On being stopped at a police checkpoint...

In all my years I'd only been stopped at one, once, during daylight. Then recently I was stopped at one in the night time. I had understood there were certain rules that one should follow when stopped by the police:
1. Stay in your vehicle.
2. Do not move your vehicle.
3. Follow any instructions.

I was driving my pickup truck and horse trailer, and saw some sort of police action ahead. I could not identify what it was, so I stopped far enough away that I could successfully turn around if I needed to. Reversing direction of a horse trailer on the road at night is quite difficult.

I saw a lot of flashing lights. One was a light apparently held by a policeman.

It turns out that the officer was moving the light "beckoning" me to approach. Thus, in his mind, he was giving me a command. As I could not tell that he wanted ME to do anything, I remained where I was, expecting instructions.

The officer eventually walked to my truck and was very angry. "I could have you arrested for making me walk all the way back here. Haven't you ever been through a checkpoint before?"

I should have said, "Not at night, sir," but instead I said that I once had been through one.

So the rules actually are, "Follow the officer's instructions, even if you do not hear, see or understand them."

I later asked an off-duty cop about what happened, and he said that I had been "suspicious" by stopping so far away. "They think you are going to turn and try to evade the roadblock."

Heck, if I tried that they could shoot out all 10 of my tires before I got a quarter of the way around. Then of course all of us (me and the police) would have to figure out what to do with the horses.

So remember, Read The Officer's Mind.

When living in Detroit, I used to go pretty regularly over the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, Canada because we liked eating a certain restaurant there. When crossing back into the USA I'd usually joke with the officer when he'd ask if I had anything to declare. I might say, "Just a bazooka -- not the weapon, the musical instrument." He'd smile, I'd smile, and my wife, myself and my two boys would chug on home. I wouldn't dare do that today. And as far as I'm concerned, that says it all about the change in America from the 80s to today.

We're all just revenue-producing livestock to these guys. Do what they say, or else... And, yes Snezzy - read their minds too.

The cops have been out in force ticketing speeders this year like no year I have ever seen, at least double of any previous year. On the other hand, my daughter was at fault in a minor fender bender in a parking lot, and the cops weren't interested.

I saw it the other day. It's very good.

See also, "The Fully Operational Police State," on straightlinelogic.com.

http://www.straightlinelogic.com/straigh...

John got this one right, for sure!!! -- j