[rgto273]

Here's my story about steeling my own car. Sorry its so long.

Speaking of police officers, I had an unfortunate incident one afternoon. I was at the BP gas station in Shenandoah, GA eating me an icecream sandwich. I got off the bench to toss the wrapper and walk back to my car. While I was doing this, an officer from the Georgia State Police pulled into the parking lot. He watched me walk back to the car and try to open the lock. My drivers side lock can be a little difficult at times to open, and requires you to jiggle the key and press the door handle to open it. After being successful in this regard, I got in the car and reached under the gas peddle to get my cell phone, which had slid down there. I then started the car and proceeded to get back on the interstate. This officer figured that he had just caught a common criminal in the act, and even had it on tape. And so there I was, driving down the street, when all of a sudden there are blue lights everywhere. I wasn’t speeding so I didn’t know what the problem was. I was then told to get out of the vehicle. The officer said, “Son, why did you steal this car?” I then said, “Officer, I didn’t.” Then he said, “Yes you did, and I have it all on tape.” Then I said, “No, you don’t.” The officer, getting a little angrier now said, “Yes you did, you walked up to the car, picked the lock, hotwired the ignition, and then drove off. "And its all on tape.” So I said to myself, “Self, he thinks that I stole this car, and I don’t feel that I was meant to go to jail over this car.” Then self said, “You have a New Mexico drivers license, a New Mexico plate, and New Mexico registration. That’s an unusual combination for Georgia, use that to win your freedom.” So I then reached for my back pocket, with every intention to get my wallet. Faster then you can say “fried chicken” I was on the ground in a rather uncomfortable position looking at the business end of a 9mm.

Half an hour later I was trying to get the dirt off my pants after successfully explaining what I was trying to do with my right hand. The officer had taken my license, registration, etc, and after watching the tape, calling into headquarters, using his computer, and listening to me explain that the lock wasn’t picked or the car hotwired, let me go. As I crossed the Chatahoochee River into Alabama, Georgia and its police system received the one fingered salute.

Moral of the story: Don’t look like you’re stealing a car in front of a police officer. And if you do, don’t reach for something the officer can’t see without telling him what you’re doing. Actually, just don't steal your own car, even though you can't really steal it, just don't do it.

[uneasyrider]

rgto273 that is a CLASSIC! LOL!!!!!!!! Great story! I can see that it really is a foreign country down there. LOL! Looks like you were presumed guilty until proven innocent and I bet the "officer" didn't even feel like he was an idiot. LOL! I'll try and stick to the great little "Soviet State" of Washington (From an old quote, "There are forty-seven states in the Union, and the Soviet of Washington,...") thank you. There tends to be less of that here.

[rgto273]

Thanks, everyone that has ever heard that story thinks its the best thing ever. I can laugh at it now, but I still thought I was going to jail.

[TMAC396]

Beautiful fall night in 1975. Cruising home from another town after a night of roller skating with my girl in my '67 Lemans...stock 326 with headers and cherry bombs and Keystone Klassics. Two-lane highway in the middle of nowhere doing about 70(speed limit of 55). Blue lights in the mirroor...aw, man! Highway patrol walks up...car still idling through the cherry bombs. The man says, "Let's hear those pipes." OK...I mash the pedal slightly...vroom. "No, let me hear them." I mash a little harder...vroooom. The man says "Dammit, I said let's hear them!" Yes sir...VARRROOOOOOMMMM!!!! Then he leans in the window, says "Nice car...slow it down pal." and walks back to his car. There are some cool cops out there after all.

[uneasyrider]

Originally Posted by TMAC396

Beautiful fall night in 1975. Cruising home from another town after a night of roller skating with my girl in my '67 Lemans...stock 326 with headers and cherry bombs and Keystone Klassics. Two-lane highway in the middle of nowhere doing about 70(speed limit of 55). Blue lights in the mirroor...aw, man! Highway patrol walks up...car still idling through the cherry bombs. The man says, "Let's hear those pipes." OK...I mash the pedal slightly...vroom. "No, let me hear them." I mash a little harder...vroooom. The man says "Dammit, I said let's hear them!" Yes sir...VARRROOOOOOMMMM!!!! Then he leans in the window, says "Nice car...slow it down pal." and walks back to his car. There are some cool cops out there after all.

