I had my first experience of jury duty today. I'd say there were about 100 of us in a long room with varnished pressed wood walls. We sat there pretty much all day, waiting to be called. But nothing happened. So we go again tomorrow, and then maybe we go home.
I asked the clerk, this wonderful bloke who looked like he just got poured out of the bar next door, and had a wonderfully mellow way about him (unlike the guard at the entrance of the building, who kept barking at us to get into two lines -- like it mattered) - What's the craziest excuse you've ever heard to get out of jury duty, once they're here. He told me, "Well, today, someone told me the toilet seats are unacceptable, they need to leave.
For real.
Apparently, don't try that at home. It doesn't work.
The funny thing is, it feels like our lives are so saturated with law shows and movies, you're interpreting everything around you in a weirdly dramatic way. So for instance, coming back from lunch I dropped my water bottle. And the first thought I had was, Will anyone think this is some kind of signal I'm making? Hello, crazy. Or when I was leaving for lunch I kept thinking someone was going to come up to me and talk about "the case". Except I didn't have a case. I had been sitting in the room watching music videos on my iPod and cackling over "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog" (which, if you haven't seen it, go get it at iTunes. Some great musical numbers).
So again, hello, crazy.
If I do get on a case, after each witness I'm going to make that Law & Order sound effect. "Your witness." "DUN-DUN." It must be done.
Wish me luck.
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