Smiling at the Man

On a number of occasions I have been pulled over or followed by police while riding my chopper. Typically it is for no immediately apparent reason.

Tonight, shortly after leaving work, I was pulled over while riding my chopper. The lights went flashing, I pulled across two lanes, stopped the bike, and killed the engine. Knowing the routine, I reached for my wallet and started to pull out my license, plastic proof that I am approved by the state of Oregon to ride dangerous vehicles. As the officer came into view I flashed him a hellaciously big grin and said, "Howdy!"

The man in the blue uniform stood there silent for a moment, staring at me in what looked like disbelief. When he asked for license and insurance I handed them over with a smile. Turns out he had paced me doing almost 20 mph over the speed limit. I had no idea how fast I was going since the stripped down bike has no speedometer. A once over with his flashlight proved that I was telling the truth.

The nice man returned after a couple of minutes, commended me on my clean record, and asked me to try and keep my speed down. No citation necessary today. I thanked him and wished him a good night.

There is an entire laundry list of things a cop in a foul mood could have been a dick about. As I have found time and time again, a pleasant disposition can be very contagious. It's my secret weapon. But as often as I have come across men who feel a shiny chunk of metal on their chest gives them the authority to act like pricks, I appreciated one who caught me dead to rights in the act of breaking the law choosing to give me a gentle suggestion instead of a ticket.

The chopper loves to show off around cops. One quick kick and I was back in action. Sera is such a good girl.