oxy
20-Dec-2003, 20:28
Dad - Son, come in here, we need to talk.
Son - What's up, Dad?
Dad - There's a scratch down the side of the car. Did you do it?
Son - I don't believe, if I understand the definition of "scratch the
car", that I can say, truthfully, that I scratched the car.
Dad - Well, it wasn't there yesterday, and you drove the car last
night, and no one else has driven it since. How can you explain the
scratch?
Son - Well, as I've said before, I have no recollection of scratching
the car. While it is true that I did take the car out last night, I
did not scratch it.
Dad - But your sister, Monica, has told me she saw you back the car
against the mailbox at the end of the driveway, heard a loud scraping
sound, saw you get out to examine the car, and then drive away. So
again I'll ask you, yes or no, did you scratch the car?
Son - Oh, you mean you think you have evidence to prove I scratched
it. Well, you see, I understood you to mean did "I" scratch the car. I
stand by my earlier statement, that I did not scratch the car.
Dad - Are you trying to tell me you didn't drive the car into the
mailbox?
Son - Well, you see sir, I was trying to drive the car into the
street. I mishandled the steering of the car, and it resulted in
direct contact with the mailbox, though that was clearly not my
intent.
Dad - So you are then saying that you did hit the mailbox?
Son - No sir, that's not my statement. I'll refer you back to my
original statement that I did not scratch the car.
Dad - But the car did hit the mailbox, and the car did get scratched
as a result of this contact?
Son - Well, yes, I suppose you could look at it that way.
Dad - So you lied to me when you said you did not scratch the car?
Son - No. No, that's not correct. Your question was "Did I scratch the
car?". From a strict legal definition, as I understood the meaning of
that sentence, I did not scratch the car... the mailbox did... I was
merely present when the scratching occurred. So my answer of "No" when
you asked "Did I scratch the car" was legally correct, although I did
not volunteer information.
Dad - Where in the hell did you learn to be such a smart ass?
Son - From the President of the United States.
Dad - I see.
Son - What's up, Dad?
Dad - There's a scratch down the side of the car. Did you do it?
Son - I don't believe, if I understand the definition of "scratch the
car", that I can say, truthfully, that I scratched the car.
Dad - Well, it wasn't there yesterday, and you drove the car last
night, and no one else has driven it since. How can you explain the
scratch?
Son - Well, as I've said before, I have no recollection of scratching
the car. While it is true that I did take the car out last night, I
did not scratch it.
Dad - But your sister, Monica, has told me she saw you back the car
against the mailbox at the end of the driveway, heard a loud scraping
sound, saw you get out to examine the car, and then drive away. So
again I'll ask you, yes or no, did you scratch the car?
Son - Oh, you mean you think you have evidence to prove I scratched
it. Well, you see, I understood you to mean did "I" scratch the car. I
stand by my earlier statement, that I did not scratch the car.
Dad - Are you trying to tell me you didn't drive the car into the
mailbox?
Son - Well, you see sir, I was trying to drive the car into the
street. I mishandled the steering of the car, and it resulted in
direct contact with the mailbox, though that was clearly not my
intent.
Dad - So you are then saying that you did hit the mailbox?
Son - No sir, that's not my statement. I'll refer you back to my
original statement that I did not scratch the car.
Dad - But the car did hit the mailbox, and the car did get scratched
as a result of this contact?
Son - Well, yes, I suppose you could look at it that way.
Dad - So you lied to me when you said you did not scratch the car?
Son - No. No, that's not correct. Your question was "Did I scratch the
car?". From a strict legal definition, as I understood the meaning of
that sentence, I did not scratch the car... the mailbox did... I was
merely present when the scratching occurred. So my answer of "No" when
you asked "Did I scratch the car" was legally correct, although I did
not volunteer information.
Dad - Where in the hell did you learn to be such a smart ass?
Son - From the President of the United States.
Dad - I see.