The whole event was so surreal that all we could do was laugh. I am amazed that they were so on-the-ball....er, except for the fact that they got the wrong kids. As I told Monkey and our friends later, I feel remorse when I jay-walk, god knows I'd never shoot a bus shelter...but they don't know that.