Cops and Robbers

One of our favorite games growing up was the classic "Cops and Robbers." So many great memories. We'd hop on our bikes and head over to the park, one group playing the good guys, fighting to save the city from destruction, while the other took the role of the bad guys, evil villains with no concerns for anyone but themselves and a blatant disregard for traffic laws.

As "cops" we would always head straight for the biggest tree to hide behind and prepare to strike when the filthy criminals passed by, running an errand at a speed clearly over the posted limits. Ready for a battle with guns drawn, radar guns that is, we weren't going to let anyone put their fellow riders in even the slightest amount of a reasonable expectation of danger. The bad guys didn't go down without a fight, or at least a complaint. But their inconvenience was no match for our badges and weapons. Plus we needed that change for the ice cream truck; and it was something to do before it got dark out. It felt great to ride around knowing we could break whichever rules we felt like while keeping everyone else on their toes. "Don't catch me on a bad day" was our motto. Boy do I miss those days of feeling like a hero.

As "robbers" we roamed the park terror-stricken and panicked over making the slightest mistake. We were designated as the bad guys, although sometimes we weren't sure why. The minute our attention wandered, the second we let our guard down, we had made a minor mistake and knew we had to pay for it. We may have thought we were playing safely, but they knew better and made sure to put us in our place. "What an asshole," we used to say, I think. Some of the robbers would have squirt guns, but the cops didn't wanna take a chance in getting wet. And forget about swerving onto the grass after too much Mountain Dew. That could cost you any further use of your bike depending on your sugar levels at the time. Come to think of it, it wasn't nearly as fun to be on that team.