Watch out Ponch!

I'm about 80% sure I saw Erik Estrada today while walking up South Market St. We had just finished breakfast at Il Fornaio and were walking around, when this guy starts crossing San Carlos St. with us. He was wearing a baggy black cotton vest, with a police badge over the left breast pocket, and those reflective aviator glasses that cops wear. I figured "weirdo", or "bounty hunter", or "paramilitary", or something. He also looked kind of like Ponch from CHiPS, but then again, maybe a lot of people look like Ponch. He was towing a wheeled carry-on bag, with an overnight back fastened to the handle, and headed towards the Fairmont.

I would have thought nothing of it; chalked it up to another Elvis-type sighting. Except, that as we were about half way across the street, this other guy waved at him and said "Hey, Erik!" They high-fived, and the new guy made a joke about "that million dollar cheque being in the mail."

Of course, I didn't have my camera with me. Once the surreality of the moment passed, I thought, "Hey, this is my first encounter with a TV star!" Well, except for that time I met Harry Anderson, and Steve Allen at the NBC studio in Burbank. Steve Allen was cool.