LOL!!! I love that one too!

Ok, this might not be for the "younger crowd" but this is the way it was.

Me and three of my buddies (we were all 18) were out one day cruising around in my buddy Curt's 1971 Charger with a 440 Magnum. It was stock but it ran real nice. It was red with a black vinal top and slotted mags with 50's on the back and the A-typical '70's air shocks, a very nice looking car. We were flying through this residential neighborhood in the middle of the day nailing the throttle as Curt was asking us if we could hear the misfire. Well we had just bought about 4 or five cases of Shaffers beer and we were all opening the second I think when we FLEW by this policeman at about 60-70 mph in a 25 mph zone!!!!!!! Well we REALLY were sweating it when Curt pulled over. Curt gets out of the car and as he gets out he slips his beer under the car and then gets up and closes the door and gets out his wallet. We are hiding the two cases we had in the back between me and another guy by throwing the coats on it. The officer asks Curt if he knew why he had pulled him over and Curt says, "Yah, I was going a bit fast back there." TO SAY THE FREAKING LEAST! Well we are SURE we are DOOMED! BUT NOOOOOOO! The officer says, "No, it was because you have a tail light out and you need to get it fixed." He asks if we are going anywhere else and tells us to get it fixed or park it. Well, we took off and we were all in SHOCK to say the least and we got to thinking about it and we figured out that the case or two of beer we had in the trunk of the car had been thrown around and took out a tail light. That was confirmed when we got home. Everyone else but Curt and I went home (after a few more beers ) and Curt and I took off in my '73 Olds Cutlass. We took the beer that was left and went to the drive-in movie lookng for chicks. We were HOSED, SLOSHED, THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND! We were yelling out the car and making REAL ass's of ourselves so the management came out and told us we could stay if they took our beer and we toned it down. They said they would put the beer in the frig and give it back when we left! Well! No problem then! We watched the movie and went and got our beer. So we head down into Columbia Park which is right on the South bank of the Columbia River and down into where they have the hydroplane race pit area to finish our beer and "hide" under the cover of the trees. Well no sooner than I get the car stopped and open my first beer a Stater pulls in behind us and flips on the spot light! So I'm going to be Mr. Cool and do what Curt did earlier that day and set my beer under the car as I get out so Curt can hide the beer. I get the door open and all I hear over the loud speaker is "GET BACK IN THE CAR!" I figure we are screwed now, Curt hasn't gotten all the beer shoved under the seat and what he has "hid" is rolling back out onto the floor board front and back! So the officer comes up and asks me what I'm doing down there after hours in the park. It pops into my head to be "honest" and see what happens. I say, "We are too drunk to drive so we thought we would set down here and wait tell we could drive home." And then the REAL shock of the day comes! He says, "Well I really think that is commendable of you boys. You just stay right here until you can drive." NS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! He drives way! Curt and I set there in shock for an undetermined amount of time but I think five minutes or so and we both look at each other at the same time and say the same thing' "Lets get the F'k out of here!" LOL! I idle on out of the park and back to the house. Curt gets in the Charger and drives home. We talk to him the next Monday and he tells us he got "pulled over" on the way home! He tells us that the guy pulled up behind him and made him set there for 15 minutes while he must have been on the radio or something. Curt was sure that his luck HAD to have run out and he was SOL! Well he realized after 15 minutes that the airport landing lights had him pulled over! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He had seen the strobing lights in the rear view mirror and was SO drunk he thought it was a cop!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!! I just don't know how we lived through it all!

P.S. The misfire turned out to be bent push rods.

[TMAC396]

Was siting at a red light one night in my '64 Dodge Dart slant-six/pushbutton auto(first car inherited from parents), when a buddy pulled up next to me in his '68 Malibu six cylinder/ three-on-the-tree. He looks over, nods, and smiles...so what can you do? Green light and we're off! We blasted right by a city cop in a parking lot. Thing is, the cars were so slow that he didn't even realize that we were racing!

