Thursday, December 09, 2010

Just call me Jail Bird

Well, mom officially has two children who have been arrested.  Lucky me huh?  What a horrible, horrible month I've had.  Yesterday the military police (MP's) were doing random searches on cars.  They pulled me over and checked my tires, car, and license to make sure everything was in compliance.  Well, my European drivers license was expired.  I knew it was but someone told me it was still good up until a year after the expiration date.  I don't know why I was stupid enough to believe that person, but I trusted them that they knew what they were talking about since they are in the military and have some authority of sorts.  Anyway, the officer asked if I knew it was expired and I said yes, but it should still be good up until a year after the date.  It's been expired since March (ok, I know I should have just gotten it renewed, I was busy and just forgot to get it done and thought I still had time).  He then proceeded to make me wait, with my son in the car, while he called the station.
On a side note, a couple months ago I was involved in a little fender bender.  When the MP arrived at the accident, I told him my license was expired and I asked if it was still good for up to a year after the date of expiration.  He told me yes, and that I was still fine.  I didn't get in trouble at all for it.  Anyway, back to yesterday.  The MP came back to the car and asked me to step out of my vehicle.  He then proceeded to tell me I was under arrest and since I had my son with me, he wasn't going to put me in handcuffs.  He did however, say they called another cop car to come that had a car seat in the back.  We had to wait for it to show up so Gabe and I could be arrested and taken to the station.

I tried to explain to him my situation...that I really did think it was still good for a year after and that an MP a few months ago told me it was still good, he threatened me that if I didn't calm down, he was going to call child protective services and they would come get my son, then they would handcuff me and put me in the back of the car.  Mind you, I wasn't yelling at him at all, I was just simply expressing my frustration and why I thought this was wrong.  What he should have done was given me to the end of the day to get my temporary license and come into the station as soon as I got it.  Instead, the cop car showed up, the MP took all my possessions, including my purse, phone, and everything out of my pockets, then took me into the station.  At this point, I'm so fuming, he's lucky I didn't punch him in the face.

After waiting for a few hours, I had to write a report and he asked me some questions.  Then, he wouldn't let me just walk out on my own, he called my husband's company commander to come personally escort me out.  When she showed up, they counseled her to take me straight over and get my temporary license, which of course we did.  At this point, I was so extremely mortified I didn't know what to say.  I'm the unit's Family Readiness Group Leader, so this is looking really bad for me.  She had to take me to get my license, and since it took so long at the station, she then had to drive me to go pick up my daughter from German kindergarten, then take me to go get my car.  Keep in mind that my husband was getting on a plane to head to Kosovo at the exact same time I was getting arrested.  However, even if he was around, they still wouldn't have released me to his custody, they still would have called the commander.

Anyway, then this morning, I was driving up to the commissary on base, following all the road rules, and this same exact MP started following me.  He didn't turn on his lights, he just followed me clear until I stopped and got out of my car.  He then came over and said he wanted to talk to me.  I told him I wasn't breaking any laws and I didn't know why he was following me.  He said he wanted to see my new license.  This made me really irate.  It took every ounce of self control to not yell at this man.  I did say I thought this was way out of line and extremely insulting.  As if being arrested yesterday wasn't enough, you then question whether I actually did it.  You put me in possession of my husband's commander and instructed her to take me directly over to get one.  This was just enough.  I asked him where I could file a complaint.  He told me I could fill out a comment card, and I told him I had already done that yesterday, but apparently that wasn't enough.  I showed him my license and walked off.  After I was done shopping at the commissary, I came back to my car and he had given me a ticket.  The ticket was because apparently my license plates were switched.  The front one needed to be on the back and the back needed to be on the front.  I didn't even know there was a difference between the two.  Now he was harassing me.  He was just picking on me.  If he was going to give me a ticket for that, he should have done so yesterday when he was checking out my car.

I went directly to the station and asked to speak to his commander.  Of course, he wasn't in but they said they  would get me someone to speak to.  They sent out a guy who was only a few ranks above the MP, who was also an MP.  These guys stick together.  This guy had no authority.  I expressed my concerned to him and of course he completely stuck up for this guy.  Now, to this particular man's defense, the MP was following the book and I understand that.  I also understand I was in the wrong for not getting it renewed right on time.  But it just seemed a little over the top to me.  I have a valid stateside driver's license and under the circumstances of being misinformed by an MP a few months ago, he should have given me till the end of the day to get it done.  I asked this man to please check to see who the officer was that attended my accident because I was almost 100% positive it was this same exact MP and the guy said he was sure it wasn't but he would go and check for me.  When he came back, sure enough, it was the same exact MP that came to my accident who told me my license was still good up to a year after the expiration date and who didn't give me a ticket for it, as was the same guy who arrested me yesterday!!  And you know what's going to happen?...NOTHING.  MP's stick up for other MP's.  If I would have been properly informed by him at the time of my accident, this wouldn't have happened.

If I was a drinker, I would be drinking something very stiff right now.  Normally I could just shake this off, but this was just the straw that broke the camel's back for me.  This has been the most stressful month of my life.  Can I just stay in my house and never leave?

Lindsey

13 comments:

gillian said...

Oh my gosh... Lindsey. I am soooo sorry about all of this. I laughed at first, but then felt so sorry for you! What a freakin JERK! Hopefully Hans can do something when he gets home. I would have kicked him in the.. well, you know. Butt head. Sorry :(

Michelle said...

Sorry to hear this. Wow, what a month you have had. Incredible. So sorry.

Sorry that Hans isn't there to help the situation.

I would have been furious as well, and to find out that you had the same MP. He sounds like a jerk.

Emma said...

Holy cow!! That's insane!!

The Duke said...

I'd still go to the highest authority you could find. I think the guy's harrassing you.

Mike and Adrianne said...

Holy cow. That is just nuts. I would be so angry I'd be crying and shaking. What a pain. I'm really sorry you had to go through this.

Jess and Jen said...

Lindsey, I would have supported you punching him in the teeth. Then I would have paid your bail money.

I hope Gabe remembers this as he gets older so he can use it against you. "Oh yeah, Mom, at least I didn't get arrested!" How delightful that'll be for you... -Jess

Jess and Jen said...

I just can't believe they arrested you for something like that! What a bummer that the guy was so mean!
-Jen

Seth and Natalie said...

What a freako. I'm pretty sure I would have lost it and started bawling and cussing at the same time. Definitely take it to the next level or get a restraining order or something. Otherwise he'll be ticketing you for only letting your blinker blink twice instead of the requisite 3 or something lame like that. How rude!

felicity & nathaniel said...

ya know... pity that fool MP. He obviously has a pathetic sort of life and can only live for his power trip. I always feel like people who are such complete A$$ES must have a severe lack of love and happiness in their lives.
So sorry, my jail-bird friend! Let me know if you need to cool of your fumes with some ice cream, and I'll be there!

chelsey said...

Yikes. We just spent all day getting liscences and plates done today. It's a pain in the butt to do in the states, let alone in Germany. I would talk to Hans about this and find out if there's someone he can talk to about this MP harrassing his wife. Maybe if he filed a complaint, it would stick. I think I'd be driving the long way around for a while...

Unknown said...

Holly Cow..... you need a vacation

Emily Snow said...

Lindsey, this is the craziest story ever! I am so sorry!

Laura said...

Wow your so naughty. lol That is an incredible story! I never liked MPs, at least I've never meet one I liked. I'm so sorry that you had to go through all that.