THE OLD MAN and THE BRIDGE

So. I am landing at the OAKLAND, CA airport. It is tiny and I know it. I rent a car. Put the CD of CRYSTAL METHOD ... pure adrenaline ... I drive the BAY BRIDGE. I am in SANFRA! I see a streetcar. Yes I am definitely in ... :D In few minutes I am in my hotel room. I have some work to do for tomorrow's meeting but I can't resist ... I need to go to see the GOLDEN GATE. I know it is touristic and I saw it already ... but I want to see it again ... :D

I am parking the car in the parking lot on the south side of the bridge, so I can take some pictures before crossing it. There is also an old man there. I am taking a picture of the GOLDEN GATE ...

... not a great picture ... but for sure a nice memory. I am asking to the old man if he can take a picture of me. He stinks of alcohol. But we have a nice chat. He sounds OK, not particularly drunk. He takes the picture ...

... mmm ... this is even worse than the previous ... but again a nice memory ... actually I realize that have an entire hard drive of poor quality pictures ... but great memories ... :)

The OLD MAN is asking me why the curb on the bridge is closed. He really wants to walk the bridge. He is telling me that he came here with the TAXI from the city just to WALK THE BRIDGE ... I am telling him that I guess it is considered dangerous during the night, so they close it. He is looking at me and he start laughing. "Dangerous? Walk on a curb during the night is dangerous? What should I say? I flew over VIETNAM for years ..." ... mmmm ... that is good point ... I laugh as well ... while I am laughing I am hinting him that probably they closed also tonight (it is close every night, after sunset) because they didn't know he was coming. We laugh together. I am suggesting him to come tomorrow morning. But apparently he can't. Whatever.

I continue to take pictures, one worst than the other ... while I am thinking that I don't have ready yet the presentation for tomorrow's meeting ... suddenly ... 2 POLICE CARS are speeding towards the entrance of the bridge ... and they stop ... just after 50 yards ... just there at the entrance ... I am getting closer ... nooooooooo ... the OLD MAN ...

... he tried to WALK THE BRIDGE ... I feel so bad ... should I have told him some more words and convince him not to go!?!

They open the gate ... yep ... the GOLDEN GATE ... and they start asking him questions close to where I am. They are telling him that if he won't promise them that he won't come back tonight they will bring him to jail. I am taking a picture. The POLICE OFFICER looks at me he asks me if I know the OLD MAN ...

... I guess my answer is confused ... "no ... actually yes, but no ... I mean ... I met him 5 minutes ago here". The POLICE OFFICER looks me in a way that I don't like ... and asks me if I want to leave or if I don't want to jail as well. "OK SIR ... GOT IT ... I AM OUT OF HERE" ... I need to go back to my hotel room ... I am thinking again to the OLD MAN ... they didn't arrest him when he was dropping bombs to VIETNAM ... but they arrested him because he wanted to WALK THE GOLDEN GATE ... life is really strange ... I would have expect the opposite ... but probably I am just naive ... or probably it is true what they say here "IT IS THE LAW" ... :o