Valentine One Radar Detector Moment of the Month
November 2007: A Point Well Made
A state-trooper friend from Michigan just retired. When we set off driving
up through Wisconsin to his retirement party, he warned me to watch my
speed when we got close. He’s in a small town in the upper peninsula of
Michigan, just beyond the Wisconsin border, and the PD’s on both sides
like to feed off drivers from the other state.
We were northbound on a two lane 15 miles before the MI border, running
maybe ten over. V1 started to chirp a bit now and then, so I backed it
down to posted. As we went north V1 just kept coming alive more and more.
This was deep rural, not much but trees. We rounded a curve and met a
green unmarked cruiser going the other way. I saw the cop do the rubber
neck, looking over our tweaked car and checking the out-of-state plates.
I gave him a half mile in the mirror, then picked up some turbo to ten
over. In just a few minutes V1 started to chirp, this time from behind.
Just briefly, I thought of his radar bouncing off a road sign back toward
us as he headed south. No, the chirp was getting stronger. So I eased
back to legal.
Next thing I see, growing larger in the mirror, is the green unmarked
cruiser, radar blazing. He inches his way tighter to us and just follows,
apparently intending to tail us right out of the state.
As we near the border, I pulled V1 off the corner of the dash, unplugged
it, and opened the sunroof. I told my wife, just before we cross the border
I have a job for you. I’ll slow a bit so he gets good and close. You turn
around so he can see you and put your arm out the sunroof and give him
a friendly wave of "BYE-BYE BABY" with you best biker chick
smile. I figure a big simile and a wave from a good looking blonde, that's
enough to make the guys day. See if you can get a smile and even a wave
back. Then the last thing, just before the border, hold up the V1 in your
other hand and change the wave to a "gotcha" point.
When we could see the "Welcome to Michigan" sign, I chopped
the speed and she goes into her routine. The cop was right on us now and
he gave her a big smile back, but no wave. Then she holds up the V1 and
shakes it back and forth and with her other hand changes the wave to a
gotcha. I could see through the mirror his smile change to a look of "what's
this?" Then he starts shaking his head and laughing as we crossed
the border. The last we saw of him he was pulling over to do a flip back
the other way.
Bob Sides
Hastings, MI
