Distractions

 When I was a young cop, probably in the mid-80s, I was amused to learn about a sister agency's dilemma.  It seems that there was a convenience store outside of a major Army base, and someone called in a bomb in a box near the gas pumps.  They dispatched a unit, and sure enough, there was a cardboard box with the word BOMB written on it with a sharpie marker.

In the space of a very few moments, the entire department was consumed with dealing with the bomb.  After a half-hour or so, they got into the box and found that it was an empty box.

Across town, on the other side of the jurisdiction, three thugs had robbed a branch bank.  Made a clean getaway.  The Chief of Police was considerably dismayed.

That taught me a valuable lesson.  Don't let distractions fool you into not noticing what is really going on.  Right now, there are a lot of distractions.

Pay attention, keep your head on a swivel,.  and keep your magazines loaded.