More Lawlessness

I'm a hypocrite. But does it make it any less bad if I know it and admit it? You see, for all my complaining about the lack of standards and regulations here, the truth is that I like the lawlessness here. As long as it suits me.

Here's what happened last Monday:

• Baby was really out of sorts and wouldn't stop crying all morning (could happen anywhere);
• I called his pediatrician on her cell phone (not likely to happen in the organized world), who agreed to see us right away (would never happen in the organized world);
• The receptionist tells another patient (who was there without an appointment! gasp!) the doctor is at lunch (in the organized world, the receptionist would be at lunch too), but then calls the doctor to tell her we've arrived;
• The doctor appears one minute later (would never happen in the organized world);
• There are two policemen standing beside my car when we get outside (in the organized world, policemen travel alone. And parking officials write parking tickets);
• One of them had my husband on the phone (gasp!) (why on earth would this ever happen in the organized world? Oh. It's registered in his name. Not so alarming after all);
• It seems I'd parked illegally (could happen anywhere, although not likely to happen to me in the organized world, where there are clearly marked 'no parking' signs);
• I gave an excuse, hoping to get out of the ticket (who'd even bother in the organized world? Parking police are definitely proponents of the tough love philosophy. Come to think of it, who'd even have the chance in the organized world; the ticket would have been swiftly written and left on the windshield, the officer long gone);
• To my surprise, one of the officers asked for my license (was I really going to get a ticket?);
• I retrieved crying Baby from the car and made sure the officers understood why I'd parked where I had (I don't think mothers in the organized world would stoop so low as to use their children that way; I think there was a time when I wouldn't have either);
• The officers gave me my license back and told me to take that poor sick child home before they became the cause of any more distress!

No ticket.

I drove to the pharmacy to pick up Baby's prescription, and left the car right out front with the hazards flashing. I was only going to be a minute ...

Baby's just fine, by the way.