I was stopped for doing 75 in a tired '78 Westy going up a slight grade.  I
got off with a warning.  I honestly don't think the officer could believe
his radar gun.

Patrick,
'71 Westy.  Gone
'66 Passenger van.  Gone
'76 Passenger van.  Gone
'71 Deluxe w/1776 and all the goodies.  90mph was easy.  Gone
'78 Westy.  Gone
'85 Westy w/Subie 2.2L.  Current car

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Steele" <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2001 7:30 AM
Subject: Re: cruising speed

> >
> A classic van tale...it is Friday...
> I was driving home from my last  MBA class after three years' of commuting
> two to three times a week, 110 miles round trip to Ohio Univ. in my '81GL
> (thank God for those aux. heaters).  Earlier, along with fellow students,
I
> had stopped at a college watering hole and I had a beer before heading
home.
> Late night, deserted road, barren countryside. Coming out of a series of
> sweeping curves, heading downhill to a straight stretch...pedal to the
> metal...I pushed the van up to 98 on the speedo. No rattles,smooth
sounding.
>
> A set of headlights flashed by at a hidden driveway but nothing...must not
> have been the cop that I sometimes would see sitting there. A couple of
> miles down the road and doing about 60; I looked back at an approaching
set
> of headlights. It was an Ohio State Patrolman. Red lights flicked on... OH
> HELL!  Doing 90 plus, beer on my breath, Crap!....Crap! What was I
thinking?
> I knew that cop sat there sometimes. ..Crap!
>
> I pulled over, rolled down the window and waited for the "man".  He
strolled
> up to the van. I watched him in the rear view mirror; he was really
looking
> over the van. He bent down a little to look at the back hatch.  After the
> typical exchange of license and where and what...he handed back my license
> and said, "At first I saw you and thought, that's a VW van. Then I looked
at
> my radar readout and thought it was broken...it read 92 mph. Then I looked
> back up and you were gone. I had to catch up to you and make sure I wasn't
> dreaming. You ought to drive that thing slower."  Then he walked back to
his
> cruiser, did a U-turn and drove off.
>
> --
> Stephen Steele
> Chillicothe OH
> '91 Caravelle  Hans
> '84 Westfalia  Fritz or Sunny?
>