So last night I was strolling along and spotted the ALIFE tag at the base of a light pole (at the southwest corner of Second Ave and Third St. to be exact). I took a moment to contemplate placement, then struck. Just then I noticed what seemed to be an off-duty cab and three motley-looking cabbies eyeing me. One moved closer and said with an accusatory tone in the manner of one who is accustomed to dealing with fourth graders, “What did you just do?” And I said cheerily, but not entirely without suspicion, “I put a sticker on this light pole. Wanna see?” and handed him one of the remaining stickers. The man said, again, with more sternness than seemed necessary “What does it MEAN?” Well, you know me…I’m always more than happy to expound (often at excruciatingly great length) upon the deep philosophical meaning behind my work. And so I replied, “It’s like the logo on LIFE magazine. I usually place it where there’s already some nice graffiti going on. I feel like it ties it together somehow.” And the man said, as if I hadn’t revealed something that would make my true criminal nature clearer in his mind, “BUT WHY DID YOU PUT IT UPSIDE DOWN?”

By now of course I realized I was in some kind of trouble. But I was still trying to gauge just how much. I felt like I was still ahead of the game…the officer was asking some excellent questions…the sticker was indeed working it’s magic as a “philosoprop”…and I felt that before long the man would come to appreciate the concept, at least enough to let me off the hook.

Then the woman officer said, “We’re going to have to arrest you.” And I said, “Seriously!? For putting a sticker on a pole?” And she said, “That’s the law, and it’s our job to enforce it.” Then she took my bag, and handcuffed me.

Lest die ganze, sehr lesenswerte Story hier. Weitere ‘Gefängnisgeschichten hier, hier und hier. Und ja, ich werde mir Mühe geben, selbst keine beizutragen.