Ben Heavner <bheavner@nyx.cs.du.edu> wrote...
>What are you all's experiences with
>getting stopped/harassed by police for driving a van?

Several years ago, I used to drive a one-ton white Ford van as my
everyday car. One night I was on my way home from laying out a road
rally in western Mass. On the entrance ramp to the Mass Pike in
Sturbridge, I saw the blue lights and pulled over. Damn, I knew I
should have paid attention to the absurdly low speed limit on the ramp!
Next thing I know, a very agitated state cop started rapidly (rabidly?)
barking something at me which of which I understood only "....your
wheel..." I thought he meant something about a tire or wheel so I leaned
out the window to look and next thing I know I was getting a up-close-and-
personal look at the insides of the barrels of a sawed-off shotgun. He
yelled again, this time slow and clear enough for me to understand,
"Put your hands on the wheel!"
Knowing that a shotgun wins most if not all arguments I did as told.
"Do you have any firearms or explosives?" Say what?
"No, sir" says I.
"Step out of the vehicle and walk around to the front." No argument from me.
"Place your hands on the front, feet apart." I got frisked, noticing there
were now about six cruisers around me and everything was bathed in blue.
"Where are you coming from?" He barks.
"I was just at [insert name of bar here]"
"Yes, I saw the vehicle there." says another cop. What's going on here, I'm
wondering. Good thing I had only a couple of beers.
"Ummm...do you have a warrant?", I meekly inquire.
"We have probable cause."
"What's this all about?" I ask, as I hear stomping, pounding, etc. from
inside my van.
"We'll tell you in a minute."
"There's nothing." said one of the search party.
Now the first guy spoke. "We have reason to believe a large quantity of
drugs will be transported through this area. Your van meets the description
of that vehicle." They offered a brief apology and left me to go on my way,
heart still pounding.

So, Ben, that's my story...

- Scott
83 Ford E350 van then, 91 Westfalia Camper now
===========
Scott Sminkey				email: sasminkey@eng.xyplex.com
Sustaining and Specials Engineering	voice: 508 952-4792
Xyplex, Inc.				fax: 508 952-4887
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