Just when you're not sure what to blog about
Last night, we were sitting on the back porch as the dogs did their doggie business. This is known to take a while, so we sat and talked as we do most nights. Meanwhile, Bailey makes sure the perimeter of our home is secure by charging and barking at anything: people, some cars, stray cats. She's actually much better than she used to be, don't get me wrong, but last night, she launched into a major series of barks. Amy got up to check (I wasn't wearing shoes...yet), brought Bailey back, and told me there was a bum at the front fence claiming that Bailey had just bit her. I put on shoes, we put the dogs away, and we went outside to help him out.
Said bum was bleeding, so Amy gave him some wet washcloths. He wiped his face, and we could pretty clearly see that he had skinned his nose really bad, but he was claiming there was a dog bite on the side (Amy said he pointed to the wrong side at least once). He also had blood on his forehead and in his mouth, but when Amy asked about the blood in his mouth, he said it had run in from his nose. There were no obvious bites.
Then he asked for a cigarette, which Amy gave him. Then he asked for a light, which we claimed not to have. When we didn't provide the light, he said he'd sue. He was also asking questions about if we were good professionals, by which he was fishing to see if he could sue (or at least extort), and we said we were not. We offered little information beyond that, really. When he threatened, Amy called 911 and asked them to send an officer. Bum gave them his name as well (gave Amy his name to repeat to them, and even spelled the last name), then said "I'm not gonna win this one" and wandered off. Or should I say staggered off, as he was pretty obviously not sober. 911 said they'd send an officer for a statement.
Bum came back a few minutes later and alternately fished for information, talked about how much he loved dogs, and threatened occasionally to sue. He also told us he'd drop it if we would, but it wasn't like we could (would) call 911 back and ask them to not drop by for a statement. He also said he'd reached over the fence to pet Bailey, which means she would have bitten his hand. I can see that she startled him and he fell, as a Shar-pei barking and leaping on the fence is enough to do that to most passersby, but she's not a biter until there's a real threat. Bum left again (with his son, who'd just gotten off work next door at the day labor place) and returned again for several minutes, but he was finally gone when the officer finally arrived. He didn't really want to be around for the officer because he still owed "8 hours of jail time for jaywalking." Uh-huh.
The officer listened to our story but couldn't really take a report unless there was a complaint from the bum, so he drove around looking for said bum. Of course, if Bailey had bitten him, state law is very likely to go against us. Several minutes later, after we'd gone to bed, the officer returned with a digital picture of the bum, asking if that was him. He'd been picked up a few streets over by another cruiser and taken to the hospital because he was even bloodier. He had told that officer he had fallen.
I guess it's over. The police said if the bum returns, we should call them. I think we handled it the right way.
Said bum was bleeding, so Amy gave him some wet washcloths. He wiped his face, and we could pretty clearly see that he had skinned his nose really bad, but he was claiming there was a dog bite on the side (Amy said he pointed to the wrong side at least once). He also had blood on his forehead and in his mouth, but when Amy asked about the blood in his mouth, he said it had run in from his nose. There were no obvious bites.
Then he asked for a cigarette, which Amy gave him. Then he asked for a light, which we claimed not to have. When we didn't provide the light, he said he'd sue. He was also asking questions about if we were good professionals, by which he was fishing to see if he could sue (or at least extort), and we said we were not. We offered little information beyond that, really. When he threatened, Amy called 911 and asked them to send an officer. Bum gave them his name as well (gave Amy his name to repeat to them, and even spelled the last name), then said "I'm not gonna win this one" and wandered off. Or should I say staggered off, as he was pretty obviously not sober. 911 said they'd send an officer for a statement.
Bum came back a few minutes later and alternately fished for information, talked about how much he loved dogs, and threatened occasionally to sue. He also told us he'd drop it if we would, but it wasn't like we could (would) call 911 back and ask them to not drop by for a statement. He also said he'd reached over the fence to pet Bailey, which means she would have bitten his hand. I can see that she startled him and he fell, as a Shar-pei barking and leaping on the fence is enough to do that to most passersby, but she's not a biter until there's a real threat. Bum left again (with his son, who'd just gotten off work next door at the day labor place) and returned again for several minutes, but he was finally gone when the officer finally arrived. He didn't really want to be around for the officer because he still owed "8 hours of jail time for jaywalking." Uh-huh.
The officer listened to our story but couldn't really take a report unless there was a complaint from the bum, so he drove around looking for said bum. Of course, if Bailey had bitten him, state law is very likely to go against us. Several minutes later, after we'd gone to bed, the officer returned with a digital picture of the bum, asking if that was him. He'd been picked up a few streets over by another cruiser and taken to the hospital because he was even bloodier. He had told that officer he had fallen.
I guess it's over. The police said if the bum returns, we should call them. I think we handled it the right way.