On Saturday we all walked down to the local police station for their open day (See Police open doors to the public – Western Leader). It’s one of those places, like hospitals, that you don’t normally get to look around unless you’re preoccupied with some crisis or other, so we thought we’d go an look around the cells etc. The fire and ambulance services were there as well, and you could climb in the ambulances, fire engines, and police cars; dust for fingerprints in the SOCO (CSI) lab; watch the hazardous situations robot do its thing (my favourite); watch the search and rescue people abseiling with a rescuee in a sled; and, if you were my kids, get licked by police puppies. Plus there were various static displays.
I was surprised at how many people were there, and it looked like a successful PR exercise for the local constabulary.
One of the activities (for kids) was the speed gun running test. From a standing start, sprint up the driveway (steepish hill?) for about 15-20m and they’d clock how fast you’d go. My four kids, being ultra-competitive, did it lots of times seeking to be the fastest. When we were leaving they (and Kim) pressured me into doing it, all of them firm in the belief that I would be slower and they could mock me. Alas, they were incorrect, and my speed just pipped my eleven and nine year old sons.
(Insert glorious victory dance here, and bragging rights for the next few days)
I’m sure I’ll be faster than them for at least a couple more weeks 🙂 During the soccer season though (with multiple practices a week, plus games) I imagine I will finish an inglorious last in such events.
