So I just had a very interesting experience. As I was driving home at 4 am I passed what appeared to be an extremely drunk driver. The light turned green and as I came up behind them they didn't move. Changing lanes I passed them then saw in my rear view mirror that they had finally gone through but were weaving erratically behind me. They also approached my car very fast from behind. I have friends that consider playing "Stay between the Lines" a time honored tradition, but when someone seems to be obviously jeopardizing the safety of everyone on the road I take it pretty seriously. Thus, I called 911 and reported. My phone call to the Northern police department, however, was very different from a similar phone call I made in Massachusetts for the same reason.

When I called in Massachusetts they asked for a description of the car, but when I said I can't make out the license plate the officer quickly told me not to worry about it and to stay back from the car. They asked for neither my phone number nor my name. This phone call asked for the license plate number, the color, model, my name, and my number. It wasn't so much that those questions seemed out of place, as she seemed irritated that I didn't have the answer. She also asked me if I was following them after they turned off the road I was on and I told her.

Now, I understand it's hard to track someone down without a plate number, and I don't know what she would have said if I told her I was following them, but judging by the tone of her voice it seemed that she wanted me too. On the one hand I can understand why that's a good idea--if they do hit someone I can be there to report it. But on the other hand, I don't particularly want to be the person they hit. There are a lot of accidents in Vegas and many of them serious. I've worked hard since moving here to not be a statistic, but I find it odd that a police department would ask you to enter into that situation.

It could be I'm making too much of her tone of voice, it was after all four o'clock in the morning, and it isn't that I don't understand why she wanted the information she did or why she would ask me to follow, but in Massachusetts it was very clear over the phone that it was more important to them that I stay safe. I definitely didn't get that feel from this phone conversation. And so that made me wonder.

I've never lived somewhere where it was obvious that the safety of the citizens was not the first priority of the police. Sure I've heard about it here, but I hadn't experienced it first hand. And that isn't to say that all previous police departments were angels, I lived in Boston for goodness sakes, but most of the previous faked it pretty well. Many people have discussed the police for the northern suburb, and I had casually wondered if they really were that bad, but now after tonight, I can't help but think they are. It isn't an academic feel, more a gut instinct brought on by tiredness, the uncomfortable experience of nearly being run over by a drunk and the phone call, but it is a strong feeling none-the-less. Perhaps this is all emphasized by the very real feeling I had that nothing would be done, not because they wouldn't find the person, but because she (the woman on the phone) didn't care. I've never conversed with blatant apathy from my police department before.

In all fairness, she could have been having a bad night. She could have been tired. There are any number of reasons why my unease is completely unfounded. But since moving here I have witnessed one fatal accident, and one accident that resulted in the car exploding--I don't know if the driver got out or not. There have been numerous other accidents along with one person attempting to run me off the road. And so, after passing a drunk and talking to an apathetic cop it makes a person wonder.

The universe, in reply to this wondering, will no doubt see to it that I get a speeding ticket soon. But I can seriously hope that whomever was driving the truck I passed tonight never drives like that again. If that's how it has to balance it out I'll take it. Either way I hope never to have to make another phone call like that again. Especially because I worry one day I'll be making it after they hit me.