[taredog]

Off topic or not, these stories are entertaining now but were not at the time they happened. Perhaps mods will move it all. Maybe a topic in the lounge about taking the less traveled road. It does seem to me this is a valid topic for Hypermiling / EcoDriver's Ed.

I have lived in both NJ and OH, two states that seem to come up often when talking about vigorous local law enforcement.

I lived in both states while on active duty in the US military. The local law enforcement types always seemed confused about the fact I had a NH license and registered my vehicle wherever it was with me last. All legal, a bennie for giving up all civil rights and going where you were told for (at the time) somewhere between $450 and $800 per month.

The best encounters were in Sierra Vista AZ and Jobstown NJ but Fairborn OH deserves a special mention.

In Sierra Vista I got stopped for speeding on Fry Boulevard right outside the gate to Ft Huachuca. The cop, who claimed he was a veteran, had never seen the green and black USA plate I had on my Maverick. Then he didn't know what to do with the NH drivers licence or the USAEUR form whatever that was my registration. So he gave them back to me and lectured me boy, let me tell ya about Fry Boulevard. He actually called me boy. He explained it was 25 coming out of the fort, 35 for a while and 45 maybe for a while, if not 25 or 35 sometimes. He said they were working on getting signs. "You Army boys jus gotta learn the rules". A while later, after I had AZ plates I was busted for doing 65 in a 35 going up hill after I stopped at a stop sign 300 yards away. I liked my old 6 banger Maverick and it was kinda peppy but 0-65 in 300 yards up hill, maybe not. Once again the officer was confused by the NH license and handed it back with a lecture. Maybe they thought GI's were immune to tickets. I wish that had been true.

I went to get my AZ plates to comply with the law and had to go to DMV three times. No one knew what to make of the USAEUR registration form and no title. One suggested I go to the Ford dealer and trade it to get a titled vehicle. On the third visit the "right" person was there and decreed "give him a title" Woohoo!

The Jobstown NJ thing I wrote about the high fiving but want to mention the brand new big courthouse they had that was always filled with miscreants. Plus they hadn't a clue how to check the NH license, tried at one point to confiscate it, didn't care about insurance and referred to my BDU uniform as "a costume". The ticketing officer had claimed at one point to be a veteran. I was taken to the jail over "irregularities". When relaeased my vehicle had a ticket for illegal parking. Ft Dix Army Air Base/McGuire AFB have existed since 1939/1948. This town is about two miles from Dix/McGuire.

The Fairborn thing is just about registering a vehicle. Fortunately I had learned enough about "military town" cops by this time to always obey the rules even if they were not posted. Thanks to Wright-Patterson AFB for making me aware of these unwritten rules through mandatory safety courses. (actually how to avoid getting busted for nothing off base courses)

I had been out of the US for about seven years at this point so had no records. Except for the NH license, which I was required to keep current at no charge. I also had no insurance records so was a "new driver assigned risk". Don't let GEICO or USAA fool you, if you don't have auto insurance in the us for several years, you are a "new driver". Even if you bought you overseas insurance through Geico, USAA or whoever offers insurance for US citizens outside the US. They have suddenly never heard of you.

Back to registering the vehicle. 81 Mustang 2.3, California emissions, a total slug compared to other 2.3 rental cars I drove. Always got about 20 mpg even with the cat off.I put the catalytic converter back on because it was the right thing to do. OH never did do an emissions inspection. I went to get plates and was told the UK "keeper document" was not a valid title and I needed to get the last US title and prove it had never been salvaged. Then miraculously another employee appeared and said it was OK and to give me a title. Got my plates.

Amusing stories. What do they mean? That as recently as 1988 the local or state motor vehicle department/division and most of the cops don't have a clue what the local jurisdiction's laws are. They are too busy trying to meet "management's expectations"