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MY FURRY TALES--STORIES FROM 20 YEARS IN THE FUR! #4
16 years ago
Notes by a white lion.
(THEY STOLE MY SLEIGH!!!!)
Can art imitate life? Well, in my case it sure as heck can! While watching the "furry" episode of CSI airing just before Halloween of 2003, I had the definite feeling of deja vu. When Sexy Kitty was ushered into the Las Vegas police station along with all the attention he received as he entered, I had to both laugh and cry at the same time. That, my furry friends, is because yours truly (Rudolph), spent several hours in the Clairmont police station. Back some eight years before, on the night of December 9th of 1995.
Now, first off, I was there because my car was stolen while I was inside the Nordstrom's department store at Montclair Plaza doing a two-hour Rudolph walk around. No funny business as in the CSI episode. No, no, no. It had been a full day. I started out early in the morning. Picked up a friend and we drove down to Carlsbad where we did a Breakfast with Santa at the Broadway department store down there in the Carlsbad mall just east of the 5 freeway. My friend also returned my snowman costume which she had borrowed for an event of hers that she had a few days before. I dropped her off at her house but had no extra time to go home myself. I had two regular character shows in the afternoon and was to finish my day with the evening two-hour Rudolph at Nordstrom's.
I got there on time. Dressed at my car, as was my usual procedure. Locked my car and went inside. As it was early December, it was already dark. The job itself, was standard issue and had no problems. I spent the full two hours walking around all the levels of the whole store. Stopping to mix and mingle with customers. When it came time to leave I went out the way I came in, but no car! At first I was confused. I never had a single thought about the car being stolen. I thought I had made a mistake in where I had parked. But after only a few minutes of walking around (as Rudolph) in the parking lot, I realized that it was indeed the place I had parked. And that my car was gone!
I went back inside the store and explained what had happened. They called mall security, which came and could really offer no help. So the Clairmont police were called. They came out and took a report with me (Rudolph) inside the store. Now I was in the proverbial "pickle", as I had nothing on me. No wallet, no money, no identification, no glasses to read properly, only my now useless car keys and home keys. Under the fur I had only swim trunks and a t-shirt. In the car was Santa, snowman, the character costume of the two afternoon shows, my pants, regular shirt, wallet, money, shoes, Santa boots and my show supplies. Plus, sob, sob, two cash tips that I had received that day inside my wallet as well as a just-filled full tank of gasoline!
I had no money to get a cab. The store was about ready to close. The police would NOT take me home. I'm sorry, but this is STILL a bone of contention with me even today. They said they couldn't take a unit out of service for that long. But, my home was only about 8, or very slightly more, miles away. Isn't their job to protect and to serve? Well, I sure do think a helpless reindeer who only needed a ride home would qualify in the "to serve" capacity. Don't you? They would, however, take me to their police station.
What choice did I have? I went to the police station. The officer radioed that he had Rudolph in his car as we drove to his station. That would be only the first of a full night's radio chatter involving Rudolph's prediciment. I was offered, and accepted, a cup of coffee when I arrived. But after that, I just sat in the small lobby waiting for my friends that I had called to come and get me. I'm sitting in full fursuit, with my head sitting on the little end table. The hours of time just crawled by.
When my friends finally came they brought me one of his pants and a shirt to change into, so I could get out of Rudolph. He spoke with one or two officers and they stated I had been the news and story of the night. I'm glad somebody had a good time, I sure didn't. By the time my friends arrived it was approaching 2 o'clock in the morning.
By the way, in case you're wondering, whoever stole my car drove it to Vegas that night. Of course, I don't know exactly when the robbery happened. Although with the resultant time line, I figure they probably took it shortly after I entered the store to start my gig. They stopped in the town of Baker along the way, and used my credit card to buy gas. Then when they got to Vegas at around 4:45 in the morning, they used my phone card to make a call to back east. My car was found in Hesperia a couple of days later a victim of a single-car rollover accident that, sadly, meant the "totaling" of my poor car!
There were no costumes ever found with the car. That's the one thing that still drives me crazy! I wonder whatever did happen to them? Did they simply toss them somewhere? Like in a big trash bin? Did they sell them in Vegas or wherever? I'll never know, but I can't help but wonder.
And they did this to dear, sweet Rudolph! Bah, humbug!
