Joy Riders

Well, it finally happened. The night after I left for Canada some kids took the golf cart sometime after Miguel and Loco went to bed, and they both slept through it. Around 2 am Miguel got up to the bathroom and as part of his 'routine', he went outside just to take a look around. He did a double-take when he realized that the golf cart was not where it had been left.

Miguel hailed a cab to go to his house to get his moped so he could go in search of the cart. In the cab was a drunk, being delivered to somewhere in the colonia next to ours. While the cab was parked on the side street waiting for the drunk to fumble in his pockets to pay, Miguel spotted the cart cruise by at the end of the street.

"Follow them!", Miguel told the driver. The driver was still waiting for the drunk to pay but Miguel told him to forget it - he would make it up to him. So the drunk got a free ride home. Off they went in chase.

Miguel said the kids were driving all over the road, having a great time weaving back and forth and cruising along the inner road near the lagoon. The golf cart is rather slow, and it didn't take long to catch up to them. Miguel went over to the kids and asked them what they were doing with his cart. They claimed they had found it out in the bushes at Sac Bajo and they were just bringing it back. Sure - then why were they going in the opposite direction from our house?

Miguel took over driving the cart and took the three kids to the police station. (I'm sort of amazed that the kids actually went willingly - I think I would have jumped off and made a run for it if I'd been them). The kids told Miguel that the golf cart was not working very well - it was going slow and then it would stop. Like Miguel doesn't know. Not a very good get-away vehicle.

At the police station the kids told the same story about finding the cart at Sac Bajo, and that is a credible story but after more questioning, the kids gave conflicting answers and it became clear that they were lying.

The police asked Miguel what he wanted them to do with the kids. Miguel did not want the kids to go to jail but he did want to scare them and make them understand how wrong they were to do what they did; by this time some of them were crying. Miguel asked the police officer to write the names of the kids in a book, and if they ever got caught doing anything again, then they would not get another chance - they would go to jail.

Miguel left the kids at the station - I'm hoping they called their parents. And I'm hoping they got a good scare and will never steal again.