Comments on: The 95 Cent Crime http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/ Listen to stories on anything from honeymoons to WWII, from award-winning journalists to first-time writers alike, from anywhere in the world. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:37:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Larry http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-11742 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:44:44 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-11742 Nomi & Sherry, Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. Nomi, I did not make it to class that day. I was too wrung out from the experience. The book was "The Red Pony" by Steinbeck. Sherry, thank you for kind words. I'm glad you thought the story was well told. It was a significant experience in my life. Larry Nomi & Sherry,

Sorry it’s taken me so long to respond.

Nomi, I did not make it to class that day. I was too wrung out from the experience. The book was “The Red Pony” by Steinbeck.

Sherry, thank you for kind words. I’m glad you thought the story was well told. It was a significant experience in my life.

Larry

]]> by: Sherry http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-9441 Thu, 05 Apr 2007 02:01:54 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-9441 I enjoyed this story. I kept expecting things to turn all rosy and sunny, but that wouldn't be reality, would it? You told the story with just the right amount of detail to keep your reader moving along to the end. Nice work. I enjoyed this story. I kept expecting things to turn all rosy and sunny, but that wouldn’t be reality, would it? You told the story with just the right amount of detail to keep your reader moving along to the end. Nice work.

]]> by: Nomi http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-8581 Sun, 01 Apr 2007 17:01:27 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-8581 Larry, Great story! Did you make it to class that day? What book was it? -Nomi Larry,

Great story!

Did you make it to class that day?

What book was it?

-Nomi

]]> by: Larry http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6592 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:30:01 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6592 Mihran, Very funny! Did I ever read the book... No, I was too busy being booked and fingerprinted. Besides, I still didn't *have* the book, and with the associations it had from that experience, I wasn't particularly drawn to it. Thanks for reading the story. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Larry Mihran,

Very funny! Did I ever read the book… No, I was too busy being booked and fingerprinted. Besides, I still didn’t *have* the book, and with the associations it had from that experience, I wasn’t particularly drawn to it.

Thanks for reading the story. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Larry

]]> by: Mihran http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6303 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 01:49:19 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6303 And the moral of the story is – learn how to run faster than the security guard at the bookstore! Wonderful story Larry! Did you ever read the book? And the moral of the story is – learn how to run faster than the security guard at the bookstore! Wonderful story Larry! Did you ever read the book?

]]> by: Larry http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6201 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:05:50 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6201 Jeff, You're a braver -- or crazier -- man than I was! But I'm sure it was a fascinating experience. You ought to write about, someday -- perhaps even for Common Ties. Larry Jeff,

You’re a braver — or crazier — man than I was! But I’m sure it was a fascinating experience. You ought to write about, someday — perhaps even for Common Ties.

Larry

]]> by: Jay Weber http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6161 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:38:19 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6161 Nice essay. I to was delighted buy the connection between the police hq and parent house. I am also aware how much the story is about compassion. The compassion of the guy who made the bust, contrasted with the lack of compassion on the part of the fingerprinter...and others, his friend Tony, Judge Duffy, his dad, and even the cigar chewing court clerk. I also appreciate to commmentary of the readers. How articulate they are! jw Nice essay. I to was delighted buy the connection between the police hq and parent house. I am also aware how much the story is about compassion. The compassion of the guy who made the bust, contrasted with the lack of compassion on the part of the fingerprinter…and others, his friend Tony, Judge Duffy, his dad, and even the cigar chewing court clerk.

I also appreciate to commmentary of the readers. How articulate they are!

jw

]]> by: Maeve http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6063 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 02:07:06 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6063 i enjoyed the description of the campus police hq resembling his parent's house. and the B&W photo is excellent. i enjoyed the description of the campus police hq resembling his parent’s house. and the B&W photo is excellent.

]]> by: Jeff L. http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6060 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:43:50 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6060 Hey Larry -- Great narrative. I had a somewhat similar experience -- but took the opposite route. I was caught going through a stop sign at a crossroad at midnight on New Year's Eve. I was driving my beat-up '55 Chevy pick-up and I was in Eastern Oregon, which is flat and where you can see for miles in every direction. I was collecting unemployment after graduating 'with honors' from college, trying to "be" a writer. Well, there was a motorcycle cop hiding behind a billboard at that desolate intersection, and he popped out lights flashing to give me a ticket under the most amazing sky I'd ever seen. I was outraged! I could see for miles in every direction! So I decided to refuse to pay the ticket. I went to the town court and plead my case, not surprisingly to no avail. I told the judge I'd rather go to jail than coopoerate with this travesty of justice. The judge got seriously serious and said, "Son, it's two days. I don't want to put you in jail." But secretly, I wanted to go. I wanted to see what it was like to be in jail To this day, the reality of living in a cage, lit 24-hours a day, with sad, cruel men remains with me. Not so much as a deterrent, which I don't need, but as a marker of how bad life can *really* be. And how loss of freedom erodes the soul. Hey Larry — Great narrative.

I had a somewhat similar experience — but took the opposite route. I was caught going through a stop sign at a crossroad at midnight on New Year’s Eve. I was driving my beat-up ‘55 Chevy pick-up and I was in Eastern Oregon, which is flat and where you can see for miles in every direction. I was collecting unemployment after graduating ‘with honors’ from college, trying to “be” a writer. Well, there was a motorcycle cop hiding behind a billboard at that desolate intersection, and he popped out lights flashing to give me a ticket under the most amazing sky I’d ever seen.

I was outraged! I could see for miles in every direction!

So I decided to refuse to pay the ticket. I went to the town court and plead my case, not surprisingly to no avail. I told the judge I’d rather go to jail than coopoerate with this travesty of justice.

The judge got seriously serious and said, “Son, it’s two days. I don’t want to put you in jail.”

But secretly, I wanted to go. I wanted to see what it was like to be in jail

To this day, the reality of living in a cage, lit 24-hours a day, with sad, cruel men remains with me. Not so much as a deterrent, which I don’t need, but as a marker of how bad life can *really* be. And how loss of freedom erodes the soul.

]]> by: Laurie J. http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6033 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 23:35:09 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2007/03/26/the-95-cent-crime/#comment-6033 Well told, Larry. Obviously the experience made an impression on you and prevented crime creep. Who knows, you might have graduated to hard bounds and then where woud you be? Well told, Larry. Obviously the experience made an impression on you and prevented crime creep. Who knows, you might have graduated to hard bounds and then where woud you be?

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