Let’s just call him Officer Friendly, who for the past 10 years or so, has had the expressed permission of a homeowner to pick mangoes from their tree. It all began when the homeowner was just plain and tired of the kids climbing up the tree to grab the delicious fruit. To resolve this issue, the homeowners had the kind-hearted officer pick the fruit for them and give it away to the neighborhood children.
It was a plan that seemed to work quite well for years and years. The officer would pick the mangoes while on duty, in uniform and driving a police car. He would then proceed to give the mangoes away while on duty and in uniform. Pretty cool stuff, if you ask me. It’s an example of outstanding public relations and a great way for youngsters to have a positive feeling about the police.
Everything was going along smooth as could be with Officer Friendly. The kids certainly enjoyed the mangoes, and a few probably had the opportunity to make a few dollars by selling them to folks who were willing to pay and encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship.
As the story goes, everything was fine. A whole lot of police officers and the public were well aware that Officer Friendly was on duty when he was plucking and giving away the mangoes. He was so well known that even Commissioner Bob lent him a mango pole picker to make his good deed less of a hassle!
Now, here comes the beginning of the souring of the mangoes. A neighbor sees Officer Friendly in uniform, plucking the mangoes from a tree. She then proceeds to send a letter to the city with her observations about the officer plucking the mangoes. So far, no problem.
Soon after there after, the police brass, with all its wisdom and acting as if they didn’t know what was going on, wrote up a disciplinary action report and added it to Officer Friendly’s employee file. Within the report, it’s stated that Officer Friendly, “is hereby reminded that picking mangoes while on duty is not an appropriate use of time. He needs to focus his efforts on preventative patrol activities.”
My goodness… Officer Friendly had been doing this for so long, and so many people knew that he was on duty while he picked and gave away the luscious mangoes! If you give it some thought, it’s quite hard to imagine that the police brass wasn’t aware of all this prior to the concerned citizen’s letter.
The police may claim that they didn’t know Officer Friendly was on duty for all the years he was at it. If that’s the claim, too bad for all of us that the brass didn’t know what the heck was going on the past decade with this oh-so public event.
Hey there, South Miami Police Department Brass… how about you guys figure out some way to make this right, before the mangoes go sour.
Food is an important aspect of life. Aside from stating the obvious, what’s also important is spending time with people you love in a loving and wholesome atmosphere surrounded with good energy and even better food.
That’s right, we’re talking food again in this Around Town column, and look no further than the landmark eats spot, Deli Lane. Any time of the day, any meal of the day, the place always has me covered. Quite frankly, I’m really appreciating its fit life menu. Ever since the summer heat started reigning down on our town, these extra pounds that were acquired over the holidays have been taking a toll, and thus, I’ve been more aware of what and how I eat.
One of my go-to’s as of late has been the Crossfit Soul Omelet. I’m no Crossfitter, I’m more of a Stunna’s Fit kind of guy, but this omelet is the truth. Egg whites, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, I’ll hold on the onions, but it’s also topped with avocado and served with a side of fruit. All of this clocks in at just under 420 calories and keeps me full and ready to take on the day (no colada needed, sorry CasaCuba). That’s simply my favorite item on the menu, but I highly encourage and suggest for you to take a stroll by and browse what could really get your let going. Tell them Michael sent you!
Thought of the Day:
Kindness is a language that
the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
— Mark Twain
Aaron Guerrero contributed to this column.
Got any tips? Contact me at 305-669-7355, ext. 249, or send emails to Michael@communitynewspapers.com.
The police brass should be required to remove the disciplinary report from Officer Friendly’s employee file and apologize to Officer Friendly.
Here is what we need more of https://www.facebook.com/ReturningTheFavor/videos/2121798694758056/
Officer Friendly was just an altered version