Cuz I must be a masochist, I am working a second job as a Security Assistant at the Knotts Berry Farm Halloween Haunt
 
This young obvious Marine came up to me while I was out in front

"Pardon me Sir. I'm not trying to cause any trouble, but I got thrown out because of a fight.  I was only in there about 5 minutes.  I was trying to stop it and I got thrown out. The problem is they took my knife when I went in and my buddy has my claim check in my jacket that he's wearing.  It's my work knife, and I need it for work tomorrow.  Can you help me get it back.  The older guy with short hair told me if he saw me again he was going to call the cops."

"Balding, short hair?"

"Yeah that was him."

FLASHBACK FLASHBACK

Suddenly there I was remembering all the times I'ld heard that genre of story before.  Primarily in Pre-Mast Investigations and as a Shore Patrol Officer in  Olongapo.  "There I wuz, Sir, and a fight broke out and honestly Sir I was trying to stop it."  "It just happened and  I happened to be there."


Well I was able to keep from  laughing  at his plight and woeful story.  Asked if he could call his friend on a cellphone and how to get his claim check but that his best bet was to wait for his friends to come out and get it that the guy was a hardass and if he threatened to call the cops, he meant it.  Go up the street to one of the places and hang until closing.  And as usual, I doubt the sage advice was followed since about an hour later I saw him walking off the property  followed by 4 Buena Park Motor Officers.  It may have been a coincidence because they follow that route when staging for traffic control but it was a little early for that. Yah think maybe he tried something?



Now before you hammer my Boss for tossing him, as an Un-American thing to do, to a young American who might be headed for the sandbox any day now, most of us have soft spots in our heads or hearts for young Marines.  The kids are pretty squared away and Yes I have reached the age where I can call them kids.  My Bosses's son is a Marine home on leave and will be heading back for Iraq shortly after returning.  Probably a third of our Security force is ex-Marine and we have a few who just got out  (In fact as I was leaving one of my young cohorts went running past me followed closely by two others, one of whom was a little gimpy, saying some thing to the effect that the Army was always able to beat the Marines in a race in boots.)  So we may tolerate a little more from them than the gangstas, hippies, students and gangbangers.