It Great to Live in a Small Town!

[M.D. Holloway]

I spent most of my day driving in East Texas - going way over the speed limit on the empty highways there. Rt 30 isn't the prettiest run but then again mush of Texas really isn't much to look at so I tried to get through it without falling asleep.

Wouldn't you know it, just as I get into my town - and I mean right on the line just about, I pass one of our towns finest. He pulls out behind me and him and his partner smile, one calls in on the radio. Within a few minutes the burning cherries light the twilight. I pull over and wait for what is sure to be at least a C note ticket. I was going 50 in a 35 granted. I was fully prepared to take my punishment.

The officer goes to the now rolled down passenger side window.

"Mr. Holloway, how are you tonight?"

"Fine sir." I recognized him. There are only a hand full of Police Officers in our town and I am pretty sure I know them all.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"Well sir, I know it wasn't to ask how I was do'n..."

"No sir, it wasn't" he laughed. "I had you clocked at 52 in a 35. Now that is a bit fast especially with this afterwork traffic. How is your boy doing? He still catch'n all those catfish accross the street from ya'all?"

"Yes sir, that little rascle snagged himself a whopper the other day using some ol beef stick he found in the garage fridge."

"I was get'n a kick watch'n him a few of the other boys riding their bikes over that make-shift ramp last week - glad to see they were wearing their helmets."

"Well sir, I know he and the others liked the stickers and Chik-fil-A coupons you gave them. "

"Tell ya what Mr Holloway, try to keep it at the speed limit. Tell your son I said hi."

"Will do sir. Stop by and wet a hook some day will ya."

Now this guy could have been a prick. He could have written me a ticket. Instead he was cool and you know what, I will keep it at the limit.

I love this small town!

[targa911S]

yes I agree. I now live in a town with a total population that is smaller than some of the venues I used to play in Florida. People care more in a small town. The Amish give me strange looks though.

[onlycafe]

vernon, new york.
two traffic lights.
i am located at what i refer to as the downtown light.

[idontknow]

Completely agree. It's not just knowing the law officers but everyone from the meter reader to the county comissioners to the cashiers at the gas stations.

It's nice knowing the roads are empty at 1am to test and debug the cars if needed.

[Hugh R]

I live in a gated community in the Santa Clarita Valley which is north of Los Angeles about 20 miles. Definitely not a small town 175,000. But the CHP stops in front of my gate to do their paperwork. Most times, I stop, get out of my car and give the officer the gate code saying hey if you want do your paperwork inside the gate if you want. They seem genuinely surprised. I've had to talk to one or two about them using the spot light on cars that drive in, but otherwise, glad to have them.

[GO DAWG GO]

Hugh,

Santa Clarita, what a nice town (Really) last time I was there in 94. My buddy wanted me to assess the damage to his house. Don't take me wrong but we are due for another anytime now... Got all your stuff fastener to the walls?

Jokingly but kinda serious...

Born and raised here and know what mother nature does every 15-20 years.

Rest of you Pelicanites know what I'm referring too?

Bob...

Oh lord!

[RoninLB]

Small towns are great. Local PD can spot outsiders quick and know how to keep the kids "adjusted" when they have parental support.

[Jim Bremner]

< respects po-po that gives warnings instead of tickets.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Virtually ANYTHING is a nice contrast to Lost Angeles.

[livi]

Well I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Prob'ly die in a small town
Oh, those small communities

As John C. Mellancamp puts it.

[svandamme]

when i was 16 i lived in Kemmel, a tiny little village
cops had a Lada , that barely could get up the hill (the Kemmelberg)
i had a 40CC 2 stroke dirtbike that legally ought to be limited to 40kmh
it did 110 though, and i regulary overtook that cop-lada

then never stopped me, since it would delay them from getting to the pub
and it would delay me from getting behind the bar of that pub, where i would be serving them beer

[id10t]

Thats the difference between a Peace Officer and a cop...

[Dottore]

Here's what happens when you don't live in a small town.

I'm cruising on the I-5 on the way to Seattle the other day in heavy traffic. All cars are going the same speed and I'm just in the row, travelling the same speed as everyone else.

This trooper suddenly comes up behind me, flashing his lights, and pulls me over. First question he asked was what year my Mercedes ML was. I told him "2007", and he said "nice". Then he told me he really liked the colour of my car. And then the ********* writes me a ticket for doing 70 in a 60mph zone.

I told him that I was just doing the same speed as everyone else, and that if I drove any slower in the traffic I would be a traffic hazard. He then calls me "a smart ass". I then asked if he intended to stop and ticket every last car on the highway. He says "maybe - maybe not". I then asked why he picked me and he replies "first come first served".

The ticket was a hundred bucks.

[KFC911]

I've seen both sides ..."good cops" in small towns, and some of the most corrupt small town LE agencies imaginable...

[widebody911]

However, if you had not been a local, you'd probably still be trying to pull his billy club out of your cloaca.

[targa911S]

cloaca....good word!

[mikester]

Cop pulls over a speeder....

speeder says angrily "I was going as fast as everyone else - why'd you pull me over?!"

Cop replies "Ever go fishing?"

Speeder "Yeah..."

Cop "Ever catch all the fish?"



Thank you! Good night! don't forget to tip your waiters and waitresses, I'll be here all week.

About 2 weeks ago I kid in a 4 runner came barreling around the corner on our street. I live on the corner so I watched him careen around the corner leaving skid marks on the street and everything. As he goes around the corner he then proceeds to drive up on the sidewalk and stop a few doors down from my house. A teenage girl gets out of the car and goes into the house - he pulls a violent u turn and goes back the way he came. This time as he passes my house he can clearly see me giving him the stink eye and writing down his license plate number.

I go inside and pickup the phone and start dialing the local PD. We live in a small community in LA that has a rather large police force for the population.

As I'm dialing however I see a police car cruising past so I step outside and flag him down.

I explain to him what I just saw and that I was just dialing the police station. I give him the license number and description of the driver and 4 runner. He says "I'll run the plate and if he's local - I'll go over to his house and TALK TO HIS DAD!"

awesome. I don't know if it actually happened but I hope it did...I haven't seen him since though and my house didn't get TP'd which is something that happens around here (not to my house) about once a quarter.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by mikester

Cop "Ever catch all the fish?"



Thank you! Good night! don't forget to tip your waiters and waitresses, I'll be here all week.

I had a LEO teaching a driving class say the same thing... He got a chuckle when I reminded him that true sportsmen practice "catch & release" around these parts

[legion]

Cop: Do you know why I pulled you over?

Driver: No.

Cop: You failed to stop at that stop sign.

Driver: But I slowed down.

Copy: If I pulled out my night stick and started beating you, and you began yelling "stop", would you want me to stop or slow down?

[TerryBPP]

We have the same situation as Hugh, but our cops hides and waits for residents to not stop for 3 secs at the 4 way and gives them tickets. I have not received one but many neighbors have. Seems like a serious miss allocation of justice.

I would love to live in a smaller town but I also enjoy restaurants and night life. They don't go together.