I was just chatting with a couple people in my office when one told a very embarrassing story, I of course told one of mine in order to help them feel better. We are after all just human beings and sometimes things happen we wish didn't.
I was working night shift when I see a car run a stop sign, it's slow so I decide to pull it over. I walked up the driver's door, illuminated the driver's hands with my flashlight (faces don't kill you but hands do), identified myself and just because of repetition said "Sir, is there any reason why you failed to stop at that stop sign?". The driver, a woman, burst out crying. Perhaps crying is not adequate; loud sobbing. I somehow heard her say through the tears "you think I am ugly too, you think I look like a man". She is now in full melt down as I am trying to calm her down. I apologize and tell her that I was mistaken and did not even see her face when I said that. I also said that now that I can see her face she is obviously a woman a very pretty woman at that. After what felt like a very long time, I have her step out of her car to come back to mine. She explains that her boyfriend just broke up with her over the phone. During the break up her told her that he decided she was not attractive or feminine enough for him. She was not the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, but she was not unattractive either. Just the same to keep her from losing it again I reassured her that she was very pretty and that her ex-boyfriend was clearly not bright. She reached over and gave me a hug, something that I would not normally have ever allowed but under the circumstances submitted to briefly. I gave her a warning and sent her on her way.
Two days later I go out to dinner with another officer, my shift Sergeant and his wife. The wife asks me if I am dating anyone and I reply that I am not. The Sarge jumps in a jokingly says "He's still out sewing his wild oats". Just then the waitress comes over. SAME young lady from the crying incident. She looks at me, recognizes me, gives me this long overly affectionate hug and says "Thanks for the other night. That was the first time I got pulled over where it ended with being told I am pretty plus a nice big hug." My Sarge was looking at me like I was about to become a parking enforcement officer. I had a lot of explaining to do.
I was working night shift when I see a car run a stop sign, it's slow so I decide to pull it over. I walked up the driver's door, illuminated the driver's hands with my flashlight (faces don't kill you but hands do), identified myself and just because of repetition said "Sir, is there any reason why you failed to stop at that stop sign?". The driver, a woman, burst out crying. Perhaps crying is not adequate; loud sobbing. I somehow heard her say through the tears "you think I am ugly too, you think I look like a man". She is now in full melt down as I am trying to calm her down. I apologize and tell her that I was mistaken and did not even see her face when I said that. I also said that now that I can see her face she is obviously a woman a very pretty woman at that. After what felt like a very long time, I have her step out of her car to come back to mine. She explains that her boyfriend just broke up with her over the phone. During the break up her told her that he decided she was not attractive or feminine enough for him. She was not the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, but she was not unattractive either. Just the same to keep her from losing it again I reassured her that she was very pretty and that her ex-boyfriend was clearly not bright. She reached over and gave me a hug, something that I would not normally have ever allowed but under the circumstances submitted to briefly. I gave her a warning and sent her on her way.
Two days later I go out to dinner with another officer, my shift Sergeant and his wife. The wife asks me if I am dating anyone and I reply that I am not. The Sarge jumps in a jokingly says "He's still out sewing his wild oats". Just then the waitress comes over. SAME young lady from the crying incident. She looks at me, recognizes me, gives me this long overly affectionate hug and says "Thanks for the other night. That was the first time I got pulled over where it ended with being told I am pretty plus a nice big hug." My Sarge was looking at me like I was about to become a parking enforcement officer. I had a lot of explaining to do.