Bad Day
The man picked up a piece of paper and took a long look at it.
"This isn't mine," he said plainly.
"Well, then whose is it?" demanded the angry man in an official uniform.
"I don't know, where did you get it?"
"We found it attached to the front door of the station."
"Well, then you should start asking people if they saw anyone put it there."
"WE DID. "
"Oh. I see. So someone told you they saw me put it there and now here you are asking me if it's mine."
"Exactly."
"Well, it isn't mine."
"So how come I have witnesses saying they saw you put it up on the door of the station?"
"Oh, because I did."
"You did? But you just told me you didn't!"
"No, I told you it wasn't mine and that's true."
"Then why did you put it on the front door of the station?"
"Well, I saw it fall off."
"You what?"
"I saw it fall off... off of the front door."
"Yes, I see that, but why then did you feel you had to put it back up?"
"Just being nice I suppose."
"Nice?"
"Well, somebody obviously wanted it on the front door or else it wouldn't have been there to fall off in the first place now would it?"
"And you just didn't want all their effort to have been in vain is that it?"
"Exactly!"
"Sir, you're going to have to come with me."
"What? Why?"
"Did you see what was written on that bill you posted?"
"I didn't post it, I just re-posted it. And I didn't really see what it said, I think it was for a play about someone called... Ankery or Anna Key or something."
"Anarchy?"
"Yes, that's the one, have you heard of it?"
"Sir, you're under arrest."
"Why? For being a good Samaritan?"
"No, for posting illegal bills."
"What? But that's absurd, I did no such thing!"
"Yes, you did, you just admitted to it."
"No I didn't, I admitted to seeing a poster fall off the front door of the station and then returning it to it's previous location in an act of anonymous good-will."
"Well, it wasn't really anonymous since four witnesses saw you do it, now is it?"
"That's hardly the point. The point is that I didn't post an illegal bill, I just help some unknown stranger on my way into the station. You might as well arrest me for giving some change to that ragged fellow on the corner."
"You gave money to the man who was on the corner?"
"Yes, I most certainly did."
"The man in rags with the big bushy beard?"
"Yes, the homeless man."
"That, sir, is no homeless man. It is non-other than the notorious rebel, Forester Bleek!"
"The man who hates the government?"
"The same!"
"So, let me get this straight, there's a known villain in the area and yet you assume that I was the one who posted an illegal bill?"
"Hmmmm... well, now that you mention it, it would make a lot more sense that he posted it if your story is true."
"It is officer, I swear it!"
"Well, I'll have to confirm it, but I see that what you suggest is probably the case."
"Wonderful! So, I can go then?"
"No, I'm afraid not."
"What? Why in heaven not?"
"Well, you've just admitted to aiding a known criminal."
"You can't be serious."
"I'm afraid I am, sir."
"This isn't mine," he said plainly.
"Well, then whose is it?" demanded the angry man in an official uniform.
"I don't know, where did you get it?"
"We found it attached to the front door of the station."
"Well, then you should start asking people if they saw anyone put it there."
"WE DID. "
"Oh. I see. So someone told you they saw me put it there and now here you are asking me if it's mine."
"Exactly."
"Well, it isn't mine."
"So how come I have witnesses saying they saw you put it up on the door of the station?"
"Oh, because I did."
"You did? But you just told me you didn't!"
"No, I told you it wasn't mine and that's true."
"Then why did you put it on the front door of the station?"
"Well, I saw it fall off."
"You what?"
"I saw it fall off... off of the front door."
"Yes, I see that, but why then did you feel you had to put it back up?"
"Just being nice I suppose."
"Nice?"
"Well, somebody obviously wanted it on the front door or else it wouldn't have been there to fall off in the first place now would it?"
"And you just didn't want all their effort to have been in vain is that it?"
"Exactly!"
"Sir, you're going to have to come with me."
"What? Why?"
"Did you see what was written on that bill you posted?"
"I didn't post it, I just re-posted it. And I didn't really see what it said, I think it was for a play about someone called... Ankery or Anna Key or something."
"Anarchy?"
"Yes, that's the one, have you heard of it?"
"Sir, you're under arrest."
"Why? For being a good Samaritan?"
"No, for posting illegal bills."
"What? But that's absurd, I did no such thing!"
"Yes, you did, you just admitted to it."
"No I didn't, I admitted to seeing a poster fall off the front door of the station and then returning it to it's previous location in an act of anonymous good-will."
"Well, it wasn't really anonymous since four witnesses saw you do it, now is it?"
"That's hardly the point. The point is that I didn't post an illegal bill, I just help some unknown stranger on my way into the station. You might as well arrest me for giving some change to that ragged fellow on the corner."
"You gave money to the man who was on the corner?"
"Yes, I most certainly did."
"The man in rags with the big bushy beard?"
"Yes, the homeless man."
"That, sir, is no homeless man. It is non-other than the notorious rebel, Forester Bleek!"
"The man who hates the government?"
"The same!"
"So, let me get this straight, there's a known villain in the area and yet you assume that I was the one who posted an illegal bill?"
"Hmmmm... well, now that you mention it, it would make a lot more sense that he posted it if your story is true."
"It is officer, I swear it!"
"Well, I'll have to confirm it, but I see that what you suggest is probably the case."
"Wonderful! So, I can go then?"
"No, I'm afraid not."
"What? Why in heaven not?"
"Well, you've just admitted to aiding a known criminal."
"You can't be serious."
"I'm afraid I am, sir."