fbpx

Lesson Learned

How To Get Arrested While Traveling

by Aug 22, 2018

I traveled near Washington DC for business training recently and stopped in for some exploring.

I had come prepared with every piece of camera gear I own to get some great shots of our nation’s capital. When traveling, I stuff all my camera gear into a single carry on hard shelled case.  I came prepared to ensure that things would be safe from theft: I had a padlock for the case as well as a cable lock to lock the case to the car.

Late one night the moon had perched itself just right so that it would be present in some shots of the Capitol Building. I parked the rental car and got the gear I would need out of the trunk. 

I proceeded up the steps of the capitol and began shooting my pictures. After a while, I had noticed a number of police cars and personnel surrounding my rental car. Not wanting to tempt fate or hoping they had another purpose, I lingered longer than intended on those steps.

Finally, I gingerly made my way back to the car, put my gear away and sat in the car. Before I could get the car started…I was surrounded by police.

Time to freak out!  –Why do we freak out when we know that we have done nothing wrong?

I mean, I’m typically a level headed person. Usually to the point that it drives my wife crazy at my under-reacting. 

An officer kindly approached the car and began asking me questions.

What are you doing here?

Is this a rental car?

Is that case a camera case?

Now, how could they have known about the case?

“Sir, you left your trunk lid open.”

I did what?!

Cue the red-faced embarrasement.

So after all the trouble of keeping my beloved gear safe, not only did I leave the trunk lid open for the world to just try and take my stuff, but I did it with an auspicious case padlocked to a car in front of the US Capitol Building.

I thanked them for their service and joked that perhaps I made their jobs a little less boring that night. 

After getting home and changing my shorts, I realized that sometimes I travel a little too casually. As an easy going person, there is not a lot that gets me frustrated or scared. But sometimes that leads me to not take some things as serious or with as much caution as is required.

I would still rather err towards being laid back, but remember that all our decisions can have an effect on others.

Okay, so what’s the lesson here?

Travel with your wife so she remembers to close the trunk?

Don’t rush yourself when you’re seeing a new place so much that you forget to close the trunk?

I don’t really know yet, but I’ll let you know when my blood pressure drops to a normal level.