An arresting photo

As I stepped outside the door of a small shopping mall in Detroit this afternoon, I heard a noise that registered as out of place. "Clop, clop, clop" isn't something we're used to hearing around here. Look at the pleasant surprise in the parking lot this afternoon:

Detroit's mounted division is often only seen in parades or at events where crowd control might be an issue downtown. I was far from downtown. In fact, if the horse and rider had crossed the street, they would have crossed Detroit's border.

I would have loved to have stepped closer and taken more photos but traffic was backing up in the parking lot. Most people had big smiles. Horses are at great public relations for the city. Some people might have been on their lunch hour though and needed to get going so I took a few pictures and left before I could be arrested for interfering with traffic.

Think about it...if a mounted patrol officer arrests someone, there is no back seat to get into. I would have been expected to get on that poor horse's back behind the officer. I am afraid of heights and not all that agile anymore. I would have resisted arrest and then I would have another charge against me. I know they allow one phone call from jail, but what about one blog post? 

If you had read "Help! Please post bail and get me out of here!" would someone have passed the hat? I might not want to know the truth, so humor me and say that of course you would have come to my aid.

I'm going to be prepared the next time I go to this mall in case this is part of their regular beat. Apples, carrots, my good camera and a heavy duty rasp in case I take too long snapping pictures and have to cut myself out of the slammer.

Horizontal stripes aren't my best look.