As you’ve probably heard, home childcare providers have voted overwhelmingly to unionize. (I don’t know about you but I myself am all agog to see what the General Assembly will be cutting from a budget that is already approximately $100 million in the red so as to increase the compensation to these providers. Programs for the elderly? The disabled …?) The balloting took place at several locations over the course of five days, from October 26 through October 30 inclusive.

Below, in reverse order, is a description of my two attempts to witness the election.

On Wednesday evening, October 30, I arrived at Building #73, 1511 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston – yes, one of the polling locations was at the RI Department of Labor and Training – at around 8:30 pm. What I took to be a Cranston police officer and at least one other gentleman were visible through the glass enclosed entrance. They watched as I approached. When I got within hailing distance, the police officer stepped out and asked me if I was here to vote. I said, no, I’d like to take your picture. He said in some surprise, my picture? I said, a picture of the entrance with you in it. He said something like, no go. I said, okay and may have reflexively thanked him. He wished me, in all sincerity, a good evening.

Staying anywhere in that parking lot to observe would have been impossible as there was no spot in it that was more than 200 feet of the entrance. Was that one of the factors that went into choosing that location?

Nevertheless, it was a markedly more relaxed interaction than four days earlier at the CCRI building in Lincoln.

I arrived at 1762 Louisquisset Pike a little before 4:00 pm that Saturday. After wandering around the parking lot a few minutes getting my bearings, I approached the entrance to the building, where the unionization vote was taking place and where a Rhode Island State Trooper was standing. He stopped me and asked if I was voting in the election. I said no. He said something like, then you cannot enter. I said, okay politely, may or may not have reflexively thanked him, turned and walked away. I spotted a friend who was standing some distance from the entrance – more than 200 feet from the entrance, as it turned out, though at this point, I was unaware of the 200 foot “rule” – and went and chatted with him. Shortly thereafter, another friend joined us.

We wondered at the sight of a Rhode Island State Trooper, complete with standard issue firearm, standing guard outside the entrance to the election and, effectively, pre-screening voters. I wanted a picture of the Trooper at the entrance but worried that that might turn out to be a personal security no-no, not just for him but for any police officer. Then I spotted his vehicle. A picture of that would be much less of a security threat. I walked towards it, took a picture, decided it wasn’t tight enough, pressed the zoom on my camera and took another. As I was taking the second picture, one of my friends exclaimed my name and something inaudible. It didn’t register immediately and I started to walk back towards my friends. Then I turned around and looked towards the building, where the election was taking place, to see the State Trooper was walking briskly across the parking lot towards me. He almost certainly wasn’t coming to give me photography pointers.

I deliberately reversed direction and took some steps towards him. As he got within speaking distance, it was clear that he was tense and angry. He said something like, I told you to stay more than 200 feet away from the entrance. If you come within 200 feet again, you will be arrested. I responded (hopefully) in a level tone, You did not tell me to stay 200 feet away but now that you have, I will do so. He turned and walked back to his post at the entrance and I rejoined my friends in the over 200 foot “safe” zone.

Tip for cardio-work-out enthusiasts who might find themselves, on a given day, short on time to do their usual work-out: have a Rhode Island State Trooper threaten to arrest you and mean it. It elevates the heart rate wondrously.

As the vast majority of Rhode Islanders do, I have a very high opinion, indeed, of Rhode Island’s State Trooper force. There are several reasons for this, two of the big ones being their professionalism and their impartiality. A third reason, for me, anyway, is that they – along with a nicely nosy press – are one of the few bastions that the state has against corruption and the abuse of both political power and tax dollars by our elected officials.

This was very much in my mind as I was thinking back on the incident this morning while doing a more prosaic work-out. That’s when it occurred to me.

Such a reaction did not comport with either the situation or the training that State Troopers receive. Accordingly, what in the world was that Trooper told about either the conduct of the election or potential election crashers that he would react in such an uncharacteristically (for a Rhode Island State Trooper) edgy manner to the situation?

[Monique is editor of the RI Taxpayer Times newsletter and spokesperson for R.I. Taxpayers. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the organization.]