Dialogue in a Car on Route 107 in Nassau County, New York

Give It a Rest, Socrates, by Jacques Louis David

SOCRATES: I must ask, my friend, are you going to continue to drive in this manner?

TIMAEUS: My apologies, Socrates, but I am distracted by the efforts of that police officer to pull over yonder van.

SOCRATES: Is that what you perceive is occurring?

TIMAEUS: Yes, for the pursuing vehicle is displaying emergency lights.

SOCRATES: So I see. But is it not also a Nissan Sentra?

TIMAEUS: You are right, Socrates, it is indeed a Nissan Sentra.

SOCRATES: And are police departments in this area known to utilize the Nissan Sentra?

TIMAEUS: No, Socrates, they are not.

SOCRATES: Indeed, are police departments in any area known to utilize the Nissan Sentra?

TIMAEUS: If so it has not been reported to me, Socrates.

SOCRATES: And police officers signal to other vehicles by using sirens, do they not?

TIMAEUS: Yes, all would agree that is the common practice.

SOCRATES: But do I observe correctly that this driver is attempting to signal the van by blowing an air horn he has stuck out of the window?

TIMAEUS: Yes, that is indisputable.

SOCRATES: And this is not a common practice among police officers, is it, Timaeus?

TIMAEUS: No, Socrates, we just established that, like, two questions ago. Also, I keep telling you, it’s just Tim.

SOCRATES: Then we may conclude from our observations that this driver is not, in fact, a police officer, is that not so, Timaeus?

TIMAEUS: <sighs> Yes, Socrates, that is the only conclusion one may draw.

SOCRATES: He must therefore be attempting to impersonate one?

TIMAEUS: Certainly.

SOCRATES: And in this situation, is not the van he pursues likely to be full of real police officers, given what we know of the world?

TIMAEUS: Yes, Socrates, the presence of many real police officers inside the van is certain.

SOCRATES: Just so.