I'm a resident of Kenner, Louisiana...I was born and raised in New Orleans. I have never had a policeman speak to me in the manner that the policeman spoke to us while waiting for the Endiymon parade. We arrived out on St. Charles and Pleasant with my family and friends for the Iris Parade and the entire nutral ground was covered with tents and ladders...we saw everyone in the intersection with their ladders and chairs so we went to the back of the line and put up our two 6' ladders and 2 smaller step ladders. There were NO policemen out there for the 2-3 hours we watched the earlier parades...then we finally saw 4 policemen show up after Tucks and save their family places to park with their undercover vehicles...shortly after that they are escorting policemen family members to the front of the line to watch the Endymion parade. The policeman then decides to make his way in our direction and let my husband know that the ladders must come down immediately. My husband then replies that we have been out here all morning and no one told us that we couldn't put ladders up until now. Where are we to go in such a short notice? The policeman replies by saying it's not his problem...he just wants the ladders down. I was on the ladder and wasn't aware of what was going on... the policeman comes to the front and points to me saying, so your not getting off the ladder huh? I will then have your ladders confiscated. My husband then tells me to get off the ladder and explains what the policeman wants us to do... so we then ask the policeman why is it that we are the only ones taking our ladders down and they have several other ladders up blocking the intersection? He then walks away and tells the other people to take their ladders down. The parade starts shortly after that and people all around us then go with their ladders off to the side and continue to have them up in the intersection...we are now on the 12th float of the parade and another policeman in that group comes to us and tells us to get off the step ladders...I continue to ask the policeman why... because everyone else is standing on chairs and ice chest... what is the difference? He then tells me because it's a ladder and if I have a problem with that he can take me to jail...I was never so appalled and told him that that wasn't necessary to speak to me in that manner and he continued to speak to me disrespectfully so my family and I decided that all the fuss just wasn't worth it and left the parade. I could understand if we were drinking and acting up noxious for him to pin point us like that...but there was none of that going on. I am disgusted with the city of New Orleans and have told all my family and friends about this incident and will never go to another parade in the city again. New Orleans will never be the city I once knew and loved as a child growing up in Lakeview... as there is way to much corruption in the government and with the policeman still. This incident has put a bad taste in my mouth for trusting any of the policemen of New Orleans and with that note... I will continue my Mardi Gras celebration in my own city of Kenner knowing I will be much safer and spoken to in the manner our policeman are accustom to speaking to citizens. Thank you
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