Carded

 Albert Street. 11 a.m.

Driving into the city to collect my mail from the post office seems like an innocuous enough thing to do. Australia Post have finally got with the program and have opened the desk in the box room on Saturday mornings so people can come and collect their parcels - something that's never been a problem until lockdown. I've always worked in the city, so getting to my Bourke Street post office box was never an issue until then.(And I have the box because living where I do, junkies knick your mail, and the box your parcels keeps safe). 

So this morning, as I'm driving along Albert Street, minding my own business, as I get to the Fitzroy Gardens, I see flashing lights, and the cars ahead of me coming to a stop. 

The cops are asking what business you have in town. 

Hmmm. 

I can see some method in this limited madness. The were probably there to deter protesters who want to make some mischief. I don't quite know why they were checking people - though saying that, I did spot a few police in what is a very empty city. There's nobody in the city at the moment. 

So, I did the right thing. I grabbed my mask and pulled out my drivers licence from my purse, just in case they wanted proof I was within 15 kilometres of the front door. 

I had a legitimate reason for being there. I waited my turn. 

Turns out, being a middle-aged woman in a mask, showing her driver's licence , alone in a car, is a good thing. He waved me through without a second thought. No questions. No nothing. Didn't even check my address. 

It might have been different if there were five of us in the car wearing high vis, sporting Southern Cross tatts and bushranger beards and an attitude. But as with airport officials, if you treat the police nicely, in my case, just sporting a mask and flashing my licence, you get no trouble.

Five minutes later I was at the post office, collecting my parcels, thanking the Parking Fairy for finding me a park outside. 

As much as I loathe lockdown, I'm going to miss the quiet roads and easy parking when we go back to "normal". 

And as much as I find it a bit of a novelty to be carded at my advanced age, there is a small part of me which isn't completely comfortable with being checked by the cops. 

I can't wait for all this to be over. 

Ah, well. 

Today's song: