Curiosity Versus Caution

...and caution won.

   Went this morning to the nearby mall to finish my shopping.  I never finished and here is why.

   No luck at one end of the mall in finding what I wanted.  But no matter, there are stores everywhere, including those at the other end past the food court.

   I cruised the festive mall on my scooter past the specialty shops.  As I arrived at the food court a lady in a uniform, looking confused, rushed forward to confront me.  "You'll have to leave."

   What?  What's objectionable? Me? My scooter? What?  But before I could ask, she darted distractedly on and asked others to leave. Nobody paid much attention to her, but continued ordering their snacks.  Near the exit stood another mall guard. 

   "Are we evacuating," I asked.

   "Just the food court," he answered.

    Then I heard sirens, and outside a fire truck, a hook and ladder unit, pulled up and firemen began leisurely dismounting.

   I heard more sirens in the distance approaching.  No one, not guards, firemen, nor customers seemed to be in a hurry. 

   Now, my dilemma.  I'm never where the spot news is happening.  I  have had friends who sat out street shoot-outs in their cars and who told me about the excitment later.  I have seen familiar places on the TV news at night.  But nothing ever happens when I'm there. Here I am where the ACTION is. What me leave? My curiousity said "no way". 

   But, in this wide world every day, bombs go off, crazed gunmen walk into night clubs and restaurants machine guns blazing.  I might have asked the guard, "Are we searching for a bomb, or are we cornering an armed suspect?" I don't think he would have told me. 

   So I skedaddled.  Caution won.  I rode home and I couldn't even show anyone a bullet riddled scooter or brag about any singed eye-brows. 

    If there is nothing about Merced, California, on the evening news, I will tell you what I find out. If someone tells me, that is.