Date:         Sun, 17 Dec 1995 13:06:50 -0600
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         drphibes@siu.edu (Peter DePaoli)
Subject:      Re: Cops buses and profiles

At 12:37 PM 12/17/95 -0600, Claralw@aol.com wrote:

> They can tell when youre worried or vunerable.
>so,
> travel in a bubble of white light, and keep your papers in order
>   
>and if you are pulled over, look confused, and say, well those SHOULD be the
>right plates for this car.
>
>clara
>
The two excuses I have been given regarding reasons that I have been pulled
over in our '71 Westy (w/ more than several stickers on it both Dead and
non-Dead, music and non-music) were " the plates did'nt come back to this
vehicle," my reply, "Thats funny sir this is the only vehicle that these
plates have ever been registered to can I help you with anything else, (
while simultaniously smiling and handing him the usual requested trio of
license registration and (of Late) insurance card.)  I know I check out OK,
so he comes back and says OK, you can go now and drive carefully.  BTW this
one took place returning home to Carbondale from '95 St Louis Dead along the
Missisippi river on RR3 in the middle of the night.  
        And the only other time I was stopped in the Westy was on the day we
bought her 8 years ago,  ( this is a good one too).  We bought her from a
Guy who lived in Woodstock Il.  Seems as he had just gotten a '63 splittie
and needed some cash.  so the Westy needed trans work ( we bought her
complete with bungee cord not working to hold her in 4th type condition.  So
I was going to drive her home ( about 50 miles on back roads in 3rd gear
with wife following in a pickup we had then.  We got to within blocks of our
house and we were stopped by the Bloomingdale,Il police.  Not good I thought
as we had bought this one without title and i hadnt done any of the legal
paperwork on it and I was wearing guatemalen shorts and a tie-dye w/past
shoulder length pony-tail to boot. so he stops me and tells me I'm quite the
road hazerd driving 30 mph in a 40.  Kinda goofy I thought as I've been
behind tractors on the same road doing less than 1o.  So he asks me why no
plates and I say just bought it and he says can I see your license? well Its
in the pickup with Kim and she zoomed on Home already to move the Olds so as
we can get the new Westy into the driveway.  So I don't have my credentials
and I'm driving a Hippie bus with no plates wow whats next? this cop
thought.  So as I was prepared for the dog sqaud to be pulling up any minute
from the looks of me asnd the Westy, But instead the cop asks me where do I
live? I tell him blocks from here and then he says Where did you buy this
Van? I say Woodstock... well you can just see the look on this Cops face
when I said that (couldn't resist not saying Woodstock,IL instead opting
just to say Woodstock for obvious comical reasons).  well then comes the
next question directed my way "WHEN? did you buy this van? again with the
face.  I say today and so he then gives me a bargain, If he follows me home
and I can show him somekind of proof as to who I am and something that even
remotly says that I bought this van he will just drive away.  So of course I
say yeah and the rest is now just this amusing story.  
        Moral of the stroy is as Clara so nicely putit.
Peter DePaoli
Carbondale,IL
'69 Panel Camper
'71 Westy 
'73 Super Beetle
a chevy,2bikes,2cats,2dogsand 2birds