Cheese It, Da Cops
They called the cops on me Sunday. I don't know who, but somebody did. Two Ann Arbor city police showed up at my sister-in-law's house regarding a neighbor's complaint. It could have been my nephew who triggered the complaint. Or it could have been me. We were both equally guilty. Well, me probably more so because it was my idea.
I don't think anybody's ever called the police on me in my life. I've never been arrested. I think I've received two traffic tickets in over 30 years of driving.
OK, there was the time in college when my roommates decided to shoot bottle rockets at the girls' dormitory across the courtyard one night. This was after they had downed a few drinks at the local watering hole.
I didn't participate in that escapade but I made the mistake of staying in our room to watch the fireworks. Pretty soon the campus police arrived and announced we were all under arrest. However, they settled for confiscating our pyrotechnic devices and taking our names.
Oh, then there was the time my nephew shot off some professional-grade fireworks at a park down the block from our house. That got the attention of the local constabulary in a hurry. When a patrol officer spotted me in front of my house, he asked if I knew the whereabouts of the person lighting off the fireworks. I pleaded ignorance and he continued on.
But I really am a law abiding sort. So what was my offense this past Sunday? Accordion-playing in the first degree. Yes, my nephew, who plays the drums, and I were practicing a few polkas for my son's upcoming wedding in a couple weeks. Fortunately, by the time the police arrived, we had finished going through our repertoire.
My wife was not too happy that the local police were aiming to break up our little performance, which came while we were having a family picnic and cookout. "Why don't you go after the guy who is using his weed whacker at nine in the morning?" she demanded to know. I warned her to take it easy. Afterall, it wasn't even our neighborhood.
I guess it didn't bother me too much. Afterall, didn't somebody call the police on the Beatles when they gave an impromptu concert on the rooftop of a building in London? So I'm in pretty heady company here.
posted by Big Dave T @ 6:05 PM
20 Comments:
OK, now this is just a wild guess, but is your middle initial "T," for Trouble? Jus' askin'.
Must have sounded noisy, that's it, Vic's in.
Maybe you could have avoided John Law if you had played solo accordian, so low they could not hear you. My dad used to ask me, after listening to me practice the cello for hours on end, if I would consider playing "Long long ago, far far away."
At least y u got some practice in before the cops arrived.
Cas
Sounds like a serious anti-polka faction you've got going on in Ann Arbor.
Playing polkas outside? That should be considered a felony, and anyone who plays the accordian should be locked up.
well thank goodness you weren't given life Dave! LOL@
I suppose this means that my grandsons and I shouldn't start practicing now for our son's wedding in 1 year and 4 days?
I haven't played the piano in 40 years (seriously) and I haven't touched the guitar in about 35, so I'd imagine the noise that the 3 of us would create would be far worse that the music you provided for entertainment.
LYNILU--No, my middle initial is E, for expendable I guess.
ENFORCER--I'd worry more about your own musical prowess. Dad is bragging that his practicing has been going so well that his sax-playing is going to blow you away. Seriously, that's what he said.
BONNIE--The accordion is kinda like the bagpipes, it's hard to play softly and it's probably going to bug somebody anyway.
I have a joke for you BTW, but you'll have to check your "wolverine" comment on my animal blog. You'll like the joke.
CASSIE--And we honestly didn't play that long. Figuring in the time to call the police and the time it took them to get to where we were playing, my son figured somebody must have called the cops as soon as I hit my first note.
JAN--At least it's not everyone. The next-door neighbor came out and said she liked the polka music. It reminded her of her wedding.
Wait a minute. She's divorced now. Hmmmmmmmm.
ANONYMOUS--So who are you? This sounds like a comment that would come from my buddy Bob but I know he never visits here. I'll have to check my sitemeter.
CARINE--I just hope I don't get fumble-fingered when the time comes. Sometimes I get a little stage fright. Then I might sound like I haven't played in 35 years.
I am the wind beneath your wings.
Dave - I suppose you were outside while practicing......You couldn't have done it inside the garage with the door closed? Maybe the neighbors just don't like polkas.
I wish I could hear your dad playing his sax.... I play the trombone and my daughter plays the clarinet....
Hi Dave ~~ Well done on escaping the law. I am sure the music was OK. I saw that concert the Beatles playing on the roof (on TV) but didn't know that someone had called the police on them. Thanks for your comments and
I am glad you enjoyed the men's rules. and also the pic of Jeanette, Pauline and myself. We had a lovely afternoon. I remember seeing On the Beach so many many years ago.
My brother Peter (HoltiesHouse)
visited recently and he brought me the new DVD called Australia. I
loved it - Did you see it? Hugh
Jackman and Nicole Kidman.
Take care, Regards, Merle.
Wow, Dave the "almost arrested" guy. I wonder who the heck would call the cops for an afternoon family gathering?
I can remember when I was in college, the cops knocked on our door for a noise complaint, too. While there, they spotted a street sign on the wall. We convinced them it was already there, but they took it anyway.
ANONYMOUS--So you're the wind beneath my wings, eh. Maybe I'll have to stop allowing anonymous comments. It's hard being a nice guy these days.
LUCY--To be honest, Lucy, the cops have been to my sister-in-law's home almost a half dozen times. Doesn't matter that my nephew plays quietly indoors. Somebody still calls the cops regardless.
MERLE--I haven't seen Australia, the movie, yet but I've heard Peter talk about it on his blog. I get the feeling that we Yanks might not get as much out of it.
FRED--I have my old hometown street sign out in our back yard here. Got it legally though. They were selling the old ones to put up new ones.
I played accordion for more years than I care to admit. It was more like a social disease than an instrument.
All right, I'm Tiger Woods.
I'm trying to imagine what kind of musical performance would result in the police being summoned. Surely whoever called realized that it wouldn't go on forever. Was it the volume or the quality of performance that was being objected to? At any rate, I bet you're glad you don't live in that particular neighborhood.
Where I live, I'm treated to periodic bagpipe serenades. I like it, and venture outdoors to hear better whenever I hear the player firing up the 'pipes. I probably would have done the same for your accordian. Anyway, the police here are too busy putting out couch fires in the streets.
Hugs,
Betty
Hey....keep rockin that accordion!!! somebody'll bail you out!
Having never actually heard you play the accordion Dave its hard to say whether your playing is a chargeable offense or not but to be safe perhaps you should just mime it.
Don't tell me... your signature song is "Lady of Spain"...right? I just never thought of you playing an accordian....a tuba maybe, but not an accordian. You'll be a big hit at the wedding...keep practicing, but move around from house to house.
I just finished reading the book "The Michigan Murders" and was so happy that it was not you! I'm going to mail this old copy to my grandson who graduated from Eastern in 2004 and is at U. of Penn Law School. It was not he either... his mom was only 10 or 12 at the time.
NANKIN--Accordions are good for just the right song. But Al Yankovich showed that there also many, many wrong songs for the accordion.
BETTY--I hope it wasn't the quality of the performance that was the problem as I'm due to play at my son's wedding in less than a week.
MOLLY--The accordion isn't the type of instrument you "rock" with, but I appreciate your optimism. Also hard to play the blues with an accordion so it's best I just stay out of the slammer.
PETER--I think accordion music is an acquired taste, like that digiridoo (sp?) instrument that have over your way.
KACEY--I practiced yesterday at my own house, accompanied by both my brother (The Enforcer) and my nephew on drums. No cops! Maybe we're finally getting better.
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