Date:         Sat, 14 Nov 1998 17:48:17 -0800
Reply-To:     t bill <tbil@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         t bill <tbil@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Is it me or is it my Westy?--long
Comments: To: John Koloen <jkoloen@EARTHLINK.NET>, vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

---John Koloen  wrote:
>
> I had an unusual experience this week while driving my '87 Westy from
> Texas to Wisconsin. 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.
> 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.
> Anybody else have similar experience in a VW?

YES!  I also sport TX plates.  I was stopped in IL for 'following a
truck too close'.  The cop told me to sit in the patrol car.  Bored
drug doy was in the back seat.  Cop was very upfront.  Told me he
didn't much care about me following the mythical truck.  He had been
trained to get drugs, guns and money.  He went down an extensive list
of drugs.  Got any?  Nope.  He then went down an extensive list of
firearms, ending with 'any dischargable weapon'.  Nope.  Any money
over $1000. Nope.  If I had said yes to any of that, I would lose it
at a MINIMUM!

Well, I thot the next step was to ask to search the van, then, when I
refused, get the drug dog to sniff.  and then when he scratched, say
that was the signal that I've got drugs.  but this cop cut me some
slack, was not a rabid type cop.  Didn't look like his heart was in
it.  so, I got my warning ticket (just to make it kosher) and was on
my way.

TBill
83.5 Westy

***A government that can ignore the bill of rights can ignore any law***
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