Another time a buddy and I were going to the '75 Street Rod Nationals in Memphis, so we decided to drive to my grandmother's and spend the night since she lived twenty miles from Memphis and we could get there good and early Saturday morning. Well, she lives in a tiny town whose business district is four blocks long. My buddy and I went to the diner to grab a burger and as I left I spun a little gravel in the parking lot. One block later I was pulled over by the town police. He looked me and my "67 Lemans over, listened to the cherry bombs, and said "We dont need any big city boys coming to town to try to shake us up." (I live in a town of about 25,000) He made me follow him to the judge's house, got him out of bed(it was around 9:00) and they read me the riot act. Judge looked us over and said $100.00 bond or spend the night in jail! For spinning my tires in gravel! Anyway, between my buddy and myself we scrapped up enough to keep me out of the Mayberry jail. My buddy still hasn't let me forget that he couldn't get a Street Rod Nationals T-shirt because he had to keep me out of jail.

[uneasyrider]

TMAC396, that's a good one! LOL! Dang hell raiser you! LOL! Waking desent people up at all hours AND vandalizing the grave lot! I'm just glad for you "Barny" forgot his bullet! Dang, I can remember when Kennewick, WA was 25k people and now it's about 60k. It's a dang metropolis here! I think Benton City is now up around 7-10k! I go into the "big city" to do my cruising too. You have to LOVE small town USA, I know I sure do!

[70-73nut]

Downtown Augusta Georgia closes up after midnight.
I was tooling through town with my college professor in tow in my
'73 red TA with a stout '72 HO under the hood and decided to
impress the prof (on a bet) to smoke the tires from one light to the
next. Not a problem. No one in sight, no car lights, nothing.
Fried 'em.
Through the next light I was driving normally when OUT OF NOWHERE
two cops pin me into the curb, one in front, one in back. Just like in the movies.
Here goes a couple hundred bucks and 4 points I thought.

I pleaded that I really never broke the speed limit (35), but the cop explained my crime was "laying drag" and carried a $500.00 ticket.
I slumped, but was prepared to accept my fate.

As he was writing the ticket, he complimented me on the sound of the cam and exhaust and how they were enjoying it before I pulverized the asphalt.

When he handed me the ticket it was a WARNING!

Cops can be cool if you keep yours.

[uneasyrider]

LOL! Lucky bastage 70-73nut!! I think I hate you! LOL! Great story!

[68FB400]

Way back in high school, it was the end of summer just before classes started and I was taking a buddy to football practice. He had never ridden in my car and wanted to see what it would do ('77 Formula mild 400/ 2.42 gears). I took him on the highway and showed him the 2-3 shift at 95 mph and then how it pulled strong from there. We got off a few exits down, went about a 1/2 mile and took the turn at the light to go the back way to the school.

That's when the blue lights came on. I pulled over thinking to myself, "So I didn't come to a full stop to turn right at the red light, no big deal". Wrong.
Officer got out steaming mad saying that he'd been trying to catch up to me for the last 5 miles! Had me doing over 95 in 55 zone, weaving in traffic and no signals, 75 in 35 zone (off ramp) in addition to not stoping before making right on red. He said I was going to jail unless there was a $#%* good reason for me driving like that.

As calmly as I could, I explained that we were late to football practice. We were still doing 2 a days and the coach would make us run a lap for every minute we were late. The cop paused and looked me deep in the eye and asked "What position you play?" I said "Offensive line, sir" he replied "I always hated pushing those sleds around, especially in the summer heat. Slow it down and get to practice". Not even a written warning.

After the cop left, my buddy turned to me in total disbelief and said "Well, what are we going to do for the next hour before practice starts......"

I was pulled over several more times while I was in school with that car and only got 1 ticket.

