“Actually,” Eli said, “it was. Two signs. They’re over there in the ditch where someone tossed ’em.” The younger officer walked over to retrieve the plywood signs, now caked in mud but still clearly legible.
Claire sighed. “Alright. Everyone parked here is getting cited for trespassing and illegal parking on private agricultural land. If you’d like to file a complaint, you’re welcome to do so downtown.” The woman exploded. “This is outrageous! I’m going to go viral with this!”
Claire nodded. “You might. That tends to happen when people film other people doing the right thing.” Eli tipped his hat and went back to planting. By late afternoon, someone did post a video. It showed Eli calmly seeding his crops while a group of angry shoppers stood stranded beside their trapped cars.
The caption read: “Farmer Gets His Epic Revenge on People Parking Illegally in His Field.” Within hours, it had been shared thousands of times. Eli didn’t care much for social media, but Margaret read him the comments that evening: “This man is a hero.” “We need more Eli Bauers in this world.” “Play stupid games, park in stupid places, get harvested.”