Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Highway Lesson

There are YouTube videos where you can watch drivers flee from the police. Sometimes they get away. Usually, they're caught. But what is it about the human brain that makes a driver continue fleeing when his car has four flat tires and he can't drive faster than 20 mph, there are a half dozen police cars fifty feet behind him, and a police helicopter is circling above him? Does he (it's always a he) still think there is a chance he might escape?

How does this end? Usually like this: a police car gets in front of the escaping driver and stops. The perpetrator then goes around the police car. So the police car goes around the perp again and stops again. Then the perp does a U-turn and drives through the group of police cars behind him and continues down the road but going the wrong way now. All of this takes place in slow motion because, remember, the perp's car has four flat tires.

It eventually ends when the perp gets caught (or killed) by a gaggle of police officers. I'm not making any kind of philosophical statement here. But if there is any lesson to be had, it is this: sometimes it's in your best interest to know when to quit.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good morning!
I have seen a few videos like this ones, sometimes I think they are stupid.

I like your post, good points.
TA

Anonymous said...

Greetings

This is well written and worthy of a TV show comedy hour. I hate people who try to outrun the police because it means the general public is in danger of being hurt or worse.

But this blog is worthy of being in a movie.

It conjures up scenes of OJ Simpson many years ago -- why didn't they just land a helicopter on his SUV? This scene captured an entire audience around the world.

Great writing and descriptions!

Best, LL