Photo courtesy of SLOG

Budging in line

I never heard the term "budge in line" before I moved to Minnesota from Florida. I'm not sure if it is a regionalism or a twist in the turnings of perpetual semantic change that is part of the English language.

I do like the term though. It makes me smile because it makes me think of budgies and calls to my mind, with the use of the word  "budge," a minuscule amount of space that one person unfairly advances ahead of others while waiting in a queue.  This slight alteration of course results in upset because it infringes on the incremental advancement of other persons in that same queue.

The story of the Indiana father and son who were cutting, budging and butting in line has turned my thoughts in this direction.


Father and son arrested in Indiana after cutting in line

A 26-year old man, Edward R. Pluhar Jr., and his father, Edward R. Pluhar Sr., cut to the front of the line at the Wal-Mart service desk on Sunday. Officer Chris Kirby was off duty and in that same line with his wife and daughter.

Officer Kirby approached the line butters and asked them to wait their turn. The father, 61-year-old Edward R. Pluhar Sr., then asked Kirby if he wanted to "step outside."  The officer asked what Pluhar's intentions were if they stepped outside and Pluhar Sr. allegedly said he would kick Kirby's a_ _ and also suggested he might shoot him.

That's just crazy talk! Especially to a police officer! But remember that the plural Pluhars did not know that Chris Kirby was an officer of the law. It was at this antagonistic moment that Officer Kirby revealed to the two line budgers that he was a police officer and according to AP reports:

Kirby followed the men into the parking lot where they scuffled. Other officers arrived and arrested both Pluhars. They were released after posting bond.

But wait! There's more to this story!

Pluhar Sr., however, gave a different version of events leading up to his arrest.

"There's a lot more to the story," he said.

He said his son had waited in line for 25 minutes once and been sent by a clerk to exchange an item. When he returned, Pluhar Sr. said the clerk waved his son to the front of the line, and Kirby objected.

He said his son tried to explain the situation, but Kirby insulted him, at which point Pluhar Sr. asked Kirby to step outside but Kirby laughed at him. Pluhar Sr. also denied Kirby's claim that the older man threatened to shoot him. He said he and his son tried to walk away from the confrontation, but Kirby followed them outside.

Pluhar Sr. said Kirby never identified himself as a police officer and he only found out he was an officer from other police at the scene.

"What I did was wrong, but that doesn't make what he did right," Pluhar said.

Edward R. Pluhar Jr. was preliminarily charged with battery on a police officer, while his father was arrested on charges of intimidation and criminal recklessness with a weapon. Police said Pluhar backed into Kirby's leg as he attempted to leave the parking lot while Kirby was standing behind the vehicle.

Associated Press

Photos of the line budgers and further coverage at NowPublic

Edward R. Pluhar Sr. and Edward R. Pluhar Jr.
Photo courtesy of NowPublic


Barney Fife or Hero?


Photo courtesy of policecatalog.com

Do you think Officer Kirby was being a Barney Fife or do you applaud the officer in his implementation of the criminal justice system?