Jason White, a singer and songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, tells the story of his encounter with the American court system. On his way to a concert in South Dakota, he forgets to remove something from his knapsack at the airport and is arrested.

Throughout the story Jason maintains his sense of humor, sometimes trying to joke with police... and sometimes reminding himself not to. The wry humor of his story is also felt in how he mixes informal and formal language. You'll hear formal expressions such as

• inebriated (drunk)
• the princely sum (amount)
• the record of my misdeeds was expunged (no record of my mistakes was kept)
• resides (lives)

You'll also hear informal or slang expressions, like these:

• yup (yes)
• hoosegow (jail)
• to bust (to break; to arrest)
• poor bastards (an expression of sympathy)

Before listening, think about the following questions:

1. What should one not bring aboard an airplane?
2. What happens if one does try to bring something prohibited
3. onto a plane?
4. If you are arrested, is it worth paying a lawyer to help?
5. What about people who can't afford a lawyer?

It's all backed with the easygoing style of Jason's music. Enjoy!