In the neighboorhood.....

 I was going to get my mail.  I love my mail once I have a good idea that all the bills are paid for the month and nothing aggravating should be in my hovel of a mail slot.  We have cluster boxes for our mail, it's a semi-hotspot for people to gather and make small talk as it's also right in front of a dog park.

Being so, one gets to know who their neighbors are and their accompanying pets etc.  Everyone knows Kylee and Simon so it's a social circle not unlike the chatter you see at a school yard including the occasional "which one is yours?"  followed by "The one that isn't being a good listener."  Conversation that is interchangeable with either location.


I got my mail (hey, I got free mayonnaise in the mail on Saturday - who knows what would be next, maybe a covert mission to have me build a sandwich piece by piece, but that's a story for another day).  As I pull the letters from the box a kid - and I say kid but he's taller than me by a foot and wider than by two feet but I'd guess he's early teens.  Hard to say as he doesn't raise his head or look anyone in the eye.  The kid has two dogs, both I want for myself but the tan one is just a kick-ass little dog.  25 pounder maybe?  The other dog is more boxer looking but also a good beast.  The tan one is on leash and the other one tastes freedom. Always, that's always how he has them.  He once said it's because Little Dog a bit too hyper and young.  


His boxer-like dog is in route back to him after having trotted to great Bella.  The little dog is straining on her leash because she's happy and wanted to know what things were found by those not on a leash.  I've slid out my mail and said hello to Bella's mom as they pass.  Kid is petting Angel for returning then kicked little dog.  


Not hard but ... how hard does a dog need kicking?  None, right.  Fucking none.  He then looked up quickly - proving he damn well knew that anyone who saw would not think kindly.


My arm still raised with mail in my grip, just about the right height to give him a good pop to the kisser, calmly in a normal volume and normal tone said "You shouldn't kick your dog."  


I didn't call PETA, I didn't freak and make a scene.  But.  C'mon, fucking seriously?  He mumbled something under his breath about her not listening and to not tell him what to do.  As mentioned, no eye contact, so clearly no interest in having a conversation with someone he sees often about what a complete fucking douche thing he just did.  I replied in same even, same volume tone "You shouldn't have to be told not to kick your dog."


I don't want to tell someone what not to do, especially the god damn obvious.  


Little dog, un-phased - clearly learning from being kicked - wagged her tail and grit in her claws to concrete to say hello to me, which I always enjoy of Little Dog.  I did ask her name once, but he really does mumble and it wasn't important enough to ask a second time.



Who IS this kid?  This guy?

Or this one?

Kicking a dog for being happy???  Jesus.  It's totally this should-be-ashamed-bastard!

 What a jerk.

-DM

Cheatery.

For real?  For real real???

"Sheriff testing high-speed plate scanner"

"Deputy Dean Williams generally runs about 20 license plates each day as he patrols throughout the city. In about 20 minutes Tuesday, he ran 130 plates. Credit new technology installed on the light bar of his patrol car. "

"The two cameras mounted on each car can run an estimated 5,000 plates per shift, said Steve Adair, of Lehr Auto Electric. A four-camera system on a vehicle, which is what Furlong is considering, could run 10,000 plates a shift, he said."

Holy fucking cheaters!  I'm not a proponent of crime whatsoever, but I do feel the sense of the chase, the... earning of a ticket, if you will to be how things oughta go.  No fancy-lazy-cop-cheating machine should ever be allowed, much less footed by the taxpayers who will not only fund the sneaky private eye contraption, but be subject to it's fines.  How dumb are we?

Can't we go back to earning our tickets by acting a fool and drawing attention to ourselves.  Whatever happened to the novel idea of getting caught red handed by those hired to do their jobs.  I'm sure the police are filling their pants with the overload of power.  FOUR cameras per cop car?  What the what???  Will there be room in the vehicle for the actual cop? 

Not fair.  Total cheatery.

 -DM