Date:         Fri, 13 Nov 1998 11:11:20 -0500
Reply-To:     John Koloen <jkoloen@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         John Koloen <jkoloen@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Is it me or is it my Westy?--long
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I had an unusual experience this week while driving my '87 Westy from
Texas to Wisconsin. It happened in the Sooner state. Not long after
passing the Texas-Oklahoma border on I-35 a state trooper appeared in
my rearview. He followed me for a few miles, came alongside, then went
on his way. I thought it odd but continued. About two miles from the
Oklahoma-Kansas border the trooper reappeared in my rearview. This
time he turned on his lights and pulled me over.
He came up to the driver's side window claiming that I had driven over
the right-side white line three times. Of course, I knew I hadn't. It
was about 4 p.m. He suggested I must have been tired. He asked for my
license and insurance card, and then we went to his car where he wrote
out a "warning" ticket. A warning to not do something I didn't do?
Then he got to his real intentions. After giving me the warning he
asked if I was carrying contraband. I said no. Then he asked if I
would allow him to search my vehicle. Ah, ha! Of course, I let him do
it. And, of course, there was no contraband.
What I figure is that he was near the end of his shift and needed a
bust and thought a middle-aged guy with a goattee driving a VW van had
to be up to something. Or, he was a fan of Oklahoma or Oklahoma State
and didn't like it that the University of Texas beat both teams. The
funniest thing was that when he pulled away and headed for the nearest
exit ramp his rear tire crossed the right-side line twice in less than
half a mile. Perhaps he was just tired.
Anybody else have similar experience in a VW? I'm sure if I was in my
pickup I would never have caught his attention. I'm thinking about
putting on a bumper sticker that says "No contraband inside," or "I'm
not a drug smuggler." -- John