At the tone, the time will be...

I met Marvin several months ago while on graveyard shift.  He was a large man, and upon closer examination he appeared to be pinch-hitting as a "she" on certain occasions.  I approached Marvin in the McDonald's parking lot around 0200, "Hey, how's it going?"

Marvin answered with a flamboyant lilting tone that was totally incongruous with his large lumbering frame, but somehow matched the knowing smile in his eye.  "Oh heLLO officer!  Ima jus' out walkin around, you KNOW?  I ain't doin nothin, my mom's boyfriends at the house so I gotta outta there cuz he don't like me, you know? An I don't wanna cause no drama so ima out walkin' around."

I smiled and laughed, as I always do when speaking to someone like Marvin, because he was one of those odd characters one meets at odd times in odd places who presents as a left field existence, slightly detached from societal norms, even for the run-of-the-mill crook.

"Marvin, are you on probation or parole?"  "OH YES officer!  Ima on probation, I got a 4th waiver, and I AM a crack addict!  I ain't gonna lie,  I'm addicted to crack.  We ALL know what time it is around here."

I laughed again.  What a great expression. This is why I love this job.  I mean, you can't invent these people and the things they say.  We all know what time it is around here.  Yes we do.

My partner Mike and I have since adopted this term as a form of tactical communication when dealing with shrinking violets who wants to play the "I last used a month ago" game, or any "I didn't do (insert crime) officer..." game.  Hey man, we all know what time it is around here.

I am still amazed at Marvin's candid nature.  I did a 4th waiver search on him that night.  He didn't have anything on him, at least not where I could legally get to it, so Marvin was sent on his way.  Most likely to the local crack house, which are unfortunately plentiful in my beat.

And so I keep chipping away the evils that lurk in the world, small pieces at a time.  Sadly, I fear, smaller pieces than I realize.  I know what time it is around here.