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Tom and Patty · 02-25-2005, 06:11 PM

Not crazy but true.
Running the speed limit (70) on interstate 44 in Missouri, on the way to visit our daughter in St. Louis, we pasted an unmarked patrol car on the side of the road. A few miles down the road in my side view mirror I see the dreaded red lights. Pulling over to the side of the road I open the door and meet the deputy, telling him we have a large German Shepherd and he should not appear in the doorway. I asked him what he was stopping us for and he told me he would like me to sit in his patrol car. Walking back to his car I spot another unmarked patrol car with a dog in it. Now I'm wondering, TWO cars? Well the deputy tells me he stopped me for drifting over the white line at the shoulder, but he is not going to write me a ticket. After telling our story, (the truth) he proceeds to tell me they are looking for drugs. Seems they have stopped coaches running drugs from CA/Mexico to Chicago and points east. Finding drugs inside tires, fuel, and water tanks. Fortunately, we didn't have to go through a search. I guess we looked innocent enough. Back in the coach Patty tells me she heard truckers on the CB saying, "Looks like they caught grandpa and grandma running drugs.". The Deputy was cool, especially since I had to warn him of our dog. Next trip on 44 we will be running under the the speedlimit. Wonder how they profile us RV'ers? On the plus side, it was the first time I've been stopped and not recieved a ticket!

Tom and Patty · 02-25-2005, 06:11 PM

Not crazy but true.
Running the speed limit (70) on interstate 44 in Missouri, on the way to visit our daughter in St. Louis, we pasted an unmarked patrol car on the side of the road. A few miles down the road in my side view mirror I see the dreaded red lights. Pulling over to the side of the road I open the door and meet the deputy, telling him we have a large German Shepherd and he should not appear in the doorway. I asked him what he was stopping us for and he told me he would like me to sit in his patrol car. Walking back to his car I spot another unmarked patrol car with a dog in it. Now I'm wondering, TWO cars? Well the deputy tells me he stopped me for drifting over the white line at the shoulder, but he is not going to write me a ticket. After telling our story, (the truth) he proceeds to tell me they are looking for drugs. Seems they have stopped coaches running drugs from CA/Mexico to Chicago and points east. Finding drugs inside tires, fuel, and water tanks. Fortunately, we didn't have to go through a search. I guess we looked innocent enough. Back in the coach Patty tells me she heard truckers on the CB saying, "Looks like they caught grandpa and grandma running drugs.". The Deputy was cool, especially since I had to warn him of our dog. Next trip on 44 we will be running under the the speedlimit. Wonder how they profile us RV'ers? On the plus side, it was the first time I've been stopped and not recieved a ticket!

motorjock · 02-25-2005, 11:30 PM

Tom,
As a law enforcement officer in Texas I've seen this problem grow larger in recent years. More and more retired RVers are using their coaches to transport drugs for money. This past Christmas my wife and I witnessed an RVer being busted at the checkpoint between Presidio and Marfa Tx. The news paper later stated that they were carrying several hundred pounds of marijuana and some cocaine. We later saw the rig parked in the Border Patrol's impound lot in Marfa, TX. The occupants were a 60 year old male and a 30 something female. Unfortunately these people are bringing heat on the rest of us.

ParTheCourse · 02-26-2005, 03:04 AM

Tom,
It has been 18 years since I retired following 22 years on the job, long before "profile" became the buzzword of the day.
For just a moment, put yourself in the position of a law enforcement officer doing his/her job or a citizen wanting them to do their jobs, what would have done differently?
Mike

Tom and Patty · 02-26-2005, 04:41 AM

Don't get me wrong, we weren't upset about being stopped. I just never thought I'd be stopped for that kind of thing. I'm all for getting drugs off the street, and thank God that law enforcement pays attention to "profiling". Unfortunately their job is harder because they are supposed to ignore patterns. I just thought we were picked because we were running faster than other coachs (pattern), and if I were running drugs I probably woudn't care about fuel mileage. In our case it was our second 900 mile day.
Fortunately he is much better at his job than I would be. After he told me what they were looking for, knowing I just told him our dog would be very upset if he showed up at the door and was very protective of us, I would have searched me. The deputy was very professional and considerate. It was a good laugh for us and has made a good story with our friends that know our conservative ways, and a good stop for the deputy as he was able to go home to his family.
Oh, and every time I've been stopped, I was speeding. Now 13 years and 55,000 miles a year, and no tickets. Knock on wood!

