The Abyss of Nights
One of the little-discussed stresses of being a modern police officer is that of working shifts. In the past, as long as you picked up a paper once a week or met up with friends on a day off, you could keep abreast of current affairs pretty easily. Now with the fast-moving Twenty-First Century media, it is possible to fall far behind in just a few days.
When I work a week of nights I often surface to discover I have missed out on an entire news cycle and the rest of the world appears to be on a different wavelength to me. This is exacerbated during the summer, because even if I do wake up in the day and turn on the TV for half an hour, I am confronted either with a civilised flashback to the 1930s, or a house full of people who have no more idea of current events than I do.
Here are some things I missed while I was working nights:
- The London Bombings
- The Buncefield depot explosion
- Michael Jackson's death
Obviously I discover about the events later on, but by then you can only piece together information from snippets such as, "the de Menezes are demanding a full enquiry" or "Karen Matthews looked a shadow of her former self as she was led away". It loses its immediacy and you are forever catching up with people who saw it unfold live.
As a police officer, let alone as one who blogs, I need to have my finger on the pulse of modern thought and feeling. Instead, sometimes it's a struggle to feel my own pulse.
Still, the joy of the modern media is that whether or not you have missed out on a juicy news story altogether, you can be sure that an identical one will come around within the year.
As a police officer, let alone as one who blogs, I need to have my finger on the pulse of modern thought and feeling. Instead, sometimes it's a struggle to feel my own pulse.
Still, the joy of the modern media is that whether or not you have missed out on a juicy news story altogether, you can be sure that an identical one will come around within the year.
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'Diary of an On-Call Girl' is available in some bookstores and online.
15 Comments:
Our Comms staff told us over the air about MJ!
02 July, 2009 18:47
Michael Jackon's dead?!?
02 July, 2009 21:18
Who is Michael Jackson?
Ray.
02 July, 2009 23:08
Oh, please...he was just a singer.
Anyway, who is Karen Matthews? And this Shannon who was abducted, what did the police do about it? Nothing, because we are all part of the conspiracy and probably abducted her ourselves. Am I right? I don't know, I must have been on night duty when all this happened.
03 July, 2009 05:27
ANON @01:35
well put , you have sold me. Now keep watching the skies, adjust your silver foil hat and keep taking your meds :-)
03 July, 2009 12:01
I nearly missed
The sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise. I watched it on TV when I had a tea with a security guard.
The start of Gulf War 1. Message came over the Police radio. 'We have started bombing'
I woke up after nights, flicked on the TV and the Bradford Stadium fire unfolded before my eyes.
I was on a late for 9.11 Trade Towers. I went to the kitchen for a tea, the TV was on as usual but admin staff were crowding around it. A plane had hit the tower. We thought it was a small private plane but when the footage of the passenger jet hitting the second tower was broadcast, we were speechless..
04 July, 2009 00:50
Insp Hobbes said..."Oh please he was just a singer" about Michael Jackson. Sudden death of a previously fit and healthy man, days before he was due to start U.K live shows - singing what may be deemed "dangerous music".....singing "All I want to say is, THEY don't care about us". The sort of stuff that would inspire changes in mass thinking via music. The musicians and singers have since the dawn of civilization, told a story or got a message across via their songs.
Michael Jackson was a bit more than "just a singer". R.I.P Michael, falsely accused and smeared by the media, the most underhanded method of hurting or ruining someone, by lies. Evil.
Soooo, Insp Hobbes, you are West Yorks I see, from your defensive and dismissive comment. Curious that you would volunteer that information. But they do say that confession is a relief, as well as good for the soul. I doubt very much that "all the police" are in on a conspiracy. I trust that there are more good cops than dodgy ones, and that good will prevail over evil.
Max ....old worn out, 2nd hand put down, adopted from Copperfield's book, and blog. Indicates arrogance and a narrow minded ignorant attitude. A "flat earther" or someone with an agenda to belittle and undermine the whistleblower.
Max....Blow it out of your a**!
05 July, 2009 03:52
Who's bad?
Sorry
Who's dead?
(very bad joke)
05 July, 2009 10:53
ANON>
I think that you would have earned far more serious replies if you had taken the time to structure and evidence your arguments better. Instead, you come off as slightly unstable and in my honest opinion one step removed from a street corner , placard wearing "they are among us" hell and brimstone spouting SPG.
Im sure the powers that be have enough on their plate without offing MJ as you so passionatley insinuate. I must point out that normal "fit and healthy" people can and DO suddenly drop dead. I have seen it happen.
Oh I'd like to say that my comments towards your choice of headgear were not as a result of reading DC's book. Im afraid it is common language for many people in various services that encounter people who maybe "not quite right."
05 July, 2009 12:40
Don't..Do it! - every blogger gets random anon posters who's feeble attempts at fame aspire to leaving random negative ramblings at 03:52 to get a rise out of people. They don't need an answer, they need Relate.
Y'can get news feeds to your mobile PC Bloggs btw.
05 July, 2009 14:10
The song you quote 'thwy don't really care about us' must've been out for over a decade. And there hasn't been a bloody revolution in that period. Why would it suddenly start one on this world tour?
I agree with max, see a shrink mate.
And Lenon was genious, insightful and intelligent. Jackson was talented, and lets admit it, a bit weird.
Jack.
05 July, 2009 16:13
And the insults aimed at a female officer, from arrogant and rather ignorant male readers are fine by you then Bloggsy?
In my long experience, often the first thing out of a guilty/abusive man's mouth, is the slur of a put down, which questions the mental state of a whistleblower who reveals a scandal, or an inconvenient truth.
What is "not quite right" in fact, is the high and mighty attitude of many in the system, and the abuses of power that happen. One such blatant abuse of power, is to threaten whistleblowers with Sec 136, to silence and undermine them. That used to happen in communist countries, when the state didn't want the truth to come out. Is that what we have evidence of here?
Apart from a insulting slur against a fellow officer - irritated and annoyed about a blatant injustice, but not in need of any "meds" thanks. Just my pay.
09 July, 2009 02:39
Last reader... huh?
09 July, 2009 14:34
"Last reader...huh?" If that's a question asking who annoyed me, the answer has to be the one who made the first insulting put down, and that was Max. I was just irritated by the ignorance and stupidity of "Wheels" blah blah, and Jack's assumptions.
IF, and it's a very big IF, I wanted "Fame", I know exactly how to achieve that poison chalice.
But I don't want "fame" thanks, which is why I have posted anonymously. It is to be hoped that "Wheels" isn't a detective!
Men! The women really do need to take over the running of this world Bloggsy......and put them on the naughty step until they behave.
10 July, 2009 03:25
anonymous, I'm a female and I'm sorry but you sound like one of those mental and bitter women that cause blokes to treat us like fragile maniacs.
16 August, 2009 20:17
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