Sidewalk Authority

An original OP by Disqus commenter ozarkmichael.

Sidewalk Authority

Driving home through the edges of a city, my two lanes became one as I entered a rounded corner before going under a train trestle. A police car, with lights flashing frantically, was parked in my lane. With the police car in my way and the flashing lights there was no way to get around or even see what it was all about. I pulled around when the oncoming traffic cleared.

Normally I dont look at police or wrecks (except to make sure no one is hurt) since thats a great way to get in a wreck yourself. This time I was curious. What manner of crime is so important that the police had to pull over in such a dangerous spot? Glancing to the right I was surprised that there was no other car at all, just a police officer on the sidewalk with his back to me. He had one foot in the brush as he scanned up the brushy but very steep hillside. He had his hands on his hips and he was yelling. There didnt seem to be anyone else there.

So I couldn't help it. I slowed, stopped even. The first thing I noticed was yellow 'crime scene' tape which was stretched all along the edge of the sidewalk for 30 yards, and up the hill through the brush.

Then I saw it. Well, not "it", but "them".

Goats... lots of goats... jostling, chewing, tearing up vegetation. How did they get there? What delicacies did they want on that hillside? I will never know.

One thing I do know. The goats didnt obey the limits placed by the police officer's crime scene tape since they ignored it to get to more vegetation. Nor were they afraid of the police officer but came right next to him.

I drove on and left him to it: hands on hips, legs apart, yelling at the hillside, and lights flashing.

But he kept to the sidewalk.