MnTom · 02-26-2005, 12:01 PM

The best way I have found to handle any 'encounter' with a law enforcement officer is to just be polite and treat the officer with respect. They usually can tell if a person is nervous because of the uniform or if they are hiding something. In your case, you obviously did the right thing.
Tom

NYMoose "Lenny" · 02-26-2005, 06:15 PM

MnTom, amen. Being in the profession (law Enforcement) not drug running

, I have to tell you there is a big increase in this. We recently had grabbed a motorhome with numerous "Kilo's" of coke in it. (keeping it in the black tank) It is occuring widely now across the country.
Be polite

Have your paperwork,

Keep your hands visible

Please, if it is at night turn your interior lights on, it make us fee better when we can see everyone inside.

Finally, be polite, we are trying to do a job, just like everyone else.

MnTom · 02-27-2005, 05:55 AM

In the black tank??? EEEEWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! I hope you didn't have to go in after the stuff!!

Scott and Kathy · 02-28-2005, 08:03 AM

Well that explains some of the nicknames drugs have

FatDog · 03-03-2005, 01:05 PM

I don't run drugs, I don't even walk them.

and MtTom said it good: Be polite...
BUT,.. is that legal or even just O.K. to pull people over ??? and then question them ???
that just does not sit well with me. sorry. maybe CaL cops should pull over every Texas RV because there just MIGHT be a gun unlocked in the truck with a case of bullets within arms reach (thats a loaded gun out here), maybe Oregonian police will pull over every truck from southern states to check for forbidden fruit (fruit flies) entering the state, and Montana,.. well they'll just pull every truck over with any plate other then Montana.

I'm polite , and it won't ever turn into a problem with anyone finding anything 'bad' in my truck, but it just harkens back to the schoolyard bully pulling over the 'different' kids.

03-03-2005, 06:54 PM

.....If I get pulled over-I'll offer the cop an Iced tea and give him the keys while I sit in his airconditioned cop car with my dog-let the cop do his thing and then show him my dogs search/cadaver liscense......I never will say a word other than give him answers to the questions he ask.....after all, there is an old saying "Might is Right"....and he has the gun......geof kaye

RustyJC · 03-04-2005, 05:13 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FatDog:
BUT,.. is that legal or even just O.K. to pull people over ??? and then question them ???
that just does not sit well with me. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the highways are a public venue in which you do not enjoy the same Constitutional guarantees against illegal search and seizure that you enjoy in your "bricks and sticks" home.

Rusty

FatDog · 03-04-2005, 06:57 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">... you do not enjoy the same Constitutional guarantees against illegal search and seizure that you enjoy in your "bricks and sticks" home. ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

And I agree with that since my loved ones are out on the road too, and people should be under a bit more of scrutiny while on public roads to keep us all safe.
But what I didn't really express well was that the reason for my furled brow at the content of this thread,
( when I wrote: "...is that legal or even just O.K. ..." )
... I meant my musings to be more on the "is it O.K." side as versus the "is it legal" .
To pull over strangers going down the road just because they ARE strangers in your neck of the woods??. Again, it will never subject me to any problem, I pity the poor cop who pulls me over to have look-see, I'm usually so happy on my way down-the-road I'll probably talk his ear off and want to show him my rig and the mods to my truck and talk about my once-every-two-years vacation plans and "I'm darn glad to see ya.." and on and on ..... I have a feeling the cop would eventually smile, back out of my rig and high-tail it back to his cruiser. Some of my friends tell me I tend to rattle on when i get going

I just wondered i guess if it is O.K. ..?

RustyJC · 03-04-2005, 07:31 AM

No, it's not OK without probable cause unless they're stopping every RV. Of course, probable cause could be something as simple as a burned out tail light or wandering over the white line in your lane.

Rusty