Orange coveralls are the proper uniform for visiting the casino located next to a jail.

There is a Harrah’s casino in Chester, PA that is right next to the jail located there. You can actually throw a stone from Harrah’s and it will land in the jail yard.

Of course, the convicts there are issued orange coveralls.

A couple of months ago a petroleum inspector gave me a set of orange coveralls after I told him I wanted a pair to wear for a visit to visit Harrah’s. At first the inspector told me that there was no way in hell he could get me a pair.

I told him to run it by his boss, and tell his boss that I wanted them to wear to Harrah’s, which he did.

When he returned he gave me a set with the stipulation that I tell his boss what happened when I wore them there. I think his boss saw the humor in it.

I am sending the inspector a hot link to this post to show his boss.

Anyway, it was this past October when this happened. The weather was pretty good and before I went, I made a pit stop at K-Mart to buy a matching set of bedroom slippers.

I pulled in, parked in the parking garage and wandered into the place clad in orange coveralls and bathroom slippers.

Now, you have to go through a security type checkpoint as you enter and there were a couple of security types I passed through.

Although they seemed the least bit startled to see a guy entering the place clad in the uniform of an inmate of the jail next door, they recovered pretty quickly and acted like they were just giving me a passing glance. I have to admit they were trained well. They said nothing and acted like I was welcome.

 I wandered around a bit trying to figure out what was where and had the feeling I was being watched by a group of hawks, yet I saw nobody, even though I was keeping my eyes peeled for security types.

Then it occurred to me that I wasn’t going to see any security types because the security type watching me was sitting in a room behind a bunch of computer monitors and watching me with the use of cameras.

Then again, there probably were a couple of plainclothes security types eyeing me, but they seemed to be pretty damned good if they were because I never made anyone to be one.

I figured that the guy watching me through the monitor ought to think I was unaware of him so I looked around quickly and when I saw nobody on the floor looking at me, I gave my groin a pretty good scratching.

It’s one of those things we all do, but make sure nobody’s looking before we do. I did it to let the guy watching me think I was unaware of him.

I just knew that at that point I wasn’t going to get out of there without some sort of questioning, so I decided to make it easy for them. I wandered over to a corner where it looked like it would be a pretty easy place to pick me up and sure enough, that’s what happened.

Two policemen, the real kind that get paid by the taxpayers quickly whisked me into a small room. The whole process took only a couple of seconds and was very discreet. I knew these two were well trained.

Of course, I played dumb. Instant hillbilly, a real Gosh-Golly Jethro Bodine, just add cops.

They asked me for some ID and it just took a few seconds to figure out that I was not some escaped convict, but some guy that had just walked in off the street.

The larger of the two cops asked me why I was dressed in orange coveralls and I told him they were work clothes and were orange for safety.

“Yeah, well there’s a jail over there and that’s what they wear,” said the other officer.

I feigned enlightenment.

‘You mean to tell me that there’s a jail next door and I’m wearing a prison uniform like a convict?” I asked.

They both nodded.

‘Why my momma told me that if I ever done got throwed in jail, she’d disown me!”  I said, indignantly. “I guess I better get me a new set of clothes before I come in here again!”

The big officer, suppressing a smirk, told me it might be a good idea.

“Huh,” I said. “Who da ever thought I’d be next to a prison dressed like a jailbird!” Both officers were hard pressed not to smirk and we left the room where I was met outside by a security type who quietly apologized to me.

He offered to comp me a free meal and a couple of drinks to smooth over things and I accepted.

I grabbed a shot of Irish and pretty good sized plateful at an excellent buffet and noticed a few people looking at me oddly. I left a tip and then went home.

It was an excellent little adventure.

my other blog is: http://officerpiccolo.blogspot.com/ http://piccolosbutler.blogspot.com/