So many of us have busy days where we rush from one activity to another to finish everything by a certain time.
Everybody has experienced those days when finding time to use the restroom, much less plan our meals, is difficult.
But it’s lovely to have five minutes to unwind and eat when we have a break. A police officer has the same right.
One woman humiliated PC Andre Owen for stopping during his only break in a 12-hour duty to get lunch.
His social media answer has gone viral, and thousands have supported the dedicated officer.
Andre Owen knows that an officer’s day is not easy. He is also aware of the effort put forth by law enforcement personnel worldwide to maintain public safety because he is a police constable.
Of course, dedicated individuals like our police officers and cops occasionally need a break.
Even though they appear as superheroes and save lives, they are still human.
Police Constable Owens had been working nonstop for seven hours and still had a 100-mile drive and paperwork to finish when he took a break.
He made a brief stop at Burger King because he knew he needed to eat to get through the remaining hours of his shift.
Unfortunately, there was one customer in the restaurant who didn’t give a damn. Unexpectedly, she humiliated Owen by pointing out that he had purchased food while working.
PC When Owen was getting ready to go back in his car and drive the considerable distance back to his station, a woman spoke to him:
“Criminals need to be apprehended outside while you’re in here stuffing your face.”
The officer then launched the strongest possible defense.
Owen took to Twitter to convey his shock at the woman’s response to him taking a break to eat after spending an infinite amount of time assisting others.
He claimed that the woman criticizing him for purchasing food had been staring at him while waiting to pick up his order before remarking.
Following PC Owen’s viral post, many people supported the dedicated officer. Five years into his employment with the Sussex Police, Owen received more attention than he could have ever dreamed.
“I tweeted it, and it quickly gained much attention and excellent feedback. According to the Evening Standard, he stated that the purpose of the tweet was to inform the people about the reality behind what is typical in the UK rather than to express pity.
Before the woman yelled at him, the policeman had a very busy day, he said in a statement to The Mirror.
He was hungry, exhausted, and prepared to conclude his shift at 3 o’clock that day at 2 p.m.
I was given a major job in Brighton five minutes after I started my shift. I handled that, and then as part of the same assignment, single-crewed, I had to drive nonstop to Oxford.
“I made my first stop of the day at a service station for the restroom half an hour into the return trip. While there, I also purchased an apple pie, a double whopper meal, Coke, and a cappuccino.
When the unidentified female saw the officer in uniform, she assumed the worst about the circumstances.
While I waited, “a lady, eating her food, kept staring at me,” Owen recounted.
I took the meal, and she remarked, “While you’re in here stuffing your face, there are criminals that need catching.” I grinned and went away silently.
The cop claimed that after offering to assist a family with a broken-down automobile, his already lengthy shift—which had already been extended to 12 hours—became much longer.
He didn’t hesitate even though his shift had already ended. Owen intervened, stopped traffic flow, and helped a family escape danger.
“I then waited for recovery to get them while protecting everyone nearby with my blue lights. Owen said that my already lengthy day got longer by an hour because of it.
Unfortunately, he still had a hundred miles before reaching the station again. He had a mountain of papers to finish before he could go home.
At 7:00 pm, he finally concluded his shift.
I enjoy my job and, on the whole, wouldn’t trade it for the world, he continued, “even if it’s lengthy and the lady irritated me at the time.
Police ARE also people! I’m sure a lot of police can identify with PC Owen’s experience, and we appreciate all that he has done to keep our streets safe.
Even if the hours are hard and unappreciated, most police officers genuinely enjoy their work.
Risking your life for strangers, many of whom would loathe you for the little transgression of taking a lunch break, requires much commitment.
So, instead of making assumptions the next time you see an officer grabbing a quick bite, smile.
We don’t always know what they have gone through or what they may soon encounter. And keep in mind that police are also simply human.
