This interesting encounter with a police officer when I was speeding 95 MPH
on the way to Santa Cruz is a true story. Not in a vanagon but shows the
better side of the police. I was driving my old Mercedes on the way to a
conference on an almost deserted road passing all the rare vehicles on my
way. One of the last two cars I passed at 95 plus was a police cruiser.

Well of course I slowed down but his lights were already flashing and I
pulled over. The officer approached me, saluted me politely and said "How
are you today sir. Is there a problem?" I said No and I knew I was speeding
and was on my way to a conference in Santa Cruz and with almost no traffic I
was just trying to make good time. He said the usual stuff about safety then
gave me a ticket for my tinted windows up front. Told me to slow down and
reminded me that a blown tire at that speed could be a disaster.

He potentially saved my life that day. And the "equipment violation ticket"
cost me nothing but a trip to the CHP office when I got home to scrape off
the tinting. (In California tinting up front is not allowed unless factory
tinting from another state where it is legal.)

I was impressed that he saluted me politely and was so very courteous and
grateful that I did not get a ticket which was 40 miles over the speed limit
at that time.

William Polowniak
1989 Vanagon GL
1988 Mercedes 300 SE