Ever have one of those days?

PineRidge · Mar 31, 2005

I needed to take my wife, Rose to the Cleveland Hopkins Airport today so I figured we would leave 3-1/2 hours early so we could get a leisurely bite along the way.

Well about 20 minutes into the trip I lost a right rear tire. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I was able to get to the side of the freeway without incident and figured this shouldn't take too long to change.

I quickly set up the jack on the Toyota SUV and before I raised the car I started to loosen the lug nuts. They all came lose but the last one. The corners on it rounded off even before I could get it lose. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

So I get on my cell phone and call Triple AAA to get some assistance.

Meanwhile a State Trooper stops to see if I need a hand. He routinely checks my drivers license and we both quickly realize that my driver's license expired on my birthday last January. :

So I get a ticket while I'm waiting for the blasted tow truck. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

It's a good thing my wife's was valid or he probably would have towed the vehicle. Maybe I shot my mouth off dunno, but I was thinking that my wife will miss her plane for sure and I guess I just lost my temper. Did I say that is not a smart thing to do with a State Trooper? /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

The tow truck finally shows up an hour and 30 minutes later and they have some kind of a nifty socket that makes short work out of taking off the rounded lug nut. He puts the spare on, I thank him and we are on our way once again.

Now Rose is driving and 15 minutes later we blow through a speed trap with her trying to make up for some lost time. You guessed it, it was the very same State Trooper. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Here he comes throwing cinders, siren blaring and lights a flashing. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Man this just keeps getting better and better............

So we have yet another very tense, heated chat with the three of us at the side of the freeway. I'm not even going to tell you what the Trooper said that he clocked Rose at but it won't be any fun going to court on that ticket for sure. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Rose may need legal council on this ticket.

The only good news is Rose did indeed make it to the airport just barely in time to get her through security and on her way to visit her daughter Samantha.

I hope she has a good visit. After all the excitement I'm going to appreciate the down time while she's out of town for a few days.

Maybe a little more tractor seat time for me will settle me down, dunno. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'm almost afraid to go to bed tonight, I'll probably have a nightmare seeing a State Trooper chasing me on my property with another New Holland tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

notamustang · Mar 31, 2005

Yes I have had one of those days, never the same cop though. You might want to get the DL thing squared away before you go pick her up just in case he recognizes you. He will pull you over to make sure. That much I know /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Pretty funny story /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Bob_Skurka · Mar 31, 2005

Mike, you live in Ohio so you should be pretty familiar with a company called Cinncinati (SP?) Microwave. They developed the ESCORT brand radar detectors. I've been using them for over 20 years (wow, I'm getting old). Never got a ticket with an Escort on the dash. I've tested other brands, I've even had multiple brands in the same car operating at the same time. Escort is very consistent, Valentine is also. I wouldn't take any other brand even it I got it free (and I have gotten other brands free and I've just given them to people I don't like /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif).

A radar detector won't help Rose in court, but it might help keep her OUT OF COURT next time.

As for the nightmares, don't eat chocolate before you go to bed tonight!!!

btolle · Mar 31, 2005

Many moons ago when I was young and even dumber than I am now I went flying down a highway and got a ticket for doing about 75 in a 55, also had a burnt out headlight.

Being a bright 19 year old kid I decided that was probably the only highway patrolman on that highway that night.

10 miles further on I was stopped by another highway patrolman for doing 85 in a 55. He politely explained to me that each County had it's own highway patrolman and the other guy was in the other county.

At least my drivers license was current (even though they later threatened to suspend it).

Sorry about your bummer day, hope tomorrow is better (and keep the tractor in low gear just in case that highway patrolman happens to pass by your place) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Bill Tolle

GerardC · Mar 31, 2005

I'm not even going to tell you what the Trooper said that he clocked Rose at but it won't be any fun going to court on that ticket for sure. Rose may need legal council on this ticket. 

From the sounds of it, she'll need an attorney. Anything 15 MPH or over is a major ticket and the courts can have a field day with her, not to mention the insurance issues that follow. Seek council.

woolyblue · Mar 31, 2005

You won't catch me badmouthing a buckeye bear since I have to drive through your lovely state quite often. I certainly wouldn't want to jinx myself. A little bit of compassion from that trooper sure would have been appreciated.

PineRidge · Mar 31, 2005

Bob I may date myself here but I had one of the original Fuzzbuster's. A big black box with a big red light on the front of it. It was way ahead of it's time. I would guess the 60s or thereabouts.

We now own an ESCORT and it was in the glove box. I know, I know it works better on the dash board then in the glove box.

Too late, already attacked the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Chocolate and beer go very well together......

dholly · Mar 31, 2005

Well, the good news is that 1.) your wife made her flight and 2.) you didn't get pulled over by the same trooper on your drive home with an expired license. Cause you probably called up a couple of buddies to come drive you and the car home, right? Ha! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Junkman · Apr 1, 2005

Rose arrived this afternoon.... a little tired, but talked my ear off through dinner... She has finally gone to bed and I can get back on the computer for a few minutes. A nice lady, but can she tell stories about you... She had us all in stitches laughing about your mouthing off to the cop.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

ScottAR · Apr 1, 2005

Getting started a little early are we? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Ozarker · Apr 1, 2005

Yes...I had a similar day just two days ago but without the tickets. Blew out the left rear tire on my F150 on the way to work. Pulled over to change it and saw the tire was totaled. Had a 6" split in the side wall so I decided to drive it a few hundered feet to get into a parking lot to change it. What the heck? Can't hurt the tire any more than it already is and I hate changing tires on the road.

