Five Long Minutes

On Wednesday, I was picking up my friend Darrin from school. He works in the school cafeteria, washing dishes there. I drove into the back parking lot of the school (Francis Howell South) and he got in the car. As we were trying to leave the parking lot, a woman with a badge on signalled that I should stop my car. She wasn't a cop though. She was a security guard at the school. Anyways, she asked why we were leaving. I told her that I had picked up my friend Darrin and we were heading out. She informed me that there was a problem with students running away from school and I needed permission if I was to leave with him. I explained to the lady that my friend wasn't a student, but he worked at the cafeteria. She called some person with her walkie talkie to report that I was taking off with a student. I was getting more than a little frustrated with the woman. The person on the walkie talkie said that no student was allowed to leave without a pass. Trying to figure out what to do, a light bulb went off in my head. I unscrewed it and took it out, and then I asked Darrin if he had any picture ID. Darrin found it and gave it to me. While the woman was probably getting ready to call the police on me, I showed her the non-driver's license and said, "Look. Darrin was born in 1969. He is not in high school!" The woman, looking embarrassed, said she was sorry, and let us go.