Rap, rap, rap!  “What the…oh shit.”  I awake to the cop’s knocking on my car door window – I knew this was not a safe place to park, why did I stop here!?  The squad car is parked toward me, the citizen’s volunteer patrol vehicle is not far beyond.  I roll the window down.

“Take the keys out of the ignition and open the door!” I comply and am ripped out of the car forcefully.

“Let me see your arms!” The officer pulls my long sleeves up, revealing tracks and a small but growing abscess.  “Is it that obvious to this guy what I’m all about?” I’m thinking.  Cody the passenger finally wakes up and is ripped out of the car as well, he faces bigger trouble than I because he has failed to report to his probation officer and has a modest record built up, even at the age of 18.  We are quickly cuffed and forced to sit on the side of the small road while one of the officers ransacks my Saturn.  I take a look around and realize just how ridiculous a place this was to pull an overnight; totally empty fields on both sides, old folks’ homes not far away.  When you’re living in your car and stealing every day to buy dope, you just can’t afford this kind of mistake.  The officer gets to my backpack and asks the standard question: “Is there anything that can stick me in this bag? Any knives or needles…..?”

“Yes, there’s a rig in the lower pocket.” What a find!  There are 2 more in an inner pocket of the place he just searched along with 5 pairs of jeans with the anti-theft tags still on them in the back seat.  These things go unnoticed.  No matter, they can now arrest me for possession of paraphernalia, tow my car with all my possessions inside and give me a ticket.  Cody has been run, his bullshit name lie did not check out and he’ll definitely be doing some time.  Cops  1, Christian 0, and that is all that counts here at 8am.  What a way to start the day.  On the way to the jail, I explain to the cop that I will no longer have a place to stay; I’ll be homeless for real now, for Christs’ sake.  His silence is a reflection of the tough love that I will soon come to expect.  Cody and I spend an uncomfortable half hour cuffed to the holding bench.  He knows that he won’t be leaving this facility this time around and appears not to care much, he’s been here before and is so used to detoxing from heroine that he’s ready to face that too.  I’m panicking, this is my first arrest.  What will I do?  How will I get my fix?  How can I steal and sell jeans with no car?  Where will I go? Who can I rob?  I need a smoke, where will I get one?

Christian Brown – I am a 34 year old currently living in San Diego, California, USA.  I have lived in several other countries for years at a time and have a uniquely broad life experience.

Here is an another story by Christian – The digital love.