Got the spare that has been hanging under the back of the truck since it was new in 1995 and the spare was flat. Called my wife to leave work to come over and take me to a station to air up the spare. Went to two different stations and both had air stations that were out of order.

So I had her take me to Walmart where I bought a 12V air compressor, went back to the truck, pumped up the spare and finally got to work 2 1/2 hours late.

After work I bought 4 new tires and had a new valve stem installed in the spare to replace the leaking one.

CajunRider · Apr 1, 2005

(
I'm almost afraid to go to bed tonight, I'll probably have a nightmare seeing a State Trooper chasing me on my property with another New Holland tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
)

To go with your nightmare dream I think da State Trooper would be driving a grey market tractor or sumting. Ya can't let such a guy drive a New Holland. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Your story is one of the reason why I moved to a small town. A few years back my car broke down on the way to the air port. The cop took me and LadyRider to the air port so I could catch my flight. Later on our mechanic friend picked the car up and even went to get LadyRider home.

Rural living means you have to care for your neighbors more but what handsome payback we sometime get.

LMTC · Apr 1, 2005

Umm, I may be off base here, but do we need a DL in Ohio to change a tire? Were you driving when he cited you for expired DL? Since you're going to contact an atty anyway, consider a not guilty on that one...you were not driving on an expired license when the trooper came upon you; as far as earlier goes, you are not required to incriminate yourself, so don't. Once your attorney disposes of that, the trooper's second ticket now becomes suspect by implication. I would follow the lead of my atty on that, but my instinct is you've got hope here.

EddieWalker · Apr 1, 2005

( Umm, I may be off base here, but do we need a DL in Ohio to change a tire? Were you driving when he cited you for expired DL? Since you're going to contact an atty anyway, consider a not guilty on that one...you were not driving on an expired license when the trooper came upon you; as far as earlier goes, you are not required to incriminate yourself, so don't. Once your attorney disposes of that, the trooper's second ticket now becomes suspect by implication. I would follow the lead of my atty on that, but my instinct is you've got hope here. )

LMTC,

That's pretty clever advice. You must be the guy who figures out the mystery movies half way through them. When I read Mike's post, I totally overlooked that part.

Sure would like to here the outcome it he goes that route.

Eddie

PineRidge · Apr 1, 2005

Well we were sitting in the car at the time making the cell phone call. But that doesn't constitute driving in my book. This just might work thanks for the advice!

Junk you're not making my day any better here buddy.

I have the day to myself and a full tank of diesel in the TC-40D, the sun is shining, and I can almost hear the woods calling my name. I'm out of here folks time to go play with the grapple! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

homeinwestIL · Apr 1, 2005

( Umm, I may be off base here, but do we need a DL in Ohio to change a tire? Were you driving when he cited you for expired DL? Since you're going to contact an atty anyway, consider a not guilty on that one...you were not driving on an expired license when the trooper came upon you; as far as earlier goes, you are not required to incriminate yourself, so don't. Once your attorney disposes of that, the trooper's second ticket now becomes suspect by implication. I would follow the lead of my atty on that, but my instinct is you've got hope here. )

Good thought, but I doubt it will work. He had probably already admitted to the trooper that he was driving or the trooper wouldn't have given him a ticket. Trooper can testify to that admission in a trial. Trooper doesn't have to see him driving. As for the wife's ticket, would be hard to beat if Trooper got her on radar. If she's got a clean driving record, most states have some system where you can avoid having the ticket show up as a conviction on your record. In Illinois, they call it supervision. You still plead guilty and pay the fine (sometimes a higher fine) but if you don't get another ticket on your record within a certain period (6 mos or so), the ticket is dismissed. I don't know if Ohio has something like this, but most states do. Good luck.

LMTC · Apr 1, 2005

If he admitted driving to the Trooper he incriminated himself without counsel, and he can (unless "Mirandized" & arrested, which apparently didn't happen) get around that. He can infer (I am philosophically opposed to lying) that were the wife driving, most men, while waiting for the tow truck, would have the wife move over and take the outside (closest to traffic) seat themselves, just to be protective. Up to him, but if I was going to pay an attorney to modify the severity of ticket two, he'd earn it by dispensing with ticket one. And I still think that if that gets done, you have better odds with ticket two. Just MHO fwiw.

LarryD · Apr 1, 2005

I tried this same argument many years ago when a game warden cited me for transporting a loaded weapon.

When he came upon me, I was sitting on the tailgate of my truck and the rifle was behind the seat. He checked my liscense and the tagged deer. He asked to see the rifle and I figured he was doing a simple calibre check, three rounds in the magazine constitutes loaded and in the cab was transporting /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif.

After listening to several yahoos irritate the judge, she didn't even want to hear my lame excuses (I grew up in Texas) and kept a very nice Remington 700 BDL /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

LBrown59 · Apr 1, 2005

Meanwhile a State Trooper stops to see if I need a hand. He routinely checks my drivers license and we both quickly realize that my driver's license expired on my birthday last January. :
****************
This is not a moving violation - you weren't driving with out a license.
There is no law prohibiting a license to expire.
skinderflirt

LBrown59 · Apr 1, 2005

( Umm, I may be off base here, but do we need a DL in Ohio to change a tire? Were you driving when he cited you for expired DL? Since you're going to contact an atty anyway, consider a not guilty on that one...you were not driving on an expired license when the trooper came upon you; as far as earlier goes, you are not required to incriminate yourself, so don't. Once your attorney disposes of that, the trooper's second ticket now becomes suspect by implication. I would follow the lead of my atty on that, but my instinct is you've got hope here. )
==========
Yer right.
Pine ridge was under no obligation to even show the trooper a license.