Did They Think No One Would Notice?

Are you observant when you watch TV? I think most writers probably pay closer attention to things than the average person. Like a lawyer notices things about courtroom shows and cops notice things about police procedure and nurses notice things about medical shows, writers notice discrepancies in storylines, characterization, etc.

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Do You Ever Wonder?

A week or so ago I was watching one of those crime shows on TV, you know the ones where they have an agent/detective go “undercover” and spy on someone? In this show, the gal was sitting on a park bench with ear buds, bopping along to some unheard tune when this jogger stops and plants himself on the bench next to her and starts up a conversation. Now, this gal didn’t want to converse, yet neither did she want to appear as though she were spying on someone. So, she provided the occasional nod or “um hm” while continuing to watch her target from the corner of her eye.

That scene got me to thinking – which can be a scary thing I’ll admit. I wondered if this had ever happened to me. I mean, I’ve been known to strike up a conversation with a totally random stranger if the mood hits me. Yet I wondered, have I ever intruded in a clandestine spying operation? Have I ever encountered a completely random person, who appeared to be sitting/standing idly, yet was really annoyed because I was distracting them from their bad guy’s activities with mindless chit chat?

Seriously, how many of those mornings at Starbucks or the gas station or the grocery store have I talked to an undercover law enforcement person doing their surveillance job?

That in turn got me to wondering other oddball things. Like, have I ever had in my possession counterfeit money? Have I ever spent counterfeit money passed on to me from some other source?

Have I ever happened upon a drug deal without even being aware it was happening in my presence?

Has a late night sting operation ever had to be aborted because I happened along for a snack at a convenience store? Gosh, I hope not. And yet . . . hmmmm?

How many people do I talk to every single day are hiding concealed weapons? Being from Mississippi I’m sure that number is quite high.

There are just so many things that could be happening right in front of my nose. I know that from now on everyone is going to look suspicious to me. How about you?

Have you ever been in the wrong place at the wrong – or maybe right – time? What sorts of clandestine things have you interrupted? Come on – please share. Have you ever wondered if you’ve thwarted a crime just by showing up some place? Surely this isn’t just me.

Word of the day: Ididem

Fun fact about me: I’m tap dancing again.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, October 2017. Photos courtesy Google Images.

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