This is
actually a true story.
As you know we never let facts get in the
way of a good story. In many cases, the truth is truly stranger than fiction.
This is one of those stories. It happened on Thursday. Maintenance Man was working up on the roof of our plant.
No, he was not wearing his cape. He was walking across the roof when he heard a
helicopter overhead. Being across the street from the airport, he rarely ever
looks at planes because they are always around us. But this helicopter was very
loud and close, so our hero looked up to see if he should duck behind an air
handler if it was going to crash. This helicopter seemed to be in control, but
was so close he could clearly see the pilot’s face. Maintenance Man continued
across the roof, only to find the helicopter in close pursuit. As our hero
strolled, the helicopter circled him three times, until even he began to feel
very nervous. He was glad he didn’t just duck and possibly set this crazy
person off. Down on the ground,
our security guard took note of the event and picked up his binoculars. He
peered through them, managed to read the letters on the tail section and called
911.
Moments later the airport police
arrived with lights flashing. The air cops jumped out and told our guard he
didn’t need to be watching that helicopter with binoculars and that was the
Secret Service and it was none of his business what they were doing!
This was
one day before President G.W. Bush was to arrive in Springfield.
The story has spread far and wide,
and now thanks to Maintenance Man relating it to me, it will go beyond our
small pond. Response has been overwhelming, and, always the same. The guard was
doing his job. He did the right thing. The Secret Service did not need to be so
close to our building! Now had Maintenance Man been wearing his cape, maybe
some ‘Barney Fife’ agent in the cockpit could have had a valid reason to
investigate.
Our hat is off here at the Sentinel
to that courageous security guard.
Next time you are outside, and
there is a helicopter circling overhead, it’s never a good idea to be silly. It
may not be the Secret Service scouting for the president, but it is more than
likely a law enforcement officer of some type and they don’t take kindly to
shenanigans from amateur comedians. Around here, between the methamphetamine
lab busts and the escaped convicts, it may be a good idea to locate your
firearms and be on standby for a while in case things get wild in a hurry.
Escaping felons have killed people out here in the country. I do not under any
circumstance recommend violence, but neither do I recommend convicts entering
my property with intent to do harm to my bride or to Grandma Mickey.
Gun control advocates hate the idea
of citizens having firearms, but they don’t live out where it can be an hour
wait to get an officer in an emergency. I think I’ll check my ammo…
