My impulse was to walk over to them and see if they were up to no good, but Cein being there made me hesitate. She has stopped me from making such interventions in the past and since no one’s physical well being was in danger I decided to just watch them. After they saw me looking and didn’t make any verbal or physical reply I was pretty sure they were thieves of some sort. 20 seconds or less of car alarm had elapsed before the men walked into the street away from the car and chucked something into the bushes. As they did a van drove around the bend and they both jumped into it through doors that had been opened for them. I was too far from the van to see the license plate clearly. Part of me was disappointed to be held back by Cein’s influence even though it was probably the most prudent thing to do. I’d like to think just watching them unnerved them enough to abandon the plan early but the timing of their getaway van was probably unaffected by my presence.

This is why I pay for parking at the Coliseum. The $15 entrance fee seems small compared to the insurance deductible.

The one thing I haven’t gotten comfortable with is the phrase, “Shooting Kids” or any variation thereof. “I’m interested in you shooting my son” reads the subject line of an email from a model’s father. Really Dad? You don’t want to rephrase that statement?

My girlfriend and I got ours from one of the Boardwalk’s employees with little pomp or fanfare for helping to free one of his co-workers from the supply closet he was locked in. I was washing my hands in the arcade’s bathroom when I heard some one ask,

“Sir, can you open this door?”. I tried the handle of the door next to the sink basins.

“No,” I replied “It’s locked.” A key slid out from underneath the door.

“Can you open this door?” The key didn’t fit the lock.

“No, the key doesn’t work.” I said as I slid the key back under the door. A few seconds later another key, but probably the same key, was slid out. I tried it and when it didn’t work either I ask whoever was locked in the closet who I should get to help him. He suggested I try the key again and I repeated that the key didn’t work but I would go get someone to help him. A pause, “My English is not very good.”

I responded “No te preocupes, conosco un poco.”

We repeated our previous converation about keys and doors but this time in Spanish and when we got to the point about who I should ask him for help he thought it over and replied “Security”. When I returned with Security the door was opened to let out a skinny and embarrassed janitor. The security guards asked him in Spanish how he’d locked himself into the cleaning supply closet. My Spanish wasn’t good enough to understand exactly how he had gotten locked in but from jestures and the Security guards responses it seemed like the janitor had reason to be embarrassed. Later in the day one of the Security guards came up to me and my girlfriend to say “What you did today was a nice thing, here.” He handed a small magnet to us which read “Great Guest Award” I thought it was just a little tchotchke they probably give out all the time, but if Google search results are to be believed, we’re the only ones!