Ysabel Kid wrote:
Part 1 - got pulled over and was given a speeding ticket yesterday - on Father's Day - with my wife and kids with me - for doing 54 in a 45 coming down a hill. I admit I was doing it - trying to be cheap and conserving gas by not riding the break. Rolling hills, with the next upgrade a few hundred yards away. Would still have had to hit the gas; not enough momentum to carry me through. First ticket in a decade. Hard to be so loyal to LEO's when they do this...
Last time I got pulled over, I had just left a convenience store and stepped on the accellerator. The car has two floormats rubber over carpet, and the rubber one somehow had scooted forward and wedged the accellerator pedal about halfway down. By the time I realized the car had a life of its own and reached down to dislodge the mat and pedal, I went sailing by a PA state cop, doing 48 in a 35. He knocked 10 mph off (38 in a 35) when I explained what happened, and tossed carpet mat that was under the rubber mat into the trunk. Still cost me $150+ with all the fees and add-ons.
No mention of the "equipment failure" related to the jammed pedal that caused the violation, but there was an uncased SAR-3 AK clone on the back seat, unloaded. I didn't even have a mag for it in the car. He asked if it was Airsoft, I said no, real deal.
"Loaded?"
"No, empty, and there's no mag and no ammo for that gun in the car."
"Any other guns in the car?"
"In the wayback, in a case."
"Can I take a look?"
"Is it pertinent to the speeding charge?"
"No, but . . . "
"Do you have reasonable suspicion?"
"No, but . . . "
"Officer, you yourself said that this was my first violation in PA since I moved back in 1992. I'm not being difficult, just trying to determine if I should call an attorney."
"That's up to you. I'd just like to see the weapon and make sure things are OK."
"OK, fair enough."
I opened the hatch, then unlocked the case and flipped open the lid to reveal a Sterling Mk4 submachine gun, stock folded up under the receiver tube. Next to the receiver tube was a 1/4 size reduced and laminated approved ATF Form 4.
He looked at it, didn't ask to pick it up or anything, just looked at it for maybe 15-20 seconds and finally said "Imperial Blaster from Star Wars. Cool. Thanks. I'm a big fan, too, but never wanted to spend the change on one of those. You got Stormtrooper armor, too?"
"No."
"Lock it up, and wait in your car. I'll be back with the citation in a minute."
Huh? Did that just happen?
I bit my cheek so hard to keep from laughing that I tasted blood.
Noah
Might as well face it, you're addicted to guns . . .
) 
