BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
Saturday night something happened and I finally thought I should do my neighborly duty to help out my fellow Nebraskans that drive on gravel roads.
My wife, kids and I went Christmas shopping Saturday and we got home around 10:30-11:00. We had a wonderful day together. Everyone was asleep in the car when I turned down the four miles of gravel road that is the last leg to get home. Around two miles off the highway, I look in my rear view mirror to be shocked at what I saw. It wasn't Santa and 8 tiny reindeer. It was police lights on top of a State Patrol car pulling me over. I looked at my speedometer and I may have been going maybe 52-53 in what I know should be 50 mph. But....surely he isn't pulling me over for just going 2-3 mph over the limit.
So, I slowed to a stop and waited for the officer to approach. He approached my car very professionally like I have always had done in this fine state. He kindly asked where I was going and where I was coming from. Meanwhile, I'm baffled why he pulled me over. Finally, he explains..."well, I pulled you over because you were driving down the middle of the road"......I had to have had a baffled look on my face at this point. He asked why I was driving down the middle of the road. I was trying to figure out how I was going to answer this when I was looking at the road. The ruts in the road where EVERYONE had driven were....ding ding ding....in the middle of the road. So, I said...."because that's where everyone drives?" Well, that sort of irritated him because he asked me what the law is. So, I explained that the law is to drive on the right side of the road unless conditions are unsafe to do so. Well, that must have been the wrong answer.
He took my information and as usual spent a wonderfully long time in his car making sure my car isn't stolen or that I have any warrants out for my arrest. When he approached the car again, he was nice enough to explain that he was giving me a warning for driving down the middle of the road.
At this point, I simply said that I need clarification on something so that I can be a law abiding citizen. I asked him to look at the road in my head lights. I asked him to see the ruts in the gravel where everyone else had driven and where it is nice and safe and hard. Then I asked him to look at the right side of the road where there were piles of loose gravel and where the large pile of gravel is that the county maintainer had left. I asked him to verify that I am supposed to drive in the loose gravel and on the pile of gravel the maintainer left and that he feels this is the safest thing to do.
At this point, this must have been a stupid question because by now both the officer and my wife are very frustrated at me for even questioning the wisdom of this fine gentleman. So, after he explained that is the law and if I continue driving down the center of the road that he will pull me over again, I simply thanked him for a giving me a warning and for his service and continued driving home.....on the right side....with the loose gravel pulling my car all over the place.
Of coarse, only after the officer left did my kids explain (laughing their hearts out in the back seat) that according to their recently taken driver's ed class, I was doing it correctly. Thanks for the support kids when I needed it.
So, to everyone who drives down gravel roads in Nebraska. Please remember that according to the State Patrol of the fine state of Nebraska, NO MATTER WHAT, you are to drive down the right side of the road and you are not allowed to cross that center line in the road. You know....the one that is very clearly marked. And...of coarse, we are all very glad that the fine officers of the State Patrol feel that they are being the most productive they possibly can be by patrolling gravel roads that very very few people drive down.
I hope this helps others to be safe this fine holiday season.
Good day!!!!
My wife, kids and I went Christmas shopping Saturday and we got home around 10:30-11:00. We had a wonderful day together. Everyone was asleep in the car when I turned down the four miles of gravel road that is the last leg to get home. Around two miles off the highway, I look in my rear view mirror to be shocked at what I saw. It wasn't Santa and 8 tiny reindeer. It was police lights on top of a State Patrol car pulling me over. I looked at my speedometer and I may have been going maybe 52-53 in what I know should be 50 mph. But....surely he isn't pulling me over for just going 2-3 mph over the limit.
So, I slowed to a stop and waited for the officer to approach. He approached my car very professionally like I have always had done in this fine state. He kindly asked where I was going and where I was coming from. Meanwhile, I'm baffled why he pulled me over. Finally, he explains..."well, I pulled you over because you were driving down the middle of the road"......I had to have had a baffled look on my face at this point. He asked why I was driving down the middle of the road. I was trying to figure out how I was going to answer this when I was looking at the road. The ruts in the road where EVERYONE had driven were....ding ding ding....in the middle of the road. So, I said...."because that's where everyone drives?" Well, that sort of irritated him because he asked me what the law is. So, I explained that the law is to drive on the right side of the road unless conditions are unsafe to do so. Well, that must have been the wrong answer.
He took my information and as usual spent a wonderfully long time in his car making sure my car isn't stolen or that I have any warrants out for my arrest. When he approached the car again, he was nice enough to explain that he was giving me a warning for driving down the middle of the road.
At this point, I simply said that I need clarification on something so that I can be a law abiding citizen. I asked him to look at the road in my head lights. I asked him to see the ruts in the gravel where everyone else had driven and where it is nice and safe and hard. Then I asked him to look at the right side of the road where there were piles of loose gravel and where the large pile of gravel is that the county maintainer had left. I asked him to verify that I am supposed to drive in the loose gravel and on the pile of gravel the maintainer left and that he feels this is the safest thing to do.
At this point, this must have been a stupid question because by now both the officer and my wife are very frustrated at me for even questioning the wisdom of this fine gentleman. So, after he explained that is the law and if I continue driving down the center of the road that he will pull me over again, I simply thanked him for a giving me a warning and for his service and continued driving home.....on the right side....with the loose gravel pulling my car all over the place.
Of coarse, only after the officer left did my kids explain (laughing their hearts out in the back seat) that according to their recently taken driver's ed class, I was doing it correctly. Thanks for the support kids when I needed it.
So, to everyone who drives down gravel roads in Nebraska. Please remember that according to the State Patrol of the fine state of Nebraska, NO MATTER WHAT, you are to drive down the right side of the road and you are not allowed to cross that center line in the road. You know....the one that is very clearly marked. And...of coarse, we are all very glad that the fine officers of the State Patrol feel that they are being the most productive they possibly can be by patrolling gravel roads that very very few people drive down.
I hope this helps others to be safe this fine holiday season.
Good day!!!!
