“Move Off the Corner! …Oh Wait, Wrong Corner.”

A rookie police officer was out for his first ride in a cruiser with an experienced partner.

A call came in telling them to disperse some people who were loitering.

The officers drove to the street and observed a small crowd standing on a corner.

The rookie rolled down his window and said, “Let’s get off the corner, people!”

A few glances, but no one moved, so he shouted again, “Let’s get off that corner… Now!”

Still nothing. One guy even took a leisurely sip of his soda and raised an eyebrow at him.

Feeling embarrassed, the rookie turned to his partner.

“What’s their problem? Did I not sound firm enough?”

The veteran officer sighed, shook his head, got out of the cruiser, walked calmly to the corner, and tapped the rookie on the shoulder.

“Kid,” he said, pointing, “this is our corner.”

The rookie blinked, confused. “What do you mean our—?”

Just then the group burst out laughing. One of them yelled, “We’re the neighborhood watch. You just tried to disperse the volunteers!”

The rookie’s face turned red as his partner chuckled and clapped him on the back.

“Don’t worry,” the older officer said. “Happens to every rookie. Next time, we check the street sign before we try to clear a group of people who are literally here to help us.”

The rookie sank back into the cruiser, mortified, while the group waved cheerfully.

As they drove off, he groaned, “Can we pretend this didn’t happen?”

His partner grinned.

“Oh, absolutely not. This story’s going straight to the station’s break room wall.”