Date:         Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:07:08 -0800
Reply-To:     jon <jon@KENNEKE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         jon <jon@KENNEKE.COM>
Subject:      Re: The flattery of flashing blue lights
Comments: To: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <bfb5ccc40711101851s34d788b8s7ebc08c575619354@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

That's a great story. I had a similar(ish) experience last year:

I was driving our 1983 Vanagon Diesel several blocks from home. Key word:
Diesel. Sure, it's a 1.9NA, but still slow. Well, I see flashing lights
behind me. I pull over, thinking they will zoom past. No, they were
pulling me over. I thought I probably had a burned out brake light, or
something like that.

No, it was for speeding. When the officer told me this, I chuckled
(probably a bad move), and asked him how fast he thought I was going. He
told me 45 MPH (in a 35). I explained to him that I just had turned on to
that street, and I just couldn't get to that speed in less than a block.
He didn't get me on radar, he was "pacing me". All I saw was him come up
to me fast, and turn on the lights. He never did pace me. Gave me a ticket
anyway.

I took the ticket to court, and came with all the data for a 1983 Diesel
Vanagon (zero to 60 times, etc). I was prepared to have some fun.

Well, the officer didn't show up, so the ticket was dismissed. I didn't
get to have my fun.

I tell people to ALWAYS (if court is easy to get to) plead not guilty and
take it to court. This was not the first time I've had a ticket dismissed
(which is another funny story...but I wasn't in a VW then). Of course,
don't break the law, as well. IANAL, YMMV, and other CYA stuff.

Jon


On Sat, 10 Nov 2007, Old Volks Home wrote:

> This reminds me of a humorous situation involving my late father and
> the local gendarmes and judge in Gallup, NM, circa October 1966
> (pre-I-40 days).  Doesn't involve a Vanagon, but it does involve a VW
> Beetle, a vintage 1950 Split Window w/a 36hp and full crashbox
> tranny......
>