"Computer Cock-up"

[poliphilo]

Joe is nocturnal. We ain't. It's not unusual for him to be out well past midnight.

Last night we got a phone call off him at one o'clockish. He'd been picked up by the police about half a mile from home in a random stop and search exercise (they probably thought young man driving beat-up car in the wee small hours = drug dealer) and they were holding him as a deserter.

It was a proper arrest. They'd had him empty his pockets, remove his belt, even take out his ear studs. It seemed like there was no way round it but they'd be holding him in a cell overnight.

Angst.

Five minutes later he rang again and it was all sorted out. The police had contacted his unit and his unit admitted that having him listed as a deserter was a "computer cock-up" or, in other words, that they hadn't bothered to update their records.

Bastards.

So the police released him and he came home.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He took the whole thing in a cool, laid-back manner- he is, after all, a soldier- but I think it's stirred up a lot of the old rage.

He's going to see the army psychiatrist tomorrow and being in a rage at all things military may not be such a bad idea.

I feel, after this, that the army owes us one.