Some authority figures get so caught up in “doing their job” that they forget to check the facts first.

What would you do if a police officer stopped you on the sidewalk, accused you of skipping school, and refused to believe your story, even after you gave him the school’s name and schedule?

Would you argue with him? Or would you let him figure it out on his own?

In the following story, a young woman recounts this very thing happening to her as a teenager.

Here’s what happened.

Please officer, call the school I never attended to report me for playing “hooky”

Once upon a long time ago (2015), I was a 16F at the time. I was walking between my parents’ homes in the early afternoon on a Friday.

The school I attended at the time had a schedule of Monday-Thursday. This school was not only in a different town but also in a different county.

An officer saw me walking down the sidewalk, maybe 1/4 mile away from the high school in my hometown. He stops me and starts asking how old I am.

Of course, I don’t lie and admit I’m only 16, but I explained the schedule of my alternative HS. I even gave him the school name and told him what town it was in.

The officer called the school.

He started laughing at me. He called me a liar and tried putting me in the squad until I started telling him to at least call the school and run my name.

He gave me the “that’s a good idea” look and pulled out his phone.

He calls up the school and says, “I have OP name here, I’m about to bring her back now, what class should I throw her in?”

He was shocked and forced to let her go.

The very confused receptionist responded, “Well, we have one student currently here with that last name and another student with the same last name who graduated (my cousin, the one in attendance, was a 14m). There has never been a student with that first and last name who attended here.”

The officer’s mouth dropped open, and he slowly hung up the phone and let go of my arm.

He stepped back into his squad and told me to “not be out and about during these times to avoid confusion.”

Sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if I just let him bring me into the school. I’m 22 now and haven’t run into him since.

Wow! Bet he didn’t make that mistake again.

Let’s check out how the readers over at Reddit relate to this story.

Here’s someone who encountered a similar situation.

For this reader, she could’ve just kept walking.

This reader is unhappy with how the officer handled it.

Well, it’s old now.

The officer should’ve listened!

Next time, maybe he’ll confirm the details and not go off the rails.

If you liked that post, check this one about a guy who got revenge on his condo by making his own Christmas light rules.