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MISSING RINGS/TERRIFIED GRANDDAUGHTER AND GRUFF POLICEMAN!
After we’d been in the condo for a few days, I realized I couldn’t find my wedding rings nor my emerald and diamond ring (which is my birthstone). We searched and searched and searched! (Tom is much better at searching than I am--I figure it’s the Apache in him). Neither of us felt they had been stolen, in fact, the maids hadn’t even been in yet for their midweek's cleaning. After a few days, I reported the missing rings to the condo office and made sure they knew we did not think the maids had anything to do with it--it was my fault certainly not theirs. My biggest fear was that they had been mixed up with the garbage somehow (I take them off to put on hand lotion) and thrown away when we emptied the garbage. After filing a report at the condo, I called our insurance agent and asked him if I also needed a police report and his reply was yes, I would. OK now for a history lesson: First of all I need to explain what happened to our granddaughter and her fear of police. I am a huge supporter of police officers--the job they do is tough under the best of circumstances and all too often fatal. And, while my granddaughter understands what happened to her was a error and the police were only doing what they are trained to do, she is still very shaky around them. Yes, this will all lead to what happened in the Hanalei police station. But, first-- Two years ago in Arizona my DIL was driving in her red mustang to get her nails done. Paige was 15 and in the front seat, Taylor was 4 and in the back seat. DIL was driving on the freeway when she saw a police car in back of her. After checking her speed (after all Mustangs, especially bright red ones, do catch the attention of police) she continued on as she was. Then there were two police cars, then 3, then 4 and she started getting nervous. Car #5 drove up next to her and looked into her window. That’s when he motioned for her to exit the freeway at the next stop which she did. As she exited, she realized the street ahead had been blocked by two other police cars parked head on and a police helicopter was overhead! She pulled off and stopped. As she told me later, “I knew what to do--I watch Cops!” She told the kids everything would be fine, rolled the window down and put her hands out, yelling, “I didn’t do anything, I didn’t do anything”! About then over 10 police officers with guns drawn started toward her car and DIL started screaming, “Please please don’t point your guns at my car--I have my children in here, please, please!.” She was instructed to get out of the car, put her hands up and walk backwards toward the police behind her. As she was walking backwards, her flip flops caught in the dirt and she started to trip so her hands went down. The police officers then started screaming at her to get them up or they’d shoot. After searching her and handcuffing her (by this time she was crying), they told my oldest granddaughter to get out. Both children were crying and the little one was in hysterics and Paige didn’t want to leave her. She told Taylor it was OK and got out repeating the same as above. She was also searched and handcuffed. Then a police officer checked the car and sent a police women in to retrieve Taylor. She was allowed to go sit by Paige but both of them were terrified. (The next thing that happens breaks my heart!). Paige is an honor student in high school, in the top 3% of her class and an all around great kid). The police woman leaned down and said to her, “What’s the matter--you’re crying cause you know you’re guilty and and you’re going to jail?”. After almost an hour the whole thing was straightened out--it seems the new personalized license plate on her car had been issued by the Arizona DMV department before and had been reported as stolen. The police assumed (and I can understand why they did), that the car was stolen and the plates switched--after all Arizona is number one in the nation for stolen cars. In fact, out son’s truck had been stolen two years ago! After they straightened everything out and DMV was notified of their error, the three were released. The police officers were very apologetic and the head detective gave my DIL his business card with his private phone number on it in case she had any more problems going home. She was told to park the car and not use it again until she got new plates. OK--now on to Kauai: I had three lost rings and need a police report for the insurance company. We drive to the Hanalei Police Station and get out. We see a large white trailer, a white tent and a brick building with a door that says, “Hanalei Police Department”. Tom stayed in the car and Paige and I went into the door of the office. That door led to a very small entryway with an interior door that was open. We could see desks, computers, phones, etc. so we went on in. We stood there for a second or two and didn’t see anyone so I started calling, “Heellllo, anyone here?”. No one came and i repeated this over several times all the while looking at each other in bewilderment. After several minutes in came a very large and very angry police office yelling, “Why are you in there--what do you think you’re doing!” Paige’s eyes were huge and she was about to bolt out of the room at this point! He said we had no right to be in there and how dare we enter! I explained the door was open so we came in looking for a police officer. He said the door had been closed and we should go wait in the tent. By this time, poor Paige was white! So, we went outside and waited in the tent. Seems they were remodeling the police office and the tent was the temporary office. (No signs saying that, though and the nonsided tent had nothing in it). When we got to the tent, the floor was strewn with the white plastic ties they use on people who have to be handcuffed. Poor Paige was shaking. Tom joined us at this time followed by a very pleasant younger officer who was sure a welcome sight for the two of us! We explained the whole thing, he got the paperwork and then here came the first officer. He never apologized but his tone of voice was much more pleasant and he said Officer #2 would take care of us. (I think he had found out the door had been left open by mistake and what we had told him was true!). Anyway, to make a long story short, we filed the report and returned to the condo. About three days later, luckily, we found my rings in a bag we had both checked several times. There were two flat boxes in there and they had become stuck between them where they couldn’t be seen. Frankly, we didn’t go back and tell the police we had found them--I chickened out and call them on the phone! So all's well that starts out miserably! Me ke aloha pumehana, Juleen
