THE BENEFITS AND DOWNSIDES OF RUDY`S CRACKDOWN

THE TEXT
THE BENEFITS AND DOWNSIDES OF RUDY'S CRACKDOWN
The author of this little story, Adam, is a journalist living in the Big Apple (that is, New York City). He's never
been in any big trouble with the police, though NYPD (NY police department) under mayor Rudolph Giuliani
was famously tough on whoever it felt like being tough on. Anyway, nothing lasts forever. One day Adam's
mother calls to tell him that the police have put out a warrant for his arrest. Adam is startled but determined to
find out what exactly is going on here.
A few weeks ago my mother called to say there
was a warrant out for my arrest. She received
the news from Gladys, her 85-year-old landlady,
who barricaded herself inside her Brooklyn
apartment and refused to come out and speak
with the two plain-clothed policemen banging
on the door. I was baffled. I'd like to think of
myself as being dangerous. But truth be told, I'm
a mild-mannered journalist, leading a pretty
dull life. I live in a doorman building on the
Upper East Side. I don't have a criminal record,
though the address on my driver's license is my
mother's-which is why the "raid" took place
where it did. I hadn't robbed any convenience
stores lately, nor fled the scene after backing a
Jeep into a crowd of people outside a nightclub,
as celebrity publicist Lizzie Grubman did
recently.
But this is Mayor Rudolph Guiliani's New York,
where it doesn't take much to draw the
attention of cops. This is old news for New
Yorkers. They know all about Hizzonor's banning
homeless squeegee men from approaching
drivers and offering to clean their windshields.
He's cracked down on street vendors and sent
police into neighborhoods to enforce petty
rules against everything from jaywalking to tree
climbing. While the crackdown has been
controversial, I can't say I haven't benefited.
Crime has fallen. I don't worry about getting
mugged. Fewer people hassle you on the
subway. Small-time drug dealers no longer mob
Washington Square Park.
Yuppie that I am, of course, I've never given
much thought to what it felt like to be on the
other side of the law. So when the mayor's
troopers came knocking, I thought there must
be some mistake. Imagine my embarrassment
upon discovering my crime. One Saturday
night, back in March, I strolled out of my
apartment after a barbecue, a Coors Light beer
in hand. Quick as a flash, a sheepish twenty-
something police officer came up and wrote me
a ticket. The charge: violating New York City's
so-called open-container laws banning the
public consumption of alcoholic drinks. Yeah, I
probably should have paid it there and then.
But instead I stuck the pink slip in my back
pocket-and forgot about it. Until a month or so
ago, that is, when some computer at police HQ
spat out a list of Wanted Criminals. My name
was on it.
VOCABULARY
warrant -- zde: zatykač
plain-clothed policeman -- tajný policajt (v
civilu)
baffled -- zaražený, překvapený
mild-mannered -- mírný, přívětivý
criminal record -- záznam v trestním rejstříku
raid -- zde: šťára
convenience store -- večerka (ą)
flee the scene -- uprchnout z místa (zločinu)
back a car into sb -- nacouvat do někoho
celebrity publicist -- novinář píšící o celebritách
that's old news -- to už každý dávno ví
ban -- zakázat (zákonem)
squeegee men -- umývači oken (na křižovatkách)
windshield -- přední sklo auta
crack down -- došlápnout si na, tvrdě zasáhnout,
provést opatření proti
street vendors -- pouliční prodejci
enforce -- vynutit si (silou)
petty -- drobný (malicherný)
jaywalking -- přecházení silnice na
nepovolených místech
mug -- přepadnout a oloupit
hassle -- obtěžovat
small-time -- drobný (bezvýznamný)
mob -- shlukovat se (dav)
yuppie -- mladý bohatý člověk (sako a kravata,
mobil u ucha a v kapse klíče od meďoura)
troopers -- policajti
embarrassment -- trapný pocit
stroll -- procházet se
barbecue -- grilování
sheepish -- omluvný, rozpačitý
twenty-something -- ve věku dvacet něco
ticket -- pokuta
charge -- obvinění
pink slip -- ústřižek
HQ -- sídlo, centrála
spit out -- vyhodit (doslova: vyplivnout)
CNBW READING ROOM / SMALL BLACK BEETLES / ON THE SHORT SIDE
A YUPPIE IN GIULIANI'S NEW YORK - 1 - THE BENEFITS AND DOWNSIDES OF RUDY'S CRACKDOWN