big brother

so, i just saw teleute's post on how she was caught by the police while making out in public. i was quite amused, and at the same time amazed at how on one hand things have changed so much and on the other, things have not changed at all.

so the incident i was reminded of was waaaaay back, when i was in college. so it happened like this. i was fresh into college, and was with my then boyfriend (in fact the previous post was about this selfsame character, but sadly i managed to lose it. ill write it again). anyway, so i was with X and we were sitting side by side near the main gate. no snogging was happening (hey, this was the early nineties and we didnt know what that word meant), but we were sitting almost side by side (this sounds very juvenile and silly, but you must remember to put it into context). so, i was being very coy (again, this was the first blush of puppy love, so forgive me for coming across as a complete airhead) and choosing not to talk to the boy. X would have none of this though, and he decided to put his arm around me.

now what i forgot to mention was that there had been some recent trouble in college (election related, as usual), and so a couple of cops were just wandering around. i think they were waiting for their superior to emerge from some important meeting or something. anyway, they had been casting disapproving glances at all the twitterpated couples right through te day. giggly children annoyed them for some reason. now it so happened that when my strong manly boyfriend decided to cuddle a little, one cop was staring right at us. so, full of indignation and boredom, he marched right up and asked us what we were up to.

this was when i began behaving like a total bitch. for one thing i gently removed X's hand from my shoulder and proceeded to look the other way, completely ignoring both boys. this made the cop angrier and he started telling us how this was most inappropriate behaviour and if it had been his beat he would have arrested us and really, what were children up to these days? i very sweetly continued ignoring him, and this just got him worked up. around this time, the boyfriend jumped up and demanded what right the cop had to boss us around. this was our campus after all, and he could just go to hell. by now it was quite a screaming match.

finally the cop moves so he is standing right in front of me and threatens to tell all my teachers and have me expelled. without looking up, i told him that he could go right ahead. but he should know that i wasnt a student of the college. this caused the fight to break up. the cop immediately demanded what i was doing here then. i pointed to the boyfriend and said that i had come to visit him. by now i was on something of a roll, so i finished by saying that i would have stayed in my own college, except for the fact that the cops threatened to have me expelled.

after an uncomfortable silence, the other cop walked up and told me that i really shouldnt be hanging out in other peoples colleges and that i should go. so i quietly picked up my bag and walked out. the boyfriend followed, screaming at the cops as he left. yes, he was a bit of a windbag, but i thought he was quite sweet.

so anyway, i am pleased to see that everyones tolerance levels have been raised. now its not handholding, but snogging that gets the cops all hot and bothered. but why oh why cant they just leave the poor kids alone. the city still cant stand young love it seems. how sad.