Meaningless Post - Amusement Only

My friend, Dirty Al, once lived in a large apartment building in a Tacoma, WA, declining neighborhood. The busy street in front had a large, rowdy nightclub which was frequently visited by the police. Down the street was a large AA meeting room (where Al trolled for women).

Al, being a former bail bondsman and repossession agent, claimed a trained observer could tell which residents in the apartment building had outstanding warrants by whose shades remained drawn when police activity happened at the nightclub. Those with nothing to worry about were hanging out their windows watching the drama.

Middle son lives in a similar apartment complex. The attraction, for him, is cheap rent. As I’ve said in past posts, he looks like a character out of a slasher movie, and nobody bothers him.

Recently, I waited for him to get home from work and parked for forty minutes in the lot. I backed into a space with shade and a good view of entrances. What a hoot watching the residents pull in and out! Was I “The PoPo”? The “Hook” (repo man)? Process server? Bondsman? La Migra?
Seemed like one out of three residents were very nervous.

Seems to me, if not for the pesky probable cause requirement, the police should have little problem arresting prior offenders just by observing their behaviors.