After we’d been in the condo for a few days, I realized I couldn’t find my wedding rings nor my emerald and diamond ring (which is my birthstone). We searched and searched and searched! (Tom is much better at searching than I am--I figure it’s the Apache in him). Neither of us felt they had been stolen, in fact, the maids hadn’t even been in yet for their midweek's cleaning. After a few days, I reported the missing rings to the condo office and made sure they knew we did not think the maids had anything to do with it--it was my fault certainly not theirs. My biggest fear was that they had been mixed up with the garbage somehow (I take them off to put on hand lotion) and thrown away when we emptied the garbage. After filing a report at the condo, I called our insurance agent and asked him if I also needed a police report and his reply was yes, I would. OK now for a history lesson: First of all I need to explain what happened to our granddaughter and her fear of police. I am a huge supporter of police officers--the job they do is tough under the best of circumstances and all too often fatal. And, while my granddaughter understands what happened to her was a error and the police were only doing what they are trained to do, she is still very shaky around them. Yes, this will all lead to what happened in the Hanalei police station. But, first-- Two years ago in Arizona my DIL was driving in her red mustang to get her nails done. Paige was 15 and in the front seat, Taylor was 4 and in the back seat. DIL was driving on the freeway when she saw a police car in back of her. After checking her speed (after all Mustangs, especially bright red ones, do catch the attention of police) she continued on as she was. Then there were two police cars, then 3, then 4 and she started getting nervous. Car #5 drove up next to her and looked into her window. That’s when he motioned for her to exit the freeway at the next stop which she did. As she exited, she realized the street ahead had been blocked by two other police cars parked head on and a police helicopter was overhead! She pulled off and stopped. As she told me later, “I knew what to do--I watch Cops!” She told the kids everything would be fine, rolled the window down and put her hands out, yelling, “I didn’t do anything, I didn’t do anything”! About then over 10 police officers with guns drawn started toward her car and DIL started screaming, “Please please don’t point your guns at my car--I have my children in here, please, please!.” She was instructed to get out of the car, put her hands up and walk backwards toward the police behind her. As she was walking backwards, her flip flops caught in the dirt and she started to trip so her hands went down. The police officers then started screaming at her to get them up or they’d shoot. After searching her and handcuffing her (by this time she was crying), they told my oldest granddaughter to get out. Both children were crying and the little one was in hysterics and Paige didn’t want to leave her. She told Taylor it was OK and got out repeating the same as above. She was also searched and handcuffed. Then a police officer checked the car and sent a police women in to retrieve Taylor. She was allowed to go sit by Paige but both of them were terrified. (The next thing that happens breaks my heart!). Paige is an honor student in high school, in the top 3% of her class and an all around great kid). The police woman leaned down and said to her, “What’s the matter--you’re crying cause you know you’re guilty and and you’re going to jail?”. After almost an hour the whole thing was straightened out--it seems the new personalized license plate on her car had been issued by the Arizona DMV department before and had been reported as stolen. The police assumed (and I can understand why they did), that the car was stolen and the plates switched--after all Arizona is number one in the nation for stolen cars. In fact, out son’s truck had been stolen two years ago! After they straightened everything out and DMV was notified of their error, the three were released. The police officers were very apologetic and the head detective gave my DIL his business card with his private phone number on it in case she had any more problems going home. She was told to park the car and not use it again until she got new plates. OK--now on to Kauai: I had three lost rings and need a police report for the insurance company. We drive to the Hanalei Police Station and get out. We see a large white trailer, a white tent and a brick building with a door that says, “Hanalei Police Department”. Tom stayed in the car and Paige and I went into the door of the office. That door led to a very small entryway with an interior door that was open. We could see desks, computers, phones, etc. so we went on in. We stood there for a second or two and didn’t see anyone so I started calling, “Heellllo, anyone here?”. No one came and i repeated this over several times all the while looking at each other in bewilderment. After several minutes in came a very large and very angry police office yelling, “Why are you in there--what do you think you’re doing!” Paige’s eyes were huge and she was about to bolt out of the room at this point! He said we had no right to be in there and how dare we enter! I explained the door was open so we came in looking for a police officer. He said the door had been closed and we should go wait in the tent. By this time, poor Paige was white! So, we went outside and waited in the tent. Seems they were remodeling the police office and the tent was the temporary office. (No signs saying that, though and the nonsided tent had nothing in it). When we got to the tent, the floor was strewn with the white plastic ties they use on people who have to be handcuffed. Poor Paige was shaking. Tom joined us at this time followed by a very pleasant younger officer who was sure a welcome sight for the two of us! We explained the whole thing, he got the paperwork and then here came the first officer. He never apologized but his tone of voice was much more pleasant and he said Officer #2 would take care of us. (I think he had found out the door had been left open by mistake and what we had told him was true!). Anyway, to make a long story short, we filed the report and returned to the condo. About three days later, luckily, we found my rings in a bag we had both checked several times. There were two flat boxes in there and they had become stuck between them where they couldn’t be seen. Frankly, we didn’t go back and tell the police we had found them--I chickened out and call them on the phone! So all's well that starts out miserably! Me ke aloha pumehana, Juleen
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