Some days ago I came out of yoga and sat on the ledge of a monument on a posh and busy street (Serrano). I rolled a cigarette and just as I was sprinkling the minimal amount of weed I was carrying I heard a voice calling me out. I looked up and there was a policeman looking out the window of the cruiser on the passenger side, about seven meters away from where I was. He said “what are you doing” and I said “rolling a cigarette” and he said “are you sure it’s a cigarette” and I smiled because I knew they had caught me in the act, sprinkling oregano on my tobacco taco.

He came out of the car and said “show me your hands don’t throw anything away”. I kept my hands visible as he approached me. I explained that I had just a tiny amount which I had already sprinkled on my cigarette. The baggie was there, the cop took a look inside, and his partner came out to see what was going on.

I could sense their disappointment. “But why here where it’s so busy? Go somewhere less public” one of them said. I shrugged “Sorry I didn’t think about it”. “Do you have any prior convictions”, “no” I answered. “Good” he said. I was afraid they were going to ask to see my ID, which I was not carrying physically, but they didn’t. They let me go saying “Go somewhere more secluded” (I was frankly surprised they would advise me on how I should break laws they don’t want to enforce). They left and I finished rolling it around the corner.

I’m always flummoxed in my interactions with the police, they have evident biases. They thought I was a a certain kind of person when they called me out from the car (using a Madrid-cockney cadence), and when they got close to me their tone changed. They give free passes to those whom they consider “good citizens”, and whom they consider a good or bad citizen largely depends on perceived class.

I’ve seen it happen dozens times, they ignore security protocols simply because I don’t look like the kind of person who would commit a crime (of a certain kind). If I had a desperate need to provide for my family I’d totally go for the Breaking Bad model and I think I’d have great success because of cop’s prejudices on what a criminal looks like. My belonging were not checked, not even asked to see an ID.

Not to complain about my privilege, I was careless and the police gave me a free pass which they should have given to anyone else in the same circumstances, but I doubt they would do it.