Of Denny's and \"Dine n' Ditch\"

Since little of you are contributing to my "Matrix Ending Speculations" thread (shameless plug), I am going to tell a true story that happened last week.

I am ashamed to say I am known at the local Denny's down the street from me. Once every week or two, I wolf down a Breakfast Dagwood and Coke at around midnight. Last week, I was asked if I wanted the usual as I was seated next to 2 gentlemen in their early twenties.

While waiting for my meal, I couldnt help but notice the two acting a little overly goofy. They werent drunk. I suspected marijuana highs based on behavior and eating style once the mass quantities of food arrived. They both stood up from the warzone that was left of their table, giggled as they stared at each other and walked towards the door. One stopped at the counter as if to pay while the other walked, hobbling some, out to their car parked out front in plain veiw of the counter.

After an exchange at the counter, one guy bolted for the door and almost didnt make it through as his friend turned the ignition. The waitress briskly walked to the window and had a full 10 seconds to write a description of the car, the license plate number, and gestured to the thiefs that the gig was up.

The waitress was talking to the 911 operator as I approached to pay my bill. She was having difficulty describing the (men?) in english so she handed me the phone asking for assistance. I gave a blow by blow description of both thieves as well as confirmed somethings about their car.

I pretty much figured this guys were so stupid that they were begging to be caught. I also would have felt more forgiving had they been younger but I'd rather side with the waitress who probably has another job just to make ends meet and doesnt 100% grasp the english language.

So the ending? The operator said the cops would come and they didnt. I find it hard to believe with detail physical descriptions and a license plate they couldnt have been caught but they werent.

Now obviously, $20 doesnt justify opening up a formal investigation. So do we just let it slide?

I dont know if there is much you could do anyway. I mean, hunting in the streets like some Punisher with pencil sketches of both baddies, would be quite foolish.

Stupid things happen. I actually sometimes wonder why they do not involve me directly, but happen quite often to people around me. It`s like I`m living in different dimension.

I heard a great story on the news last night.

The U of Minnesota hockey team won the NCAA championship for the second consecutive year last weekend, and many U of M students in their infinite wisdom decided to have a riot. When we won last year, there was an impromptu riot, and everyone had so much fun breaking windows and tearing down street signs that it apparently seemed only apropos to do it again. Near one of my classes, several geniuses tipped over a car and tried to light it on fire. This was difficult, because it is not easy to set gasoline on fire without setting yourself on fire, which these students thought might not be quite as fun.

A nearby spectator was pretty disgusted with the way things were going and was trying to take pictures of the kid trying to light the car on fire with his digital camera. Unfortunately, he couldn''t get a clear shot as the kid kept doing things like lighting trashcans on fire and throwing burning trash at the toppled car, thus rarely standing still and posing. Eventually this paragon of society did set the car on fire and was quite proud of himself. So proud of himself, in fact, that when our camera kid asked, ""Wow, that was really cool. Can I take your picture?"" Arson-Boy gladly obliged. Thus, he posed drunk, stupid, and unfortunately not burned to a crisp for a snapshot, a snapshot that wound up on every local news station last night. You see, our camera wielding hero promptly turned in the images he''d taken to the police so they could get a good look at all the students trying to light cars on fire.

As for the girl whose car was finally burned, and thus destroyed ... a local dealership has donated a 2003 Ford Focus to replace her vehicle, and there''s a donation campaign on campus to raise the $3000 remaining on her previous car loan.

...like someone said: 70% of people are stupid, and it''s bad to belong to a majority! (ref.:Elysium''s riot story.)

"fangblackbone" wrote:

Since little of you are contributing to my ""Matrix Ending Speculations"" thread (shameless plug), I am going to tell a true story that happened last week.

I am ashamed to say I am known at the local Denny''s down the street from me. Once every week or two, I wolf down a Breakfast Dagwood and Coke at around midnight. Last week, I was asked if I wanted the usual as I was seated next to 2 gentlemen in their early twenties.

While waiting for my meal, I couldnt help but notice the two acting a little overly goofy. They werent drunk. I suspected marijuana highs based on behavior and eating style once the mass quantities of food arrived. They both stood up from the warzone that was left of their table, giggled as they stared at each other and walked towards the door. One stopped at the counter as if to pay while the other walked, hobbling some, out to their car parked out front in plain veiw of the counter.

After an exchange at the counter, one guy bolted for the door and almost didnt make it through as his friend turned the ignition. The waitress briskly walked to the window and had a full 10 seconds to write a description of the car, the license plate number, and gestured to the thiefs that the gig was up.

The waitress was talking to the 911 operator as I approached to pay my bill. She was having difficulty describing the (men?) in english so she handed me the phone asking for assistance. I gave a blow by blow description of both thieves as well as confirmed somethings about their car.

I pretty much figured this guys were so stupid that they were begging to be caught. I also would have felt more forgiving had they been younger but I''d rather side with the waitress who probably has another job just to make ends meet and doesnt 100% grasp the english language.

So the ending? The operator said the cops would come and they didnt. I find it hard to believe with detail physical descriptions and a license plate they couldnt have been caught but they werent.

Now obviously, $20 doesnt justify opening up a formal investigation. So do we just let it slide?

Actually it probable landed on at the robbery desk and they showed up at their door step based on the license number.

I agree, just because the cops didn''t show doesn''t mean they got away. You get someone''s license plate you can just go and wait for them at home. No use running around looking for them in the street.

The waitress said nothing ever came of it. She was never contacted by the police again. You would think if they caught them, they would call her in to look at a line up.

I mean what would they do to them? Go to trial? Just Spend the night in county lock up? I''m really wondering because its such a petty and childish act...

It just means that until you keep low profile you`re invincible.

"fangblackbone" wrote:

The waitress said nothing ever came of it. She was never contacted by the police again. You would think if they caught them, they would call her in to look at a line up.

I mean what would they do to them? Go to trial? Just Spend the night in county lock up? I''m really wondering because its such a petty and childish act...

Why? Couple drunk idiots, they probable pissed themselves sober when the cops showed up and spilled their guts. Also this is small potatoes we are talking about which means the amount of money involved kept it a misdemeanor so they probable just sited them and RORed. Way back when I was putting myself through college I spent about a year as a store investigator for a retailer (among other strange jobs). First time the cops ticketed and released somebody I had arrested I was pretty pissed. Really though, given the load the load that a lot of agencies work under they are in no hurry to deal with small stuff like this where no injury is involved, and they are not eager to book somebody where there is no need. Most misdemeanors never make it anywhere near a trial and only require a witness statement if there is conflict of stories.

A crime happened right in front of you, it seems like a big important deal to you because it''s a unique experience and how could you not help but be annoyed that the cops did not seem to take it seriously but think about the big picture and the wheels that are churning that you don''t see.

Near one of my classes, several geniuses tipped over a car and tried to light it on fire.

At our college, it was couches. Whenever the basketball team pulled off a big win, drunk idiots would pull out their couches and set them on fire. ""Dude! Where are we going to sit now, bra?""

First time the cops ticketed and released somebody I had arrested I was pretty pissed. Really though, given the load the load that a lot of agencies work under they are in no hurry to deal with small stuff like this where no injury is involved, and they are not eager to book somebody where there is no need. Most misdemeanors never make it anywhere near a trial and only require a witness statement if there is conflict of stories.

Ok this explains alot. Thanks Griffon. Im not upset. I was seriously curious if there was any interim ""justice"" between the overly harsh punishment of spending even an hour in jail and completely ignoring it. I do wish the waitress could get her $20 back though.