Sunday, April 1, 2012

Lights, Blue and Red, and Loud Hooter

(All of this after he left us standing beside the road in ninety degree heat for twenty minutes while he sat in his air conditioned cruiser and did what ever he did, which included writing me up.)

Me: We've been coming to Rockport every winter for years. We spend six weeks here, pay our rent, buy our groceries and pay our utilities. Much as we like Rockport, this may have to be our last year here.

Cop: That's your prerogative.* (Oh, wow, Johnny^ is a college graduate!)

Spouse (to me): Just doing his job? All he has to do is harass old people?

Extraneous irrelevancies: He kept talking about "We can't have fifteen-year olds running around on these." Do I look 15? "That's a license plate holder; it's where the plate goes." Duh. "Golf carts are legal if they are licensed." Does this look like a golf cart? "This is Texas." Repeatedly. Wow, thanks. We've been here for twelve straight weeks and had no idea. And, "I'm just doing my job." Which is what provoked the spouse to the above comment.

Not an April Fool Joke.
*Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, take note.
^Spouse designated him "Picklehead" which I thought a little excessive. But I like it.

6 comments:

Lin said...

What?! What were you driving? And what were you doing wrong? And why would they ticket two older adults?

Wow. I think I'd be writing a little thank-you note to the community leaders on this one. Do you need my help? I'm extra good at raisin' a stink.

Oh--I like "picklehead" too. ;)

vanilla said...

Ln, "overzealous" comes to mind. 49cc scooter; had the temerity to ride past the police station.

We use it as our basic transport for groceries, etc. We have driven it in many other communities in Texas, waving at the officers, and have never been bothered. This is the third time we have been stopped in Rockport in the past four years. First time for a write-up, though.

Yes, the community fathers will know we are not happy "campers."

Shelly said...

Oh, that really is ridiculous. I do hope you forward it on to the city folk in charge and let them know their hired guns are driving away the very ones they want to attract.

I guess he feels the streets of Rockport are much safer now, while the drug dealers a running their stuff right past them.

Very sorry that had to happen to you.

vanilla said...

Shelly, he was, I guess, just doing his job. As he sees it.
In '08 we were stopped in Rockport. That officer advised us that if we were going to ride in Texas we must have helmets. We got them. In '10 we were stopped again in Rockport. Advised that we needed to carry insurance document. We have that with us. This officer made it clear that he didn't care what Indiana does, "This is Texas." And he doesn't care whether we return to his fair village, either. We have used the vehicle extensively in Edinburg, Port Isabel, Port Aransas, smiling and waving to the officers. Never stopped.

Lin said...

Are you sure you aren't in Weirdville on accident? You know, where they use swat team tactics for little kitties who go outside in wintertime. Sheesh.

vanilla said...

Lin, now that you mention it, I do see the resemblance to the Weirdville reports.

I guess I've wound down enough now to be objective, so here it is: the man is a Picklehead.