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Date:         Fri, 7 Jan 2011 15:00:06 -0700
Reply-To:     Ken Wyatt <57skibum@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ken Wyatt <57skibum@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: VW Van Profiling
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTikg2Z0t=UF3F7EK4-XAgByrnevRSKqx_BWhmQWO@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I've been tailgated in my westy by Utah State Highway patrol so close that I could not even see the grill of the offending cop tailgater. This is of course Utah so you have no rights to start with!!! BUT.... If I had tailgated the UHP car that close, I would have been out of my Van face down, handcuffed in the dirt I'm sure.

If it helps you feel better, about 4 years ago on Christmas eve, I was removed from a 4 door 1990 Subaru Legacy sedan (not my Westy or a VW) in the middle of a downtown Salt lake City intersection by 4 undercover officers who jumped out of a white unmarked mini van. (These were Salt Lake City's finest) They came up to me on both sides of the car while I was stopped at a traffic light. They yelled: Get out of the freaking car (real term modified to suite the Mods), threw me against the truck of the car spread-eagle, searched me, my car, the car trunk, even my coffee cup was opened up and checked. For what I don;t know......

When they asked what I was doing I told them: "I'm on my lunch hour, its Christmas, I'm on my way to my bank, I'm in a hurry." When I asked them what they were doing they replied: "Oh, we're out looking for crime." Well you've certainly found it here I said. hahaha. What a joke!!!!!!!! Seriously this did happen.

I think they thought i was someone else they must of been looking for. They couldn't even apologize though. They came up with and wrote me some stupid ticket for "Following too Close." Funny thing is, no one was in even front of me. I was the first car in a left turn lane at an intersection stopped at a light. It was totally bogus. It was rude and Un-Nerving, I went back to work completely wigged out, shaking like a leaf.

Even today, every year it brings back the true spirit of Christmas. JOY! So now you know it doesn't have to be a VW to be profiled and treated disrespectfully. The wrong time and place will do it also or perhaps a "Officer" who's happened to have a bad day at home.

Ken 82 westy ( 521 bus ) SLC UT

On Fri, Jan 7, 2011 at 10:16 AM, Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@gmail.com> wrote: > Warning: Long email/rant following.... > > It's happened again, the experience that starts as no surprise and then > becomes frustrating as I wait to get my drivers license back.  By the time > the cop is back to my van to apologize for the inconvenience I'm a mixture > of understanding, pissed, and frustrated.  Today the cop confessed the the > vehicle that I drive is a big part of why he tail-gated me for a few miles > and then pulled me over.  "It had a lot to do with it" was his answer when I > asked if my vehicle was why I got special attention from him today. > > A few ways that I've modified my behavior at least partially because of this > re-currance: > - Wearing a collared shirt, which I have done exclusively for years now. > - Keeping my hair short, which I started doing after picking up 3 seat belt > violations in a short period, I know I should always wear my seatbelt but > the second and third were in situations where I still would likely neglect > to do so (parking lot hopping essentially)) > -Keeping my van in great condition (recently waxed, was washed yesterday, > shiny/clean/straight etc.) > -Keeping all registration/insurance current, my record clean, getting no > tickets (except for the seatbelt violations) etc. > > None of these appear to have made the difference.  I did notice an > improvement in how things go after getting rid of long hair and moving to > collared shirts only.  They may still pull me over but I haven't gotten a > ticket of any type since making these changes. > > I've been driving VW vans almost exclusively since the early/mid 90's and > none of this started until 5 or 6 years ago with my Vanagon Westies.  In my > younger years, while driving smoking/rattling/leaking bays and splits there > may have been a few laws broken, or at least bent, and I didn't worry about > the appearance of my van or myself yet I don't recall being pulled over and > know that I didn't get any tickets.  There were a few road-block close calls > but they all worked out fine (miraculously). One funny one included my van > overheating and dying in a cloud of smoke while I was in a late-night, party > targeting, road-block.  My van wouldn't restart and we had been cleared to > go so everyone stumbled out of the van to push us off the road.  I wasn't > intoxicated but when my friends stumbled out of the back of the Westy to > push one of them fell over and had to be helped back into the van.  It was > an odd scene, pushing my smoking van off the highway amid the flashing > lights and then sobering up as the van cooled and we watched lots of our > friends go through the road-block with some being ticketed etc. > > Does anyone else get extra attention from the police?  I'm doubting that I'm > the only one but it could be the part of the country that I spend most of my > time in?  Most or all of these incidents where I've been pulled over for > little/nothing have occurred in North Carolina or Tennessee as I recall.  I > rarely see VW vans on the road in this area so maybe it is a factor of my > standing out more coupled with a vigilant police force?  I'm actually glad > to know (with confidence) that they are out there keeping an eye on things > (VW vans at least, ha ha).  My biggest complaint is how long it takes for > them to run my background check (or whatever they do back there while I > wait).  Maybe technology will improve and this will become a faster process > in the future.  For the record North Carolina and Tennessee are good states > and good places to spend time.  The cops are usually friendly as they > interrupt my travels and I don't ever worry about needing to pay bribes or > other things that may happen in other parts of the world. > > O.K.,, thanks for the list therapy.  I started typing this a few minutes > after being pulled over and am no longer pissed or frustrated.  I'm glad it > was a Friday and I could share this with the list and move on (until it > happens again). > > Jonathan Poole > '83 AC Westy >


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