Doing my part to force crackheads underground.

I live in a pleasant little neighborhood. It's not the best neighborhood, but I like it.
There are lots of children, which I make it a habit to get to know them and from which houses they belong. I live on a corner lot and I kinda keep an eye out. When a stray dog attacked a little girl on a bike, I was the first one out there with my stick to beat the dog away.
I'm a country girl and that's just the way we do things.
I hire the children to unload my groceries.
They come to me for help on their homework, or sewing a costume, or just to watch Little House on the Prairie with me at 7:00 in the evenings.
I went to the neighborhood convenience store one evening last Summer, and was shocked to see a display case full of crack pipes, and some kids on tippie-toes looking in. I said to the manager: "You can't sell those. Drugs are illegal!". He got all excited and started waving his arms around and said "If I had to remove everything from my store that could be used to do drugs, I couldn't sell anything!".
I doubted the Icee machine could make an effective crack pipe, and I engaged him in a brief arguement, he got so shook up that he couldn't even count my change back.
So. I went home and called the police. They wouldn't help, I called my district representative, he agreed that it was a travesty, but couldn't help. So I made a sign and went back. I walked up and down the sidewalk with my sign and showed it to every car and customer.
The manager of "Mr. C's" quickly boxed up his merchandise and called the police. The first Norman police officer went in and took the complaint. The manager told him that I was lying, that he didn't sell crack pipes, I was disturbing his customers and being dangerous to traffic.
The officer walked out to me. He had mirrored glasses on. He got up in my face and told me that I could be in trouble for defaming "Mr.C.", I told him that they sold crack pipes. He got real close to my face and said: "How do you know they're crack pipes ma'am - Do You Smoke Crack?" I got a little indignant on him and said: "I most certainly do not! and would you please remove your glasses? You're giving me the creeps!"
He lifted his glasses, and I could see that he was slightly amused. He said he was going to go talk to the manager to see what he wanted to do about me. (Like what, press charges?)
As he was walking back to the store, another officer pulled up. As he stopped briefly to talk to the other officer, a customer who was pumping gas hollered "Right on, Sister." Then he hung up the gas pump and walked over to the officers. He told them that the store did indeed sell crack pipes, and that the manager had boxed them up.
So... Both officers and that nice man went into the store and told the manager to show them the box of merchandise. Sure enough there were lots of crack pipes.
The officer had an entirely different tone when he came back out. He ALMOST apologised to me. He told me I was right, I was within my rights, just stay off their property and don't cause any wrecks. Have a nice day ma'am.
OOOH the manager was pissed! He was watching out the window.
I kept on picketing. A few neighbors drove by and waved.
After about another half-hour, a big new Lincoln Navigator pulled up. It was the owner of 7 convenience stores all named "Mr. C's". Shawn Islam. He asked me to come inside. I refused, thinking it would give him an opportunity to have me arrested. The negotiations began. I got a signed and notarized affidavit that says they will never sell crack pipes or drug paraphernalia in any of their stores. AND that it was all a misunderstanding because the "Vendor represented the merchandise as Indian Incense Burners". Yeah right!
Anyway. Mission accomplished. The manager of that store HATES ME, HATES ME, HATES ME.
My point is, I don't think crack pipes are something that should be on display at the local quickie mart. Put them in a room behind a black curtain, or in a shop that only allows adults in. Not in a place where children buy their Icees. And If there is a market for crack pipes in my neighborhood, I want to know. This isn't a store in a mainstream area. No interstate traffic. Not inbetween here and there. It services my neighborhood only.
That manager can kiss my azz.
I won!