What's a D.A.T?

Back when I was in college, back in the '80s I met up with some of my high school buddies to celebrate the fact that one of us just got accepted to The Police Academy.  We did what we did when we were in high school; We bought some beers and found a place where we would not disturb anyone and enjoy them.

There were 5 of us and actually only 5 beers and just as we starting drinking a cop car drove right up to us.  One cop got out and simply said the his boss just drove by and he has to give out 3 tickets.  One of the non-beer holding among us quietly and quickly took the beer from the soon to be cadet.  The cop did not give a shit.

These were not like speeding tickets, they were Desk Appearance Tickets.  We had to go to court.  One of my friend did not have to go because he use a fake ID.  He missed out on all the fun.

Remember, this was the early 1980s.  Rudy Giuliani had not Giulianied the city.  Things were still a little wild. In this court people were called up in chunks based on their crime.

"You are all charged with urinating in public, if you plead guilty the fine is $25, if you plead not guilty and are fined guilty the fine will be more based on the amount of the courts time you take up"

 Then they called up 100 people charged with trespassing in MTA property, jumping the turnstile.  A guy said he was in the street and was being chased by a mugger.  He figured that if he ran into the subway, the mugger would give up the chase.  Apparently he ran over the turnstile and into the arms of a cop and the mugger was no where to be seen.  His story was good and he was found not guilty.  An hour later a guy presented a similar defense.  The judge said "I heard that already today, $50.

My friend and I were not asked to plea.  We were called up together and asked "So what's with he Heinekens.  I said that we went into a bagel store (this was before bodegas and 7-11s) paid for our beers.  The clerk put them in bags and we walked to a park bench to enjoy them.  The judges asked exactly where we were.  I said we were on the Manhattan Beach side of the Ocean Ave Bridge, the pedestrian bride that crosses Sheepshead Bay.  He said "I guess they are gentrifying Sheepshead Bay, you can go home now."

Maybe it was because my friend and I put on collared shirts to go to court and the other defendants were dresses like they were going to leave the building and start stripping cars again.  Or maybe is was because we looked more like the judge than anyone else in the courtroom.  But we were treated well.

The reason I am bringing this up is the I will be returning to that bench to be the aid station at mile 81 of a 100 mile race tomorrow  Really the Great New York Running Exposition..

He is my assignment
#15 Sheepshead Bay Mile 80.83 4:20 PM to 3 AM
Cor of Exeter St & Shore Blvd near footbridge

This bench

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more later.