What a strange day...

[Spike]

So yesterday was day 1 of my wifes MSF Course, YIPPEE!

ALL the local courses are booked solid for weeks so I pick one out in the "boonies" so to speak. No waiting but it is about 50 miles away. No big deal, this is where I took mine.

So I drive her there, drop her off and the cruise around town just to get an idea of what this town is like.

I decide it is nothing but some little backwater town not needing my attention and decide to leave. After turning around in a parking lot I get back on the main drag and wait for this little ricer to pass. You know the one, blacked out windows, low to the ground, HUGE fin on the back?

So he passes, I pull out and start cruising towards the freeway. (I admittedly was a bit lost.) This ricer pulls over to the side of the road, waits for me to pass and then speeds up to follow me. I do a little *what the hell* and then come on the red and blues. LOL it was an undercover cop. NICE cover, seriously.

So I pull over. He tells me my front license plate is missing. I give him a "REALLY?" then remember I took it off to wash the car. Derrr, stupid mistake. He asks me where I am headed. I explain what I Was doing and that I was trying to get home. He checks my license, asks if he would find anything if he ran it (I say no of course) and then he tels me how to get one the Freeway and to "have a nice day."

ROCK ON! No ticket.

So I go home. No incident.

I go back to pick her up. Admittedly again in a part of the country I have never been and driving at night. I pick her up, on my way home and BAM! Red and blues in the rearview. WTF?

He pulls me over and says kinda "smarta$$" like: I guess you probably have no idea why I have pulled you over? Of course I say no. (I really didn't.)

LEO: You passed me sitting in that parking lot doing 55. The speed limit is 35 here.

**BACKGROUND** It is a freeway that goes from 65 mph to 35 mph when it hits the Wheatland border, I had no idea but slowed down when I saw the 35 mph sign ***

Me: Sorry officer as soon as I saw the speed limit of 35 I hit my brakes and started slowing down. Yes I agree I was probably doing 55.

LEO: Actually you hit your breaks as soon as you saw me filp a "U'ie" out in the street to come after you.

(There was moderate traffic)

Me: Actually, and I apologize for arguing officer, I hit my breaks when I saw the 35 sign, it must have been right after where you were parked. I never even saw you until you hit your lights.

**This is where the wife kicks in**

Wife: What the hell, we didn't even SEE you until you pulled us over. (pretty pissed off she was, I gave her a mighty fine stare.)

LEO: Ma'am I don't intend on giving him a ticket for this but I would like him to slow down. I am out here to catch bad guys not write speeding tickets for people who aren't paying attention. I COULD however be talked into writing one? Would you like to continue?

Wife: *******

Me: My apologies officer, I honestly must have missed the first 35 mph speed limit sign.

LEO: Let's make a deal, I let you go, you slow down?

Me: It's a deal sir.

LEO: Have a nice night folks.

I drive away

No ticket, ROCK ON!

The first one I really have no idea why they pulled me over, they must have been looking for someone.

The second I honestly WAS speeding but I think he could tell I was being honest with him.

2 bullets dodged today.

YIKES!

I am afraid to go back to the MSF course for day #2 and I will NEVER take my bike up there!!!

Anyone else ever have problems in Wheatland, CA?

Oh btw, I have NEVER had a ticket or moving violation.

Thanks for listening!

-Spike

 

[fsusux]

And have you bought your lottery ticket yet?

 

[dadofthree]

They're using traffic to run interdiction. ( doing their job )

 

[thepushercg]

not a place i would want to visit often from your experences there.

 

[Spike]

Bought a lottery ticket, yes First one I have ever bought.

DadOfThree: Oh I won't argue with that. I am actually happy to see them doing their job. I am not upset in ANY way shape or form I got pulled over and I freely admit they were justified in both cases. They were definitely doing their job. WTH is interdiction though. Not familiar with that term in Law Enforcement.

Anyhow, wish me luck. We are heading off to Day #2. Here's hoping for no more interdictions

 

[semi]

good luck

glad it all turned out ok but hope today runs a little smoother for you

 

[Spike]

Oh, and if I win the lottery? I'll buy 10 busa's and raffle 'em off here on the site. How's that sound?

 

[species0113]

ill bet you werent driving a station wagon.

did you feel like rambo?

 

[Wag]

That's really strange you didn't get a ticket. Small towns sometimes thrive on the revenue.

Let us know how that lotto ticket turns out!

--Wag--

 

[Spike]

Now that you mention it yes, there was a strange "rambo" sensation on the second stop

I agree Wag, I thought for sure we were nailed. I looked into those areas yesterday though and found that drug running and gang activity were their biggest problems. That's probably what they were looking for.

On a side note the first day of MSF went well. My only problem? We generally go to sleep around 730-800pm. I start work at 330am, that is why. The class on Friday was from 530pm to 1030pm and then it took an hour to get home. After 30 minutes to get settled we are talking asleep by midnight. Then she had to be back by 7am for the riding portion. So we got up at 430am. My wife NEEDS 8 hours of sleep, just trust me on this. During the last exercise ( I snuck in and watched) she was screwing up so bad she told the RiderCoach that she had to stop. She was just exhausted. It was frustrating to watch but I stayed in the shadows and let her work it out.

So last night we got TONS of sleep. I think today will be a much better day.

I'll keep you posted on the lottery ticket. I never bought one before I need to figure out how to check these things I could be a Kajillionaire and not know it!

