BROWN: "My friend, what has you in such a state?"
WHITE: "Oh, it was just awful. I was sitting in the park, eating a sandwich from that new deli I told you about, remember? And when I'd taken the last bite, I felt like I might just close my eyes for a ten-minute snooze. No sooner had I dozed off though, I felt someone kick the bottom of my shoe."
BROWN: "Oh?"
WHITE: "When I opened my eyes, I saw two police officers staring down at me, nightsticks in hand. They made me stand up, hold my hands in the air, and they patted me down from head to toe. They asked if I had been drinking. They demanded my identification, made me state my business in town, and wanted to know where I lived! Honestly, didn't my driver's license already tell them all that? They also asked if I was on probation, had any outstanding warrants, and if I was currently under the influence of illegal drugs."
BROWN: "Mercy."
WHITE: "That's not all! They told me that there had been a lot of "riff-raff" hanging around, and that falling asleep in a public area like this made me look suspicious. One officer searched my wallet, found a photo of my wife, and wanted to know all her information as well. He asked if he could call her and verify all the information I'd given. They asked if I was employed anywhere, and did my boss know I'd been regularly loitering in the city park."
BROWN: "Go on."
WHITE: "I was furious by now, and I spoke out! I said "Am I under arrest? If not, why am I being detained?" The officers gave me angry looks, and said "We can hold you for any reason we see fit. Keep your mouth shut, or we'll take you in for questioning."
BROWN: "Is that so?"
WHITE: "Yes. They finally let me go, but only after making me feel like a criminal when I'd done nothing wrong. A man can't even sit under a tree in a public park and take a nap without being hassled!"
BROWN: "M-hm. Hey, I do have one question."
WHITE: "What's that?"
BROWN: "How was the sandwich?"
~ ~
