commonsensepolice

I have two things I want to cover today. What I really want to write about is something that has evolved over the last week. A co-worker of mine was arrested. He is charged with some very shocking and inappropriate behavior. The whole thing is a mess, and even in just talking about it at work, I came across some very ignorant opinions of the situation. I most certainly have an option, but until all the facts are in, I’m going to just leave it at this: The young man in question obviously has some issues based on the facts we DO know from that Target surveillance tapes, and I pray for his sake and for the sake of that little girl the allegations are not true. Once again though, it isn’t fair to either party to assume or judge just yet. Until then, I will have my thoughts and opinions, but  I’m not going to post on the subject.

Here is some lighter fare for this Saturday afternoon.  This isn’t exactly a rant, but more so a cautionary tale:

Some may think traveling with birds is easy. They are in cages and you do no need to make stops for them. Both statements are true, but let me tell you, this can be a huge undertaking.

Right now I have five birds.

1)      Mina tolerates car rides quite well, as long as there is music she can sing along to

2)      Skye is in different. He just main bugs the other boys.

3)      Popcorn is okay with them, but he doesn’t like being in the cage with all the boys, he doesn’t like passing semi trucks, if he isn’t getting his way has been know to throw temper tantrums.

4)      Beaker loves car rides, but doesn’t like the addition “cagemates” he has to deal with.

5)      Batty hates car rides with a passion. They really stress him out.

I drive a 2006 Kia Rio, and I put Mina in the front passenger seat in her cage and then the four boys in the back seat in Beaker and Batty’s cage. I do this because Beaker and Batty’s cage is much easier to transport than Popcorn and Skye’s and it fits better in the car. I put it in the back seat because it is easer to get the cage in and strapped in. Plus it is easier on Batty. He can’t see as much out the windows so he is happy.

There are things you just expect in these situations. You will have gawkers on the road. As cars pass you or vice versa, they are not expecting to see a cockatiel to be looking back at them. Toll road attendants will make comments, and you are just better off avoiding small town gas stations. If you have to stop, use truck stops or toll road plazas. Your birds may still get unwanted fans, but you won’t have it like I did when I gassed up in Delta, OH with the townies turning your car into a tourist attraction.

My last trip home had one additional quirk. Popcorn has a bad habit screaming during his temper tantrums. He also screams like a little girl. US Route 20 is under construction just west of my hometown.  At one point there is just one lane for both east and west bound traffic, so they stop traffic going one way and wave the other traffic through. I was the first car stopped for this particular rotation, and I was stopped right beside a Highway Patrol cruiser. About that time Popcorn started his screaming. I’m not sure what set him off. I don’t know if he thought that truck was too close behind us, or if on of the boys did something to him, he didn’t get his way, we weren’t moving, or what his deal was, but he was screaming. So I did what I do when ever he screams and I ignored him. He keeps screaming and screaming and then I see the woman holding the stop sign talking to the trooper in the car. She pointed at my car, and he stepped out of the cruiser. He walked up to my passenger side car door and looked in the window…seeing Popcorn clenched to the side of the cage screaming like he had just been violated. The trooper looked at Popcorn and then back at me and returned to his car. He was embarrassed, and In just wanted to kill Popcorn for making a scene. He returned to his car and told the lady to let my lane of traffic pass.

See that never would have happened if a I had a dog!

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