 

[Sloto200]

I see you live in Northern Cali and you said Wheatland board... were you travling on HWY 65? If so i know exactly where you are talking about and those Wheatland cops are fanatics about pulling people over for not slowing before the speed limit changes. I used to be stationed at Beale AFB and that is just up the road from Wheatland. Good riding up I-80 towards Tahoe... i miss it!

 

[Spike]

(Sloto200 @ Apr. 08 2007,07:09) I see you live in Northern Cali and you said Wheatland board... were you travling on HWY 65? If so i know exactly where you are talking about and those Wheatland cops are fanatics about pulling people over for not slowing before the speed limit changes. I used to be stationed at Beale AFB and that is just up the road from Wheatland. Good riding up I-80 towards Tahoe... i miss it!

You hit that RIGHT on the money. Highway 65 up through Lincoln > Wheatland > Marysville. She is taking the MSF course at Yuba college about 1 mile up the street from Beale AFB.

I have been keeping my eye out for speed limit signs now, all is good. It turns out I really did miss the first 35 mph sign, I checked. oops. At least I admitted that to him that it was a possibility.

I do the I-80 > Tahoe run as much as I can, NICE ride.

One final update after this one. She is taking the MSF course as we speak. She should be taking the final test in about 3 hours. I am a nervous wreck right now.

 

[Fate]

(Spike @ Apr. 07 2007,07:54) Bought a lottery ticket, yes  First one I have ever bought.  

DadOfThree:  Oh I won't argue with that.  I am actually happy to see them doing their job.  I am not upset in ANY way shape or form I got pulled over and I freely admit they were justified in both cases.  They were definitely doing their job.  WTH is interdiction though.  Not familiar with that term in Law Enforcement.

Anyhow, wish me luck.  We are heading off to Day #2.  Here's hoping for no more interdictions

Interdiction, is actually stopping the flow of or interferring with something and disturbing its course. Most of the time in law enforcement it is assotiated with drug activity. Taking steps to prevent a problem or stop a problem. A police officer sitting in a area that is known to have people speeding will get people to slow down. But sitting in a spot where you can't be seen and now non-locals will not realize the speed has dropped is kind of the opposite of that and called "speed trap" Little towns thrive on the revenue of speeders.

 

[BlondeOnaBusa]

(fsusux @ Apr. 07 2007,05:43) And have you bought your lottery ticket yet?

+1

 

[rockadaous]

that's crazy. that would have pizzed me off. you did the right thing. I've never seen anyone beat a ticket by talking back lol

 

[Shanling]

Good story Spike. Eager to here how the course turns out! Something tells me that you are happy with you buying decision as well....

 

[Sloto200]

(Spike @ Apr. 08 2007,10:37)

(Sloto200 @ Apr. 08 2007,07:09) I see you live in Northern Cali and you said Wheatland board...  were you travling on HWY 65?  If so i know exactly where you are talking about and those Wheatland cops are fanatics about pulling people over for not slowing before the speed limit changes.  I used to be stationed at Beale AFB and that is just up the road from Wheatland.  Good riding up I-80 towards Tahoe... i miss it!

You hit that RIGHT on the money.  Highway 65 up through Lincoln > Wheatland > Marysville.  She is taking the MSF course at Yuba college about 1 mile up the street from Beale AFB.

I have been keeping my eye out for speed limit signs now, all is good.  It turns out I really did miss the first 35 mph sign, I checked.  oops.  At least I admitted that to him that it was a possibility.

I do the I-80 > Tahoe run as much as I can, NICE ride.

One final update after this one.  She is taking the MSF course as we speak.  She should be taking the final test in about 3 hours.  I am a nervous wreck right now.

Thats cool... i took my MSF course at Yuba College too. If you ever talk to any of the local riders, ask for directions to "Mosquito Ridge"... it is an AWSOME road up in the mountains right off I-80. If i remembered the directions i'd tell ya but i cant remember street/exit names. As soon as you get off the highway and head down the road towards "Mosqito Ridge" you will cross a bridge ( it was used to jump the corvette off of in the movie XXX). Any of the Sacramento area riders that like twisties should be able to hook you up with directions. Check out Roseville Cycle Center, good store and someone there should be able to give you directions...

 

[Mike.P175]

Glad you did not get a ticket
so cuz your the luckist man in
world how about throwing out
a few random numbers from 1
thru 56

P.S good luck to your wife on
her M.S.F course

 

[Spike]

Thanks for the well wishes folks. The wife finished the MSF course and the results were that she failed the final test.

That is more than ok to me. I didn't want her to take it for her license, that can happen anytime. I wanted them to teach her the basics of riding and give her some confidence. They did a wonderful job of that. She (and I of course) are looking forward to many nights out on the road, practicing more as we ride further and further from home. She now has (from her own mouth) the confidence to hit the roads and know that she knows how to ride a motorcycle. She will get some more experience under her belt and then take the Basic course again to get her license.

Thanks for the good words everyone. Shanling, yes she loves that Ninja 250. Thanks for your help man.

I will now let this topic die. Thanks for the support everyone!

-Spike

 

[hydrabusa]

it sounds like rockville...either too many cops or they got nothing going on...

cuz, every time I go there. I feel like I'm a cop magnetic or something...

BTW, as she more practice she will feel more comfy on the seat...let us know the process and you know the rules...