As is the theme in the Prince of Petworth, I absolutely do not advocate doing as I do. So as I have mentioned, my walks home from the metro are sometimes less than pleasant. As such I have taken to preparing myself for my walk home with a little bit of protection and I don’t mean the trojan kind. So from time to time I carry a little something in my back pocket not really so much for defense but psychologically it makes me feel a bit better.

So I was going to a metro stop on the green line with my defense in my back pocket listening to the ipod and feeling good. So of course I’m waiting 12 minutes for the metro to come and I’m oblivious to the world around me. Well, a metro cop walks right up to me and asks if he can talk to me. Of course being the good law abiding citizen that I am, I oblige the officer. He asks me “are you off duty?”. Hmm, I’m thinking I had jury duty once but I have no idea what he is talking about, so I stutter what!? He quickly realizes I’m not a cop which is pretty apt as I look more like an insurance agent. At any rate he says “you know I could arrest you for that in your back pocket”. I say, very innocently, I did not know that. I ask the officer if he would like me to put it in my back pack? He replies no it’s cool just cover it with your shirt – have a good day.

Now, of course I am grateful to the officer for not arresting me but it does make me wonder how much discretion these guys have enforcing the law. Anyway, I shan’t look a gift horse in the mouth. The moral of the story: The Prince of Petworth is one lucky bastard.