Papers Please

Create your own visitor map!

I have a window which faces out onto a major Salt Lake artery and as everyone knows Salt Lake has very wide streets and there is median, of course in the middle of the street. The median is not large and easy to step over and everyone does when they cross in the middle of the block. I have noted in the past the Mexican consulate is located upstairs from my office and for the longest time it seemed like every Hispanic and their duck was parking in our back parking lot or the staff parking area. We and other’s in the building who park in the rear complained and now people who are visiting the building and not staff of the building must park their vehicles across the street in the vast parking area across from my building. The same parking area where the Ring Ling brothers park their trucks and elephants when they are in town. So now as these hordes of folk who are visiting the consulate must cross the street to get to our building and for the most part they cross right infront of my window; This constant movement is always fascinating.
Yesterday as a gang of seven or eight hombres were crossing the street they were stopped my one of salt lake finest traffic cops and later backed my one of the motorcycles. I could not believe it. The scene was like something from a “B” movie. The cops lined the guys up and were asking for papers. The Hispanics were fidgeting shifting from one foot to another and swimming through their wallets and bags pulling out their papers. Lucky they were coming from the building not going to because at least now they had their updated passports.
This is the first time I have ever seen this happen. There are many time I “jay-walk” just a little further up on the block. It’s just easier to do then go all the way down to a crossing area. I just wonder if the cop was bored, or had just having a bad “citizen day” popped these guys just because he could. Some times this town/state really embarrasses me.