Longtime readers will know I once hashed in the D.C. area from time to time (okay, about five times). Hashing is a crazy, sometimes exhilarating mix of running and drinking (yes, drinking). Two “hares” set out on a 3-5 mile course through the city, and mark it with flour or chalk. The rest of the group follows on the run. The trail marks can include false leads, forks, and dead ends, and sometimes lead through subways, art galleries, etc. There are beer stops before, during and after. Then, you sing raunchy songs and women show their breasts. It’s good fun, and it’s been going on all over the world for 70+ years.

Anyway, two hashers were arrested this past weekend for marking a trail with flour through an Ikea parking lot in New Haven. I suppose the initial overreaction is somewhat understandable, though a cursory investigation should have told police this wasn’t a terrorist attack. That they’re now being charged with felonies is sheer idiocy. Why can’t local officials ever just admit that they screwed up? Someone’s always gotta’ pay.

I’ll defer to John Cole now:

It is absurd. You are safe. I am safe. This nation is safe. Quit being such a damned pussy. All of you.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 27th, 2007 at 6:58 pm by Radley Balko and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.