“License and registration, sir”

It was around midnight when three editors from Latino Reporter Digital climbed into their rental car at the Broward County Convention Center for the short ride back to their hotel rooms.

As they approached the exit gate, a cop stepped out from a cruiser, blue lights blinking and waved the editors over. Puzzled, they pulled over and wondered, “Why stop us?”

No question. Security here is tight. The convention center is behind guarded gates presumably because it’s near a shipping port. You want to get in, you show an ID at the gate. Every day.

But we digress. Back to our editors, who by now had speculated that they couldn’t possibly have been stopped for speeding. And while the students may think they’re tough, they’re really not that menacing or suspicious.

“License and registration, sir,” the cop demanded as he trained a flashlight into the car. “Where do you work?” he asked the editor who was driving. “USAToday,” the editor responded, handing over a license and the rental car contract.

The cop takes the items, disappears for a couple of minutes and returns them. “Just a routine check,” he said, and the editors moved along.