[uneasyrider]

Dang it 68FB400 now I am pissed, other than the story above I almost NEVER got away with that when I was in high school! I must have had bad breath or something? Maybe it was because I always looked like a character from a Cheech and Chong movie when I was pulled over. "HIDE THE SNEAK-A-TOKE AND THROW THE BAG UNDER THE SEAT!!!" Dang things have changed since then! I don't even have long feathered back hair anymore, the beer hadn't caused the belly yet and I deffenetly don't wear bell bottoms but I see they might be making a come back. LOL I better pull out the OLD Britannia jeans and the Hookah! LOL! When I was a kid I remember those jeans cost $20 a pair! That was outragous then! These stories bring back too many old memories of "good" times that I sure hope will NEVER return. lol

[uneasyrider]

The "Sneak-a-Toke" comment brought back another story. Please cut me off if this doesn't fit the "format" but it's the way it was.

We went and picked up a buddy of ours after work at a local "upper crust" resturant where he was a prep cook. It was about 11 o'clock and we had some "lawn clippings" and the "controlled burn apparatus" mentioned above. We ended up in Kevin's little white VW Beetle which we affectionately called "Herpy the Love Bug". It was a real nice little car new paint etc. We went way up in the hills outside of town to my othe buddies house and sat out on the end of his driveway and began the "controlled burn". Kevin had been real nervous all night and he had made some comments about police etc. and we said something like "It's 11:30pm on a week night WHO's going to be out here? What are you worried about?!" Well no sooner did we light the weeds we see head lights coming down the road. Kevin gets all nervous and Charlie and I just sat there thinking he's to paranoid and the car goes by and it's a SHERIFF! AND HE HITS THE BRAKES! Well Kevin panics and starts the bug, turns on the headlights and throws it in reverse, cranks the wheel to the left and backs us right into the mail boxes we were parked beside! The car stalls and there we are when the cop gets back! Hmmm... do we look suspicious or what? The wind was blowing real hard, gusting in the 50mph range, and the car was rocking around. The officer flips on his spot light and tells us to "GET OUT OF THE CAR!" As Charlie gets out of the opposite side of the car he throws the bag to the wind and throws the "burning apparatus" under the car. Just about that time another officer pulls up and we are REALLY crapping now! They ask us what we are doing there and we say something brilliant like "Nothing". We explained to them that Charlie lived at the end of the drive. They come over and search the car and don't find a thing, only looking in with flash lights lucky for us. They finally deside we aren't much of a thret and tell us to fix the mail boxes and take off. Well we get to looking around and find the "burning apparatus" under the car and we look and right behind the car is the big stuffed bag of "lawn clippings" stuck in a tumble weed! The GOD'S have smiled on us!! All they would have had to do was look at the back of the car and we would have been SOL! We also find half a pint of "beverage" under the seat we had forgotten about!! We got the bug off the mailboxes, drove farther down the mile long dirt driveway to a dip that couldn't be seen from the road and completed the nights exercices.

I'm not sure how I lived through all that "clean fun" and straightend my act out! There was some movie that came out a few years back that really reminded me of my high school days. It had some kids with old Muscle Cars and a lot of "smoking" etc. That was us. We were very lucky to have lived through that! I think I scared myself straight. Logic told me I was pushing my luck! If I could remeber all the stories I would be typing for DAYS!

And then there was the time I almost got hit by the train...

[68FB400]

Uneasyrider,
I was always polite and respectful to the officers and they seemed to respond in kind. I was also VERY lucky to get the cops with a cool attitude. I got off for worse offenses that I will not repeat here.

My buddy was not as lucky with his '78 T/A. He got pulled over by the same cop 3 times in a 2 month period. Never got any slack and got 3 tickets. Yea, he was pissed at me too.

[uneasyrider]

I hope no one takes offense at me telling those two stories but DAMNNN it was funny. I would also say again that it was blind luck that we lived through all that. Rolled cars, wercked cars, etc... It was a VERY different time and it was changing fast even then. It wasn't smart then and it's REAL stupid now! But as Walter Croncite used to say "...And that's the way it is..." (or I should say was ) and those are some of the "toned down" stories. It's what made me the idiot I am today! LOL!

Warning: The guy that wrote this post is an example of what NOT to do and is was NOT a professional driver on a closed course!

And then there was the time we had the contest to see who could stay on the top of my buddies '77 T-Bird at the highest speed...

