Public Drunkenness

I have an amusing new year's eve anecdote to share. About an hour and 14 minutes into 2008, I was questioned by the Foster City police for public drunkenness! I have not had a drop of alcohol in my system since my co-worker's birthday celebration at Mars Bar before Thanksgiving, so it mildly shocked me when the police officer approached me. I guess to the outsider, the circumstance did look a bit suspicious, so I really shouldn't seem too surprised.

There I was bent over on the slope of the levy across the street from my house looking for dog poop. I had just returned from a new year's eve party in Palo Alto, and I really needed to take my dog for her first dump of the year. When Chewbacca dropped her little piece of chihuahua poop, I bent down to pick it up with my plastic bag. I couldn't see very well, so I maneuvered my body like a panther in search of this doggie poop. At that point, the police questioned me:

Police Officer:
What are you doing there?

Me:
Looking for poop.

Police Officer:
Let's get up, there. How much have you had to drink?

Me:
Huh? I just took my dog out for a walk. I'm looking her for poop. Gotta keep the community clean, you know.

Police Officer:
Where's the dog?

Me:
Uh..................

Sure enough, Chewbacca is so small that the officer didn't see her! I called her three times and she ran over to me. I then picked up her poop and stood up. It turns out that there was a party going on seven doors down, and a few of the guests made their way across the street to chill out on the levy. The problem was that they all had alcohol in their hands, and in this small bedroom community, this is illegal. I just happened to be in the same place and the same time as these inebriated party animals, and as a result, I was guilty by association. In any case, once the police saw that I really was walking my dog, she let me go and joined her partner 10 feet away with the my partying neighbors. I bet they all got in trouble because none of them looked like they were 21!

Just for the record, I don't drink anymore. I used to be social drinker, but these days I prefer to spend those empty calories elsewhere. That's why this incident with the police amused me. In hindsight, if the shoe was on the other foot, I would have thought the person hunched over the dirt in the middle of the night was not only drunk, but on drugs as well! I'm glad I was able to prove my soberness, and not have to spend the night in the slammer.

By the way, the picture that I posted at the beginning of this blog was from new year's eve 1997. I do recall drinking a lot that night, but I don't remember any cops questioning me. Wow, one full decade has passed. My new year celebrations have certainly mellowed out over the years.