It is hard to imagine this today, but when I was in 5th grade growing up in Brooklyn, New York, They had truant officers that patrolled the neighborhood relentlessly looking for anyone not in school. If you were going late to school or coming home early, you had to have a note or....
DITCHING FOR RIGHT OR WRONG REASONS
You would get stopped and questioned. In many cases, the truant officers knew the families and knew their circumstances too. Some kids had to help out at home or at the grocers and ditched for the right reasons. I just liked NOT GOING to school. I used to ditch class and ride the subways and I became aware of this as part of the ditching procedure.
STREETS ARE EMPTY DURING SCHOOL HOURS
Just like a kid would stand out, so does a lone adult walking around a neighborhood does too. By contrast, when school let out or over weekends and holidays, families and kids flooded the streets. But during a school day, parents were at work and kids in school and anyone walking around stood out. It was like a ghost town.
TRUANT OFFICER LIKE A SECOND PARENT
Truant officers in my day were strong and physical. When they met you, they stood close during questioning. If they grabbed you to escort you home, the grip was like iron. I remember riding the subway on one of my UNOFFICIAL excursion's and all of a sudden an adult comes to where I am sitting and starts asking me questions
GOT CAUGHT TRYING TO GET HOME
Where are your parents? At work. Why aren't you in school? They sent us home early. What school do you go to? I tell her and she knows they don't send kids home early and without a note plus where are the other kids? She says, your coming with me and getting off at the next stop. She was going to turn me over to the platform police officer
MY GOOSE WAS COOKED OR WAS IT?
She grabbed my arm while the train pulled in and slowed to a stop. I knew my goose was cooked. However, the thoughts of me getting caught and pusnished were overwhelming and I had no intention of going peacefully. As we approached the policeman, I bolted free passed them both up and flew out of the train station. Al they could do was yell and scream stop!
CHASE ME AND I RUN EVEN FASTER
That made me run even faster. I took the covert way of getting home. Back alleys, roof tops, basements, hopping fences and finally to my front door, my turf. I made it. But, I learned how to become even better at ditching since I didn't get caught. But that is another post...
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