[torqjunki]

So I'm cruisin home wee hours of the morning after a long night of hanging out and street racing. Its 1982 and I'm in my first car, a 1970 GTO red on red. Just on the outskirts of town, a buddie pulls up along side in his pretty cool Maverick. He had already fell victim to the Goat, so that was not an issue. We were talking back and forth, blipping the throttle and swerving around due to not looking at the road too often. He unexpectedly takes off and I see blue lights come on behind me. I pull over and the cop comes up and starts questioning me about the erratic driving. He then asked if I had been drinking, which I had, and then asked for my license. He took one look at the license, busted out laughing, tossed it back into the car and said "wait till the boys hear this one", and speeded off. You see, my last name is Sober!! It pays to be Sober.

[uneasyrider]

Originally Posted by torqjunki

So I'm cruisin home wee hours of the morning after a long night of hanging out and street racing. Its 1982 and I'm in my first car, a 1970 GTO red on red. Just on the outskirts of town, a buddie pulls up along side in his pretty cool Maverick. He had already fell victim to the Goat, so that was not an issue. We were talking back and forth, blipping the throttle and swerving around due to not looking at the road too often. He unexpectedly takes off and I see blue lights come on behind me. I pull over and the cop comes up and starts questioning me about the erratic driving. He then asked if I had been drinking, which I had, and then asked for my license. He took one look at the license, busted out laughing, tossed it back into the car and said "wait till the boys hear this one", and speeded off. You see, my last name is Sober!! It pays to be Sober.

LOL!! That's freaking funny.

[80WS6]

A few weeks ago when my Formula was still on the road, me and five friends were headed to his place after a youth meeting. We were doing on average 100 kms (60 mph) in a 50 zone. At a red light my buddy in his 69' Cuda and two other friends got through, me and the two other cars didn't. light when green and I blasted it. Running no mufflers i blew by two cop cars doing over 120kms and all they did was glance at me and keep going.

[HWYSTR455]

Remember when radar guns only went up to 99!?! Those were the days! I've had 6 99+ tickets in Tenn, a state which I'm lucky doesn't forward offense info to other states, or at least then it didn't! Could go on about those stories!

[Rafe LORHO]

Lots of good stories above!!

I'm afraid that mine's just a simple one:

The only time I've been pulled up with my Trans Am was a week or so after I had bought it. The policeman just wanted to look at the car and talk to me about the time he drove one like that in Canada!
(I must admit that I was sh***ing myself because the car was in bad shape: bald tyres, no working lights, not much in the way of brakes, holes in the exhaust etc...)

After that I drove straight back home and the car didn't come out again untill I had fixed everything!

It's not the same story for my street legal race car (which is in very good condition by the way). I get stopped every time I take it out - must be the big numbers on the side that attract attention!!

[455_PWR]

One night my friend and I were cruising (he drives a 72 buick skylark 350 2brl auto, I had my 75 trans am 400/4spd) and we stopped on some country backroad in the middle of the boonies for some nice smokey burnouts. After having our fun we continued down the road only to see headlights in our rearview mirrors. Sure enough it was a cop in the middle of nowhere! He pulled my buddy over and 2 more pulled me over (he thought I was gonna run...) I payed my first ticket ever and then 3 months later....
My friend and I were by a carwash (a lot of imports hang out there) and my friend taunted the imports with his nice straight piped 78 chevy truck. As I left the car wash I hammered down-the four barrells openned up and the ass end swung out sideways smoking around the corner. I think some of the import owners crapped their pants... then I saw lights a half mile away (I think they heard my friends truck)! My friend quickly turned off on another road and ran, so I did the same except that I had accidently turned down an unmarked dead end road. I pulled over and shut the car off and waited for the cops to catch up and took my ticket as a man.
Later that summer I was coming home from work (mechanic at a poncho dealership) and I was tired so I wasn't paying attention as I rolled over a hill doing 65 in a 55. A cop saw me as I saw him and he started to turn around. That was the last time I saw him, I jumped on the highway and hammered down and never saw him again! Then I went home and relaxed...third time was a charm. anyway this last summer was a crazy one.