Sightseeing... the criminal way!

While I was in the Denver area the girls I was training asked what I had been to see. I told them I really hadn't ventured out... especially after my adventures in the Beast! They told me that I could take the light rail all the way from where we were at into downtown Denver to the 16th Street Mall. They said it was a good place to shop, eat and look around.

Sounded fun!

After training I went out to the station, looking around I didn't see a ticket office so I asked a couple of kids where to get tickets. They said I didn't need one.

I jumped on the E Line which took us past the Mile High Stadium, the Pepsi Center and ended up at the Union Station.

The 16th Street Mall was a fun street filled with shops, street vendors, outdoor cafés, and street entertainers.

I at lunch at the Denver Hard Rock Café

and particularly had a good time watching this self-made robot guy...

It was a good adventure but then I needed to get back. So I hop back on the light rail for a scenic ride back. At one stop a family with a couple of little girls got on. They were sitting next to me and the girls were telling me all about their fun day. The mom said something about she didn't know why they bought tickets for the ride, there wasn't anyone around to take them. I told them how I was told I didn't need them and she thought maybe it was just a way to take money from tourists!

Well as they got off at their stop, an officer of the light rail system got on. Guess what he was checking for... TICKETS! Guess who didn't have one... ME!

I explained to the nice officer my situation, how I was there from out of town, what the kids told me and he just laughed saying they were hoping to see me get a citation.

Well he needed to see my driver's license and while he called it in he lectured me on how I was stealing from the State of Colorado by not paying and that it's a criminal offense. Meanwhile, the whole train was watching. It was quite embarrassing!

Since I didn't have any *prior* warnings or tickets for this same crime, he wrote me a warning ticket and kindly asked me to step off at the next stop to purchase a ticket from a little vending machine. I was more than happy to do so since I had inquired about it at the beginning of my adventure.

So first the fender bender in the beast, now I am a public transportation thief.. what next?

I am beginning to think Denver hates me! *pout*