This is a more detailed story of something that happened to me, a while ago.
I've always had the habit of climbing tall structures and trees. And so one sunday, when i walked pass a large construction site, i could not resist. There was a large building completely packed with scaffolds and i just knew the sight from the top would be great, and the thing itself would be easy to climb.
But when i had reached to top of the building, a police helicopter came flying by. And they spotted me. They kept hovering right in front of me. I could literally see the facial expressions of the guys inside. So i climbed down as quickly as i could.
But the helicopter didn't go away. They clearly did not have the intention to let me get away with it.
I had read in the local paper before that burglars had ransacked this construction site before. They've stolen building materials and tools and equipment.
Maybe those cops where thinking that i had something to do with these thefts as well, i don't know.
But they kept following me with their helicopter. Luckily though, my hometown is small and completely surounded by forest area. So i ran as fast as i could to the forest. I figured that this would be a more difficult place for them, to navigate policecars towards me.
But they just kept following me, hovering only 30 meters or so, above me.
I thought that if i would go off the path, into more rugged and densely grown terain, they would have to climb to a higher altitude if they still wanted to be able to give the folks on the ground my position. So i did, and it seemed to work.
Eventually i managed to ditch them, wich probably had more to do with luck than anything else.
And then, one day, many, many months later, when i was just shopping, a police helicopter flew over.
I realised that i was wearing the same hat, as when i had this previous encounter with the helicopter guys. And that they maybe would be able to recognise me by that hat.
I hesitated for a second, and then i quickly decided to take it off.
Maybe that was a big mistake. Maybe they had already seen me. I hope i'll never find out.
But they'd spotted me, that's for sure.
First, everything seemed fine. The helicopter flew over, and the sound quickly faded in the distance. I felt relieved. But then the sound came back. It came closer and closer and closer.
I felt the urge to quickly run into an alley. But maybe there was another reason why they had come back, and i didn't want to draw any attention. So i tried to act calmly, and just kept on walking with my bag full of groceries.
But the sound became so loud, and i saw people on the street looking at me. So i looked up. And there it was. Hovering not more than 20 meters above me. And if i walked for another 50 meters, and i looked up again, it was still hovering right above me.
The only thing i could think of, was to run to the forest again. But this time, it wasn't a quiet sunday, and i was in the middle of a busy shopping area. So there where definately where more cops around. And they came. Running as fast as possible, taking small alleyways when possible, i managed to reach the forest before they could get me.
Again, i was running through the forest with a helicopter hovering above me. But now there where some cops, close behind me as well.
So i kept running. I was on rugged terain now, but i decided that this time it would probably better to find a path as quickly as possible: on a path, i could run faster than the cops behind me, until they would have reached the path as well ofcourse, but by that time the distance between me and them would have widened, wich would be a psychological advantage for me, and a disatvantage for them, i figured.
I eventually did manage to lose the cops behind me, but the helicopter was still hovering right above me.
The only thing that i could do now, is keep moving, and make sure that my direction was as unpredictable as i could. So i ran, and changed direction all the time. Waiting for the helicopter to run out of fuel.
Luckily, a helicpter is a machine that makes a hummer look like an ascetic monk when it comes to fule consumption.
After about one and a half hour, the noise started to fade.
this could be a trick however. So i stopped running, but i did not stop moving.
The noise was not from far away. I couldn't see it, but that didn't mean that they couldn't see me.
I don't know for how long exactly they kept following me. The noise did become quieter, but on the other hand, every engine type of sound i heared sounded just like a police helicopter to me, now. So i kept hearing helicopter sounds for quite a while.
Only after two more hours, i felt comfortable enough to go back home, taking a huge detour.
All this has had some impact on me. I do not enjoy climbing structures anymore. And whenever i hear a helicopter approaching, my hart starts beating faster. And also....they know what i look like without that hat now. An uncomfortable thought.