Public Enemy No. 1 acts for the sake of SCIENCE!!!

[trenchkamen]

Troy had suggested that we set up our launch pad on the grass in one of the parks in his neighborhood, and since we need a car to power our air compressor, one of us was going to have to drive out into the field. I drove out first, and after I had successfully accomplished that, Filman followed. We set up the launch pad and had three-or-four semi-successful launches, mostly because Troy, in all his awesome awesomeness, was offering to help our group even though he took Physics IH two years ago, and he's good at engineering these kinds of things.

While we were packing up to leave, a middle-aged man with a flashlight and a Post-It pad walked over from one of the cookie-cutter houses bordering the field. He stood there for a few seconds looking us over in disbelief and asked us what we were doing. I said that we were launching rockets for our physics class; he said that we weren't supposed to have motorized vehicles on the lawn and that we would have to take our launch elsewhere, now. I suspect that he was trying to get Filman and my license plate numbers, which I hope he did not bother to do.

After that guy had walked away for a few seconds, an older guy with a dog walked up and asked us what the problem was. I froze up since I thought he thought there was a conflict of some kind, and I did not know how exactly to respond, when he asked again, this time more forcefully. Nobody said anything; he said that he had called the cops and walked off after the first man.

I heard him tell the first man that he had called the cops on "those assholes", which was a pretty damn clear signal that he was not bluffing and that it was time to leave. We packed up the cars quickly, turned off the music, drove off in the wrong direction, and had to turn around on one of the drainage slopes while Troy jumped out of the car to guide us in the direction from whence we had come. Realizing that you are going the wrong direction and hitting something hard that may have knocked the car out of alignment is not a fortifying experience when you are sure the cops are going to show up any minute, it is getting dark, and the park is ill-lit.

Alas, we finally exited onto the street without seeing so much as an emergency light, and that, as they say, is that. My only lingering concern is that one of the guys gave our license plate numbers to the cops and wants to press charges on grounds of trespassing, vandalism (if we left tracks in the grass or something), disturbing the peace or whatever-the-hell, but that is quite a long shot, and Scottsdale PD has numerous other, bigger problems to deal with than the Rocket Nerds driving on the grass with water-rockets. On the extreme off-chance that does happen, Filman and I will catch the heat for it; Sampson and Troy didn't have cars out there.

Comments

[gogglebeast.livejournal.com]

What the hell is wrong with these people today? Can't aspiring mad-scientists pursue their dreams in peace?

That's kinda awesome, though, in the not-really-but-it-makes-a-good-story kind of way. It's good to hear that your launches were succesful, at least partly, congratulations on that!

*hugs* I hope they didn't get your plate numbers. If they give you any trouble, do allow me to be of assistance? *griiiin* X3

[trenchkamen.livejournal.com]

Of course. I'll sic you on the cops.

[xcerebraledemax.livejournal.com]

Funnee.

[tanuki-dono.livejournal.com]

This story strikes me as funny for some odd reason. Perhaps it's the batshit insane people who approached you or perhaps it's the fact that you guys took off in the wrong direction. XD Hope it doesn't come to be a problem, but I'm with you in that cops have much fish to fry than you guys. My older sister does rocket stuff a lot for engineering classes, but she uses our yard. You said you had some successful launches. Did you get an stimate of how high it went? =3

[trenchkamen.livejournal.com]

I have no idea. On our hightest launch, the rocket shot into a blind spot--it was getting dark--and I was unable to find it until it was falling. I'd guess ten meters, give or take. The problem is that the parachute did not deploy in time.

[tanuki-dono.livejournal.com]

Hm. 10m is good, in my humble opinion. 'Course I've been out of the matthish stuff for a few months. Now my brain is consumed by biology and tonicity. But yeah - good luck in getting the parachute to deploy.

[white-manjushri.livejournal.com]

What weird people we have that walk this earth. It's not likely the ole po-po is gonna come after you. Unless that guy made some elaborate lie as to what you guys were doing or what he thought you were doing the cops would have probably laughed. Despite all that at least it was somewhat a success.

[trenchkamen.livejournal.com]

I don't think those guys would outright lie about us, but the guy who actually called the cops seemed mad enough to exaggerate, at least. I still don't think the cops are going to follow up, anyway.

[zoe-sama.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHA. For science! Hojo is proud.

And you just totally popped on AIM and then disappeared. Stay on!

At any rate, I don't think you'll get into any/much trouble. You're starting rather young in your life of crime, Dr. Cook. It'll make a better biography that way. X3