Semper Furry! --Me Furry
Can art imitate life? Well, in my case it sure as heck can! While watching the "furry" episode of CSI airing just before Halloween of 2003, I had the definite feeling of deja vu. When Sexy Kitty was ushered into the Las Vegas police station along with all the attention he received as he entered, I had to both laugh and cry at the same time. That, my furry friends, is because yours truly (Rudolph), spent several hours in the Clairmont police station. Back some eight years before, on the night of December 9th of 1995.
Now, first off, I was there because my car was stolen while I was inside the Nordstrom's department store at Montclair Plaza doing a two-hour Rudolph walk around. No funny business as in the CSI episode. No, no, no. It had been a full day. I started out early in the morning. Picked up a friend and we drove down to Carlsbad where we did a Breakfast with Santa at the Broadway department store down there in the Carlsbad mall just east of the 5 freeway. My friend also returned my snowman costume which she had borrowed for an event of hers that she had a few days before. I dropped her off at her house but had no extra time to go home myself. I had two regular character shows in the afternoon and was to finish my day with the evening two-hour Rudolph at Nordstrom's.
I got there on time. Dressed at my car, as was my usual procedure. Locked my car and went inside. As it was early December, it was already dark. The job itself, was standard issue and had no problems. I spent the full two hours walking around all the levels of the whole store. Stopping to mix and mingle with customers. When it came time to leave I went out the way I came in, but no car! At first I was confused. I never had a single thought about the car being stolen. I thought I had made a mistake in where I had parked. But after only a few minutes of walking around (as Rudolph) in the parking lot, I realized that it was indeed the place I had parked. And that my car was gone!
I went back inside the store and explained what had happened. They called mall security, which came and could really offer no help. So the Clairmont police were called. They came out and took a report with me (Rudolph) inside the store. Now I was in the proverbial "pickle", as I had nothing on me. No wallet, no money, no identification, no glasses to read properly, only my now useless car keys and home keys. Under the fur I had only swim trunks and a t-shirt. In the car was Santa, snowman, the character costume of the two afternoon shows, my pants, regular shirt, wallet, money, shoes, Santa boots and my show supplies. Plus, sob, sob, two cash tips that I had received that day inside my wallet as well as a just-filled full tank of gasoline!
I had no money to get a cab. The store was about ready to close. The police would NOT take me home. I'm sorry, but this is STILL a bone of contention with me even today. They said they couldn't take a unit out of service for that long. But, my home was only about 8, or very slightly more, miles away. Isn't their job to protect and to serve? Well, I sure do think a helpless reindeer who only needed a ride home would qualify in the "to serve" capacity. Don't you? They would, however, take me to their police station.
What choice did I have? I went to the police station. The officer radioed that he had Rudolph in his car as we drove to his station. That would be only the first of a full night's radio chatter involving Rudolph's prediciment. I was offered, and accepted, a cup of coffee when I arrived. But after that, I just sat in the small lobby waiting for my friends that I had called to come and get me. I'm sitting in full fursuit, with my head sitting on the little end table. The hours of time just crawled by.
When my friends finally came they brought me one of his pants and a shirt to change into, so I could get out of Rudolph. He spoke with one or two officers and they stated I had been the news and story of the night. I'm glad somebody had a good time, I sure didn't. By the time my friends arrived it was approaching 2 o'clock in the morning.
By the way, in case you're wondering, whoever stole my car drove it to Vegas that night. Of course, I don't know exactly when the robbery happened. Although with the resultant time line, I figure they probably took it shortly after I entered the store to start my gig. They stopped in the town of Baker along the way, and used my credit card to buy gas. Then when they got to Vegas at around 4:45 in the morning, they used my phone card to make a call to back east. My car was found in Hesperia a couple of days later a victim of a single-car rollover accident that, sadly, meant the "totaling" of my poor car!
There were no costumes ever found with the car. That's the one thing that still drives me crazy! I wonder whatever did happen to them? Did they simply toss them somewhere? Like in a big trash bin? Did they sell them in Vegas or wherever? I'll never know, but I can't help but wonder.
And they did this to dear, sweet Rudolph! Bah, humbug!
Semper Furry! --Me Furry
Wow. Sorry to hear that man..
You know, in light of how they did this to dear, sweet Rudolph, the game Rudolph's Revenge comes to mind.
Yes, when I finally got home started the credit card cancelling calls. They had already used a gas credit card in Barstow on their eventual drive to Las Vegas I found out after the fact before i could make the calls. Total lost for everything other than the car itself, over two grand. and, sadly, car insurance does NOT cover whatever you have in your car, so I "ate" it...foo!
Thanks for the sympathy! Even all these years later, I do appreciate it. Hugs for dat!
--"Me"/ Henry