Thanks to an Unknown Illinois State Trooper!

[PowerStroke62]

Early Wednesday morning while making my weekly run toward Metropolis.Illinois i decided to pull off on the shoulder of the road to pour a cup of coffee from my thermos.Before anyone gets up in arms i know parking on the shoulder isn't the safest thing to do and should be done only in emergencies and i don't make a habit of it.Usually if i do pull off on the shoulder i will find a nice flat spot and pull extra far over just to be as safe as i can.

Anyway i had checked my mirrors and saw several cars a ways back so flipped on the signal and started slowing down.Got pulled over and hit the 4 ways and before i had even put the truck in park notice red lights right behind me.Now my first thought was what in the world did i do?So i had license in hand and waited for the officer to approach.When he did it was a trooper and all he asked was is everything OK.I told him yes and he said OK just wanted to check to make sure i wasn't breaking down as he thought i had went to the shoulder rather quickly.I told him exactly why i had pulled over and he said OK just wanted to check and have a good morning.He didn't ask for license or anything just said have a good morning and away he went.

This isn't the first time i have had this happen but just thought i would share the story and say thanks to the trooper who i have no idea what his name was.Was nice to be checked on and hope i do get that lucky if and when i do have a break down one of these days!

[USAF_2T2]

Since I don't work the highway to often I don't get that opportunity, but when I see a car in the middle of the road here in town and ask if everything is OK I usually get some smart @$$ remark. They may say if anything was wrong we would have called you. That is when I may hop on out and get a little aquanted with them and find out why they are PARKED in the middle of the road. Mostly it is to talk with someone.

Here is a little story of one recently. I am driving down one of our higher drug area streets and see a car parked in the middle of the road talking to a guy on the shoulder. He has the nerve to tell me (not wave me by but to get out of his car and yell to me to go around) so I hold my ground, run his plate (which is expired with an insurance stop), and proceed to activate my blue lights. Mr. Genius takes it upon himself to take off. He gets about 1 block or so then pulls over. I get up to the car and I get the usual "you are racist" routine. I get him out of the car and begin to conduct a tow sheet for the vehicle. He says I ain't letting you tow my car. I said really, your best move right now is to let me do my thing and you will be on your way. I begin to inventory the vehicle and to my suprise there is a pound of Marijuana under the passenger seat. Now the guy is bought and paid for.

Could have been simple to either pull into the driveway or move along. But as most of you know I will always be the racist cop that harrasses everyone. That is the most used line outside of the classic "I pay your salary." Oh well another day another $0.50

[Crystal Pistol]

PowerStroke62

Glad it turned out so well. I'm sure the trooper understood.

I have a 100 mile round trip to check all my Interstate, north, south, west, east, south, and back north to where I started it's almost exactly 100 miles. I make one pass every shift I work unless I get hung up on wrecks or other calls and run short of time, on really cold nights, I spend all my time just running laps now and what little radar I work is "same direction, moving, rear antenna" mode and I just look at what comes up on me too fast. Some nights, I have run 3 complete laps and found some really cold drivers stranded in cold trucks and cars who have been there since maybe juast after my last pass 2 or 3 hours ago.

Yeah, I have also found a few who were parked where they shouldn't be, with results varrying depending on the "where and how far over" of it, and attitude. It's always a great feeling to help out someone who needs help though. I don't invite people pulling over on the interstate to sleep, but I understand "tired", and usually just stop a check on them (and that means I have awaken them) and suggest they go to a better place if so. :)

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Make Courtesy Your "Code of the Road" ......
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid173/pf96fd4ad5fef30760dd37d49c1c10b1e/f3b655cd.jpg
...... and whatever you do ... Have a Safe Trip! :bye:

[Deputy Dogg]

I'm with USAF 2T2 , I don't get much of a chance for "routine" road patrol. But whenever I do see a car pulled over with occupants I will try to stop and see if they need assitance. There was one night I stopped on a lonely 2 laner to render assistance to what looked like a stranded auto, turned out to be the Mayor and his assistant. The only helped they needed was getting there clothes on!! I transferred to the SO shortly after that!!