January 28, 2023
I’m here protecting the guests now at 0240 hours at a taco stand. That’s 2:40 A.M. to you. And as I look around to see the sights and hear the sounds of my own existence, I still marvel at the fact that we exist here on earth. I notice that most people here waiting in the taco line do not pay attention to this fact anymore. Maybe it's too late to notice? Maybe they're too high to care? But is is obvious that people live their life in their phone. It begs me to ask the question, “Hey Google, hey Siri: is there life outside my screen?”
From my vantage point it doesn’t seem that those around me notice that life is happening around them. First, I will tell you, my loyal reader, that I will admit that even though I am writing this blog, on my iPhone as I type out my complaint that those around me are not paying attention to the environment around them because those people are on the phone, we in the law enforcement biz have a thing we like to call, situational awareness. It is a good curse to have in law enforcement. Because situational awareness is bred into us officers, to be aware of every little nuance occurring within our span of control and identify potential problems and hazards on a continuing bases.
I see men and women that are head down buried in their Galaxy or iPhone living in some alternative online reality. They’re probably watching videos of life contained in their phone rather than observing the life that is happening around them.
Maybe they can Google a sunrise or ask Siri when the sunsets. There could be a cool YouTube vlogger documenting their adventure that is peaking their interest (guilty). Maybe one them could argue that, “hey I am here getting my late night fix for the munchies that I’m craving at this 24- hour taco stand. Buddy, I’m living the dream.” But the people I see sitting here on the bench, or stand, waiting for their order number to be called, collect their food and then scurry back to their car to devour their taco all the while holding that device in their hand.
If the man with a Jurassic Park t-shirt, denim shorts is tapping away at his phone. Would only look up, he doesn’t notice the stray dog directly in front of him in the parking lot rummaging through a pizza box that someone carelessly discarded on the ground. The little white dog comes up with a major score, a half-pepperoni pizza pie. He scampers off into the darkness like a cheetah that captured an antelope scurrying off to eat it. But no, alas, he is, tap-tap-tapping away on his phone. He could have possibly recorded it and uploaded to his page. I bet it would have gone viral.
More people are coming and getting in the taco line. Tap-tap on the phone; glance up as the line moves. They stop briefly to look at the menu. This place is more popular than Taco Bell it seems. The fluorescent lighting hangs on the walls right above the take out window. A mural covers the ugly yellow that is painted on the rest of the building. There is a busy road directly to the north. The car traffic flow is dwindling as people are mostly home due to the hour of the night. The only ones here getting the tacos have a longing transcending sleep. And yet this night drags on, these people still do not notice anything around them. Like a computer programed, they order their food, wait, and interact with their phone. Life is right here for the taking but they’d rather jettison off on the World Wide Web.
I wonder if they remember they have family? They probably do. The phone Lock Screen and wallpaper more than likely displays their loved ones on a fun trip or maybe they have a selfie of themselves. Funny, the family picture on their phone is probably of the same loved one that they themselves are ignoring as they sit right next to each other. Waiting to gather tacos too. I suppose they will notice each other eventually. Someone has to ask, "Who's Apple Pay we using?"
Order, eating, and gigabytes, is like, wash, rinse, repeat. That’s a strange combination. It’s Wednesday night. Quite environment and so clear out that not even the light pollution can drown out every star in the sky. The air is cool and crisp for a Florida night. But the people here do not notice it. “Hey Google, Hey Siri, is there life out there?” Yes, just look up dummy.
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