In Pursuit

There were two high-speed chases on Los Angeles TV yesterday — one in the afternoon, one in the evening. I think the evening one dragged my favorite reporter-in-the-sky Stu Mundel away from shooting aerial shots of celebrating Dodgers fans.

I find it hard to not watch these things when they're on live. Some of that is my fascination with live TV and what it's like when the folks shooting and transmitting something truly have no idea what's about to happen. You sometimes get that with reality shows and sporting events but reality shows are recorded and edited for broadcast, and with both kinds of shows, they have a pretty good idea of the different kinds of things that might happen. They just don't know which one.

That interests me and so does the plight of the poor reporter who has nothing to say but has to say something. I like Mr. Mundel because he usually finds something to say besides "This guy is driving with absolutely no regard for anyone else" or "This is an extremely dangerous situation." Lately, they always seem to say, "Police believe this driver is possibly armed." If someone is driving like crazy to get away from the cops, don't the cops always assume the driver is "possibly armed?" Why would they ever be even reasonably certain he was not? Hell, these days, they should probably assume that anyone over the age of six, driving or walking or just sitting on a bench is "possibly armed."

Like you, I sometimes wonder what's going on in the minds of these drivers who have nine cop cars behind them and a couple of choppers overhead…and still flee like they think there's a chance in a zillion of getting away. Like you, I usually decide there's nothing going on in those minds — nothing rational, anyway. I guess they just figure that if they can stay out of cops' clutches a little while longer, lightning may strike all eight of those sheriffs' cars or the police may run into someone else's car and be disabled…or something. They only seem to get away once in a very great while, usually when they can get a lead on their pursuers and then duck into a covered parking lot or somewhere the helicopter can't see. And even that doesn't work most of the time. Still, it's damn hard not to watch.