Lost Day
Today was one of those rare days that I wished I fit the profile of a typical pastor. Usually I rebel against the stereotypes and expectations, and am proud that I don't fit the mold. But when the Massachusetts state trooper pulled me over for a broken tail light about noon, I wished I did. Yes, just a broken tail light. No speeding. No erratic driving. No suspicious activity. Just a turn signal and brake light that didn't work as I exited off the turnpike to get gas for the Beast. About 45 minutes to an hour later, I finally got to drive on down the road, with a warning ticket to repair the light and the insight that I fit the profile of a typical drug runner.
Not quite the "pastor" image, huh? Seems they have a problem in the area with people carrying drugs up and down the coast using RV's. So this woman, traveling alone in an old RV was suspicious. As he checked out the mapquest print outs and maps on my passenger seat, he spent several minutes asking me all kinds of questions - where I had been, where I was going, when I had started on my trip, what I did. I thought that by telling him I was a Lutheran minister, he would realize that I was no threat. Ha! Just the opposite, it seems. That would make a good cover for a drug runner, don't you think? That's what he thought. At the time I didn't realize that was what he suspected of me, but I could tell his many questions were not out of simple interest in my journey.
So when he went back to his car with my license and registration, I fully expected him to come back in a few minutes after seeing my clean record with just a warning to get my light fixed. A good 20 minutes later, I was starting to wonder what the heck was going on. I thought about calling someone, but decided that if I got on my cell phone he might be even more suspicious of me for some reason. Finally he came back, and it was then that I noticed he wasn't just a plain ol' state trooper either. He had on some special uniform for 'fugitive apprehension' or some such thing with all the security garb and everything. Now I was starting to worry a bit - did I look like someone who was harboring a fugitive or something?
He apologized for the delay, and told me that he couldn't find my RV registration on the computer, but since I actually had my registration with me, he would give me the benefit of the doubt. Don't know why the state of Wisconsin doesn't have me on record... I've paid my $67.50 both years I've had the RV now. Anyway, that's when he told me about the people transporting drugs using RV's and asked me if I didn't think that a minister would be a good cover for a drug runner. So he asked me even more questions.... all the same ones he had asked earlier, plus more about this trip I was taking and whether anyone had asked me to transport anything for them and "wouldn't I have more fun if I had someone with me?" In other words, he was still suspicious of the fact that I was traveling alone. He then asked if I'd mind if he poked his head in the RV for a while. Other than the fact that it needs cleaning, I was more than happy to have him come in and see my cabinet full of theological books and too many clothes and shoes and even my minister's garb in the closet for when I'm preaching at Mom & Dad's church in July. But he just took a quick look around and decided I was ok, I guess.
It was after he allowed me to go that I realized how freaked out I was by the whole thing. When I called Linda to vent, she reminded me I always tell too much about myself too, and that probably made him suspect me more. THAT ticks me off. Yes, I'm an open book, but shouldn't that make me more trustworthy, and not suspect? But no. In this world, when I'm open and trusting with some people it makes me a target for being used. With others it makes me somehow suspect because it's so 'unnatural.' That's just WRONG. So with my mood for the day ruined, and my paranoia at high level as I drove off (was he following me to see if I was delivering my drugs?) I decided I wasn't in much of a sight-seeing mood. Plus every time I turned right, I was worried that another cop would pull me over for the same reason.
Rhode Island looked nice as I drove through. I even finally drove along the scenic highway 1A and took one look at the bridge across Narragansett Bay to Newport and decided no way was I navigating my Beast across that, so I headed to Connecticut where I am now tonight. This campground has a service center and they're getting me in tomorrow morning to fix my tail light. I sure don't want to go through that again.
I don't think I'll be going back to Massachusetts anytime soon - at least not with my Pink Beast.
Not quite the "pastor" image, huh? Seems they have a problem in the area with people carrying drugs up and down the coast using RV's. So this woman, traveling alone in an old RV was suspicious. As he checked out the mapquest print outs and maps on my passenger seat, he spent several minutes asking me all kinds of questions - where I had been, where I was going, when I had started on my trip, what I did. I thought that by telling him I was a Lutheran minister, he would realize that I was no threat. Ha! Just the opposite, it seems. That would make a good cover for a drug runner, don't you think? That's what he thought. At the time I didn't realize that was what he suspected of me, but I could tell his many questions were not out of simple interest in my journey.
So when he went back to his car with my license and registration, I fully expected him to come back in a few minutes after seeing my clean record with just a warning to get my light fixed. A good 20 minutes later, I was starting to wonder what the heck was going on. I thought about calling someone, but decided that if I got on my cell phone he might be even more suspicious of me for some reason. Finally he came back, and it was then that I noticed he wasn't just a plain ol' state trooper either. He had on some special uniform for 'fugitive apprehension' or some such thing with all the security garb and everything. Now I was starting to worry a bit - did I look like someone who was harboring a fugitive or something?
He apologized for the delay, and told me that he couldn't find my RV registration on the computer, but since I actually had my registration with me, he would give me the benefit of the doubt. Don't know why the state of Wisconsin doesn't have me on record... I've paid my $67.50 both years I've had the RV now. Anyway, that's when he told me about the people transporting drugs using RV's and asked me if I didn't think that a minister would be a good cover for a drug runner. So he asked me even more questions.... all the same ones he had asked earlier, plus more about this trip I was taking and whether anyone had asked me to transport anything for them and "wouldn't I have more fun if I had someone with me?" In other words, he was still suspicious of the fact that I was traveling alone. He then asked if I'd mind if he poked his head in the RV for a while. Other than the fact that it needs cleaning, I was more than happy to have him come in and see my cabinet full of theological books and too many clothes and shoes and even my minister's garb in the closet for when I'm preaching at Mom & Dad's church in July. But he just took a quick look around and decided I was ok, I guess.
It was after he allowed me to go that I realized how freaked out I was by the whole thing. When I called Linda to vent, she reminded me I always tell too much about myself too, and that probably made him suspect me more. THAT ticks me off. Yes, I'm an open book, but shouldn't that make me more trustworthy, and not suspect? But no. In this world, when I'm open and trusting with some people it makes me a target for being used. With others it makes me somehow suspect because it's so 'unnatural.' That's just WRONG. So with my mood for the day ruined, and my paranoia at high level as I drove off (was he following me to see if I was delivering my drugs?) I decided I wasn't in much of a sight-seeing mood. Plus every time I turned right, I was worried that another cop would pull me over for the same reason.
Rhode Island looked nice as I drove through. I even finally drove along the scenic highway 1A and took one look at the bridge across Narragansett Bay to Newport and decided no way was I navigating my Beast across that, so I headed to Connecticut where I am now tonight. This campground has a service center and they're getting me in tomorrow morning to fix my tail light. I sure don't want to go through that again.
I don't think I'll be going back to Massachusetts anytime soon - at least not with my Pink Beast.
posted by Kris at 5/18/2006 06:17:00 PM
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